Sponsorship & Marketing

ISL Worldwide has signed Orad Hi-Tec Systems to provide Orad's IMadGINE virtual advertising for the Tennis Masters Series TV coverage. This is the first time that Orad will be providing virtual advertising to an ISL premium event.

Motor company Hyundai has appointed Octagon Marketing to handle its Euro 2000 sponsorship campaigns.

Adidas UK has appointed Gordon Baird as managing director with sole responsibility for the company's UK and Ireland operations.

Christopher Stokes, formerly of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has joined Sportcal.com as Marketing Director.

XLSports.com, the online venture dedicated to personal sports participants, set to launch later this year, plans to unveil its business model during a "Sports in E-Commerce Summit." The event will be presented in cooperation with Motorola, Penske Logistics, Sprint and Sun Microsystems in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, February 15-17.

EA Sports, the leading interactive entertainment software company, has joined forces with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority ( LVCVA) as the co- title sponsor of Las Vegas Bowl VIII, college football's first post-season bowl game of 1999. The sponsorship agreement will become effective immediately and run through December 31, 2000.

UK firm Brands Hatch Leisure will this week continue its attempts to persuade members of the British Racing Drivers Club to lease it the Silverstone racing circuit, although it has so far failed to win support for the scheme.

International sports sponsorship research company, ROI Research, will deliver information from consumers directly over the Internet, in a new partnership agreement with USADATA.com.

SiS has become the first research and evaluation firm to provide the South American market with an independent service after it opened an office in Brazil.

Andrew Croker, formerly joint head of football for IMG, the sports marketing agency has joined Sportal, the internet sports company run by Rob Hersov.

A recent research project by Sports Marketing Surveys on the Cricket World Cup has shown how successful sponsorship is amongst cricket fans in creating brand awareness.

Guinness announced a 15 per cent sales increase in the UK for the September/October period during which they sponsored the Rugby World Cup.

The UK motor sports industry has become the world market leader ? overtaking steel and agriculture in terms of export earnings.

The NFL has launched its official Super Bowl site, Superbowl.com, with Miller Lite as its presenting sponsor.

ISL has signed a long-term agreement with Brazilian soccer club Flamengo.

UK Athletics has appointed Steve James to the position of commercial manager as part of its continued development and modernisation of the sport.