Infront secures financial services company as first long-term partner of WCF’s new marketing program – Mount Titlis World’s Women Curling presented by Capital One is sold out

Zug, Switzerland, 25 March 2009 – Infront Sports & Media, exclusive media and marketing partner of the World Curling Federation (WCF) has secured Capital One Canada as an Official Partner of the WCF. As a result, the Canadian financial services company will be the Presenting Sponsor of the Mount Titlis World’s Women Curling Championship in Korea in 2009 and the Title Sponsor of the Men’s and Women’s World Championships beginning in 2010.

Capital One Canada is committed to the sport of curling and is the Title Sponsor of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling, which features eight annual men’s and women’s events. Capital One is also an Official Partner to the Canadian Curling Association.

A new direct relationship
Capital One will take on the Official Title Sponsor role beginning in 2010, including naming rights (“Capital One World (Women’s/Men’s) Curling Championship”). This will be supported by in-ice advertising, perimeter board and team uniform advertising, website integration and promotional spots on television.

As part of Infront’s new marketing programme, Capital One will be joined by three other long-term Official Partners of the WCF. The new programme connects partners directly with the WCF, who is curling’s governing body and an Olympic sport federation.

Ian Cunningham, Chief Marketing Officer of Capital One Canada said: “We have built our commitment to curling over the last few years with great success and this new partnership with the WCF gives us a platform to reach even more curling fans. Capital One is excited to be a presenting sponsor at this year’s world championship event and we look forward to taking it to the next level in 2010 as title sponsor.”

WCF President Les Harrison added: “Capital One is an ideal partner for the World Curling Federation. The company is active in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada – all important curling countries – and experienced in activating curling as a sponsorship platform. For us, it’s an ideal relationship.”

Bruno Marty, Infront’s Executive Director Winter Sports, commented: “We are very pleased that our relationship with the WCF is off to such a good start, with a sell-out for the event in Korea and the recruitment of such a strong partner for title sponsorship. Capital One knows curling and that is good for the sport, as the brand will activate the platform creatively and make the most of this opportunity.”

2009 event is sold out
The 2009 Championship takes place in Gangneung, Korea, from 21─29 March with 12 participating countries: China, Korea, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Canada, Norway, Russia, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA. This impressive line-up will deliver excellent television audiences in large markets like China, Germany, Switzerland and Canada. As the last major qualifying competition before the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the event will be of very special interest to winter sports fans.

The agreement with Capital One coincides with a sold out event in Korea. Alongside Titlis Rotair in the title role and Capital One as Presenting Sponsor, there are also a number of Official Sponsors including Lucerne Tourism and MySwitzerland.com (website of Switzerland Tourism) and two local partners.

About Capital One
Located in Toronto, Ontario, Capital One has offered Canadian consumers a range of competitive MasterCard® credit cards since 1996, when the company first introduced the Platinum MasterCard® in Canada. Capital One Canada is a division of Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation of McLean, Virginia (NYSE: COF). Capital One is committed to promoting curling through the title sponsorship of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling and by launching the Curling Platinum MasterCard, which allows enthusiasts to redeem their rewards for curling-related items.

Infront and Winter Sports
Infront Sports & Media, based in Zug, Switzerland, is the strongest, most experienced marketing agency in the winter sports arena. It has focused strongly on developing its role in winter sports in recent years, to the point that it now represents six of seven Olympic winter sport federations at international level. The Group is the commercial partner of more than 90% of all national skiing federations hosting FIS Alpine Ski and Nordic World Cup races. It also markets the FIS World Championships. It has a long term partnership with the IIHF in international ice hockey and relationships with the winter sports of biathlon, bobsleigh and skeleton, curling and luge.

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For further information, please contact:
Jörg Polzer
Manager, Communication & PR
Infront Sports & Media AG
Tel. +41-41-723 15 15
Fax +41-41-723 15 16
press@infrontsports.com
www.infrontsports.com

George Karrys
Media Relations Officer
World Curling Federation
Tel. +1-905-997 33 48
media@worldcurling.org
www.worldcurling.org

Laurel Ostfield
Communications Manager
Capital One Canada
Tel. +1-416-549-2753
laurel.ostfield@capitalone.com
www.capitalone.ca