Soccerex is honoured to announce that the Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral, will be participating in the official opening ceremony at the Soccerex Global Convention, 24-28 November 2012. Governor Cabral will be speaking alongside FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, CBF President and 2014 LOC Chairman José Maria Marin, Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF) President and FIFA Executive Committee member Marco Polo Del Nero, Brazilian Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo and Soccerex Chairman Tony Martin.

Sergio Cabral was elected governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro in 2006 and was officially sworn into office on January 1, 2007. Before his appointment, Sergio was state representative for the state of Rio de Janeiro between 1991 and 2002, having presided over the State Assembly from 1995 to 2002. In the 2002 general elections, he was elected senator for the state of Rio de Janeiro, a position he occupied from January 2003 until December 2006, when he resigned in order to run in the Rio de Janeiro gubernatorial elections.

Commenting on his involvement at the opening ceremony, Rio de Janeiro Governor, Sergio Cabral said:
“I am very excited to be returning to the Soccerex Global Convention. Football is the biggest passion of the Brazilian people and Soccerex is the world’s biggest football business event, making it a perfect partnership. With the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics coming to Rio de Janeiro the event will provide a wonderful platform to do business and help celebrate Rio’s commitment to sport.”

Speaking about Sergio Cabral’s involvement, Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie commented:
“Rio de Janeiro is the new global capital of sport and at the heart of the football world; we’re honoured that the Governor has returned to open the Global Convention; Sergio has been involved in every Global Convention in Brazil and his continued support is a huge privilege and a mark of great distinction for Soccerex.”

The Soccerex Global Convention is a five day business event consisting of a comprehensive seminar line-up, a number of networking opportunities, a two-day football festival and a packed exhibition which is already close to selling out.

Held in a purpose-built venue within the Forte de Copacabana, with panoramic views of both the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, the exhibition is a hub for business activity; as one of the main components of the convention it provides a platform for leading suppliers from around the world to showcase the latest industry products and services to delegates.

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208742 7100 or visit www.soccerex.com/global.

About Soccerex
Established in 1995, Soccerex is the leading provider of business events for the global football community. Bringing together key industry decision makers from the world of football, Soccerex provides a unique commercial environment where delegates can benefit from exclusive business opportunities, networking and bespoke educational content.

Since its launch 17 years ago, Soccerex has hosted over 27 events across five continents. The Soccerex portfolio includes an annual Global Convention complimented by regionalised Forums.

About the Global Convention
The Soccerex Global Convention is the World’s largest football business event, seeing the global leaders in the business of football come together to debate, network and do business. Lasting 5 days, including a 2 day Football Festival on Copacabana Beach, it is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 24-28 November 2012. The event is held in conjunction with the Government of Rio de Janeiro.

For full information about Soccerex and future Soccerex events please visit http://www.soccerex.com // call +44 (0)20 8742 7100 // email enquiry@soccerex.com