The Sodexo Live! division of catering and facilities management provider Sodexo has signed a new agreement with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) to serve as the exclusive marketing partner for the hospitality programmes of the French Open and Paris Masters tournaments.
The multi-year agreement will begin in 2023, with Sodexo Live! working in association with existing FFT partners, French agencies Factory Sport & Entertainment and Quarterback, to deliver the contract.
Sodexo Live! said landing the contact is testament to its dedicated sports travel and hospitality division, which has expertise in designing and marketing hospitality programmes for leading sporting events such as the French Open’s fellow grand slam, the Australian Open, and the last five Rugby World Cups.
Through the new deal, the three parties will seek to enhance the international reputation, especially as it pertains to the live experience, of both Paris-based tournaments.
Tennis fans will have the option to extend their experience outside the Roland Garros grounds, with easier access to venues like Le Jules Verne and Madame Brasserie at the Eiffel Tower, as well as the Yachts de Paris and the Bateaux Parisiens on the Seine, all also served by Sodexo Live!
The FFT deal comes after Sodexo last year rebranded its Centerplate hospitality services unit as Sodexo Live! as part of a plan to accelerate growth in Spain and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, worldwide CEO of Sodexo Live!, said: “I would like to thank the FFT for its trust, as it backs our strategy through which we serve our customers from the sports industry.
“Our ambition is to develop our ticketing and hospitality services and to attract new customers thanks to a full experience designed from end-to-end within sports venues around the world, in addition to the services we already offer. This will enable them to offer their audiences a more immersive and memorable experience.”
Factory is co-owned by former French tennis star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who retired from the professional game at this year’s French Open.
Tsonga, CEO of Factory, and Bruno Balaire, CEO of Quarterback, said in a joint statement: “Factory and Quarterback are honoured to have been the historical hospitality partners of the French Tennis Federation for over 25 years.
“Aware of the commitment and confidence shown once again by all the FFT teams and its president Gilles Moretton, we are very pleased to be able to offer French and international companies exceptional moments of emotion and to contribute to the success and influence of the French Open and the Rolex Paris Masters.”
Image: Benh Lieu Song/CC BY-SA 2.0/Edited for size
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