Soccerex European Forum

Manchester's association with 'the beautiful game' stretches over 100 years' witnessing not only the creation of the Professional Footballers Association back in 1907, but also the rise of some of our local teams from the playing fields around Manchester to the very top flight of the game on the world stage.

The city's credentials as a conference destination are equally impressive. The Soccerex European Forum will take place at Manchester Central in Petersfield - an area of the city which has played host to meetings and public gatherings since the 19th century. More recently, Manchester was voted the third best conference destination in the world by the readers of Conference & Incentive Travel - Europe.

Manchester City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Marketing Manchester and, of course, Man Utd and Man City, are delighted to welcome Soccerex to Manchester and look forward to working on what, we're sure, will become another milestone in the city's footballing history.

Our core purpose is to maximise the region's competitiveness to build a stronger economy.

Competitiveness is the key to England's Northwest economic success - the essential element in the development of our region's businesses, its people and its places.

We work to maximise the region's competitiveness, delivering effective responses to both short-term challenges and longer-term opportunities. We do this by supporting the region's businesses, by assisting new startsups, by encouraging investment in the region, by leading the region's £119 billion economy in innovative and sustainable directions and by delivering real opportunities for the seven million people who live within our boundaries.

We use our economic expertise to shape the growth opportunities of important industry sectors and help guide the development of the skills needed to match our economic ambitions.

Our investment is carefully targeted at initiatives that unlock the widest possible economic benefit. Our work is set out in the Regional Economic Strategy. We are currently developing a new single Regional Strategy called RS2010.

IMG is the world's premier and most diversified sports, entertainment and media company. We partner with the world's leading marketers and media networks to help them grow their businesses through our event properties, media production and distribution, talent brands, sponsorship consulting, brand licensing, sponsorship sales and other services.

IMG's areas of expertise include:
• Media production and distribution across multiple platforms
• Event creation, management and sponsorship sales
• Client representation and brand management
• Sponsorship and media consulting
• Global sponsorship and media sales
• Consumer products licensing
• Athlete training

Lockton, the world's largest, privately owned, independent insurance broker and risk management specialist. The brokerage firm have global presence and a considerable expertise, offering their services to clients throughout the world, in all the major continents.

For futher information about Lockton's services contact Stephen Akers.

Fast Web Media Ltd, based in Manchester, is the wholly owned UK operating company of Total Sports Online ASA -www.totalsportsonline.com Fast Web Media has three main business areas:

Sports media owner - Fast Web Media owns, hosts and manages www.4thegame.com, one of the largest sports websites on the web.

Sports digital media - Fast Web Media is a full service digital agency specialising working for sports governing bodies, rights holders, media and sponsors. We have won awards for web development and search engine marketing in particular. Current clients include Carling, Nationwide Building Society, The Rugby Football Union, The Premier League, The Football League and Manchester United.

Sports Public Relations - Fast Web Media is a full service Sports PR agency. We provide business to business and business to consumer PR only for sporting clients. We currently work with PA Sport, Manchester World Sport 08, Slazenger, Dunlop, Lonsdale, The Football League and UEFA New Media.

Navyblue Design Group is one of the top 20 design groups in the UK. Established in 1994, we now operate with a full-time team of 68 and a £8million turnover. We are a creative-led consultancy with an enviable portfolio comprising a range of international FTSE 100 listed companies and household brand names, as well as smaller privately owned businesses and public sector bodies. We have a proven track record in sports bidding, beginning with the joint Scotland/Ireland bid to co-host the European Football Championships in 2008 and we created and delivered the prestigious Candidature File for the winning bid by London to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Our expertise in the sporting arena also extends to football clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Glasgow Rangers where we are their chosen creative partner on their hospitality, branding and retailing programmes.

For further information:
Tel: +44 (0)20 7253 0316
Email: geoff.nicol@navyblue.com or phil.jones@navyblue.com

The Manchester based law firm has many years of experience in acting for sports and media personalities, clubs and leading brands and offers advice on issues such as transfer negotiations and contracts, image rights, sports sponsorship and stadia naming rights.

For further information about JMW Solicitors LLP please contact Daniel.Clark@jmw.co.uk or visit www.jmw.co.uk and www.jmwsports.co.uk.

Nordoff Robbins is a charity dedicated to providing music therapy to children and adults whose lives are constrained by illness, disability, trauma or isolation. Since its inaugural event in 1996, the Football Extravaganza has enjoyed huge support from the football and music industry. By its 15th Anniversary in 2010, this magnificent event will have raised almost £4million for Nordoff Robbins.

For further information about Nordoff-Robbins and the Football Extravaganza please contact Rae@TheFE.co.uk or visit www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk

Established in 1983, Action Images was acquired by Reuters – the world’s leading multimedia news agency – in 2005.
Action Images now combines its market-leading skills in sports photography with Reuters’ production of sports photography, text and graphics, as well as bespoke television services, into a compelling multimedia offering for the media, rights holders, sponsors, and creative agencies.

Major (and more unusual) sports and sporting events are covered worldwide. In addition to Action Images’ own specialist team of sports photographers, Reuters brings a global network of more than 600 photographers, as well as sports journalists and television production crews from 196 bureaux in 130 countries.

Clients include major national newspapers, magazines, online media, corporate sponsors, governing bodies and advertising and PR agencies. Contact Martin Ellis (Business Development Manager), on 0207 003 5832 / 07817 257 337 or martin.ellis@actionimages.com