DUBAI, UAE, 17th August 2004 – Emirates – the Dubai-based international airline – will once again be supporting the 2004 BMW International Open in Munich as official airline of the tournament, for the second year in a row. Emirates also announced in Munich on Tuesday that it will continue to support the top-rated golf event in the Bavarian capital – a key station on the PGA European Tour and one of the continent’s most important tournaments – for the next three years.
The BMW International Open will take place from 26th to 29th August 2004, at the Munich Nord-Eichenried golf club’s course. Emirates first participated as a tournament sponsor in 2003. This sponsorship is part of Emirates’ ongoing commitment to golf which follows on from sponsorship of the New Zealand Open, the Dubai Desert Classic, the BMW Asian Open and the Scottish Open.
In the last few years, Emirates has gained a unique reputation for global sports sponsoring. Alongside golf, Emirates has also committed itself to numerous other worldwide events in football, horse racing, tennis, rugby, Australian Rules football and cricket. Indeed, Emirates secured worldwide attention in June this year, with the announcement that the company would be the main sponsor of the ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’, at the next Americas Cup in 2007, to be held off the Spanish coast at Valencia.
At present, Emirates is preparing for its largest commitment to sport sponsoring to date: the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany 2006TM. Emirates is the first ever airline to act as Official Partner at a World Cup. With its activities in football, Emirates has also been able to secure the services of Franz Beckenbauer, one of the world’s best-known sports personalities. The President of the Organisational Committee of the FIFA Football World Cup Germany 2006(TM), President of FC Bayern Munich and former team manager of the German national football squad, Beckenbauer has been named by Emirates as its ‘Worldwide Ambassador for Football’.
‘With our commitment to major international sports events in Germany, we are emphasizing the importance of the German market for Emirates,’ commented Henry Hasselbarth, Regional Manager North and Central Europe. ‘Furthermore, our participation in sporting highlights, such as the BMW International Open and the Football World Cup 2006, underscores our position as one of the world’s leading airlines,’ continues Henry Hasselbarth.
At the BMW International Open, golf players from around the world battle for prize money totalling €1.8 million. The last points for qualification to the European Ryder’s Cup team are also awarded. Spectators can expect an exhibition of the very finest golf. This year’s favourites for the BMW International Open include, among others, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood. Spectators can also experience some of the game’s top names in close-up, including Alex Cejka, Nick Faldo and John Daly.
Contact:
Daniel Ford, Emirates Corporate Communications
Tel: (+9714) 203 2165, Mob: (+97150) 652 1373
daniel.ford@emirates.com