Sport for Business will be in Athlone this evening for the noise and excitement of the AIT International Grand Prix.
Mark English and Thomas Barr head the line up of Irish star athletes taking to the track while up in the air the last two Pole Vault World Champions Shawn Barber and Sam Kendricks add a touch of international glamour.
The meeting suffered a blow last night with the very late withdrawal of Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim but such is the nature of international schedules and competition and the venue will be sold out and packed with enthusiastic fans regardless.
“This event is a fantastic asset for Athlone and the region,” said Aengus O’Rourke, Mayor of Athlone and MD of Midlands Print, one of the collections of new partners investing in the Grand Prix.
“We want to create events that will shine a spotlight on, and bring footfall to Athlone and this fits the bill in perfect fashion.”
Bringing in visitors is key to the marketing efforts of the Hodson Bay Group who operate the Hodson Bay Hotel and the Sheraton Hotel in the town.
“We invest in sport at local level because we understand the importance it has in people’s lives,” said Louise Campbell, Head of Group Marketing.
“Supporting this event is a double winner because of the global profile it delivers for the town and it is very exciting to be a part of.”
Another new partner this year is DPD, the logistics firm which is headquartered in Athlone and which has 38 depots around the country.
Sport is a major way in which international rivals like FedEx and DHL promote their services and speed and delivery of results are two key themes that the DPD marketing team of Aoife Kearney and Paul McLoughlin are keen to promote.
Bank of Ireland is on board as well, backing up their investment in athletics where they launched the second year of an impressive Talent ID programme last month.
“Bank of Ireland recognises the importance of giving young people opportunities to explore and develop their talents and we are proud to be playing a part in fostering the athletic talent of the future, ” said Ita Gray, Head of Longford and Westmeath at Bank of Ireland.
“The atmosphere in here on the night is magical,” said AIT President and former President of Athletics Ireland Ciaran O’Catháin.
“Gathering local partners to help us deliver the experience, and to put Athlone on the map internationally as a centre of sporting excellence, was always an important part of the plan when we decided to invest in the sport and the facility here.”
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Image Credit: Stephen McCarthy, Sportsfile
