News

Trek, one of the biggest bicycle manufacturers in the world is to sponsor London Duathlon. The run-bike-run event which takes place in Richmond Park, London on 14 September is the biggest Duathlon in the world, with public places in the 2014 event already sold-out. London Duathlon was acquired last year by global engagement agency, Limelight Sports who now organise and deliver the event. London Duathlon was first held in 2005 and consists of run-bike-run elements with the choice of four ... read more

To celebrate Easter at Thorpe Park, Space is bringing Angry Birds to life with an experiential event at the Resort over Easter weekend. The Big Easter Hunt supports the launch of ANGRY BIRDS LAND, and teases the Angry Birds 4D animation experience and themed land opening at THORPE PARK Resort next month. The Big Easter event will take place at THORPE PARK Resort between Friday 18th – Monday 21st April and feature a special Angry Birds Easter Hunt at the heart of the on-Park activity. Targeting ... read more

PREMIERSHIP RUGBY today welcomed an exciting new era for European club rugby with the confirmation of the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup as the elite European rugby competitions from the 2014 / 2015 season onwards. "We are looking forward to our clubs being part of an invigorated set of European competitions in the European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup,” said Dominic Hayes, Premiership Rugby Commercial Director. "The sponsorship model ... read more

Havas Sports & Entertainment (HS&E), the brand engagement network of the Havas Group, are pleased to announce the appointment of Bruno Baracho as Managing Director for the network’s office in São Paulo. A senior communications professional, Baracho brings to HS&E over 14 years of agency experience managing Global brand accounts. He joins HS&E from 9ine Sports & Entertainment, part of the WPP group, where he led new business development and strategic client accounts. Prior to ... read more

• Ryder Cup Ambassador Alan Hansen launches Ryder Cup Practice Day programme, which begins with Tartan Tuesday • Tickets on sale through http://www.rydercup.com/ The 2014 Ryder Cup Ambassador Alan Hansen today launched the event’s action-packed Practice Day programme. He also announced a new charitable element to the first day of Ryder Cup week, which will be known as Tartan Tuesday. Hansen was joined by ClubGolf members from Prestonfield Golf Club in Edinburgh at Edinburgh Castle and called ... read more

Danish chocolate milk brand Cocio is hitting the streets of London for its first UK campaign, with targeted sampling activity to generate intrigue around the brand. Activity kicked off on Friday 4th April, led by Space. As lead BTL agency for Cocio, which is owned by dairy company Arla, Space is responsible for delivering a summer-long programme of initiatives aimed at building brand intimacy through trial and building awareness. Cocio is a chocolate milk drink made of three natural ... read more

PREMIERSHIP Rugby are delighted to announce that one of the industry's foremost sports partnership experts has joined their team in Twickenham. Paul Sherrell formerly Commercial Director at Saracens and Director at Sponsorship & Events Agency - RT Marketing - is the new Head of Partnerships at Premiership Rugby. At Saracens and RT Marketing Paul was responsible for sponsorship acquisition and development working in rugby and other sports, with brands such as Garmin, McLaren, Virgin ... read more

Suite of tools to guide brands through selection, evaluation and impact of sponsorship deals MediaCom Sport has launched Connected Sponsorship, a new suite of industry-leading proprietary strategy and evaluation tools, for local and global brands investing in or considering sponsorship. The four tools ensure that all sponsorship investment decisions are made in the context of a robust strategic framework. Connected Sponsorship enables MediaCom Sport to match opportunities to client ... read more

European Tour rookie Marco Crespi claimed a maiden title on The Race to Dubai with a two stroke victory at the inaugural NH Collection Open. Starting the day a shot adrift at La Reserva de Sotogrande Club de Golf the Italian fired a final round 69 to finish ten under and win by two from Jordi Garcia-Pinto (66) and Richie Ramsay (68). Overnight leader Matthew Nixon shot one over playing alongside Crespi in the final group and finished in a tie for fourth on seven under alongside Felipe Aguilar ... read more

Two Circles, the data-driven sports agency that specialises in driving commercial growth for sports rights holders, has been appointed by Valencia Club de Fútbol to play a key role in improving the club’s marketing strategy. In an innovative international partnership, the agency will strive to use data to enhance the club’s understanding of its fans. The appointment comes at an exciting time in Valencia’s rich history. As the club experiences a number of off-field changes, improving its ... read more

Paul Weller will headline this year’s Warwick Castle Summer Sounds on Friday 11 July, organised by sport and entertainment agency, Generate. Generate’s Director of Events & IP, Andrew Wyke, brokered the deal for Paul Weller bringing the British singer, lyricist and guitarist to the medieval castle in Warwickshire later this year. Warwick Castle, part of Europe’s leading visitor attraction operator Merlin Entertainments plc, collaborated with Generate in 2013 to deliver the venue’s most ... read more

MediaCom Sport has agreed a unique commercial partnership with Brazilian football star Neymar Jr. The agency will work with the player’s management to explore commercial opportunities that build on his skill and position as one of the world’s most recognized athletes as part of a three-year agreement Despite being just 22-years-old, Neymar has been compared to some of the world’s greatest players and he is tipped to be the star of this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil. As winner of the Golden ... read more

-This new offer forms part of HS&E’s Meaningful approach to brand engagement- Havas Sports & Entertainment (HS&E), the brand engagement network of the Havas Group, has launched a new service offer: Havas ISE (Indicator of Sustainability Engagement), a tool and consulting service to help brands embed sustainability into all of their experiential programs and events. This fully-customizable tool is an online application that measures and evaluates a brand’s engagement on ... read more

Recruits Deirdre McGlashan from Aegis to become first Chief Digital Officer MediaCom has made two key appointments to boost its digital leadership team and ensure it develops the solutions that clients need in the era of “big data”. The agency has hired Deirdre McGlashan as its first Chief Digital Officer. Deirdre was previously Head of Digital, Global Clients at Aegis Media, where she successfully boosted thought leadership, innovation, standardisation of systems and tools, as well as ... read more

Appointment now runs through to end 2016 MediaCom Worldwide has extended its 16 year relationship with the Volkswagen Group for a further three years. The appointment signifies the next stage in a partnership that started in 1998 in Germany and now covers more than 30 countries across the globe. Under the terms of the partnership, MediaCom will continue to provide strategic media insight and planning and buying services for all Volkswagen Group brands including VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and VW ... read more

Fuse Sport + Entertainment, Omnicom Media Group’s leading sports and entertainment agency won three major awards at the prestigious UK Sponsorship Awards held in London this week. Fuse Sport + Entertainment was named Sponsorship Agency of the Year, and the agency's work with HTC won the award for Best Brand Sponsorship for its UEFA Champions League and Europa Cup campaign. In addition, Jon Drakes won the Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Executive. This award was set up 11 years ago to ... read more

Sports marketing company Focus On Sports, member of the European Sponsorship Association (ESA), is organizing the first sponsorship conference under the title name "Choregeo" 1st Sponsorship Conference, on April 5th & 6th 2014, at the Cultural and Sports Conference Center Dais, in Maroussi, Athens, GREECE. "Choregeo" 1st Sponsorship Conference, will present the most recent data and statistical analysis about the value and prospects of a sponsorship with many interesting lectures from ... read more

Europe’s No 1 sports nutrition company, Atlantic Multipower has extended its association with cycling for 2014, announcing an exciting new partnership with Movistar Pro Cycling Team and renewing its sponsorship of Cannondale Pro Cycling for the sixth consecutive year. In addition, Multipower Sportsfood will remain the Official Sports Nutrition Partner for the Giro d’Italia in 2014 and 2015. Cannondale Pro Cycling and Movistar Pro Cycling Teams both enjoyed considerable success in 2013 and will ... read more

brandmeetsbrand is pleased to announce that restaurant review specialists, Harden’s, have retained the agency to help find a partner sponsor for their multi-platform activities. For nearly a quarter of a century, Harden’s has published the UK’s most authoritative restaurant reviews, based on a crowd-souring methodology unique among UK publishers. The firm recently secured investment for a major re-launch of its digital activities, and a sponsor will benefit not only from branding and ... read more

Jumps from fourth to first in RECMA Compitches 2013 report MediaCom has been named as the most competitive global media agency in the latest report from RECMA, which evaluates the global media agency industry. The 2013 Compitches Report, which analyses success in competitive pitches in 44 countries involving 700 different media agencies, revealed that MediaCom had taken the top spot. MediaCom’s success was not just confined to the last 12 months, however, with RECMA also ranking the agency as ... read more

In advance of thousands of Britons swimming, cycling and running this weekend in aid of Sport Relief, the Triathlon Industry Association (TIA) has revealed that Britain’s multisport community experienced double digit growth last year fuelled by the post Olympic glow and the sixth hottest summer since records began. The interim research results of the Triathlon Industry Association’s Annual Triathlete Survey have shown a significant increase in all types of race start – Sprint, Olympic, Middle ... read more

Havas Sports & Entertainment (HS&E), the brand engagement network of the Havas Group, has signed a strategic partnership with eventures, a full-service integrated communications agency with offices in Bucharest, Romania. This partnership will see the expansion of HS&E’s footprint in Eastern Europe, adding to the existing offices in Poland and Russia in the region. eventures ’ focus on creativity and expertise in digital, events and PR will complement HS&E’s global offering of ... read more

Generate has recently appointed Mat Bell to the role of Client Services Director, with a focus on client development and new business. Bell joins Generate from Aegis Media Australia where he was Business Director for ApolloNation, a full-service activation agency. With focus around new business and client service, Bell’s extensive marketing experience includes integrated sponsorship experiential and activation campaigns for clients including GM Holden, The Australian Football League and ... read more

Global engagement agency, Limelight Sports, has appointed Mike Jones as Head of Business Development. Jones has spent 16 years working in Formula 1 and top level motor sport, holding positions including Sponsorship Director, Eurosport Events and Vice President, Sales Europe (Motorsport & Action Sports) at Wasserman Media Group. Jones will join Commercial Partnerships Manager Philip Taylor, former City of London Partnerships Manager and Adam Chapman, former Manchester United Sponsorship ... read more

• Multipower Sportsfood announce the signings of Lynsey Sharp, Kristian Thomas and Sonny Webster ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games Europe’s No 1 Sports Nutrition Company, Atlantic Multipower has announced the sponsorship of three of Britain’s leading athletes ahead of this summer’s Commonwealth Games. European 800m gold medallist Lynsey Sharp, gymnast and Olympic team bronze medallist Kristian Thomas, and one of Britain’s most talented weightlifters Sonny Webster have joined the Multipower ... read more

First global agency partnership delivers innovation in effective rich media advertising at scale on tablets, mobiles and social networks BOSTON, Mass. and LONDON: MediaCom, one of the world’s leading media communications specialists, has partnered with leading mobile display ad creation and analytics provider Celtra to deliver more effective advertising opportunities to its clients. The partnership will make it significantly simpler and more cost effective to produce, manage and monitor ... read more

Octopus Investments, one of the UK’s fastest growing retail fund management companies, has appointed sport and entertainment agency Generate to deliver its 2014 sponsorship, PR & digital activation within T20 cricket. The brand’s cricket sponsorship portfolio includes partnerships with the Surrey Lions and the Birmingham Bears in this summer’s T20 competition. The association with both counties extends to stadium branding at iconic test match grounds and shirt sponsorship during home T20 ... read more

Dubai – Shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC has renewed its sponsorship of talented young British racing car driver Alex Brundle for the seventh consecutive year, as he prepares to compete for OAK Racing squad in the 2014 Tudor United Sportscar Championship (USCC). The partnership will see the GAC logo appear on the Morgan-Nissan LM P2 for all ten events on the 2014 USCC schedule, in addition to appearing on Brundle’s crash helmet and race gear in the races he is contending for ... read more

New Central Harbourfront Set to Stage Six Day Festival of Music and Sport Hong Kong sports fans and music lovers received a huge boost today following the announcement by the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) of the new HK Fan Zone that will provide a week of sport and entertainment at the New Central Harbourfront during the week leading up to the world famous Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. Hong Kong, March 3 2014 - Hong Kong sports fans and ... read more

Alan Pascoe, the former Olympic silver medallist and Vice Chairman of London’s successful 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Bid, is stepping down from his role as President of CSM – the leading sports and entertainment marketing agency, it was announced today. Pascoe is generally acknowledged across the business as the pioneer of sports marketing in the UK and went on to create 2 world leading Agencies APi, then CSM. He moved into events and consulting after a successful career on the track as a ... read more

Premiership Rugby is delighted to announce Green Flag will become one of its official sponsors for the next two seasons. The partnership will help the national breakdown provider raise awareness of its strength in local conurbations by delivering local on-the-ground initiatives at all 12 Premiership Rugby clubs. As part of the sponsorship deal, Green Flag will engage rugby fans through free motor 'health-checks' in club car parks, to help fans reduce the risk of breaking down. Free travel ... read more

Golf fans will be able to get closer to the action than ever before at the 2014 Junior Ryder Cup with the launch of its new online platforms, including new Twitter and Facebook pages and a revamped website at europeantour.com. The Junior Ryder Cup will take place at Blairgowrie Golf Club in Scotland from September 22-23, providing the prelude to the main event at Gleneagles Hotel from September 25-28. For the first time, fans of the junior event will be able to keep up to date with all the ... read more

• Official Sports Nutrition Partner of Giro d’Italia for 2014 and 2015 events • Multipower Sportsfood increases involvement in cycling to include Milano-SanRemo and Giro di Lombardia road race classics, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Roma Maxima Europe’s number one sports nutrition company, Atlantic Multipower has announced the extension of its exclusive partnership with the iconic Giro d’Italia following the company’s successful sponsorship last year. Multipower Sportsfood will remain ... read more

Hammerson, the owner of some of the UK’s best known shopping centres, is launching a nationwide sustainability roadshow called The Big Positive Weekend. Aiming to reach 2 million customers and inspire 200,000 positive pledges, The Big Positive Weekend celebrates the great things people and brands are doing for our communities and our environment. The roadshow is designed to leave visitors inspired and motivated to take small actions that add up to a big positive impact. The first road show of ... read more

Havas Sports & Entertainment (HS&E), the global brand engagement network of Havas, has bolstered its French office with two new senior hires: Jérémy Guesnon as Head of New Business and Thibaut Thouzery as Head of Creativity. Jérémy Guesnon has been appointed Head of New Business and in this role he will be in charge of new business development, leading a team of five people. Jérémy began his career at Alliance Group as a Communications Officer, where he was responsible for Sponsorship ... read more

A new tournament, the NH Collection Open, will be played at La Reserva de Sotogrande Club de Golf in southern Spain from April 3-6, 2014. The €600,000 event will be dual-ranking, meaning the field will comprise players from The European Tour and the Challenge Tour, and prize money will count towards The Race to Dubai, the Challenge Tour Rankings and Ryder Cup qualification. The field will consist of 144 professionals, with four places being allocated to tournament invitations, four to Spanish ... read more

The 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will feature seven champions on its grid after Colin Turkington was named in an unchanged line-up at eBay Motors for the new season. Ulsterman Turkington will be joined by his 2013 team-mates Rob Collard and Nick Foster as the West Surrey Racing-run squad believes continuity is key in its quest to win the overall drivers’ and teams’ championships, as well as the Independents’ crowns. Turkington was a revelation last season in what was his ... read more

Integrated marketing agency Space is enhancing John Smith’s long-running association with horse racing through its ‘Smooth Favourite’ campaign, an on-trade initiative designed to give drinkers a chance to ‘buy one ticket and get one free’ at 28 jump and flat racecourses across the UK. John Smith’s Extra Smooth, HEINEKEN’s leading ale brand, is the nation’s number one ale. The brand enjoys strong ties with horse racing, stretching back more than 50 years. The ‘Smooth Favourite’ creative theme ... read more

Two Circles and Surrey County Cricket Club together won B2C Marketing Gold at the 2014 Data Strategy Awards powered by Marketing Week. The award recognised the success of the significant marketing campaign Surrey and Two Circles executed in the build-up to the 2013 Kia Oval Investec Ashes Test match. Making innovative use of customer data, a sophisticated multi-channel campaign simultaneously drove significant new membership acquisition, sell out of the Ashes tickets and directly incremental ... read more

Sports and entertainment agency, brandRapport, has been appointed by the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power motorsport festival to develop their commercial strategy and lead their communications campaign for the event in June 2014. The festival takes place every year in Malpas, Cheshire. brandRapport will now oversee the creation and implementation of a multifaceted PR campaign for the Pageant of Power, which brings together speed enthusiasts on land, water and in the air. The campaign will run ... read more