SPORTS, FESTIVAL AND EVENTS SPONSORSHIP MEET THE EXPERTS AT THE EVENT PRODUCTION SHOW

The free to attend Access Sessions are an integral part of the Event Production Show which takes place on the 2nd and 3rd February 2010 at the Grand Hall, Olympia in London. The Sessions traditionally welcome capacity audiences and are renowned amongst event industry professionals for attracting the country’s leading experts on current trends and issues affecting the live events sector.

On day one of the Show, Glastonbury guru Michael Eavis will be discussing the festival’s first forty years and his plans for 2010 in a Session that packs out the seminar room almost as quickly as tickets fly out for Glastonbury.

Later that day Rugby Football Union Tournament Director Terry Burwell details the process behind winning the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He is a lead member on the RFU steering group for RWC 2015, co-ordinating the tournament’s requirements for venue and operational management, which is set to inject up to £1bn into the British economy. Terry has been involved with the delivery of high profile tournaments such as the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 2003 Under 21 Rugby World Cup and he will be sharing his experiences with event, sports and sponsorship professionals in what is bound to be a highly informative question and answer Access Session.

On Wednesday 3rd February 2010, ‘Brands on the Run’ will focus entirely on sports and events sponsorship. The panel reads like a Who’s Who in a sector that in 2009 experienced one of its most difficult years with many brands cutting sponsorship budgets and exploring more emotive and interactive ways of promoting their products to their core target markets.

The panel of experts include Karen Earl, Chairman of the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and Chairman of Synergy. As ESA Chairman, Karen continues to raise the Association’s profile across Europe. This year has seen the launch of ESA’s Insight Forums and Skills Workshops series which aims to raise standards and qualifications within the industry. ESA also provides its members with a valuable source of information and research on the industry, as well as several policy guidelines and best practice papers.

Karen is also the first winner of the Sunday Times Business Woman of the Year, a new award for 2009 that is presented to the most inspirational woman running a business within the sports industry. Since setting up Karen Earl Sponsorship (KES) in 1984, Karen has become the leading doyenne in the industry and is widely recognised as one of the most influential people in sport in the UK. Karen masterminded the agency being bought by Engine in 2007 and in May 2008, successfully oversaw the re-brand of the agency (from Karen Earl Sponsorship to Synergy). Synergy boasts a broad range of clients and some of the biggest brands in the world including Aviva, Betfair, Bupa, Chivas Regal, Coca-Cola, and RBS. Karen will chair the panel of experts for this Access Session.

Alongside her will be Lee Bailey, Senior Sponsorship & Events Manager at Diageo GB. The company has signed a deal with Premier Rugby to extend its sponsorship of the Guinness Premiership for a further season. The company’s other global brands include Smirnoff, Bailey’s, Johnnie Walker, J&B and Captain Morgan.

Peter Spencer, Managing Director of the Gaymer Cider Company, will also be present. Gaymers Cider is a big supporter of live music and the brand was the official festival cider at Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and Bestival in 2009. They will once again be the headline sponsor of the Gaymers Camden Crawl 2010.

Paul Samuels, Executive Director of Sponsorship at AEG, and Relentless Energy Drinks representative Les Seddon-Brown complete the line-up of experts.

With just one day out of the office visitors to the Event Production Show can source everything needed to produce indoor or outdoor sports events, music festivals, theatrical productions, exhibitions, conferences and corporate entertainment. To register to visit the Event Production Show log on to www.eventproductionshow.co.uk

World dance champions Flawless and contemporary swing singers The Brit Pack entertained a celebrity audience at This Morning's 21st anniversary party. Both acts are managed by Showbizworks.com and the evening was a huge success as the stars of ITV's most popular, long running daytime TV programme celebrated 21 years of This Morning. Peter Andre was present as the evening's roving reporter and guests included newly crowned king of the jungle Gino D'Acampo, Cilla Black, Zoe Lucker, Bradley Walsh, Nicky Clarke, Leigh Francis, Paul Ross, Nicola McLean and of course the regular team of presenters including Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, Denise Robertson, Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford. The Brit Pack got the evening off to a great start that prompted Bradley Walsh to take to the stage to join them in a song or two. Later on in the evening world dance champions Flawless impressed the crowds with a breath-taking, spectacular dance routine that was absolutely faultless. Flawless are starring in a new film due for release next May called Streetdance 3D starring Charlotte Rampling. For more information click The Brit Pack and Flawless Pictured are The Brit Pack, Tony Benedict, Uche Eke and Joe Corrigan with king of the jungle - Gino D'Acampo second from right.