The Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) and Tasali Jordanian Trading Institute have agreed a partnership to support the sports movement in the Kingdom.

Tasali Jordanian Trading Institute is a trading agency in Jordan representing renowned food and drink products including Indomie Noodles, sponsors of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the upcoming 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games.

The agreement was signed at the JOC’s Olympic Preparation Centre (OPC) between CEO of Tasali Jordanian Trading Institute, Ihab Al Shorafa and JOC Secretary General, Nasser Majali.

“The Jordan Olympic Committee is delighted to welcome Tasali Jordanian Trading Institute to the JOC family,” said Nasser Majali. “Working closer with the private sector is key to developing sport in Jordan so this is another important and exciting partnership for us.”

Ihab Al Shorafa added: “As a company, it is our mission to keep supporting youth in Jordan and to encourage them to achieve more. This agreement with the JOC shows that we stand behind our young athletes who represent us worldwide.”

Tasali Jordanian Trading Institute is the latest international company to show its support for Jordan sport. The JOC’s other partners and sponsors include Samsung, Shami Eye Center, GloSante, Greater Amman Municipality and Umniah.

[Source: SportAccord] Attended by international sports federations, cities/regions as well as organising committees, the World Sport & Business Summit attracts delegates across the sports business community at the highest levels.

This year’s SportAccord Bronze Partners include:

• Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance: Canada offers a variety of world-class facilities, is host to three Olympic Games and hundreds of international and continental sporting events
• FIBA (International Basketball Federation): the world governing body for basketball - is an independent association formed by 213 National Basketball Federations throughout the world and recognised as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
• Finnish Olympic Committee: Finnish host cities have a wealth of experience in hosting international sport events and congresses with more than 20 major international sporting events organised in Finland annually
• Melbourne - Visit Victoria: Victoria’s tourism and events company, responsible for tourism marketing and event attraction

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said, “It’s a great pleasure to welcome back these Bronze Partners who were with us in Aarhus, Denmark last year. Their continued support and presence brings more opportunities to delegates and confirms the value these partnerships bring by being part of SportAccord. We appreciate their commitment and loyalty and wish them a successful time in Bangkok.”

With over 135 cities/regions in attendance at last year’s event, the SportAccord 6-day Summit is a unique opportunity for delegates to network and get in front of the key decision-makers involved in the business of sport by registering at www.sportaccord.com.

Organisations looking for opportunities to increase their visibility at this prestigious global gathering and take advantage of the opportunities associated with becoming an Exhibitor or Partner, should contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 (0)79 126 08 42.

As part of the Official Schedule, SportAccord will host well over 20 networking events, a 3-day Exhibition as well as an extensive Conference programme to include: the Summit (Plenary), CityAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord and HealthAccord.

Other key features include: Speakers’ Corner, the Thai Pavilion, the Opening Ceremony and Closing Event.

[Source: SportAccord Convention] Global sports sponsorship is set to achieve $44 billion in 2017 with strong growth projected to continue in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region as well as other parts of the world, including Europe and the USA. On top of this, the global spending power of Millennials is $2.5 trillion annually with 95% saying they will switch to a brand with a good cause.[1]

Influencer marketing, social responsibility, social activism, data rights, virtual reality, live streaming channels, brand purpose and brand co-creation, as well as attracting millennials who no longer watch television or visit websites – are some of the biggest challenges facing organisations today involved in the business of sport.

Activations on and off the field of play, content engagement, connected experiences and much more, will all be addressed at SportAccord Convention 2018, the only global sports gathering attended by every international sports federation as well as many of the key stakeholders in sport.

Set to take place from 15 – 20 April 2018 at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre, Thailand, the plenary conference will focus on the theme: Uniting a Global Audience – Marketing and Sponsorship for the Future. As part of the full conference programme, additional conference streams - CityAccord, MediaAccord, LawAccord and HealthAccord, will also examine the challenges that lie ahead when it comes to sponsorship and marketing.

As a result, SportAccord Convention registrations have soared (compared to this time last year), and record numbers of international sports federations have committed to exhibition booths. Many partners are re-signing having experienced the intrinsic value the Convention brings, while Malaysia Major Events has moved up a tier (to Gold).

Other partners to re-sign include Sport Event Denmark, (Gold Partner and Co-Host of last year’s Convention in Aarhus, Denmark) and DB Schenker (Delivery Partner), both of whom have been closely involved with the Convention since its inception in 2003, and Host City has become a Delivery Partner for the first time. Silver Partners Edmonton Events and Event Scotland, and Bronze Partners FIBA and Visit Victoria, as well as many media partners, have already confirmed their commitment to return and will be in Bangkok.

Not wanting to miss out, newcomers from the APAC region such as MI Associates will experience the world sport and business summit for the first time. Other organisations are taking advantage of their global presence to send C-level teams from Asia-Pacific such as Lagardère Sports Australia, while Great Big Events is bringing its largest delegation to date from both Australia and the United Kingdom.

Regarded as the sports business hub for collaboration and discovery, Greg Bowman, Managing and Creative Director commented:

“Great Big Events has been attending SportAccord Convention since its inaugural event in 2003. Our team is very excited to be involved once again, as we always find it a great event for discussing innovation and progress in sport and discovering ways to continue to push our industry forward into new and exciting territory.”

With so much to address and so many opportunities to be gained from taking part in one of the most important summits in 2018, organisations are encouraged to register and take part in the SportAccord Convention. Currently priced at CHF 2,000 and due to rise by CHF 500 on 6 November 2017, a delegate pass provides access to the most exclusive network of key decision-makers, stakeholders and experts in the world of sport.

Delegates have access to the full conference programme, 3-day exhibition, the Thai Pavilion, and numerous networking opportunities, including social events, the Opening Ceremony and Closing Event, luncheons, evening cocktails, the After Hours Bar, and much more. Follow developments and updates via Twitter @saconvention using #SAC2018, as well as LinkedIn and Facebook.

[Source: SportAccord Convention] Recognised as one of the most influential sports business leaders in Los Angeles having played a significant role in bids for almost every major sporting event that has been brought to the region in the last three decades, David Simon, President of the Lost Angeles Sports Council will co-chair CityAccord and City-to-City at the SportAccord Convention in Bangkok, Thailand from 15 – 20 April 2018.

In 1984 LA was the first Olympic Games ever to generate an operating surplus (US$235 million) and the region is eager to repeat this economic achievement in 2028. So how do cities go about selecting the right events and turning them into an outstanding success?

“Making relationships a priority - this year’s theme for CityAccord - is one of the pillars of success when it comes to bidding for and hosting major events. However, in order to achieve great success, selecting the right events is also key and requires clear thinking.

“As a city you need to look at your specific community and determine what is achievable based on your resources: human, financial and physical. Once you've identified these critical factors, forging strong relationships with event stakeholders will help you achieve your vision and deliver successful results. Cities and stakeholders will be able to examine these elements and more during CityAccord.” commented David Simon.

A popular day at SportAccord Convention, CityAccord will take place on Tuesday 17 April 2018 from 14:00 at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre. Aimed at cities, regions, sponsors, international sport federations, organising committees and industry, delegates are encouraged to register.

Giles Morgan, HSBC Global Head of Sponsorship & Events of HSBC – Global Financial Organisation, will take part in the CityAccord Interactive Q&A entitled: “How do sponsors determine which sports and events to partner with?” where delegates will have the opportunity to ask sponsors about their approach and choices.

“It is a most timely question and one that will no doubt elicit a wide variety of responses. One thing is for sure – the sponsorship landscape is changing and it’s an incredibly exciting time to be involved. In short, we want our customers and our four key sports – golf, rugby, tennis and cycling – to thrive. We believe the way to achieve this is to invest in our sports through innovation, grass roots, entertainment and much more; by doing this we add value to the sports we sponsor and at the same time deliver spectacular brand experiences for our customers.”    

Melanie Duparc Co-ordinator of Smart Cities & Sport Network - an Official Supporter of SportAccord Convention, will also co-chair CityAccord and City-to-City.

Further information can be found on the webpage CityAccord. Watch highlights from last year’s successful #SAC2017 City Day including comments from Melanie Duparc of Smart Cities & Sport, Ben Avison of Host City, as well as the #SAC2017 Convention City Co-Host, Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark. Registration for #SAC2018 is open.

The global conference and exhibition of cities and sports, business and cultural events is off to a flying start with 19 partners and sponsors already on board this year.

Launched in 2014, the annual Host City conference and exhibition is the first and largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events

EventScotland is Supporting Organiser for the 2017 event that is taking place in Glasgow on 28-29 November.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, said: “EventScotland has a strong heritage with the Host City conference and exhibition and we are delighted to be supporting them to bring leading events professionals together for what promises to be an insightful and informative two days.

“Scotland is the perfect stage for events and Host City 2017 will really set the tone ahead of some amazing world-class events including the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, the 2019 European Athletics indoor Championships and the 2019 Solheim Cup.” 

Host City is a unique event combining high-level panel discussions featuring renowned industry figures with an effective marketplace where cities of all sizes can meet with rights holders, event suppliers, event organisers and their procurement officials.

Host City 2017 is backed by
Supporting Organiser: EventScotland 
Supporting Partners: Glasgow Convention Bureau and Glasgow 2018
Silver Sponsors: Aggreko, FarrPoint, Marsh and Red Bull Air Race 
Branding Sponsors: Arena Group and De Boer

Host City 2017 also enjoys the support of Media Partners signed up so far, including: Exhibition World; fcbusiness; isportconnect; Major Events International; Orange Sports Forum; Sportcal; SportBusiness; World Academy of Sport; Yutang Sports.

“We are immensely grateful for the support of all the fantastic organisations that make Host City the great event it is today,” said Host City’s Editorial and Conference Director Ben Avison. “In particular we are delighted with the renewed support from Event Scotland as Supporting Organiser and Glasgow Convention Bureau and Glasgow 2018 as Supporting Partners.”

Many more sponsors and partners are set to join in the coming months. 
To find out more about the opportunities visit www.hostcity.com or contact Adam Soroka on adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk or +44(0) 203 675 9531.

For information on the conference agenda or speaking opportunities contact ben.avison@hostcity.com

Atos, a leader in digital transformation, has been confirmed as the first Official Supporter of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships as a Timing, Scoring and Results (TSR) provider.

The announcement follows the highly successful participation of both Atos and Glasgow 2018 in Host City 2016 Conference and Exhibition in November. Glasgow 2018 exhibited at Host City 2016, while Kulveer Ranger, ‎Vice President Strategy & Communications at Atos UK & I spoke on a panel discussion alongside Julian Ternisien, Head of Sports Rights, European Broadcasting Union - the broadcast partner of the European Championships.

Atos Group is also Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games.

Glasgow 2018 is an exciting new multi-sport event that brings together some of Europe’s leading sporting competitions.

Excitement continues to build ahead of Glasgow 2018, which promises to be a new highlight on the global sporting calendar and will build on Scotland’s reputation for delivering world-class sporting and cultural events.

Starting in 2018, the European Championships will be staged every four years and will combine the existing European Championships of Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon with a new Golf team event. The first edition will be held in a unique sporting partnership between Host Cities Glasgow and Berlin.

Atos will provide the Timing, Scoring, Results and TV graphics service for Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics and Triathlon, as well as the TV graphics highlights package for all sports, providing a seamless viewing experience for a potential TV audience of over one billion across Europe.

Aileen Campbell MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Sport, said: “The 2018 European Championships provides Scotland with an exceptional opportunity to build on the success of hosting major events such as the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup over recent years. It will help us to further enhance our reputation as a world class venue for international sporting events.”

Councillor Archie Graham OBE, Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Glasgow’s sporting reputation has never been higher thanks to our international sporting events programme. The European Championships will see us embark on the next stage of this proud sporting journey in partnership with Europe’s leading sports.

“Atos is a world leader when it comes to providing digital services for major sporting events and has shown time and time again that they can deliver on the global stage.

Their proven experience will put Glasgow 2018 in the best possible position to deliver a truly world-class event for athletes and spectators alike.”

Gavin Thomson, Senior Vice President, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and Big Data and Security UK&I at Atos said: “We are confident that the Glasgow 2018 European Championships will be a great success. Atos was delighted to play a leading role in Glasgow 2014 - an event seen as one of the best Commonwealth Games ever staged.”

Marta Sanfeliu Ribot, Chief Operating Officer, Major Events, Atos said: “We have delivered innovative IT solutions for the Olympic and Paralympic Games for more than 20 years and once again the digital transformation involved in bringing events like Glasgow 2018 to an increasingly sophisticated worldwide audience is a challenge we relish. Glasgow has an internationally acclaimed reputation for hosting major sporting events and this is another key opportunity to showcase the city, the athletes and the support sponsors involved.”

Scottish Triathlete Marc Austin, who staged a memorable performance at Strathclyde Country Park, during the 2014 Commonwealth Games said: “It is fantastic to see a world-renowned brand like Atos lend their name to the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and it confirms how highly regarded this event will be.

“The feeling of competing in front of a home crowd at the Commonwealth Games is something that will live with me forever and I’ll be working hard to gain that experience again at 2018. The addition of the Triathlon Age Group Championships will create a real carnival atmosphere at Strathclyde Country Park and everyone in the Triathlon community is looking forward to it.”

As part of the inaugural European Championships in 2018 around 3,000 athletes will visit Scotland for six events (Aquatics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon) while a further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin as part of the European Athletics Championships.

The event will build on Glasgow and Scotland’s track record of hosting major international events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Ryder Cup and 2015 World Gymnastics Championships.

About the 2018 European Championships

1. The 2018 European Championships will be staged by the European Federations and the Host Cities of Glasgow and Berlin.

2. The Glasgow 2018 event will be held between 2nd and 12th August and the European Athletics Championships will be between 7th and 12th August in Berlin.

3. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the umbrella body for Europe free-to-air channels, will be the broadcast partner for the Championships. There is a potential television audience of around 1.03 billion for the event with many more viewers across multiple digital platforms.

4. Around 3,000 athletes will travel to Scotland as part of a total delegation of around 8,500 including officials, media and others. A further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin.

5. The European Aquatic Championships will take place at Glasgow's Tollcross International Swimming Centre, with diving taking place at Edinburgh's Royal Commonwealth Pool, synchronised swimming at Scotstoun Sports Campus and open water swimming being staged at Loch Lomond.

6. Four European Cycling Championships will be staged in Glasgow and its metropolitan area. Track, Road, Mountain Bike and BMX will attract 650 of Europe’s top names to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, the Cathkin Braes Mountain Bike Trails, the streets of Glasgow and a new world championship and Olympic standard BMX track to be built in the Knightswood area of the city.

7. The European Golf Team Championships will take place at the Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course in Perth & Kinross.

8. The European Artistic Gymnastics Men’s and Women’s Championships will be staged at The SSE Hydro, the venue for the 2015 FIG World Gymnastics Championships.

9. The European Championships for both Rowing and Triathlon will both be staged at Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire.

10.Berlin's Olympic Stadium will be the venue for the European Athletics Championships with the road races and race walking events held throughout the city.

About Atos

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital transformation with circa 100,000 employees in 72 countries and pro forma annual revenue of circa EUR 12 billion. Serving a global client base, the Group is the European leader in Big Data, Cybersecurity, Digital Workplace and provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry.

With its cutting edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, the Group supports the digital transformation of its clients across different business sectors: Defence, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline.

Atos is the worldwide IT partner of the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee. The global company has provided IT solutions to the Olympic Games since 1992 and to the Paralympic Games since 2002. Atos was a crucial partner in the digital transformation of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and played a key role in the delivery of the Games Management and Information Systems to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Knowing your customer is essential for any business, whether that’s a sports or entertainment organisation staying attuned to the feelings of fans or a media organisation understanding the mindset of its viewers, readers and listeners.

In the digital age, customer data has grown exponentially. But who owns the most data? The retailer is the first port of call for most customers, so online retailers are sitting on a massive digital resource that has the potential to expand the reach of any content-producing organisation – particularly when sports and entertainment is increasingly distributed globally via a single channel: the internet.

The agreement between the International Olympic Committee and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is a perfect example of a partnership between an organisation dedicated to world-class content and another dedicated to reaching customers, in the world’s biggest and fastest growing market.

The deal, announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos and negotiated by Shankai Sports and Michael Payne, who set up the IOC’s TOP sponsorship programme in the 1980s, is highly innovative. In joining as the latest TOP Sponsor, Alibaba is said to be providing around US$1bn of financial support to the IOC over the next six Olympic Games. Alibaba becomes the IOC’s official provider of Cloud and e-commerce services as well as partnering with the IOC’s online Olympic Channel.

The sponsorship deal is said to have been conducted independently of Alisports, which already partners with a number of other sports organisations to deliver sports directly to fans via Alibaba’s own online channels.

Retailers are traditionally not producers of content, but they are starting to occupying this space. Amazon is already distributing online television direct to its customers – and if the e-commerce giants do start to launch their own sports events, the pressure on traditional sports organisations to assert the authenticity and integrity of their own properties will get even more intense.

[SOURCE: IOC] The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Alibaba Group on 19^th January jointly announced a long-term partnership through 2028. Joining The Olympic Partner (TOP) worldwide sponsorship programme, Alibaba will become the official “Cloud Services” and “E-Commerce Platform Services” Partner, as well as a Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel.

The partnership was announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with IOC President Thomas Bach, Alibaba Group Founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma and Alibaba Group Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang.

Thomas Bach, President of the IOC, said: “In this new digital world, Alibaba is uniquely positioned to help the IOC achieve a variety of key objectives outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, while positively shaping the future of the Olympic Movement. This is a ground-breaking, innovative alliance, and will help drive efficiencies in the organisation of the Olympic Games through 2028, whilst also supporting the global development of digital opportunities including the Olympic Channel.”

“Alibaba’s partnership with the IOC is built on a foundation of shared values and a common vision for connecting the world and enriching people’s lives,” said Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group. “We are proud to support Olympic Agenda 2020, using our innovations and technologies to help evolve the Olympic Games for the digital era.”

Through this partnership, Alibaba’s contributions to the Olympic Movement will include:

Best-in-class cloud computing infrastructure and cloud services to help the Olympic Games operate more efficiently, effectively and securely, including supporting big data analytics requirements;

The creation of a global e-commerce platform for Olympic stakeholders to engage and connect with fans seeking official Olympic licensed products manufactured by the Olympic parties’ official licensees, and selected sports products, on a worldwide basis; and

Leveraging Alibaba’s leading digital media technologies and know-how to develop and customise the Olympic Channel for a Chinese audience.

“Alibaba is proud to empower the International Olympic Committee in a game-changing digital transformation, while moving another step closer toward our goal to serve 2 billion consumers,” said Daniel Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group. “We will leverage our experience in serving a young user base to help connect more young people to the Olympic Movement, helping to strengthen our brand through this historic partnership.”

Tsunekazu Takeda, the IOC’s Marketing Commission Chair, said: “We are delighted to be working in the long term with Alibaba for the benefit of the Olympic Movement. This strategic partnership underlines the global appeal of the Olympic values and opens an exciting new chapter in this digital age.”

Alibaba is the first company to make a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028 and the first Chinese company to commit to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Alibaba will support the organisers of each edition of the Olympic Games, and the Olympic Movement around the world. These rights will include advertising and promotional use of Olympic marks and imagery from the Olympic Games as well as marks from the National Olympic Committees.

Alibaba’s global activation rights will include the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and the Olympic and Olympic Winter Games in 2024, 2026 and 2028 in cities yet to be selected by the IOC.

Sponsorship will often be a brand marketing director’s first thought when considering a sports-related campaign. Thankfully, the old school "brand slap" model is dying a death and the sponsorships of today tend to be significantly more sophisticated than those we used to see in the "Noughties" and before. Companies seek increased authenticity and better connections with their ever more fickle and savvy target audience. And so the partnerships themselves have become subtler, deeper and more cleverly activated.

 Some brands, rather than seeking an association with someone else's event, bravely decide to run their own. The advantages are clear. Much greater control of the event and the branding associated with it, better access to the data generated and the increased sense of authenticity that comes from running the event rather than linking a brand to it.

But there are also significant challenges. For the most part, the planning and execution of a sporting event requires specialist skills, knowledge and contacts. These can all be hired in but good advice does not come cheap. Even if volunteers can be used to help “on the ground”, they need to be identified, trained, kitted out and managed.

Venue is of course a key issue too. Deals may need to be done with the owner of a stadium or with a host city or local authority. Roads may need to be closed and traffic plans drawn up and implemented. With some events, the police may need to be consulted.

There may be a need to confer with the relevant sports governing body too, for example to secure official sanction for the event.

Away from the operational nitty gritty, there are IP issues to consider too. What will the event be called? Is the name capable of trade mark protection and if so, in what territories should filings be made? Trade mark searches may be necessary to see what prior marks are on the register that may cause problems. Even generic sounding terms like “WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS” or “10K” may be incorporated into third party registrations.

Customer data is likely to be another vital issue. How is the business to go about obtaining the details of new potential customers? With respect to those already on its marketing database, does the business have the necessary freedom under its privacy policies and under electronic marketing laws to promote the event to them?

Any brand running its own sports event will want to maximise media coverage. Some companies may have the facilities and skills in house to arrange their own audio visual production. For many though, it will be necessary to appoint a specialist production company or, if more appropriate, a host broadcaster. The question of distribution must then be tackled. For bigger events, deals may need to be negotiated with broadcasters, potentially internationally as well as locally. Alternatively, the organisers may prefer to stream the event online, either through their own media player and website or potentially through a third party site like YouTube or Facebook.

In a short blog post like this it is hard to do much more than touch on a handful of the key issues a brand must consider and address in order to run its own successful sports event. There is a huge amount to be taken into account and the challenges can be immense for a business whose core focus is in another area, be it selling soft drinks, cars or insurance. Many a wise person, though, has found an eloquent way of making this point: Nothing truly valuable was ever easy.

Russia’s suitability to host major international sports events has been called into question by recent events, with the IOC having withdrawn its support for events in the country over evidence of organised doping. But the CEO of FIFA sponsor Adidas has given a positive appraisal of the benefits of staging the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“Russia is a very sport enthusiastic population. A lot of sport activities happen here in Russia: we had the winter Olympics, we have the upcoming World Cup and Adidas is the brand which has been in longest connection with the Russian population, therefore there is a big opportunity for us which we want to grab,” Adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer told state broadcaster RT on a recent visit to Moscow.

Adidas has Official Partner, Supplier and Licensee rights for the FIFA World Cup and all FIFA events until 2030. As well as partnering with FIFA, Adidas sponsors Russia’s national football team and Moscow teams CSKA and Lokomotiv.

“Football is the biggest sport in the world and the World Cup will enhance this. But I think there is a huge opportunity for all the different sports, Russia is great in track and field, ice hockey, gymnastics, and I definitely think that this will further continue," said Hainer.

Russia’s economy has been hit by the collapse in oil price, with GDP contracting -3.7 per cent in 2015, according to World Bank figures. The budget for staging the World Cup has correspondingly been reduced by 4.4 per cent to US$9.5 billion, of which private investment accounts for 32 per cent.

But Hainer, who was in Moscow for the opening of a new Russia and CIS Adidas headquarters, said the World Cup will give the country a lift.

“A World Cup always leaves a huge legacy in a country, and I’m absolutely convinced this will happen here in Russia. I mean, just look at the newly built stadia, they will be much more modern, have much more comfort and they will also shift the demographics in the stadium, because we saw it in Germany after 2006, much more women coming into the stadium, much more kids, much more families, and this will definitely give a huge boost to football and to sport here in Russia.

“Of course there are some challenges at the moment in the economic development but this will be overcome and I think sport really will drive the whole mood in the country and the whole optimism of the people – therefore I am quite happy that the World Cup in 2018 is here in Russia.”

The 2018 FIFA World Cup takes place from 14 June to 15 July in the cities of Ekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Saransk, Volgograd and Sochi. Adidas will be supplying the match balls, as it has done since 1970.