Helios Partners And Infront Sports & Media Form Exclusive Marketing Alliance In China
Collaboration Combines Partners' Complementary Skill Sets to Continue Growth of Chinese Sport beyond 2008 Olympic Games
Beijing - July 23, 2008 — Helios Partners is pleased to announce its appointment by Infront Sports & Media as its exclusive marketing and consulting partner in China.
The two companies have agreed to form this strategic partnership, which will bring together the experience and the complementary skills of both partners, to build upon the opportunities arising out of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. In its new role as the exclusive marketing and consulting partner to Infront China, Helios will support Infront in the strategic positioning and client acquisition for its China-based properties, with a specific focus on the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), China's premier professional basketball league.
As one of the world's leading sports marketing agencies, the Infront Group handles a wide range of marketing and media services for a client portfolio that includes the CBA, the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the FIFA World Cup and several other China-based properties, major winter sports federations and international event competitions.
An internationally-recognized sports marketing consultancy in its own right with offices in the USA, Europe and Asia, Helios, too, works with top sports sponsors and global properties. Among its clients are Major League Baseball, for whom Helios this spring managed the development of the marketing strategy and sponsorship sales for the league's first-ever series in China, and the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, for which Helios also managed the sponsorship sales activities.
"This co-cooperation will combine the expertise of two companies that are very strong in China and will allow us to take full advantage of the unprecedented growth opportunities in the Chinese sports market," said John Kristick, Infront's Executive Director Asia.
The two partners see the alliance as potentially very valuable in the post-Olympic period, when major sports properties seek continued growth in the world's most populous nation and when major international and national companies look for opportunities to follow up their Olympic involvements with core sponsorship programs.
With 16 teams in 14 major Chinese cities, the CBA drew more than a million spectators in the 2007-2008 season. Already the number one professional sports league in China, the CBA boasts an expanding network of broadcast coverage and is poised for even greater growth as the popularity of basketball and the opportunities surrounding the CBA League continue to rise.
"We are excited to be teaming up with Infront during this unique moment in the history of Chinese sports," said Chris Renner, President of Helios China. "The CBA is perfectly positioned to move into the biggest of the big leagues. With Infront, we will be fully engaged in communicating the very powerful qualities of this exciting sports property to the full range of prospective sponsors and stakeholders."
For additional information please visit www.heliospartners.com and www.heliospartners.cn or contact:
Li Li Leung (in China)
+ 86 139 1012 2494
lilileung@heliospartners.com
Kevin Donovan (in the United States)
+1.678.904.5393
kdonovan@heliospartners.com