Singapore, 19 September 2014. Sports Matters, Asia’s leading sports business event, has concluded its two day gathering in Singapore. Solidifying its reputation as the must-attend event for senior industry stakeholders, Sports Matters attracted more than 400 attendees from 20 countries, representing over 200 companies. The speaker faculty of 66 speakers included distinguished guest Lord Sebastian Coe KBE, who delivered a candid address on Asia’s growing role in the globalisation of sport.
Co-presenting sponsors FOX Sports and Samsung both had reasons to celebrate at Sports Matters, an event which is also re-knowned for its convivial networking. Samsung hosted a party to celebrate the first anniversary of Sportsflow, now the leading news and content application for sports enthusiasts in Asia with over half a million downloads in the 12 months since launch. Continuing the celebrations into Day 2, FOX Sports announced it has secured exclusive rights to Wimbledon in the region for another 6 years.
Technology’s role in driving fan engagement was a recurring theme at Sports Matters 2014. Brands, platforms, rights holders and marketers discussed the importance of harnessing technology to deepen the user experience.. The experience of the sports fan and the service they demand in terms of statistics, commentary, information, angles and personal interaction necessitates more complex technical integration as they expect an ‘always on’ delivery from multiple platforms.
With marquee sports continuing to dominate the sponsorship dollar, the Sports Matters panels on Day 1 faced tough questions on the challenges of delivering a localised experience. Football experts asked What next for Asian football? and rightholders for tennis and golf shared their insights for success in the region. HSBC’s Giles Morgan outlined the key tenets for success: local activation and being invested for the long term.
Breakout sessions at Sports Matters included a BrightcoveTechnology Matters workshop and the inaugural Sports Matters Academy, presented by Eurosport. The Academy involved 40 students the United States, Australia and Singapore who received mentoring from industry leaders as well as a chance to build their global network as the future leaders of the sports industry.
Jasper Donat, Founder and CEO of co-organiser Branded remarked: "We are delighted to have successfully delivered a growing event for the global Sports Industry that is rooted here in Asia. Sports Matters’ goal to build the foundations for a healthy and sustainable Sports industry in Asia is the singular focus of our programming, audience development and speaker selection. This year’s attendees have been incredibly positive about the content quality, excellent networking and importance of Sports Matters to bring all stakeholders under one roof annually. We look forward to returning to Singapore and growing further in 2015."
About Sports Matters
Sports Matters is a co-production between Branded and Haymarket Media dedicated to building strong foundations for a healthy and sustainable Asian sports industry.
This C-level dynamic event provides a global platform in Asia for debate, an opportunity to build commercial relationships and a unique brand involvement never before seen at a sports industry event. Convening at the iconic Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center in Singapore on 17-18th September 2014, 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 must-attend interactive forums.
Supported by the Singapore government and carefully selected trade and media partners, Sports Matters is a must attend for stakeholders the business of sport in Asia Pacific. www.sportsmatters.asia
About Branded Ltd.
Branded designs, sells, markets and produces amazing B2B2C and B2B2F(an) events in Asia. Founded in 2002 and listed as a top 10 Event Marketing agency by Marketing magazine, our focus is to add value and grow the media, sports and entertainment industries in Asia. We are experts in the organisation, programming and production of dynamic conferences, live music festivals, academies and youth fan events in Asia. Our properties include Digital Matters, Music Matters, Social Matters, Sponsorship Matters, Music Matters Live, the Music Matters Academy, YouTube FanFest and YouTube FanFest Academy (part of the All That Matters series), Sports Matters and MixRadio Music Connects. Branded is an independent company staffed by passionate multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-talented individuals with offices in Hong Kong and Singapore.
About Campaign Asia-Pacific
Campaign Asia-Pacific is a brand dedicated to the business of communications in Asia-Pacific. Published by Haymarket Media Group, the UK’s largest independently owned publishing group, it is part of a global marcoms portfolio that includes market-leading titles Campaign, Marketing and PRWeek. Campaign Asia-Pacific aims to deliver essential insights and intelligence for advertising, marketing, media and PR professionals. Across many platforms, the brand delivers deep and broad analysis of industry trends and developments. As well as a subscription-based magazine, it publishes up-to-the-minute news, research and data, as well as opinions and blogs on campaignasia.com and delivers daily e-newsletters for Asia-Pacific and China (in Chinese language). Campaign organises a number of conferences, awards and training programmes, as well as festivals, such as Spikes Asia, which are part of a joint-venture with Cannes Lions. www.campaignasia.com/top1000
For Media enquiries, please contact:
Sammy Shirra-Moore
Branded Ltd (Singapore)
E: sammy@branded.asia
T: +65 9847 8839
Darren Lai
Fast Track Asia
E: darren.lai@fastrackagency.com
T: +65 68186240