It’s Game On For The Inaugural Sports Matters!

Singapore, 22 August 2013 – The inaugural Sports Matters will be held at the St. Regis Singapore on 18th and 19th September 2013 with a view to aligning the Asian sports industry. This first-time event will see the launch of the new Asian Sponsorship Association to help fuel the growth of this dynamic sector and the conference will bring together all who matter in the business of sport in the region including broadcasters, sponsors, sports governing bodies and industry leaders from digital platforms, venues, specialist agencies and professional service firms.

Key industry leaders driving the business of sponsorship in Asia will lead an interactive open forum on the second day of Sports Matters that will define and form the basis for the Asian Sponsorship Association.

“The sponsorship sector in Asia has been relatively stagnant for the past 20 years. The Asian Sponsorship Association will inject vibrancy and sophistication to this sector to help energise event partners and sports associations in Asia to boost their appeal and gather more support for their events and activities. This Association will not just benefit the sports industry, it will also help event organisers in the entertainment, music and lifestyle industries,” said Jasper Donat, CEO of Branded Ltd. co-producer of Sports Matters and 25 year veteran of the sports and entertainment industry.

Presented by Samsung and Fox Sports, the action-packed programme will include keynote interviews, expert insights and interactive expert panels. The current sports industry landscape will be analysed and areas of growth identified during the conference. Speakers and delegates will have opportunities to network and build relationships for future collaborations.

Paving the way for a healthy and sustainable Asian sports industry, Sports Matters will cover two days with the first day focused on the conference and the second day centred around two breakout sessions: Sports TV Matters (produced in association with Lightning International) and Sponsorship Matters, along with the launch of the Asian Sponsorship Association.
The illustrious speaker faculty includes:

  • Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO, WTA
  • Andrew Georgiou, CEO, World Sport Group
  • Prinz Mathew Pinakatt, Global Director Alliances & Ventures, The Coca-Cola Company
  • Giles Morgan, Group Head of Sponsorship and Events, HSBC
  • Michael Roche, Executive Director, Singapore GP
  • Chris Renner, CEO, Helios Partners
  • Poh Yu Khing, COO, Singapore Sports Hub
  • Tan Tong Hai, CEO, StarHub
  • Andres Gonzalez, Vice President, AP & MEA Sponsorships, MasterCard Worldwide
  • Mike Rich, CEO, Group M ESP
  • Vipul Chawla, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Asia, Yum! Brands
  • Jim Small, Vice President Asia, Major League Baseball

And many more…

Sports Matters will also highlight Singapore as a key destination for sporting events.

“Over the past ten years, the Sporting Singapore Vision implemented by the Government has really taken shape. We now have world class events like the F1 night race, mass participation events like the Marathon Singapore – we even have more than 50 running events per year in our sporting calendar! The opening of Sports Hub next year in 2014 will act as another boost for Sporting Singapore – world-class infrastructure with vibrant programmes and activities for all. The Sports Matters conference could not have started at a better time – attracting and connecting sporting industry experts to power the growth of the local and regional sporting industry to the next level,” explained Poh Yu Khing, Chief Operating Officer, Singapore Sports Hub.

Jean Ng, Deputy Director (F1 & Sports), Singapore Tourism Board, agreed: “With a global line-up of speakers and delegates, Sports Matters will highlight Singapore’s appeal as a premier destination for business events and reinforce our leadership position in Asia for hosting international sporting events such as the Singapore Grand Prix and the upcoming Women’s Tennis Association Championships in 2014. Further, Sports Matters and other such business events will also complement Singapore’s existing stable of lifestyle and entertainment products.”

Sports Matters is co-produced by Branded (owners of the award winning Digital & Music Matters and Social Media Matters) and Haymarket Media (publishers of Campaign magazine, F1 Racing, FourFourTwo and producers of Spikes Asia creative festival). Sports Matters is proudly supported by the Singapore Sports Council and Singapore Tourism Board.

For more information on Sports Matters, please visit www.sportsmatters.asia and http://www.allthatmatters.asia/sportsmatters/2013/programme.html for the latest programme and speaker line-up.

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About Sports Matters
Aiming to build the foundations for a healthy and sustainable Asian sports industry, Sports Matters is a co-production between Branded and Haymarket Media. Long overdue, this event will provide a forum for debate, an opportunity to build commercial relationships and a unique brand presence never before seen at a sports industry event.

Held at the prestigious St. Regis Hotel in Singapore, 18-19 September 2013, Sports Matters embraces the entire sports industry value chain from governing bodies, rights holders and sponsors, to broadcasters and agencies. A compelling and apposite programme will feature core interviews, expert panel analyses, thought leadership presentations and two, must-attend interactive forums: Sponsorship Matters and Sports TV Matters. Attracting the best and brightest, Sports Matters is the place to be to build the business of sport in Asia Pacific. Sports Matters is generously supported by the Singapore Sports Council and the Singapore Tourism Board.

About Branded Ltd.
Branded Ltd. is the organiser of the Matters series of events including Digital & Music Matters, Music Matters Live, Social Media Matters and the YouTube FanFest. Branded is a leading Asian media and entertainment marketing agency having successfully partnered brands with a number of the world’s leading entertainment attractions including: Walking with Dinosaurs, the Rolling Stones, Coco Lee, Black Eyed Peas, Jamie Cullum, We Will Rock You, James Blunt, ARTHK and Chicago the Musical.
Branded also has unique experience in the media and technology space having been the exclusive sales agent for the CASBAA Convention since 2003. Branded also created the MediaWorks event in partnership with Haymarket (the publishers of Campaign).

About Campaign Asia-Pacific
Campaign is a globally recognised brand within the advertising and marketing industries, synonymous with quality in the hearts and minds of opinion-forming agency and marketing personnel across the world. Providing insights and intelligence into the ideas, work and personalities shaping the region’s marketing communications industry, Campaign Asia-Pacific dives deeper into important subjects and presents the most compelling information that matters to businesses in the fastest-growing and most exciting communications market in the world.

Haymarket Publishing publishes Campaign Asia-Pacific, the UK’s largest independently owned publishing group.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Rachel Lo
Branded Ltd (Singapore)
E: rachel@branded.asia
T: +65 9847 8839

Eric Chiu
Fast Track Asia
E: eric.chiu@fasttrackagency.com
T: +852 2616 2707