Sport Forum Switzerland: Record attendance
The Sport Forum Switzerland reported a new attendance record with 560 participants. Walter de Gregorio was one of the driving forces behind this, giving insights into his «change of sides» from journalist to FIFA Head of Communications.
Fifa's reputation also suffers from the mistakes of the past. At the same time, he noted that "various media only report in the direction of scandal, while incredibly good stories are not reported.
Bernhard Heusler, President of FC Basel, showed the sports business community the leadership structures of the Champions League participant. The maximum success of the professional team is the top priority, which is followed by the "entire company" FC Basel. The fans, who contribute 71 percent of FC Basel's total revenue, are absolutely essential and closely linked to the club's success.
Interactive exchange with fans continues to gain importance
"Sportainment" is the big trend in the Swiss sports business. Clubs are building interactive "stadiums of the future" and sponsors are consciously focusing on second-screen presence. Recent studies by Repucom and management tools show great potential for new advertising channels in sports sponsorship. At the Sport Media Forum, Christoph Heimes, Youtube Sport EMEA, confirmed this development. In addition to live sports, frame reports with a high entertainment factor are in particular demand. Videos with high click rates that promote fan involvement and authenticity are among the most popular sports content.
The Fan Marketing Forum was all about the "fan as an economic factor". Michael Meeske, Managing Director of FC St. Pauli, opened the packed forum with the "FC St. Pauli Marketing Story". The traditional club is famous for its unconventional but successful campaigns. Meeske presented successful examples of fan activation such as the Football & Love Festival and the "Stadium Painting" project, in which fans were able to design parts of the Millerntor Stadium. Meanwhile, André Stöckli, Head of Sponsorship Football, Raiffeisen Switzerland, drew a positive conclusion from the "Raiffeisen Family Day". The ticket campaign has been proven to increase spectator numbers and generate additional revenue for the league. Interestingly for the clubs, 94 percent of families say they are very likely to attend a Raiffeisen Super League match again.
Viktor Röthlin gave information about his plans after the end of his career: "In contrast to well-earning footballers, I already have to think about my future during my career. Which also brings advantages." Long-term and authentic partnerships with Raiffeisen (since 1987) or isostar enable him to continue his engagements as a speaker and expert of running workshops beyond the end of his career. In conclusion, he smilingly admitted to himself that he still has potential for practice as an organizer of running events: "I have never received so many rejections in my life, not even when I was looking for my dream woman.
