Middle East sports bids must consider long term sustainability & engage local population says PROSKE

Nov. 17, 2010 - PRLog -- Sports bid and organising committees in the Middle East must engage the public and leave a positive lasting legacy according to René Proske, Managing Director of leading international hospitality agency, PROSKE group.

Speaking at ‘The Big Event - An Insider's Guide’ forum at the international Aspire4Sport conference in Doha, René Proske presented his views on major corporate and sponsor hospitality issues currently affecting the sporting world and urged the bids to think about long term legacy rather than just a short term opportunity to showcase their wealth.

René PROSKE said: “Winning a bid for a major international sports event should not just be about building great venues. The challenge is to make sure that a successful bid is a catalyst for lasting momentum of real change.

“Middle Eastern states are using sport as one of many ways to diversify from oil, which had traditionally been the way they have become wealthy. But they have to consider how to use their vast economic resources to take a lead in environmentally sustainable construction projects. There is a huge opportunity to develop new techniques that are environmentally sympathetic and that is key.”

Proske also admitted that corporate hospitality programmes in the Middle East will need to focus on attracting smaller organisations and individuals rather than worrying about large corporations.

He added: “High price packages and programmes will not be a problem in the Middle East. The key will be for organisers to engage with the local population so that people feel part of the events and can take ownership of them. This will in turn have an impact on lower end corporate hospitality. Organising committees must have strong engagement strategies and not just undertake events as government projects.”

The Aspire4Sport Congress and Exhibition, taking place at the Aspire Dome from 15-18 November, has attracted representatives, suppliers and broadcasters from all major sports to attend coaching clinics, product launches, star chats and special events.

Dr. Andreja Wieser, Proske Head of Sport added: “When we heard about Aspire4Sport’s combined congress and exhibition, we considered it an exciting event that we were determined to attend. Qatar has developed into a world renowned centre for sporting events and sports development and we believe this event provides an excellent platform to meet high level international decision-makers from the world of sport.  We can see how sport has been a catalyst for development in the region. I personally attended the 15th Asian Games and we can see how Doha has been trying to position sports within the young generations as a way of life. From a hospitality point of view, we believe that there is a lot of potential in Doha for our business.”

Among the attendees at Aspire4Sport are Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson; Michael Johnson, four time Olympic Gold medalist and World Record holder; F1 star Rubens Barrichello; former England rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward; and tennis legends John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.

The conference also coincides with a series of special events including a gathering of World Cup icons prior to a match between Argentina and Brazil at the Khalifa International Stadium on Wednesday November 17.

Each day will be illuminated by a series of forums dealing with major topics including medical breakthroughs, disciplinary challenges, security implications, and media developments. Significantly one day will be devoted to "Corporate Social Responsibility". This will examine ways in which sport's much worshipped celebrities and global brands can harness their standing to help change the lives of others.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Founded in 1986, PROSKE group has provided hospitality support for sponsors and corporations in over 60 countries around the world.

PROSKE group caters for events ranging from 10 up to 35,000 attendees in more than 60 countries and offers a wide range of services for sponsors and corporations including the organisation of events, corporate entertainment, travel services including flights and hotels, concierge and all other logistics.

PROSKE group has worked with a number of prestigious companies at major sporting events including Coca-Cola, who it supported at the FIFA World Cup 2006 and UEFA Euro 2008 championships.

PROSKE group also ran hospitality programmes around the International Ski Federation Tour de Ski in 2008, managing events at five stages in three countries including attendee management, fan trips and charity programmes.

PROSKE group Managing Director René Proske joined PROSKE | group Management in 2005.

René played a key role in the successful delivery of hospitality programs for Coca-Cola at the FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 and development and implementation of Coca-Cola´s International Hospitality Programs during UEFA EURO 2008 championships in Austria and Switzerland.

PROSKE | group Head of Sports is Dr. Andreja Wieser, who has more than a decade of experience in Olympic and Paralympic Protocol and Hospitality. She also worked for the Athens 2004, Torino 2006, Beijing 2008 and Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Other PROSKE | group sports clients include UBS, Burger King and Swisscom. Non sports clients include: Siemens, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Clarins, Cisco Systems, Maserati, Novartis, RAI and Jägermeister.

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Calacus PR was established in 2007 by David Alexander, a former national and international sports journalist. Calacus has expertise in international sports campaigns, media relations, consumer and corporate consultancy and athlete representation.