The German sporting apparel and equipment exhibition, ISPO Beijing 2019, which is under way from 16 to 19 January at the China International Exhibition Center (New Venue), has extended its content to football. The event hosted the first ever “International Football Forum - German Bundesliga clubs’ market strategy for China” today (Jan 17).
It was the first year that ISPO has hosted such a football forum and it hopes to continue hosting such a forum next year.
The football forum saw almost all the Bundesliga clubs that currently have a presence in China in attendance, with six of them sending representatives to speak on the panel -- Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach, Schalke 04, Stuttgart and Wolfsburg. The other clubs that were present included Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.
The clubs that spoke on the panel introduced their involvement in youth training in China and their marketing strategies to develop in China.
Currently, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Monchengladbach, Schalke 04 and Wolfsburg are all involved in Chinese youth training projects. Most of the clubs present at the forum plan to enhance their brand awareness and engage with their fan base in China through online channels and offline activities.
The clubs also had their mascots in attendance at the forum. In addition to having the forum, the Bundesliga also have a booth which is shaped as a mini football pitch.
Apart from the Bundesliga clubs, ISPO’s football theme also includes a football club from the German Division Eight football league, TC Freisenbruch, who own a booth at the event. The club invites people to register online (free for Chinese participants) to act as their managers and make decisions about finance, player rosters, etc.
Proofread by Raymond Fitzpatrick