During the ESA Awards in London, shopping centre Ideapark and Floorball Club SC Classic earned two honours and a special mention thanks to their teamwork.
The partnership between shopping mall Ideapark and SC Classic entitled “Sports entertainment in the heart of the shopping centre” was recognised at the ESA (European Sponsorship Association) Awards on March 9, 2023, in London. The event honoured the greatest sponsorships of the year in many categories. Ideapark and Classic earned gold in the subcategory “Sport Sponsorship €250,000,” silver in the main category “Sponsorship of the Year,” and a special mention in the subcategory “Best of Europe.”
A GENUINE, DEEP, AND STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
In 2020, Ideapark and Classic entered into a unique sponsorship partnership, wherein the club shifted its activities and match events to the retail centre. Ideapark committed 2 million euros in the construction of a high-tech arena in the centre of Ideapark, elevating the entertainment value of Classic’s sporting activities. The Blak Boks arena attracted the crowd of Classic to Ideapark. The games, rehearsals, and camps of Classic alone attract 120,000 people per year to the commercial centre.
The panel particularly complimented the increased commercial value that the collaboration provided to the competition, which attracted widespread notice.
In addition to our victory in our own area (sports sponsorship), we are very pleased with our overall second-place finish” (Sponsorship of the Year). Entries for the prize spanned all of Europe and featured a great number of really significant players, such as Heineken, FC Liverpool, Nivea, Paris Saint-German, and Formula 1. It’s fantastic that the judges took into account our one-of-a-kind, mutually beneficial collaboration. Visa Vainiola, CEO of Ideapark Lempaala, explains that sports and collaboration, particularly with Classic, are important to Ideapark’s development from a standard shopping mall to an immersive entertainment centre.
“Ideapark and Classic share a shared universe of ideals and the willingness to act without bias. According to Pasi “Passo” Peltola, executive director of Classic Family, the partnership is designed to serve our joint client groups extraordinarily effectively.
i2 marketing agency has also designed and implemented cooperation. “It is quite uncommon for two distinct companies to employ sponsorship as a mechanism for strategic transformation. It’s nice to be a part of this partnership, as Ari Rauhala, CEO of i2, explains: “Ideapark and Classic have the ability to collaborate in this manner.”
THE WORLD’S BEST FLOORBALL SPECTATOR EXPERIENCE
The most prominent aspect of the partnership between Ideapark and Classic is the immersive Blak Boks event stage, which allows Classic’s men’s and women’s F-League home games to be played at Ideapark. Collaboration encompasses a vast array of activities, including marketing collaboration and service and digital development.
Because of its location and adaptability, Blak Boks offers engaging material for spectators who are not floorball enthusiasts. Spectators may enhance their experience by browsing the 170 shops, cafés, and 2.5-acre entertainment centre at Ideapark.
In 2021, not only did Classic’s activities provide 4 million € to Ideapark’s revenue, but sporting events attracted a total of 500,000 people.
