Negotiations are underway to bring the world’s leading football business event – Soccerex – to Australia for the first time next year.
Australian company Tribal Sports Management (TSM) has been confirmed as an official agent in Australia for all Soccerex events globally and aim to facilitate events in Australia in 2013 and 2014 to take advantage of the hosting of the 2015 Asian Cup.
Soccerex has regular African and European conventions and a global convention which follows major events. It will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this November and again next year in the lead up to the 2014 World Cup.
TSM’s General Manager Business Development Robert Kufersin said Soccerex attracts key national and international attendees and has an estimated economic impact of $5 million to a potential host city. He said the event would bring with it a huge media presence and support for existing sporting industries across Australia.
“TSM is delighted to be associated with such an iconic football brand in Soccerex,” said Kufersin. “The option of representing their events globally and to facilitate an Asian-themed forum in Australia is a unique and exciting opportunity, not just for Australian football but for corporates who have an appetite in growing their brand internationally.”
He said a decision on Soccerex coming to Australia is expected later this year and, following negotiations with regional governments, Melbourne and Sydney were in the process of putting together proposals to host the event.
“Anyone involved in the football business stands to benefit from a Soccerex in Australia,” Kufersin told SBI. “You have very senior officials such as Sepp Blatter [FIFA] and Michel Platini [UEFA] attending the global forums and the head of the Asian Confederation at the time was at the only other event held in Asia, in Singapore in 2010.
“There is a definite appetite from the Soccerex organisation to hold an event in Australia as long as the commercial arrangements are acceptable.
“There is a nice fit with the Asian Cup and it works in with their view of running events in the lead up to major competitions.
“We are facilitating the conversation between Soccerex and the potential host city governments.”
Kufersin said Asia was emerging as a force in the economics of football.
“The benefit of from a corporate perspective is you have big clubs who are reaching out to the Asian market and there’s a great opportunity to build relationships with that market. From a corporate positioning perspective you can see the trend of pre-season tours in Asia and so forth.”
TSM has begun its relationship with Soccerex ahead of the November event in Rio.
“We have a commercial arrangement to introduce delegates, sponsors and exhibitors to their events,” Kufersin said. “It’s a two way street; a way for us to drive the Soccerex brand into this part of the world.”
Image: Streets United
