The award, which was launched by Sponsors magazine and the European Sponsoring Exchange (ESB), was presented at the ISPO sports sponsorship trade fair in Munich.
Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, a member of the FIFA Executive Committee, and Gerd Kolbe, the head of the Dortmund World Cup office and deputy spokesman for the Host Cities, received the award on behalf of world football’s governing body and the 12 FIFA World Cup Host Cities.
In the summer of 2006, some 18 million fans came together to celebrate at the Fan Fests, helping to create the biggest football party of all time and an atmosphere that was praised the world over.
“The Fan Fests were a resounding success for the Host Cities. Never before have all Host Cities worked together as well as with FIFA and the local organising committee to create such a community-based experience. The World Cup not only took place in the stadiums, but also in the city centres,” said Gerd Kolbe, speaking on behalf of his colleagues from the FIFA World Cup Host Cities.
The Sports Marketing Award is presented each year in recognition of the best marketing campaigns of the previous 12 months. The overall winner was determined via a public, online poll in which more than 2,000 people from the world of sports marketing voted.
