The commercial framework of European football will be explored this September after a new partnership between the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and Soccerex was agreed ahead of the upcoming Global Convention taking place in Manchester, 7-9 September.

The new venture will see the ESA and Soccerex working closely together to ensure the attendance of multiple senior figures from the European Sponsorship Industry at the Convention, as well hosting a series of commercially workshops alongside a dedicated brands and rightsholder breakfast.

The opening session will get right to the crux of the matter by looking at “What Sponsors Want”. Leading the keynote session will be Toby Hester, former Global Football Brand Manager, Castrol, who will divulge the secrets behind securing partnerships for football organisations, from the initial approach through to finalising closing the deal.

Following the keynote, a host of industry experts including Tim Ellerton, Global Sponsorship Manager, Heineken and Nathan Homer, Head of Global Sponsorship and Partnerships, Barclays, will discuss the outcomes and whether rights holders need to start acting like brands to secure sponsorships. Tim and Nathan will also be discussing how two of the game’s biggest tournaments, the UEFA Champions League and the English Premier League, have helped Heineken and Barclays reach billions of fans around the world and connect with new customers.

The third and final panel discussion will look at how technology is changing behaviour towards traditional commercial models and whether sponsorship should be any different – a teaser to the annual ESA Summit ‘Is Official Dead?’ held in November. Jackie Fast, Managing Director, Slingshot Sponsorship will sit alongside a number of industry experts both within and outside the industry to debate the value to being an “Official Sponsor” of events and well as consideration of other alternatives.

Soccerex CEO, Duncan Revie, said: “The ESA plays an extremely important role in educating and raising the standard within our industry, so we’re delighted to be partnering with them for the Global Convention. European football sponsorship is growing with every new shirt or tournament deal that is announced and it’s only heading in one direction. The three workshops we have lined up will deliver fascinating insight and will provide key commercial learning opportunities for our delegates.”

ESA is the voice of the sponsorship industry in Europe seeking to inspire better marketing through education and raising standards. As a membership association it strives to lead the industry through activities relating to policy and governance, corporate responsibility, education and training, provision of information and networking.

The ESA are part of a market leading conference programme at the Global Convention addressing the key commercial aspects of football. Castrol, Barclays and Heineken will join an impressive and diverse list of expert speakers that already include the likes of Javier Tebas, LaLiga, President, Davor Suker, Croatia Football Federation President and UEFA Executive Committee member, Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, Alex Trickett, Head of Sport, Twitter UK, Ian Ritchie, Rugby Football Union CEO, Dave Kaval, San Jose Earthquakes President and Simon Timson, UK Sport Performance Director.

The Soccerex Global Convention brings together over 3000 of football’s elite over three days of a thought provoking conference programme packed with business insight, alongside a market-leading international exhibition and extensive networking. A programme of social events completes the schedule for what is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading football business event.