CT-based Clarion Marketing & Communications has "spun
off its sports unit into a stand-alone company dubbed"
Velocity Sports & Entertainment, according to Andy Bernstein
of the SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The new group will move into
new offices in CT headquarters June 1 and will retain FedEx
and IBM as clients. Clarion execs ALEX NIEROTH, DAVE GRANT
and MIKE REISMAN will be partners in the new venture, and
Clarion "will maintain an ownership stake" (SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL, 4/26 issue). BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton reports that
the new office will be based in Fairfield County, with
"around a dozen current Clarion employees." A sports
division at Clarion's current office will remain, which will
be headed by DOUG METCHICK (BRANDWEEK, 4/26 issue).
NO DISSON' HIM: STEPHEN DISSON, on his recently formed
entertainment marketing agency Disson Furst and Partners
(see THE DAILY, 4/23): "There's a lot of agency
consolidation out there, but we feel we have established a
niche with expertise in extreme sports, music and events
like skating that we already do" (BRANDWEEK, 4/26 issue).
