A lot has happened in the period after March this year, when “the game stopped”. Much more than we could have imagined. This year’s issue of the SPORTO Magazine (available also in the digital version) is a reflection of these challenging times and offers some insight into the adaptation during the Covid-19 period, and mostly, a look forward into the post-pandemic future. Please find more about the contents in our announcement.
How did we navigate the Tour? With conversation!
“Everyone understood that this would be a very specific Tour de France and they were all ready to actively participate to bring about the necessary changes,” says Laurent Lachaux, Sales and Partnership Director at ASO, the renowned organisation that organises, along with the prestigious Tour de France also La Vuelta, the Dakar Rally, the Paris Marathon as well as some of the classic cycling races.
Bach: In the Olympic Games, we are all equal
During his September visit to Ljubljana, the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach took some time to talk to SPORTO to reveal how the IOC is coping with the challenge of postponing the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and satisfy our curiosity on two controversial rules of the Olympic Charter that seem to be an always current topic of discussion – Rules 40 and 50. He also shed some light on their plans for the Olympic Channel.
Black-and-yellow team in the peloton
Managing Director of Pro Cycling Team Jumbo-Visma, Richard Plugge, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the marketing side of cycling and the team which, together with Primož Roglič, is on the fast track to become one the world’s top cycling teams. Will Roglič, world’s number one cyclist and freshly crowned La Vuelta 2020 winner, soon be wearing a permanent jersey with the same number, and will his team be able to successfully market his brand – as in football?
An impressive new identity
The high-profile complete rebranding and strategic branding of Iceland’s national football teams and the Football Association of Iceland (KSI) received a positive response from the sports and the design community around the world, and was recently the silver winner of the Clio Sports Awards in the Brand Identity category. Stefan Gunnarsson, Head of Marketing and Commercial at KSI and SPORTO 2021 speaker, reveals insights from the process.
We only have one planet
“Formula E was founded to counteract climate change by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles. That purpose has since extended to ‘racing for better futures’, including through our work on both sustainability and inclusivity,” says Katie Traxton, Chief Communications Officer at Formula E. The mission to drive sustainability was in fact the main reason behind her decision to move from her role at the agency to a rights holder.
SPORTO talked to Lewis Wiltshire, CEO at Seven League, who discussed the role of digital in the “new reality” of sport, and Jill Downey, Managing Director at Core Sponsorship, who shared insights and learnings from two in-depth reports about pandemic effects on the sponsorship industry in Ireland. Cristian Nyari, Head of Commercial Content at DAZN North America, discussed more and more complex habits of consuming sports, while Kristian Gotsch (Two Circles) explained how his team helps their clients, rights holders across EMEA region, drive long-term commercial growth.
We also talked to a digital leader Alex Balfour (Digital Brand Services) and Sean Callanan (Sports Geek), who shared his podcast experience, reflecting on the opportunities podcasts can offer to rights holders and brands, and touching on the specifics of the Australian sports digital landscape. Our column guest is Andy Westlake, Chairman at European Sponsorship Association. SPORTO Magazine brings also insights from the premiere of Aphetor Games, exciting new model for (sports) events, and TV ratings and social media charts of athletes and clubs across social media platforms in the Adriatic region.
The new SPORTO Magazine (No. 15) is available for all SPORTO Conference past participants, European Sponsorship Association & Europaische Sponsoring Boerse members.
The digital version of the magazine can be downloaded HERE.
2021 SPORTO Conference will be held as Online Experience on 21 & 22 January.
You can register for the two-day digital event with globally recognised speakers HERE.
