London named best city for attracting sponsors- 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00
London has been named as the sporting destination guaranteed to provide the highest return and media profile for sponsors following a survey conducted by IFM Sports Marketing. More than half of the global industry leaders polled believe London offers the best opportunity to increase new commercial revenues.
The bid team working to bring the IAAF World Athletics Championships to London in 2017 believes that 2000 athletes, 450,000 spectators and 14,000 personnel from over 200 countries in London for nine days would mean that the economic benefit of hosting the Championships to the UK is in excess of £100 million.
Industry leaders ranked London as the world's top destination for providing an excellent return on investment - 20% more popular than its closest rival, Sydney.
84% of those polled cited strength of brand presence as one of the reasons why investing in events in London is attractive. Associated media platforms (84%) and the city's diverse population (74%) were also key drivers for event sponsors. The impact of London as a sporting host extends to a range of commercial benefits and more than 50% of the 110 global industry leaders polled believed London offered a gateway to new brand markets.
Niels de Vos, chief executive of UKA, said: 'This survey echoes the conversations I've had with global sports sponsors and the message is loud and clear; London is the preferred destination for major brands.
'But this isn't just about attracting the sponsor dollar for London 2017. A strong sponsorship programme combined with full stadium and record TV audiences could provide our sport with a significant legacy and a real foundation on which to build a global commercial platform.'
The London 2017 bid has been put together by UKA, DCMS, the Mayor of London, London & Partners and UK Sport.
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