Infront Group delivers full inventory of sponsors for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009
In spite of economic chill, the event is a sell-out
The event, which takes place every two years, is being staged in the popular resort of Val d’Isère, France, from 2 – 15 February 2009. It will be the 40th in the long history of this event, inaugurated in Mürren, Switzerland, in 1931. Val d’Isère thus joins the elite club of resorts that have organised the "Grand Slam" of skiing events, with 150 FIS World Cup races and four Winter Olympic events under its belt.
The Presenting Sponsor is Audi (cars) and the Main Sponsors are Bauhaus (DIY retail), Deichmann (shoe retail), Generali (insurance), Halti (sports apparel), Intersport (sports retail), Longines (watches/timing), Milka (chocolate) and Rauch (beverages). The championships have been marketed by Infront’s Austrian subsidiary APF, a company with a long and successful association with skiing. APF has acquired the marketing rights to the FIS Alpine and Nordic Ski World Championships 2007 and 2009 from the European Broadcast Union (EBU) in 2001.
Skiing is a popular sport with European sponsors and the 600 hours of television coverage and anticipated cumulative audience of 400 million are attractive to companies who are looking for activation potential in this key market area and image association with a clean, fast, exciting sport.
Sixty nations and 350 athletes will be taking part, in a total of 11 Men’s and Women’s competitions. There are 1,200 volunteers helping with the organisation of the event. In total, 1,500 media representatives are expected, indicating the popularity of this premier winter sports competition.
Bruno Marty, Infront’s Executive Director, Winter Sports, said: “We are more than happy with this result, especially in the current challenging environment, where even quality events and teams are having to work hard to maintain sponsor support. We have secured top brands in all product categories, each of whom will contribute to first class services for spectators and athletes. Credit must be given to our colleagues at APF, who have played such a major role in achieving this result.”
Infront and Winter Sports
Infront Sports & Media, based in Zug, Switzerland, is the strongest, most experienced marketing agency in the winter sports arena. It has focused strongly on developing its role in winter sports in recent years, to the point that it now represents six of seven Olympic winter sport federations at international level. The Group is the commercial partner of more than 90% of all national skiing federations hosting FIS Alpine Ski and Nordic World Cup races. It also markets the FIS World Championships. It has a long term partnership with the IIHF in international ice hockey and relationships with the winter sports of biathlon, bobsleigh and skeleton, curling and luge.
For further information, please contact:
Jörg Polzer
Manager, Communication & PR
Infront Sports & Media AG
Tel. +41-41-723 15 15
Fax +41-41-723 15 16
press infrontsports.com
www.infrontsports.com
