The deal, brokered by Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive commercial partner of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), means that Henkel joins a select group of ten Official Sponsors for the upcoming event.
With the agreement, Henkel secures strong, visible presence during the event through venue advertising, rink boards and other onsite opportunities. The Company will also present its branded products at the venues in Moscow and in the Russian retail market, including such well-known family products Ceresit und Persil.
The 2007 IIHF World Championship will be the largest sports event to take place in Russia since the 1980 Olympic Games and will continue to hold this position for the next few years. Russia will be host for the sixth time - previously hosting the event in 1957, 1973, 1979, 1986 and 2000.
The event is predicted to attract a cumulative television audience of more than 700 million in over 50 countries, an audience that has grown significantly in the past decade.
“Henkel has sponsored major sports events, but next year’s IIHF World Championship in Russia will be a highlight for our sponsorship programme. As the biggest single winter sports event in the world, this exciting competition is potentially a strong communications platform for us. It will provide high visibility for Henkel in many of our key markets, especially in Northern Europe and North America, but also in the host region of Eastern Europe, which is an important growth market for our brands,” said Kai von Bargen, Head of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Sponsoship at Henkel.
