SOCCEREX THE GLOBAL LEADER FOR THE BUSINESS OF FOOTBALL

Rights Holders, Brands and Suppliers all come to the Soccerex Convention looking to network and do business. Here are some examples of what has been achieved...

Real Madrid CF & bwin

Spanish giants and nine times European Champions Real Madrid CF first attended Soccerex in 2005 and have returned every year since.

In this time, Soccerex account manager Daniel Paiser has worked closely with Real Madrid CF to ensure their commercial needs have been met at all our events. In 2006 after alerting Soccerex that they were looking to attract a new premium sponsor Daniel introduced them to a number of brands. Using the networking platforms that Soccerex provides, Real Madrid CF were able to meet with the top gaming corporation bwin and further cultivate their business relationship.

bwin are Europe's number one online sports betting organisation and have attended two Soccerex London Forums as well as the main event in 2006;

"As a global brand looking to cement ourselves in the football industry Soccerex events provide the perfect opportunity to meet up and talk business with the clubs from key leagues, such as Real Madrid. Soccerex is an occasion that allows us to hold many meetings in a time efficient environment."
Andrea Gaudenzi, Head of Sponsorship & Events, bwin

Subsequently, bwin were pleased to announce a new partnership starting on 1 July 2007 as the main sponsor for Real Madrid CF. The agreement has initially been agreed for a period of three seasons. Apart from displaying the bwin logo on the jerseys of the Real Madrid CF, the corporate agreement also extends to extensive branding of the stadiums and Real Madrid's training ground.

Soccerex provided a platform for bwin and Real Madrid CF to discuss the commercial opportunities of a potential sponsorship partnership.

FC Barcelona & Major League Soccer (MLS)

Soccerex has become a vital industry gathering for leagues & clubs from around the world. Nelson Rodriguez, Senior Vice President for the MLS, first attended Soccerex in 2004 and since then, one of the most commercially forward thinking leagues in the world has sent a high level delegation every year. Nelson recognised Soccerex could provide them with an opportunity to learn, network and do business with the key industry figures;

"Soccerex has proven to be an effective and efficient way for us to expand our business network. As a result of meetings we have held and contacts we have made at Soccerex, we have been able to drive our business forward."

The 18 times Spanish league champions FC Barcelona have come every year since Soccerex 2005. After working closely with their Spanish speaking account manager Daniel Paiser they have firmly established Soccerex as a crucial event in their business calendar;

"For a club with global ambitions like FC Barcelona, attendance at Soccerex is almost a must. It creates a great platform to efficiently meet a large number of players in the market, be it agencies, sponsors, technology suppliers or other clubs and institutions. It is a birth place for new ideas and a place to forge relationships created previously, like the strategic relationship with the MLS."
Daniel Schloesser, CMO FC Barcelona

Through their attendance at Soccerex events in Dubai, South Africa and London the MLS and FC Barcelona have been able to build on their existing business relationship and subsequently form a groundbreaking partnership. In May 2008, both parties signed a five year commercial agreement, making them the first European club to form a partnership with the MLS and its marketing arm Soccer United Marketing. The deal commits FC Barcelona to play six matches in the USA, helping them to expand its brand and increase its fanbase in this rapidly developing market.

"Soccerex has provided us with another opportunity on the yearly calendar to meet with key clients and partners such as FC Barcelona. We look forward to maintaining our presence at the event in years to come."
Nelson Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, MLS

Supportershop

Supportershop are a London based online merchandising company that began trading in sports apparel in 1999. With a product range that encompasses football shirts, framed pictures and signed memorabilia, Supportershop target both fans and retailers from across Europe.

Supportershop's relationship with Soccerex began when Director Pascal Walquenar attended Soccerex 2006 as a delegate in Dubai. Pascal was attracted by the possibility and finding new partners and suppliers.

Having seen first-hand the benefits of having a physical presence within the Exhibition Halls, Pascal elected to return the following year with a 9sqm stand. During the 3-day event, Supportershop were able to meet a variety of delegates interested in developing their international market through franchising.

Through regular contact with Pascal, their Soccerex Account Manager was aware that Supportershop were looking for partners to help them branch out to new markets, and therefore introduced Pascal to his client Michael Axelsen, Partner of The World Game Group, at an evening networking event. The World Game Group were looking for investment opportunities to diversify their portfolio, and after meeting Pasqual, Michael was so impressed that offered to buy a significant share of Supportershop.

Pascal was delighted to accept the offer and since the completion of the deal in December, Supportershop have gone from strength-to-strength, using the investment to expand further into Europe, break into Australasia and Asia and set up footballeurope.com.

Following the success of their participation in Soccerex 2007, Supportershop have already committed to exhibiting at Soccerex 2008 where they are looking forward to expanding their client base internationally and liaising with their South African partners SLAM - the South African FA's Licensing & Marketing arm.

"Thanks to Soccerex, we've been able to get in touch with the world of football"
Pascal Walquenar

"As a new player on the international football scene Soccerex gave us a unique possibility to grow our network and get important insights. On top of that, the output from just one of the meetings gave us an important platform to grow our international trading business on a large scale. Soccerex arranged a meeting for us with Supportershop.com, which lead to a profitable acquisition."
Michael Axelsen

Sport Global Management & Pro-Active Living Sports Agency

Soccerex's global cross-section of clients activates business opportunities across the world. As a result of last year's convention over £500 million of business will be completed - much of which will be in South Africa, with over half of our international delegates indicating a desire to pursue partnerships or set up offices within South Africa.

Gael Mahe, CEO, Sport Global Management first attended a Soccerex 2006 in Dubai, his football agency firm are well established in Europe offering exceptional services to clients including the French Football Federation, Konami, Coca-Cola and a wide range of international football players. Through Account Manager introductions and industry focused networking breaks he met Rasthoem Simons, Managing Director of a South African based agency called Pro-Active Living Sports Agency. South Africa is one of the key growth markets in our global economy and since it has been awarded the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the commercial opportunities available in this vibrant country have been well documented.

"Soccerex has been a good experience for our company and we will continue to support it for many years to come. In 2006 in Dubai we met a South African based agency managed by Rasthoem Simons and by Soccerex 2007 in South Africa we came to an agreement and Sport Global Management South Africa was born."