The company will continue to operate under its existing management and will be renamed Octagon CIS, with immediate effect.
CIS was formed in October 1990 by Bob Verbeeck, a former Olympic middle distance runner (he competed at Los Angeles in 1984) and Procter & Gamble executive, and is divided into three groups ? Sponsorship Consultancy, Event Management and Property Sales.
Major clients of CIS include Unilever and Nike, and major events organised by the agency include the `Night of Athletics?, the Grand Prix Eddy Merckx in cycling, the Antwerp Marathon and the All Stars Game in basketball.
Said Frank Lowe, chairman and chief executive officer of Octagon said: ?Belgium and Holland are important European markets and will form a key part of our European network. Octagon is a marketing-led business and in Bob Verbeeck we have found a partner with a strong consumer marketing background. We have already worked successfully with him for Hyundai at Euro 2000, and look forward to building on that relationship with him in the future.?
Sports marketing giant Octagon, has taken a substantial equity position in Consultants In Sport (CIS), a leading sports marketing company in Belgium and Holland.
