IEG Publishes Sponsorship And Hospitality Insights From SportsMark’s Keith Bruce

With a client roster that includes The Procter & Gamble Co., Visa Inc. and other blue-chip companies, SportsMark Management Group has earned a reputation as a leading sports marketing firm with a specialty in corporate hospitality.

IEG SR recently spoke with Keith Bruce, SportsMark president, about the state of hospitality, challenges faced by sponsorship, and the impact of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games and FIFA World Cup, among other topics. Below are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Vancouver to Host More Than Olympic Games

To encourage tourism around this year's Winter Olympic Games, Vancouver is hosting a "Cultural Olympiad," which will hopefully sway attendees to stick around for more than just the sporting events.

Vancouver2010.com for a list of events in the Cultural Olympiad program.

Yingli Green Energy Announces Global Sponsorship of 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. today announced a deal to sponsor the '10 FIFA World Cup inSouth Africa. Yingli becomes the first renewable energy company to back the World Cup, as well as the first Chinese company to sign a global sponsorship deal with FIFA. 

Super Bowl Ads: CBS Sells Out Remaining Inventory For Big Game

CBS yesterday said that it has "sold out of ads for the Super Bowl" at average prices that are "better than last year, with some 30-second spots" topping $3M, according to the AP. CBS said that the final spot sold yesterday morning, which is a "few days ahead of schedule."

Vancouver Torch 10 Days to Go

The Vancouver 2010 flame gets closer to the final destination with 10 days to go until the Olympic Games. Yesterday highlights include the Vancouver Olympic torch relay traveling through 7 towns and riding in a 1908 McLaughlin Buick Model 10 through Fort St. John.

ESPN Releases 2010 FIFA World Cup Schedule

ESPN will present comprehensive coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup June 11, through July 11, from 10 stadiums in nine cities across South Africa.  All 64 matches will be aired live and in high definition on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, and extensive coverage on ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV.  In addition, 2010 FIFA World Cup studio programs, including prematch, halftime and postmatch segments, will be presented in high definition.

Super Bowl Hospitality Is On The Mend

With the economy crashing late last year, Gemini Sports Group President Rob Yowell stayed on the sidelines of the Super Bowl hospitality business. This year, as soon as the Dallas Cowboys eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles on the first Saturday of the NFL playoffs, he was blitzed by text messages and phone calls desperately seeking Super Bowl ticket and hotel packages.

Olympics' Social Rings

TV may still be the big marketing vehicle around the Olympics, but sponsors use social media to build buzz and get fans involved.

USA World Cup Committee Selects 18 Cities For '18/22 Bid

The U.S. bid committee to host the World Cup yesterday named 18 cities that could host matches should FIFA award the country the '18 or '22 World Cup. The 18 cities have stadiums with an average capacity of 78,000 seats, which means there would be a total of 5 million tickets for the tournament, 33% more than the '94 World Cup. U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said, "The magnitude is enormous."

Durban Stadium raises the bar

The newly-built Durban Stadium, which sits on the shores of the Indian Ocean, has received rave reviews from both local and international media - and no wonder. 

P&G Likes the Looks of USOC Deal

Getting 18 brands to buy into using the U.S. Olympic marks was easy for Procter & Gamble marketer David Palmer, but it took a photo shoot with Olympians Lindsey Vonn, Tanith Belbin and Allison Baver for him to have confidence that Procter & Gamble’s new deal with Team USA would work.

As Vancouver Hosts The Winter Olympics, There's Plenty Of Fun To Go With The Fierce Competition

British Columbia will be party central in February when the five rings of the XXI Olympic Winter Games roll in after several years of intense planning (and, if you ask the locals, some equally intense spending). But with a packed schedule of snow-dusted sporting events and a feast of accompanying festival-like shenanigans, what are some of the must-see highlights for those planning a visit?

Draw Ignites FIFA World Cup Fever

The 32 teams participating at next year's FIFA World Cup™ finals discovered their fate this evening when the Final Draw for South Africa 2010 took place in Cape Town.

World Cup 2010 Draw: The Details

The where, when, how and who's who guide to Friday's World Cup draw

Sony Twilight Football: Seven Matches in Seven Cities

 “As the hour of twilight moves across the world, a series of seven matches will begin. All seven games will take place on 22nd September 2009, the Autumnal Equinox (northern hemisphere) and Vernal Equinox (southern hemisphere). The matches will be taking place at stunning, specially chosen locations in: Italy, France, the UK, Spain, Argentina and Australia, with the Twilight Football grand finale happening at a game reserve in Cape Town, South Africa, the host country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Each match takes place in a location chosen to provide a spectacularly beautiful background for a truly unique activity.”  - Sony Insider

Univision & SportsMark Team Up for the FIFA World Cup™

We are pleased to announce SportsMark has been awarded the management of Univision’s corporate hospitality program at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa. 

FIFA World Cup Update: 2010 Tourism in the Spotlight

Sports tourism is a worldwide money-spinner, estimated to be worth 600 billion dollars a year, attracting high-end spend from millions of sporting fans worldwide.

SportsMark Client Visa Launches Olympic Campaign

TOP sponsor Visa launched its global Olympic Marketing Campaign, “Go World”, three months ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics and following its Olympics sponsorship renewal.

We're 100 Days Out From the 2010 Games

You're up on Apolo, Lindsey and Bode the (reformed) Bad Boy. Rocks and brooms make you think curling, not stickball. And you know the lucky loonie is cash, not crazy talk.

There's plenty more to the Vancouver Olympics, though, what with hundreds of athletes competing in 15 sports over 17 days, and your prep time is running out. In honor of the 100-day countdown that starts Wednesday, here are 10 suggestions for other people, places and events to watch for:

MLS and SUM Sign SportsMark

For the first time, Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing have signed an official hospitality partner for the World Cup, signing SportsMark to manage hospitality for team owners, corporate partners and MLS executives.

SportsMark & CBS Gear Up for Super Bowl – Miami Style

SportsMark is pleased to continue our relationship with the CBS Corporation, providing event and hospitality management for the 2010 Super Bowl. As one of the largest sports events of the year, the Super Bowl delivers an exciting and fun environment for guests, but also provides an interactive platform for high-level relationship building, business meetings, and presentations.

SportsMark Client Visa Extends Olympic Deal to 2020

Visa Inc. extend its sponsorship of the Olympics, saying the deal with the Games has been a winner for the electronic-payments company. Visa’s new agreement with the International Olympic Committee will extend eight years through the 2020 Summer Games.

Team 2010 Warms Up for the Olympic Winter Games

SportsMark has been diligently preparing for the fast approaching Olympic Games in Vancouver by hiring and training senior and local staff. Working with six Olympic sponsor clients, SportsMark’s team of nearly 300 staff will help manage the Olympic experience for more than 2,600 clients and guests over the course of the Games.

SportsMark & The Hartford Prep for College Basketball Season

As college basketball season approaches, SportsMark is busily working on multiple sponsorship and event marketing initiatives with NCAA Corporate Partner, The Hartford. March Madness and Final Four programs are taking shape with pre-planning and site visits, while NABC Coaches Clinics are back this October and November.

U.S. Books World Cup Berth

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (AP) -- American players danced in the locker room and swigged some bubbly. With a thrilling victory on a hot and humid night in Central America, the U.S. soccer team earned a trip to South Africa and another chance to impress at the World Cup.