Palestine: Success for the workshop on marketing and sponsorship

The workshop on marketing and sponsorship organised on 14 November 2014 by CIES in cooperation with Birzeit University and the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) met with great success. Over 60 participants discussed this theme during lively and fruitful exchanges.

Representatives of sport and of sponsors met to discuss marketing and sponsorship. These are sources of income whose use still involves a few difficulties in the Palestinian sports context.

“Palestinian sport has experienced significant growth over the last few years. This is reflected in the quality of our athletes, the success achieved at the international level and the construction of modern infrastructures. But development of our activities must now be based on cooperation between the world of sport and the private sector, in a spirit of partnership, with benefits for all those involved. That is why this workshop on marketing and sponsorship is important for enhanced understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead of us”, emphasised PFA President Jibril Al Rajoub.

Based on that observation, FIFA consultant Ed Coan moderated the discussions and encouraged the partners - representatives of sports organisations, active sponsors or potential sponsors - to examine the situation of Palestinian sport and the benefits it can offer the private sector in exchange for support. The participants were also able to become familiar with certain practices in the framework of group exercises.

At the end of the event, the participants made a positive assessment of the debates. CIES therefore hopes that these discussions will soon materialise through dynamic relationships between stakeholders in Palestinian sport and new sponsors.