Advertisers in Asia "are gearing up" to spend billions of dollars on sports sponsorships in '14, which makes the inaugural Sports Matters conference "a timely one," according to Byravee Iyer of CAMPAIGN ASIA. ManU APAC Managing Dir Jamie Reigle "talked about the football club's business objectives in the region." He "stressed that" ManU's model is "to drive top line through sponsorships, partnerships, media and merchandising licensing products." Coca-Cola Global Dir of Alliances and Ventures Prinz Matthew Pinakatt discussed "topics ranging from creative disruption to value creation and mass sponsorship for niche audiences." Pinakett "emphasized that partnerships at Coca-Cola are driven by brand needs rather than by money." He cited the example of the company's choice to pick F1 to promote its "challenger," energy brand Burn. He also "predicted that social media would determine the future of sports." Pinakett: "Fans are taking control of sports and we need to tailor their experiences." Increasingly, he "believes that new ideas, grassroots programs and even new sports will come from fans." Brands "need to tap into that and nurture it." Sports Matters also "witnessed the launch of Asian Sponsorship Association." Branded CEO Jasper Donat said, "It will inject the much needed vibrancy and sophistication to this sector to help energize event partners and sports associations in Asia to boost their appeal and gather more momentum and support for their events and activities." HSBC Group Head of Sponsorships and Events Giles Morgan said that there is "huge growth potential for sport in Asia." Morgan: "A real opportunity exists for countries in Asia -- as economic growth continues -- to stage more world-class events. Countries like China, Singapore and India can utilize sport to highlight and showcase themselves on the world stage" (CAMPAIGN ASIA, 9/19).
