Extensive TV and radio coverage of the meetings at Iffezheim, significantly increases the media presence of German horse racing

Iffezheim, Germany / Zug, Switzerland, 27 May 2011 - From 28 May to 5 June some of Europe's best horseracing talent takes to the tracks of Iffezheim racecourse as the 2011 season gets underway with the Spring Festival. Now in its second year as operator of the race track, Baden Racing – where Infront Sports & Media acts as majority shareholder – has further increased media exposure and created an attractive sponsorship concept. A high-calibre starting field, attractive betting offers and diverse entertainment opportunities together with the racing will make the Spring Meeting an appealing event for all kinds of visitors.

Successful commitment to increased media coverage
Baden Racing and Infront have aimed high in terms of television exposure for the events at Iffezheim and in collaboration with the German Directory of Thoroughbred Breeding have taken big steps forward. A new horseracing programme on SPORT1, the German sports TV channel, will be launched at the Spring Festival. ‘RaceBets.com - GERMAN RACING live’ will run for a total of 15 weeks and premier on 29 May. Additionally, the media partnership with Equidia has been expanded. The French horse racing channel will live broadcast twelve races from Iffezheim.

Alongside the dedicated sports channels, the German public-service broadcasters SWR and ARD will also cover the meetings this year. Besides daily reporting on the Spring Meeting, Günter Netzer – Member of the Board of Infront Sports & Media – has been invited as a guest on both television and radio programmes featuring the racing.

Dr. Benedict Forndran, Managing Director of Baden Racing, says: “From the start, Baden Racing and Infront have set a goal to increase media coverage of Iffezheim in the long term. The extensive mass media coverage of the Spring Festival proves that we are working into the right direction.”

State-of-the-art TV production
This year has also seen further investment in media production, in order to offer both visitors to the course and viewers at home first-class coverage of the races. All broadcast material is now produced digitally in state-of-the-art 16:9 format. Six cameras are installed around the turf with additional cameras strategically positioned to cover the action in the parade ring, at the prize-giving ceremonies and other areas of the venue. The images will be used for the onsite race track TV as well as provided to the television networks covering the meetings.

High exposure and activation opportunities for sponsors
Sponsors of the event clearly stand to benefit from the additional media exposure. For 2011, Infront and Baden Racing have secured a strong inventory with many partners upgrading their involvement, such as Casino Baden-Baden, Uvex (glasses), Belmondo (horse race equipment), Nestlé Schöller (ice cream) and Geldermann (sparkling wine). New classic partners RWE (energy), American Express (credit & charge cards) and Effecten Spiegel (capital asset magazine) have also joined the ranks, whilst many existing partners like Toto Lotto (lottery), Sparkassenverband (banking) and Veuve Clicquot (champagne) have built upon their successful 2010 involvement.

Depending on the marketing package, sponsors can link their brands to individual races as well as benefit from attractive advertising and promotional opportunities around the racecourse, including first-class hospitality – ensured by Infront Hospitality Management. Varied activation opportunities along the course allow sponsors to interact very closely with the visitors onsite. The Nestlé Schöller Children’s Day, the Segways (electric vehicle) promoted by RWE and the Geldermann Open Air Lounge, where the finest sparkling wine is served from a centralised location, are just a few examples.

Reinhardt Weinberger, Managing Director Infront Germany, said: “The biggest advantage of the race track Iffezheim is its versatility as a venue and the range of activation opportunities available to commercial partners as a result. Sponsors are able to truly connect with the visitors by displaying and sampling products on site and offering varied opportunities for the spectators to get involved. The enhanced media exposure and first-class hospitality offerings further add value to the sponsorship involvement.”

Spring Festival - entertainment for young and old
The Spring Festival at Iffezheim offers an attractive programme for all kinds of visitors. Seasoned horse racing fans can look forward to a total of 53 races across the six days with the four Group Races featuring as a focal point. For the betting fans, Baden Racing has announced half a million Euros of guaranteed profit to be paid out across the Spring Meeting. The 2011 season also introduces a new bet ‘Even-Odd’ which has been developed to encourage beginners and challenge the expert. Players have to determine if a horse with an even or odd number will win the race. In addition to the race action, extensive entertainment opportunities – including pony rides for children and guest appearances from German pop stars and celebrities – will make it a fun packed event for the entire family.

About Baden Racing
Baden Racing has been in control of operations at the Iffezheim racetrack since June 2010. The company is a joint venture with the international sports marketing agency Infront Sports & Media AG (Zug, Switzerland) as majority shareholder and Baden Racing Entertainment, owned by DSV Deutscher Sportverlag GmbH (Cologne), Stars and Friends GmbH (Bad Harzburg) and weiss media GmbH (Meerbusch). Baden Racing e.V. is responsible for the racing and the betting whilst Baden Racing GmbH handles the maintenance, catering and marketing of the track. Horse racing at the Iffezheim racetrack dates back to 1858.

For further information please contact:

Jörg Polzer / Nike Möhle
Corporate Communications
Infront Sports & Media AG
Tel. +41-41-723 15 15
Fax +41-41-723 15 16
press infrontsports.com
www.infrontsports.com

Peter Mühlfeit
Press Officer
Baden Racing
Tel. +49-176-17 22 93 15
presse baden-racing.com
www.baden-racing.com