Polo in the Park is an exhilarating and innovative new polo event concept that will revolutionise the sport and the way people watch it. The special event will take place from Thursday 4th June to Sunday 7th June 2009 at Hurlingham Park, South West London – the historic venue which hosted the 1908 Olympic Games polo final won by England.
The Polo in the Park event will feature a minimum of six polo teams, representing cities across the world such as London, Paris, New York, Sydney, Buenos Aries and Mumbai, in what is set to be an adrenaline-fuelled and action-packed contest. The teams will compete in a series of matches to win the Polo in the Park trophy.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has endorsed the event saying, “It’s 70 years since a polo match was last played at Hurlingham and it is an exciting prospect to see the sport return to central London. Polo in the Park will add to the wealth of sporting activities that Londoners can enjoy and I hope inspire people to take up this fast-paced and exhilarating sport.”
Polo in the Park is a groundbreaking venture established by World Polo Ltd, who will establish the sport’s first global franchise based polo tour. The inaugural London event in June 2009 will see polo transformed as a number of rule changes will be implemented to make the matches even more fast and furious, and engage all newcomers to the sport. With a central London location, the event will also be more accessible for spectators wanting to savour the live action. When completed, the newly constructed venue will host up to 5,000 spectators per day, including approximately 600 corporate hospitality guests.
Polo in the Park is set to become an iconic event in the London social calendar as World Polo Ltd aims to broaden the appeal of the sport and enable a new diverse generation of fans to marvel at the technical excellence of the players, be thrilled by the exciting matches and experience the vibrant and social atmosphere that is the hallmark of an international polo event.
Attendees are assured a fun-filled and action-packed day out at Polo in the Park. In addition to the exhilarating polo matches that will be played, there will also be a variety of entertainment for people to both watch and partake in, a retail village selling an assortment of goods, and stalls selling a selection of delicious food.
Polo in the Park has the full backing of Hammersmith and Fulham Council who will be keeping local residents informed about the event and Park’s redevelopment. As part of the ambition to bring Polo in the Park to the city, World Polo Ltd is investing significantly in the redevelopment of Hurlingham Park so that spectators at the event can enjoy a first class experience, and that the local community can benefit from the improved facilities, such as a newly laid professional standard grass sports pitch, for many more years to come.
In line with World Polo Ltd’s commitment to the local community, Polo in the Park on Sunday 7th June will be a community day – a free event where the whole family can have an enjoyable day out and get a close up view of the thrilling world of polo. Guests on the day will be treated to an array of fun exhibitions and activities, polo demonstrations, and the opportunity for the public to try out the sport for themselves. Further details about the community day will be announced closer to the event.
World Polo Ltd launched Polo in the Park as a worldwide showcase to help transform it into a commercial and professional proposition, building a platform to take the game to a new global audience via significant international television broadcasting deals and the use the latest modern television technology that will enthuse and engage a new generation of fans across the world. The creation and international distribution of dynamic and compelling multi-media content will also serve as a branding platform for corporate sponsorship programmes that will help to increase revenue streams for the franchise tour, and further the global growth of the sport.
Following the first event in London, World Polo Ltd’s professional polo league will roll out a series of additional tournaments. The tournaments will be played in iconic city locations around the world with the organisers aiming to host events in 10 different cities by 2012. Cities currently under consideration include Paris, New York, Sydney, Moscow and Dubai.
Daniel Fox-Davies, founder of World Polo Ltd, said, “We are delighted and proud to be bringing polo back to its rightful home at Hurlingham Park, and giving the wider community the chance to see this fantastic sport. Polo in the Park will be an exciting and thrilling polo event like no one has seen before. We will be using the latest in modern technology to ensure that everybody watching, whether it is live in the grandstands or at home on TV, will enjoy an exhilarating experience.”
For further information visit www.polointheparklondon.com. To book tickets by phone for Polo in the Park, members of the public should call 020 8233 5868.
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For press information contact Serena Thynne @ Pitch
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Note to editors:
Ticket Price: Thursday 4th and Friday 5th June: £25, £30 and £35. Saturday 6th June: £30, £35 and £40
About World Polo Ltd:
World Polo Ltd will create a global tour of polo; the sport’s first franchise based polo tour to be played on a global platform.
World Polo Ltd implements forward-thinking rule changes and technological innovation. By introducing rule changes to polo, the sport will be more compatible with television audiences. World Polo Ltd will also engage the right brands and distribute the Polo in the Park product professionally to major TV and new media platforms. World Polo Ltd uses the valuable knowledge of the sport and its community but channels that experience in a commercial environment.
World Polo Ltd’s aim is to create a global polo series that is technologically advanced, a leading innovator in equestrian and newly commercialised sports, that fields talented players from all emerging and major nations competing on an international level, that is supported and endorsed by major luxury and forward thinking brands. World Polo Ltd makes changes to the sport so that polo can become a spectacle for live audiences.
World Polo Ltd owns the rights to Polo in the Park, London.
Key Partners
IMG
IMG will manage and promote the event, along with the commercial rights relating to World Polo Ltd.
IMG is the world’s premier sports, entertainment and media company. Their global assets and capabilities include major fashion and sporting events, famous athletes, models and celebrities, worldwide media distribution, live and recorded programming production, sponsorship and stadium consulting, hospitality, licensing and rights management.
IMG represents many of the world’s most prolific sporting talents, including Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and owns, operates or represents the broadest range of properties and events across the globe
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