League general director Ilona Korstin presented on the topic of “Producing and Marketing a Sports Event using the All-Star Game Model” today at the international MARSPO conference.
During the presentation, Korstin outlined the League’s strategy to attract a sold-out crowd in Sochi: choosing the right time and place, inviting celebrities, promoting the event in the media, selling tickets, preparing the facilities and creating a party atmosphere in the arena.
– We held the first-ever VTB United League All-Star Game in February and the League proved that basketball can be a hot ticket in Russia, – noted Ilona Korstin. – We picked the right place and time and, as a result, were able to get 12,000 fans in the arena in Sochi and score a TV audience of two and a half million people, one million more than the KHL All-Star Game. It was a genuine celebration of basketball. Now our challenge is to maintain that momentum. We’ve already begun preparing for the next All-Star Game, which will become an annual event. We’re also working on attracting new sponsors for the game. Our next goal, which I believe is a realistic one, is to make it a profitable venture.
About MARSPO: The annual conference brings together leaders and experts in the field of sports marketing, including directors of top sports clubs, leagues, federations, sports arenas, successful sports managers, sports brand representatives, major media, marketing and communications agencies.
