The onus is on the opposing clubs playing in China to take whatever commercial and cultural advantage they can in the lead up to the match and whilst the weekend is up and running. To pull it off each Club has to have capable executive teams at both ends of the pipeline with requisite market knowledge and relevant contacts.
PAFC have for some time had a China squad in place setting up contacts, travelling in and out and learning learning learning ... and consequently on stage during the gala dinner on the eve of the Shanghai match a third seven-digit major sponsorship deal (MJK) was officially signed with a Chinese entity. Other lower tier partnerships had been concluded: Cathay Pacific, Greaton, Haneco with others in the pipeline.
The Gold Coast Suns Football Club before the 14 May match were unable to fill critical vacancies in a number of their executive offices including COO, commercial director or manager, and went to Shanghai armed with nobody who had any China experience except their president who actually has considerably more hands on China nous than our own president.
During the game on 14 May the Suns were wearing HUAWEI on the backs of their guernseys. A success, I decided. An obvious perhaps minimal success, but a success nevertheless. Good luck to them, I thought. Now let's see what you can do next, Tony.
As we speak, on Traeger Park, the Suns are running around with HUAWEI missing from the back of their guernseys, replaced by zero evidence that they flew to China and played a match there at all.
The last bit of the article makes its clear we have to find a bigger and better opponent.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...l/news-story/acabe75dc5abe0ce0f2a83c3df2d4af7
It’s a little-known fact that Koch has more emotional skin in this game than just his desire for his football club to become a sports business heavyweight. Koch’s father was an entrepreneur who traded in China in the 1970s, and was a pioneer in opening doors between the countries through his involvement in the coal industry.
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Both personally and as Port Adelaide chairman, Koch can’t let this China move fail. As important as this year’s event was, it was essentially only a pilot game, and the Suns a crash test dummy. Next season’s event is the one that needs to succeed.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...l/news-story/acabe75dc5abe0ce0f2a83c3df2d4af7
It really is a surprise at how negative the Suns attitude to the venture was given on face value they seem natural partners to push football growth with over there. The region already has reasonable connection to China through tourism, yet did not appear to embrace this side of things at all taking a very narrow minded view over there that was all just for a football game.
Geelong are a high class off-field outfit with some very savvy operators so I don't think they'll be so complacent. I agree that ultimately growth does depend upon the backing of two clubs - whilst I think we can and will continue to make the venture successful for ourselves, for sustainability purposes on a more holistic longer term view, a second club embracing the concept will be of great benefit.