Düsseldorf, February 15 2012 – The 16^th SpoBiS has now come to an end, and the organisers report a thoroughly positive response to Europe’s largest sports business conference in Düsseldorf. 

This year’s event was attended by more high-profile industry players than ever before, with personalities from both the fields of sport and business coming together in the CCD Congress Center Düsseldorf. SpoBiS 2012 offered a total of 14 forums, around 130 leading national and international speakers, and a whole host of Main Stage events involving top industry players.

Highlights included the Main Stage discussion between Chairman of the DFL Management Board, Christian Seifert, and SPONSOR^S Editor-in-Chief, Marco Klewenhagen, on allocation of the media rights for the 2013/14 to 2016/17 football Bundesliga seasons, along with the 1:1 chats with DOSB President, Thomas Bach, and the Chairman of Borussia Dortmund’s Board, Hans-Joachim Watzke. Event participants were additionally given ample opportunity to network during the two-day event.

Marco Klewenhagen, Executive Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of the SPONSOR^S specialist publication: “We are extremely happy with this year’s SpoBiS. High-calibre speakers and controversial issues yielded more headlines in the press than ever before. For us, this is an indication that the SpoBiS is becoming increasingly important, which both we and the entire industry are delighted about. Because the SpoBiS isn’t only a reflection of the sports business industry, but is also a trendsetter and catalyst.”

Hans-Willy Brockes, Managing Director of the ESB Europäische Sponsoring-Börse: “The SpoBiS has established itself in Düsseldorf. Not least with its content contribution to the “Location Factor in Sport” forum has Düsseldorf once again proven that it has earned its ‘sports city’ title and is also a city in which sports are practised. We are extremely happy with the relocation to the venue beside the Rhine, and look forward to continuing this cooperation in the coming year.”

Hamburg, 7 February 2012 – Anticipation is growing for the event of the year: there is now less than one week to go until the largest sports business conference in Europe. The two-day event offers everything a sports manager could ever wish for, namely a multitude of top speakers, a unique conference set-up, food for thought, exclusive experience reports, and unequalled networking opportunities. Why not be a part of SpoBiS 2012 too, and  secure your ticket for the biggest sports and business meet now?

Hamburg, 7 February 2012 – SpoBiS stands for networking! Take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about this year’s participants. The networking platform is now available to all attendees! Make contact with potential partners, coordinate meetings, and gain an overview of the great many industry experts due to attend the 2012 event in advance. 

Hamburg, 7 February 2012 – Last year, the month-long battle for the new German gambling regulations and the “Karen Murphy” case kept the whole industry on tenterhooks – and they continue to do so in 2012. What remains is uncertainty and open questions, such as: which legal and economic consequences will these two rulings have for the industry? How will they change the business with sports media rights? And how can private betting providers here in Germany now advertise?

One person, who is not only familiar with the Murphy case, but also with its impact (on the football Bundesliga, for example) is Bernd Hoffmann. From 1989 until 2002, Hoffmann was Managing Director at marketing agency UFA Sports (later: Sportfive). From 2003 until 2011, he was CEO of Hamburger SV football club. And since the start of 2012, he has worked freelance in the field of sports management. During the “Sport and Law” forum at the SpoBiS, Hoffmann will hold a presentation on “The consequences of the Murphy ruling: Effects and outcomes for rights holders”. 
 Further forum speakers of note: 

• Dr. Sebastian Cording, Partner, CMS Hasche Sigle
• Dirk Quermann, CEO, Merkur Interactive
• Hans-Jörg Arp, Deputy Chairman, Schleswig-Holstein CDU parliamentary group
• Prof. Dr. Winfried Bullinger, Partner, CMS Hasche Sigle
• Dr. Pietro Graf Fringuelli, Partner, CMS Hasche Sigle
• Philipp Cordes, Managing Director, UFA Sports
• Volker Winter, Senior Vice President Sports Rights, Sky Germany

Hamburg, 7 February 2012 – Browsing the programme and entering appointments into Outlook or iCal manually are a thing of the past. SpoBiS 2012 is now offering all participants a new and extremely convenient service: in the online programme, individual presentations, talks and discussions within the special interest forums and Main Stage itinerary can be integrated into your personal calendar extremely easily. Simply click on the calendar icon next to the programme event, confirm the “Open” option, and the event will automatically be added to your online calendar with the date, time and title.

Hamburg, 7 February 2012 – The SpoBiS is traditionally THE meeting place for all major sponsors in the sports business industry. A glance at the current registrations from the fields of sport and business confirms this: similar to in 2011, over 100 companies with a cumulative global sponsoring budget of around three billion euros will once again be represented at the SpoBiS. 
 
From A to Y – a selection of the participating sponsors:
Adidas | Aon | Asics | Bitburger Brauerei | BMW | Brauerei Veltins | Carlsberg | Castrol | Citroën | Coca-Cola | Continental | Daimler | Deutsche Bahn | Deutsche Telekom | DKB | Europcar | Grundig | HypoVereinsbank | Hyundai | Imtech | Jack Wolfskin | Krombacher | Maritim | Mercedes-Benz | Merkur Interactive | Postbank | Raiffeisen | Red Bull | RWE | SAP | Tipico | TUI | Unicredit | VW | Yahoo

Hamburg, 7 February 2012 – As Europe’s leading meet for the sports business industry, the SpoBiS will one again take advantage of setONE GmbH’s expertise to help portray the event in images. The Cologne-based video specialists are to develop a storytelling concept for the SpoBiS, and to distribute broadcast-ready material to German TV broadcasters and online portals affording wide coverage. Following the successful video PR last year, setONE will again ensure an optimal media presence in the German video media for the SpoBiS and its partners in 2012.

SetONE has specialised in international video PR since its establishment. With its global network of more than 7,000 TV and online editorial offices, setONE develops cross-media, global theme-setting for leading event organisers and brand name products.

Hamburg, 3 February 2012 – In addition to FIFA, two other high-profile sports associations will lend the SpoBiS their support this year: the DOSB and Deutsche Sporthilfe. Not only will they have a presence in Düsseldorf through the Main Stage presentations by sports functionaries Thomas Bach and Michael Illgner, who are renowned beyond the German borders. 

 They will also be official Exhibition Partners at the event and take advantage of Europe’s largest sports business conference to introduce the latest developments at their associations, attending the event with high-profile delegations. What’s more, Deutsche Sporthilfe will live up to its name and help conference participants get some training in with a goal wall.

Hamburg, 2 February 2012 – The Main Stage presentation by the new DTB president, Dr. Karl Georg Altenburg, in which he will present the federation’s new sponsors concept will constitute a highlight on the second conference day. Altenburg will also introduce the federation’s new marketing concept, which has already been presented to companies. An initial success can already be reported: Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer Porsche has signed a three-year Premium Partner contract with the DTB. 
 In his presentation, Altenburg will also address the question of how tennis, which has been slumbering in Germany for several years now, can be revived. In addition to the new advertising concept, the DTB wishes to gain more airtime on German TV for ladies’ and men’s tennis in Germany in the future.  

Not only tennis forms the focus for the new DTB president; he is also familiar with the free economy: the qualified engineer has managed JP Morgan Chase’s Investment Banking department for the German/Austrian region since 2004. In 2006, he was named CEO for the two countries, and at the start of 2009, complemented his area of responsibility with Switzerland.  

Hamburg, 3 February 2012 – The top three projects selected by the expert jury for the 2012 Sports Marketing Award reflect developments within the industry: fan activation, social media and sustainability are buzz words describing both the current marketing trends and the marketing campaigns submitted. From the original 25 applications, three have now successfully secured their place on the podium. The candidates put on a more than exciting race, with just a few points separating the winning projects and their immediate rivals in the jury’s evaluation. 

  The top three marketing campaigns are: 

• Goldene Generation/Signal Iduna: Meisteraktion BVB
• Imtech Deutschland: Imtech Arena – Naming rights and unique reference
• Juniper Group/MAN: Fußballbundesliga fährt MAN

  The overall winner remains a secret, and will be announced and honoured on the Main Stage at the SpoBiS on February 13. 

Hamburg, 2 February 2012 – The Handelsblatt is the biggest German-language business and financial paper – and now also a SpoBiS media partner. With the newspaper, the conference has won yet another top partner, which will help boost awareness of the sports business community among decision-makers and opinion-makers in the German business world. 

 As part of the partnership, the Handelsblatt published a “sports sponsorship” special on February 2. Sports sponsorship will increasingly constitute a decisive component in companies’ marketing mix. The growing economic significance and professionalisation in sport is reflected both in the special report and in the industry meet in Düsseldorf. The report brings current sports business issues to the desks of decision-makers unfamiliar with the industry. 

Hamburg, 3 February 2012 – The SpoBiS brings the leading figures and top decision-makers from the sports business industry together – similar to iSportconnect, the first social media platform for business networking, which makes up-to-the-minute information and market data, job positions and events specifically relevant to the sports industry available on a daily basis. A review of those registered on the site will confirm that the platform is used exclusively by members of the sports industry. The predominantly English language platform ensures greater awareness is raised of the SpoBiS overseas. 

Hamburg, 31 January 2012 – The SpoBiS enjoys an outstanding reputation within the industry. With just two weeks to go until the conference opens its doors in Düsseldorf, reception of the event has reached a new high. A total of over 1,000 tickets have already been sold, meaning the SpoBiS is once again an absolute must-attend industry meet in 2012.

SpoBiS organisers, specialist publication SPONSORs and the Europäische Sponsoring-Börse ESB, expect some 1,500 attendees at the two-day conference again this year.

Hamburg, 31 January 2012 – Football is the dominant sporting discipline in the media. In the "Sports media strategies 2012" forum, high-ranking representatives from the fields of athletics, cycling and motor sports will speak on the challenges they must overcome in the battle for coverage. Following evaluation of these concepts and measures by Eurosport’s Director of Programmes, Julien Bergeaud (photo), the subsequent discussion round with media representatives will reflect on if – and how – sports media providers can make money with sport in the future. 
 
 Further forum speakers of note: 

• Dr. Clemens Prokop, President, German Athletics Association (DLV)
• Bernd Daubenmerkl, Managing Director, Eurosport Media and Eurosport Events
• Heiko Genzlinger, Managing Director, yahoo Germany
• Tibor Radda, Sales Director, Eurosport
• Gisbert Wundram, Managing Director, Sportdigital
• Thomas Deissenberger, Chairman of the Board, Constantin Sport Marketing
• Julia Richter, Managing Director of Sales, Axel Springer

Hamburg, 31 January 2012 – SpoBiS stands for networking! Why not take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about the other conference participants in advance again this year? The networking platform is available to all participants from 31.01.2012! Make contact with potential partners in advance, coordinate meetings, and gain an overview of the great many industry experts due to attend this year’s SpoBiS. 

Hamburg, 31 January 2012 – With Kicker, the SpoBiS has won Germany’s leading football magazine as a media partner. On their quest for a good story, the Kicker editors are increasingly turning to sports business issues. It therefore comes as no surprise that the team around editor-in-chief Klaus Smentek does not want to pass up on the opportunity to have a presence at Europe’s leading sports business conference.

Hamburg, 31 January 2012 – The exhibition space at the SpoBiS is almost fully booked. Companies still interested in having a presence at Europe’s largest sports business conference now have one final opportunity to become an Exhibition Partner. Those who take advantage of this opportunity will find themselves in good company: 

Hamburg, 25 January 2012 – The 1:1 chat with Thomas Bach due to take place on the Main Stage on the first conference day will constitute a highlight of SpoBiS 2012. The DOSB President and IOC Vice President will share exclusive insights into the issues currently preoccupying the highest ranking man in German sport.


This includes his outlook for the 2012 Olympic Games taking place in London this summer, along with a review of Munich’s failed bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2018. Bach will also field questions on the possibility of another application – this time for Germany to host the summer Olympics – in interested cities Berlin or Hamburg, for example. A further topic of discussion will be election of a new IOC president coming up in September 2013. Jacques Rogge sees Bach as a possible successor: "He would be a good candidate," says the current IOC President.

Hamburg, 25 January 2012 – High-ranking representatives from Bundesliga clubs will report on some very special success stories within the scope of the "Football" forum. Diversity is guaranteed: Borussia Dortmund’s revamp will be discussed, as will the young talent programme at 1899 Hoffenheim, and the fan bonds at FC St. Pauli. Board members and managing directors from league clubs will also outline the success factors of their modern leadership style. Discussion rounds on the topics of Financial Fair Play and DFL overseas marketing with the participation of renowned national and international speakers represent two further highlights.

One particularly noteworthy case study is that of the BVB. In 2005, Borussia Dortmund hit rock bottom: 180 million euros of debt and on the brink of bankruptcy. Today it is the German reigning champion, financially sound and on a sporting high. Thomas Treß (Managing Director, Borussia Dortmund) will outline the changes made over the past seven years that have helped bring about the club’s turnaround.

Further forum speakers of note:

Dietmar Hopp, Founder, SAP
Michael Meeske, Managing Director, FC St. Pauli
Joachim Hilke, Board Member, Hamburger SV
Alexander Jobst, Board Member for Marketing, FC Schalke 04
Klaus Filbry, Managing Director, Werder Bremen
Peter Peters, Managing Director, FC Schalke 04
Henrik Drinkuth, Lawyer and Partner, CMS Hasche Sigle
Jörg Daubitzer, Managing Director, DFL SE
Andrea Radrizzani, Group CEO, MP & Silva
Carlos Eduardo C. Maluf, Director of Acquisitions, ESPN
Gary Rathbone, Head of Africa, Supersport International

Hamburg, 25 January 2012 – Over the past 16 years, SpoBiS has developed into the largest sports business conference in Europe. The countless international speakers and participants for which the organisers are once again making extensive translation services available are an indication of this. All speeches, discussions and 1:1 chats on the Main Stage in addition to the forums will be interpreted into English.

What’s more, German translation services will be available for all speeches delivered in English. SpoBiS has successfully won the leading translation services provider in the field of football, Clark Football Languages Ltd., as partner for this service.

Hamburg, 25 January 2012 – Sustainability is not only a topic of discussion at SpoBiS 2012; it is also actively pursued. Printec printing house, which employs sustainable methods to produce the programme, has been acquired as an Official Partner for the event taking place in Düsseldorf.

Thus the CO2 emitted during printing has been offset. When SpoBiS participants hold the programme in their hands, they can therefore not only delight in the content, but also in the knowledge that the carbon footprint caused by printing the programme has been offset through the acquisition of Certified Emission Reductions (CER).

Hamburg, 19 January 2012 – Brief, crisp and to the point, the trailer sums up what the SpoBiS is all about in just one and a half minutes and, in the words of Alfred Draxler, deputy editor-in-chief of Bild and last year's speaker, there really is "nowhere else like it!"

Hamburg, 19 January 2012 – Franziska van Almsick, who was herself voted young sportswoman of the year for 1992 by German Sports Aid, is now deputy chairman of the board for the foundation. She takes to the main stage to speak on the economic development of the foundation in a presentation which is set to be one of the highlights on the second day of the Summit. Along with Michael Ilgner CEO of the German Sports Aid Foundation, Almsick is currently supporting one of the most successful top German athletes, Christian Reif, who is reigning European champion in the long jump, medal candidate for the upcoming Olympic Games and member of the Sports Aid Elite Plus Support Programme.

The panel discussion is concluded with representatives from one of the four commercial enterprises which support the foundation as "national patrons" jointly tackling the issue, "on course for gold – why DAX companies place emphasis on German Sports Aid."

Hamburg, 19 January 2012 – In recent times, the term Corporate (Social) Responsibility has become a fundamental sports marketing slogan and companies are increasingly looking to position themselves strongly in these areas, as sustainability is not only good for the image, but also good for business. Why this is the case is demonstrated by high-ranking representatives from organisations and companies taking examples from successful projects with a "green" background. 

At VfL Wolfsburg for example, great importance is attached to environmental and climate protection. The German Football League team has even specifically appointed an environmental team to ensure effective environmental management. Thomas Röttgermann, Managing Director VfL Wolfsburg, speaks about the pioneering role and ecological responsibility of his club within the region in the "Sustainability in sport" discussion forum.

Other renowned speakers in the discussion forum: 

• Jörg Reuter, Managing Director Grüne Köpfe Strategieberatung (Green Minds Eco Strategy Consultants) 
• Julian Ekelhof, Carbon Management Consultant, CO2OL
• Michael Lambertz, CMO Group Marketing TUI Travel
• Kevin Wüst, Corporate communications Imtech Deutschland
• Jürgen May, Senior Consultant pro event live communication
• Fabian Hedderich, Project Manager Sport actori
• Marcus Pieker, Sponsorship and Events Manager Jack Wolfskin 

Hamburg, 19 January 2012 – "Moving images say more than 1000 words" could well be the motto for the SpoBiS trailer, produced by Ziggy Mediahouse. SpoBiS' official partner started taking responsibility for the highlights video back in 2011 and the partnership between this media agency and the SpoBiS is set to be a long-term investment.  

 Ziggy Mediahouse is characterised both by its top-quality image files and advertising spots for customers such as Audi and Deutsche Telekom as well as for its innovative full-video concepts and cross-media campaigns in relation to IP-TV and viral marketing. In the future Ziggy Mediahouse hopes to increasingly offer its service to the sports industry. Its SpoBiS commitments provide it with an excellent opportunity to attract the attention of the decision-makers in the sports business.

Hamburg, 17 January 2012 – SpoBiS' organisers can look forward to a premiere. For the first time, the FIFA will take on the role of partner for the Summit. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is taking the opportunity to showcase itself at Europe's most significant Sports Business Summit with its own stand at the CCD in Düsseldorf. 

 The FIFA is not the only notable sports association on the side of the SpoBiS: the German Football League (DFL), German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), German Professional Sports Initiative (IPD) and German Sports Aid also support the Summit as its partners, with their leading thinkers contributing to the event programme. This means that, alongside the FIFA, the entire German sport is represented in Düsseldorf by its leading institutions. 

Hamburg, 17 January 2012 – All professional sports clubs strive to tie numerous fans to their club. What until now has always primarily been about filling the stadium could potentially be extremely rewarding in other ways in the future. If you are to believe Apareo, the recently established subsidiary of Ufa Sports, making fans and supporters into paying customers is simply a matter of having the right software. Sponsors and media agencies known to the industry explain why sport is worth its weight in gold to advertising companies as a (social) media magnet.

Robert Müller von Vultejus (photo), Managing Director Ufa Sports, leads the discussion, "Time for a rethink! How clubs have to prepare themselves in order to profit from the digital age." Other renowned speakers in the "fan value and social media" discussion forum are: 

• Detlef Kornett, Head of Global Soccer Red Bull
• Michael Hauser, CEO Apareo
• Dirk Huefnagels, Head of Corporate Marketing HypoVereinsbank
• Christoph Baron, CEO Mindshare
• Stefan Mennerich, Director of Media Rights and New Media FC Bayern Munich
• Torsten Oelke, Internet operator

Hamburg, 17 January 2012 – The SpoBiS is THE meeting point for sponsors. This is clear once again in the "sponsoring digital" discussion forum. None other than Anders-Sundt Jensen (Head of Brand Communication Mercedes-Benz, photo) and Holger Liekefett (Marketing Manager Carlsberg Germany) will take to the SpoBiS stage to explain how, in the current market, leading brand strategies are able to activate sponsorship and, within this context, entire worlds of experience. The majority of networking measures now take place digitally – from sports websites such as Kicker.de via collective online campaigns with the holders of sports rights all the way up to social media, the companies develop digital brand environments which magnify the sponsorship message a millionfold.

With additional distinguished speakers from sport, media and the sciences, the discussion forum provides a comprehensive overview of why sports communication is set to become increasingly more digital in the future:

• Ralf Köttker, Media Director German Football Association (DFB)
• Rudolf Vidal, Head of Sport Portals Deutsche Telekom
• Stefanie Dänzler, Lecturer in Media Economics Humboldt University in Berlin
• Frank Bachér, Managing Director Interactive Media
• Axel Nieber, Head of Print and Digital Marketing Kicker

 "The SpoBiS has overtaken all other events. That means passionate doers and a great deal of energy, good marketing and ultimately quality."
Carsten Schmidt, Chairman Sports & News Business Sky

 "SpoBiS's existence is highly beneficial for the industry."
 Jochen A. Rotthaus, Managing Director TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

Hamburg, 12 January 2012 – The award of the media rights for the German Football League with effect from the 2013/14 season is soon to be announced. As the highlight of the first day of the Summit, the Chief Executive of the German Football League Christian Seifert will take to SpoBiS's main stage and stand up to questioning on his strategy for the great showdown and what prospective customers are doing. 

Can a web-based sports show entice new players and new money into the Bundesliga? And, if so, who are the potential license holders? Yahoo and Europe's largest newspaper publisher, Axel Springer, are constantly being mentioned. Both companies, which doubtless exemplify many other publishing and internet companies, have been increasingly focussing on moving image content online for some time now. In this context, for example in 2010, Yahoo secured some highlight rights to the English Premier League for around 10 million euros per season up to the 2012/13 season. Axel Springer likewise expressed a strong interest. With its flagship publication, Bild, the Berlin-based publishing house likewise focusses on moving sports images online. In this way, sports fans are currently able to access a broad range of content, from Bundesliga highlights right up to pay-per-view games from other international football leagues. 
 
 If you ask sports fans in Germany, Christian Seifert seems to be on the right track. As a representative survey commissioned by SPONSORs and carried out by the market research institute Promit, 46.8 per cent of German sports fans would watch a real-time roundup of the Bundesliga games online. 

Hamburg, 12 January 2012 – The times of companies acting merely as sponsors is a thing of the past. Strategic planning and assessing the success of sponsorships is where we're at today. Sponsorship can achieve a great deal when it is used correctly; it can raise your profile, revamp your image and boost your sales. Experts know that acquiring the sponsorship rights is just the beginning, it is also essential to capitalise on those rights and to provide the target audience with authentic storytelling. The "knowledge advantage" discussion forum reveals how an advancement in knowledge can make it possible to plan for sponsorship success. 

 "Sport sponsorship is a key element of our marketing strategy", claims Henning Stiegenroth, Head of Sports Marketing for Deutsche Telekom and jointly responsible for the multi-million sponsorship deal in which the Bonn-based company became the main sponsor of FC Bayern München.  No wonder, since the advertising effectiveness research provided them with proof that sponsorship is by far one of the most effective communication tools. The Doctor of Business Management is confident of being able to demonstrate the effect that sponsorship has on spectators and consumers even better in the future. 

Stiegenroth will announce his findings in the lecture "impact research 2.0 - the sponsorship performance record in an intermedia comparison". Additional major sponsors and experts have their say in this discussion forum: 

• Oliver Kaiser, President FASPO (Sponsorship Association) 
• Ignacio Cuenca, Marketing Director International Sunpower 
• Oliver Frenzel, Senior Consultant and Head of Neuromarketing IFM Sports
• Florian Strauß, Managing Director Ledavi
• Philipp Radel, COO WWP Group
• Christian Riedle, Head of Sales IFM Sports
• Christian Brenig, Head of Sponsorship Postbank 

Hamburg, 12 January 2012 – The SpoBiS is not simply Europe's leading industry get-together but is also ever increasingly becoming a mirror of the booming sports business industry as it is persistently growing in relevance and professionalism. 

The demand of the media and Summit partners for high-quality footage of the event has significantly increased in recent years. This is all the more reason why SpoBiS is so pleased to have secured, with Action Press, an exceptional partner for the photographic documentation of the Summit. As an official partner, the international press picture agency will have experienced photographers on the ground, recording all the events at the CCD in Düsseldorf. As the appropriate supplier, the Hamburg-based company will make press photos available on a daily basis by means of an extensive database, which already contains a great deal of sports footage alongside other material.

Hamburg, 22 December 2011 – In recent months, hospitality has primarily been discussed in conjunction with compliance. While the latter is certainly an important issue, sight was all but lost of the need to devote oneself to the further professionalization of hospitality. The focus is to now be returned to this issue in the "Hospitality, a business case" forum. There are manifold challenges to overcome: on the one hand are the major sponsors of events such as the EURO 2012, who sell thousands of VIP tickets with their sponsoring packages and require agencies that can provide their guests with top-quality services. On the other is the challenge for clubs, who must also satisfy their hospitality guests outside of major events on every single match day. Big names from the world of business and top decision-makers from the European football scene are to participate in the forum: 

Click here for an overview of all SpoBiS speakers.

Hamburg, 22 December 2011 – The organisers of Europe's largest sports business conference have once again acquired some top media partners for the event. This includes cult magazines 11Freunde and W&V, the number one medium for communication and advertising. With Sportcal and SportsPro, the leading English-language sports business magazines are also represented. And their Swiss counterpart, Sponsoring extra, also doesn't want to miss out on this unique event taking place in Düsseldorf. New to the elite circle of national and foreign sports and business publications is PROsport, which caters to Russian sports enthusiasts. In addition to numerous Premium media partners, SpoBiS is delighted to have also won countless Basic media partners for the event. The distinction between the "Premium" and "Basic" categories is the logical consequence of the year on year increase in the quantity and variety of queries from interested media partners.

Hamburg, 22. December 2011 – The SpoBiS organisers are delighted to have once again won one of the world's leading sponsors as Official Partner. Thus the cooperation between Europe's leading sports business conference and the global player from Atlanta will successfully be continued in 2012. As in previous years, Coca Cola will supply the non-alcoholic beverages for the event.

Hamburg, 16. Dezember 2011 – The countdown for Europe’s largest sports business conference has begun – and the full conference programme is now available online! The line-up of around 130 speakers includes some of the top names in the sports industry. The high-profile guest list promises an event involving the leading experts, making the SpoBiS an absolute must both for branch experts and for those wishing to become one.

The highlights at a glance:

• Charismatic sports and business personalities such as Franziska van Almsick, Dietmar Hopp, Oswald Grübel and Reiner Calmund.
• Top speakers discussing the latest issues including Christian Seifert, Hans-Joachim Watzke and Clemens Tönnies.
• High-calibre decision-makers from football clubs of the likes of Thomas Treß, Peter Peters, Klaus Filbry, Joachim Hilke and Alexander Jobst.
• Everything but football: all other sporting disciplines will be represented by their leader at the event, namely Dr. Karl-Georg Altenburg, Alfons Hörmann, Dr. Clemens Prokop, Gernot Tripcke, Frank Bohmann and Jan Pommer.
• Major sports sponsors with budget responsibilities, for example Holger Liekefett, Henning Stiegenroth, Jensen Anders-Sundt, Peter Fiekens and Gabriele Handel-Jung.
  
  

With these top speakers, a knowledge exchange at the highest decision-maker level and outstanding networking is guaranteed. View the full conference programme, which is available online from today.

 “This event's significance will continue to grow in the future.”

Prof. Dr. Utz Claassen, Member of the Supervisory Board and Shareholder, RCD Mallorca

“What impresses me here the most is the interest in issues relevant to society.”

Erwin Staudt, President, VfB Stuttgart

“Highly interesting discussions, fascinating partners.”

Uli Hoeneß, President, FC Bayern Munich

Hamburg, 12 December 2011 – SpoBiS and IFM Sports enjoy a long-standing partnership. While this alliance is to be continued in 2012, it is now entering a new era: IFM Sports has extended its commitment and is to be an official “Presenting Partner” at the SpoBiS until 2014. The fact that the partnership with the SpoBiS was immediately agreed for a three-year period represents a further encouraging sign from Karlsruhe and at the same time positive news after uncertain times at the company. IFM Sports is to also contribute its core competences of creating transparency and bases for decision-making in the sponsoring industry to a forum at the event.  

“A fantastic melting pot of ideas. The SpoBiS is an important event; an important place to network.”

David Taylor, CEO UEFA Events SA

 “The SpoBiS offers excellent opportunities to meet with decision-makers from a great many different companies involved in sports and the sports business industry.”

Christian Seifert, Chairman of the Management Board, German Football League (DFL)

“For us, it is the platform within the industry.”

 Philipp Hasenbein, Managing Director Sportfive

1 December 2011 – At the upcoming SpoBiS, the Munich-based PR and communication agency, Hartmut Schultz Kommunikation/ hsksports, is to once again ensure that Europe’s leading industry meet and the issues important to the sports business industry receive extensive media coverage. As an Official Partner, hsksports is to forward updates and information to all relevant media – from the trade press to the news agencies to both the national and international business and daily papers. The ever-increasing relevance and professionalism of the sports business industry will also be communicated through professional PR work.

hsksports is no stranger to the sports industry. The Munich-based agency has advised leading German sports gambling provider Bwin and countless football Bundesliga sponsors for many years now, for example. Countless reputable associations, clubs and marketers also count among hsksports’ clients.

24 November 2011 – As a SpoBiS partner, the Marriott international hotel chain is to make rooms available at two official conference hotels in February 2012. Organisers SPONSORs and ESB Europäische Sponsoringbörse are delighted to be able to offer participants in the two-day conference a contingent of discounted rooms at two hotels:

Renaissance Hotel Düsseldorf
and
Courtyard Marriott Düsseldorf Seestern

The Congress Centrum Düsseldorf lies just a stone’s throw from both of these. Further information on booking a room at the Marriott for our discounted rates is available at: Marriott conference hotels SpoBiS 

17 November 2011 – “How the new football Bundesliga managers are bringing a wind of change” is the title of one of the panel discussions taking place at the 2012 Sports Business Summit (SpoBiS). Experienced yet young business people with international backgrounds who more than earned their credentials in the sports business industry before assuming executive or managerial positions at Bundesliga clubs are meant with “new managers”. They are shaped by the free economy, are familiar with the modern leadership style and afford international experience. They are from the sports business industry but not from the field of sport specifically and are, as a consequence, very different to the classic club veterans who, after an active footballing career, remain bound to “their” club on a different professional level. How is this modern leadership style expressed? How useful is international experience? And what happens when a shrewd businessman is confronted with an emotionally-charged entity like a football club? Can we already speak of a new generation of individuals being responsible for the Bundesliga? In Düsseldorf, we will ask three key figures in the football industry who should know:

Joachim Hilke held various management positions at sports marketing group Sportfive between 1998 and 2010 before becoming Director of Marketing at Hamburger SV in March 2011. Sportfive’s former Executive Vice President is a leading expert in the field of sports rights marketing – from international media rights trading to stadium advertising, shirt sponsoring and hospitality programmes.

Alexander Jobst has been a FC Schalke 04 board member since September 1, 2011 and is responsible for marketing and merchandising at the club. After completing his degree in sports economics, Jobst initially worked as Global Sponsoring Manager at Siemens AG. He was subsequently employed by Real Madrid as Head of International Business Development, leaving the club in 2008 to become Head of Sales at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Klaus Filbry has been the Managing Director at Werder Bremen since January 1, 2010 where he is responsible for the fields of marketing, management and financing. Filbry studied in England and the USA before assuming a variety of roles at sports apparel manufacturer Adidas for a total of 15 years. Most recently he was Vice President Global Football Sports Marketing for the development and realisation of contracts with partners from around the globe. The Münster-born professional managed the cooperations with FIFA and UEFA, including Adidas’ commitment to the UEFA Champions League.

8 November 2011 – There is now just one week to go until the deadline for one of the most widely recognised awards in the sports business industry. You have until November 15, 2011 to submit your application for the award that has meanwhile established itself as a sports marketing trendsetter.

Once the deadline has expired, the ten projects deemed the best will be nominated, and an expert jury featuring representatives from industry and the worlds of science and sport will then select a winner from among the three best entries. The exciting announcement of who has actually won will be made on the Main Stage at the Sports Business Summit (SpoBiS) on February 13, 2012 and the winner conferred the Sports Marketing Award during a celebratory ceremony.

At this year’s event, 1. FSV Mainz 05 scooped the coveted prize by an unbelievably narrow margin. With its sustainable concept as the first climate-neutral professional football club, they saw off competition from the Deutsche Post Fan Club and Deutsche Telekom’s LIGA total! projects.

6 October 2011 – After 14 years in Munich, the SpoBiS was held in Düsseldorf for the first time last year. The relocation from the Isar to the Rhine has been well received by both participants and speakers, with the event once again proving itself to be a must-attend fixture in the sports business industry events calendar. Düsseldorf will play host to the SpoBiS again in 2012, giving the city yet another excellent opportunity to reinforce its image as a city of sports at an international level and to use the conference platform to its advantage. Düsseldorf’s Lord Mayor, Dirk Elbers, has declared himself more than willing “to play host to the sports business conference that is attended by leading experts – it’s an event with international appeal that suits Düsseldorf well”. The SpoBiS organisers – ESB Europäische Sponsoring Börse and SPONSORs Verlags GmbH – are also very much looking forward to a conference that will once more take place under optimal local conditions.

6 October 2011 – The Sports Marketing Award is the mark of distinction within the sports business industry. On the initiative of the ESB Europäische Sponsoring-Börse, countless companies and agencies apply for the coveted award each year. A jury comprising renowned representatives from within the industry will select the best projects, and the top three sports marketing concepts will then be honoured during SpoBiS 2012.

The jury assesses the sports marketing concepts according to three criteria:
• Innovation and trend
• Sustainability
• Marketing success

In the coming year, the award will be presented by pro event live-communication and CO2OL. The ESB takes the trend towards sustainability in marketing into account, bringing comprehensive expertise on board with these two new partners.

Industry participants have until 15 November, 2011 to nominate a project for consideration for the Sports Marketing Award – regardless of whether it is one of their own projects or that of a third party, submissions are warmly welcome!

Click here for full details of the application procedure.

21 June 2011 – Europe's largest sports business conference is to take place on 13 and 14 February, 2012. The SpoBiS will once again prove its worth with over 1,500 participants, 130 speakers, more than 50 active conference partners and up to 14 special interest forums. In addition to the high density of top decision-makers, a large number of sponsors with budget responsibilities are once again expected at the CCD Congress Center Düsseldorf.

21 February 2011 – SpoBiS 2011 had a lot to live up to: the hosts, SPONSORS and ESB, invited all the major players from the sports and business industries to Europe's largest branch meet in the Rhine metropolis of Düsseldorf for the first time. What's more, the conference, which continues to grow and is becoming increasingly international, also celebrated its 15th anniversary.

Both the organisers and the industry participants agree that the SpoBiS's relocation from Munich to Düsseldorf is not only a success, but has also allowed the event to seamlessly continue its success story while also setting a new course. 1,500 participants from the sports business branch were privy to high-quality discussion rounds with a plethora of leading personalities, 14 special interest forums and around 150 top national and international speakers during the two-day event held in the CCD Congress Center Düsseldorf.

Marco Klewenhagen, Executive Editor-in-Chief and co-publisher of the SPONSORS specialist publication, summed up: "We are extremely pleased with how this year's SpoBiS went – particularly in light of the change of venue. The relocation to Düsseldorf was well received by the branch, and a similar number of participants attended the event in the Rhine metropolis. This is a further testimony to the importance of this conference, which is firmly established in the sports business branch and enjoys an excellent reputation."

20 February 2011 – From the Süddeutsche Zeitung to Sport1 to the Handelsblatt: the media coverage of SpoBiS 2011 was remarkable. The over 100 accredited journalists and 15 media partners from seven nations raised awareness for the event all across Europe with their reporting. During the two-day event held in the CCD Congress Center Düsseldorf, attention was particularly focussed on highly-successful Borussia Dortmund trainer, Jürgen Klopp; legendary entrepreneurs, Utz Claassen and Carsten Maschmeyer; Chairman of the Management Board for the German Football League (DFL), Christian Seifert; and former top FIFA official, Guido Tognoni.

18 February 2011 – With SpoBiS 2011, the sports city of Düsseldorf has reinforced its position as Germany's leading sports and trade fair city. The highlights video from the event shows the conference's size and format. Top speakers met at the CCD Congress Center Düsseldorf in a relaxed and exclusive ambiance to exchange ideas and network. Take advantage of this opportunity to review the event, or to gain an initial impression of the largest sports business conference in Europe.

16 February 2011 – With the relocation to Düsseldorf, the SpoBiS has successfully shifted the focus of the sports business industry to North Rhine-Westphalia. This year, around 1,500 participants once again attended the branch meet of the year. This figure confirms the appreciation of decision-makers from the sports and business industries for the SpoBiS as the largest platform for exchanging information and networking.

At the same time, the record participation figures achieved in the previous year could once again be attained at the première in the Rhine metropolis. This is all the more remarkable given the other major events that took place in parallel, namely the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Laureus World Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi.