90 billion Euros to be invested before Euro 2012 9 Apr 2009

The UEFA EURO attracts more and more attention of the football community all over the world. Even though reports in the past stated that Poland and the Ukraine would not be capable of hosting the tournament, nowadays people are thinking how to take advantage of the huge potential of both host countries.

On the other hand, the hosts need vital know-how and solutions proved in Western Europe in order to benefit in the future from new football infrastructure. Poland is keen to implement new ideas and solutions. At the beginning of April, 300 delegates from all over Europe attended the Football Business Conference, where they had a chance to acquaint with many aspects of football business in Poland. “When we applied for the organisation of EURO 2012, one said that it was a science-fiction idea”, according to Adam Olkowicz, Tournament Director EURO 2012 in Poland. On 18 April 2007, UEFA decided to stage UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland and the Ukraine. Since this time, our countries have attracted attention of businessmen worldwide. According to some surveys, the investment value linked to EURO 2012 is estimated at 90 billion Euros. “Today’s football is a theatre and huge business”, Adam Olkowicz added.
The first club in Poland which understands the importance of marketing activities is Lech Poznan.“We have implemented many solutions which generate significant profits for clubs in Western Europe, like club TV, hospitality, merchandising and much more,” said Arkadiusz Kasprzak, Vice President of Lech Poznan. The speakers stressed that UEFA EURO 2012 should not be a goal itself. Special attention should be paid to the period after the tournament, i.e. how to use and benefit from modern football infrastructure. “I know that some venue operators in Austria are not satisfied with their big stadium construction for EURO 2008”, states Hans-Willy Brockes, Owner of ESB Event Sport Business.
The research results of SPORT+MARKT show that EURO 2012 could significantly change the football landscape in Poland. “Due to the FIFA World Cup 2006 and stadium development in Germany, we managed to attract many new target groups which still attend Bundesliga matches,” said Thomas Trümper, Member of Management Board SPORT+MARKT. Concluding the Football Business Conference in Warsaw, the delegates agreed that in the upcoming three years, Poland and the Ukraine are on the way to accelerating their football development.  

For more information on the Football Business Conference please visit www.fbc.ag and
pl.youtube.com/fbcwarsaw2009.

Contact details are:
footballbusiness@fbc.ag
or +48 502 709 671 (Mr. Daniel Olkowicz)