SportAccord in Strategic Communications Partnership with Burson-Marsteller

Lausanne – SportAccord, the organisation representing Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations and organisations, has announced an exclusive partnership with the global communications firm Burson-Marsteller.

The new strategic alliance – the first-of-its-kind for the sports body – means Burson-Marsteller will become SportAccord’s exclusive communications advisor and will support the strengthening of the SportAccord brand and offerings including SportAccord Multi-Sports Games and .sport. The firm will also be the recommended service provider to SportAccord’s 107 member organisations.

Vincent Gaillard, Director General of SportAccord, said: “We are delighted to announce this new strategic communications partnership. We have a number of very exciting global projects that we will be developing over the coming months, such as our SportAccord Multi-Sports Games, and we look forward to working with Burson-Marsteller to ensure their success.

“As our mission has grown, it has become clear that it was time to engage a global firm to ensure that our work on behalf of our members is properly communicated.”

Donald A. Baer, Worldwide Chair and Chief Executive Officer for Burson-Marsteller said: “At Burson-Marsteller, we are passionate about the sports industry and proud of our rapidly growing sports communications capabilities, so it is a great opportunity to work with SportAccord and its members.”

Jeremy Galbraith, Global Vice Chairman of Strategy and CEO of Burson-Marsteller in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, added: “Burson-Marsteller’s track record in sports marketing and working with sports administrators at the highest levels has been built on a thorough understanding of their needs and objectives – from maximising the value of sponsorships, to communicating the goals and principles behind staging the world’s most significant sporting events.

“It is a great privilege to bring our expertise to SportAccord and its members, who collectively form the beating heart of the world of sports.”

Leading the partnership for Burson-Marsteller are Dennis Landsbert-Noon, Chairman of Burson-Marsteller’s Sport Practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, located in Brussels, and Rhonda Brauer, Managing Director, Global Marketing Team, based in Los Angeles, Calif.

SportAccord partnership leads are Vincent Gaillard, Director General, and Nathalie Smeeman, Manager Marketing and Communications.

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About SportAccord
SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for 107 international sports federations and organisations. Its mission is to unite and support the common interests of the sports movement. Activities include the organisation of multi-sports games (SportAccord World Combat Games, World Beach Games, World Artistic Games, World Mind Games, World Urban Games); doping-free sport; sports’ social/environmental responsibility and sports’ integrity; the International Federations recognition process; the Online Community platform, the World Sport Index, the online video portal The Sports Hub as well as several other strategic initiatives, all developed and implemented on behalf, and to the benefit, of SportAccord’s members. www.sportaccord.com, Twitter @sportaccord, www.youtube.com/thesportshubchannel

About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller, established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and communications firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, reputation and crisis management, advertising and digital strategies. The firm’s seamless worldwide network consists of 74 offices and 85 affiliate offices, together operating in 110 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a unit of WPP, the world’s leading communications services network. For more information, please visit bm.com.