THE third annual African Football Executive Conference (Afex 2013) will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 17-18 and will this year be headlined by European football giants Real Madrid representatives, organisers have confirmed. WELLINGTON TONI REPORT BY SPORTS EDITOR
The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League was represented at last year’s event i the same country and yesterday chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele confirmed they might be in attendance again.
“We are interested in attending the event like we did last year,” he said. “It’s very beneficial to the league and clubs that might want to attend.”
With the Zimbabwean league moving towards financial stability after the coming in of pay-per-view giants Supersport and various sponsors, this year’s event provides an opportunity for clubs to build on sponsorships and partnerships.
Real Madrid Foundation’s Inigo Arenillas, who is the club’s director for Africa and the Middle East, will be one of the keynote speakers. Francesco Bruscolli and Ashford Mamelodi, both Fifa development officers, Jomo Cosmos owner and chairman of Jomo Sono Investments, Jomo Sono, will also give addresses.
Former Fifa deputy secretary-general Jerome Champagne, George Maguire, the founder of African Football Tour and Hazel Chimhandamba, the senior manager (sponsorships) at Standard Bank will also make presentations at the two-day event.
Executive director of the programme, Edward Abankwa, said: “The conference is a platform for major African and international football clubs, leagues, associations, brands, corporate sponsors, federations, non-governmental organisations and related bodies to discuss the current football related opportunities and challenges they face and find solutions to them.
“This conference will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of how football business in Africa works enabling you to define your strategy and provide you with practical planning tips on how to thrive in this fast changing environment.
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“We are also delighted to welcome Umbro as our brand sponsor at Afex 2013. A quality international brand, Umbro introduces tailoring to the world of sports and has created a company that is now a byword for quality and passion in football.”
Some of the topics that will be covered include international partnerships and benefits to African football, the value of a name, understanding the commercial and promotional angles that partnering with businesses can present to football, creating value in African football organisations and focus on the development of women’s football in Africa.
The conference will also look at football sponsorships, continual progress and sustainable development in the management of sport in Africa, new age communication systems in football and using the football platform to positively impact on communities on the continent.
