ISEM Award Jury recognises creativity that generated a spectator world record for the 2010 IIHF World Championship Opening Game

The entry of Infront, in its capacity of exclusive marketing partner to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), and the Organising Committee was titled “77,803: A World Record for Ice Hockey and its fans – the 2010 IIHF World Championship Opening Game”. It applied to the successful staging of the opening event on 7 May 2010 in a football stadium, the Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, producing a world record audience for ice hockey including its official registration at GUINESS WORLD RECORDS.

An unforgettable experience

With an audience of 77,803, the Opening Game finally changed the dynamics of ice hockey forever and provided spectators, television audiences and commercial partners with an unforgettable experience and much added marketing value.  

It involved turning a football stadium into a world-class ice hockey arena with an alarmingly short deadline of just five days, installing an ice rink of 60 x 30 metres on the surface below the pitch and erecting 16,000 extra seats.  

The extraordinary atmosphere at the event lifted ice-hockey to a completely new level of public interest in Germany. The positive start to the tournament also inspired a high level of attendance thereafter, with close to 550,000 spectators attending the games throughout the Championship. The tournament attracted a record cumulative television audience of more than 700 million watching 2,000 hours of broadcast coverage.  

“Perfect use of partnerships”

The international jury ultimately acknowledged that the entry has demonstrated innovation across every element of event planning, management and delivery. The Award was presented at the Award Gala Dinner at Twickenham Stadium on the evening of 3 November.  

Philippe Blatter, President & CEO at Infront, said: “We are really happy and proud about the ISEM Sport Innovation Award. It proves that we are able to work ever-more creatively together with our partners, thanks to mutual trust and shared passion. Creating this world record was only possible because we could make full use of our experience and the partnerships with the IIHF, the DEB and the Veltins-Arena. This award honours the great work of all parties and people involved and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to this success.”  

Franz Reindl, DEB General Secretary and Managing Director of Organising Committee, added: ”The concept for the Opening Game was certainly an unusual kind of innovation, but all contributing parties have shown great ingenuity, not just in planning and executing this world record, but also by a lot of attention to detail on the day of the event, when we took a range of measures to make sure every seat was filled. The extraordinary atmosphere at this game lifted ice-hockey to a completely new level of public interest in Germany.”  

Bronze for FIFA AUB Legacy Weeks

The FIFA AUB Legacy Weeks, a “Broadcast Academy“ concept operated on behalf of FIFA by Infront’s wholly owned subsidiary, Host Broadcast Services (HBS), was the bronze winner in the ISEM Sports Innovation Award category.  

About Infront Sports & Media

Infront Sports & Media, based in Zug, Switzerland, has grown impressively to become one of the leading international sports marketing groups in the world. Infront employs more than 500 people across 24 offices in 10 countries. It has long-lasting partnerships with around 130 rights holders and hundreds of commercial partners. Annually, it helps to deliver more than 1,900 event days of top class sport and produces and distributes many thousands of hours of quality coverage.  

Infront is the leading winter sports agency, representing six of seven Olympic winter sport federations at international level. This includes its long-term partnership with the IIHF in world ice hockey. It has a major role in international skiing, where it manages more than 90% of the media and/or marketing rights to FIS World Cup events. Partnerships with the FIBT for bobsleigh and skeleton, FIL for luge, the IBU for biathlon and the WCF for curling complete Infront’s winter sports portfolio.  

About the 2010 IIHF World Championship Organising Committee

In February 2008, Infront Sports & Media and the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) put in place a strategic co-operation for the organisation of the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany. The joint-venture has allowed the practical, frontline experience of organising previous IIHF World Championships to be carried forward, to the benefit of the event. Similar arrangements were employed for the 2005 and the 2009 IIHF World Championships in Austria and Switzerland and proved highly beneficial. The DEB was appointed by IIHF at its annual congress in 2005 to host the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.

For further information, please contact:  

Jörg Polzer

Associate Director, Corporate Communications

Infront Sports & Media AG

Tel. +41-41-723 15 15

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