ODESUR to Revolutionize Image

(ATR) The South American Sports Organization (ODESUR) is receiving widespread international interest in its tender for an agency that would manage licenses, sponsorships and television rights for its South American Games.

"So far, more than 20 companies from South America, the United States and Europe have shown interest," Mario Cilenti, the executive director of ODESUR, reveals to Around The Rings.

"We will be waiting for proposals until the last day of August. We will make an evaluation and we hope that by the end of September the chosen agency will be known," adds Cilenti,an expert in mounting large multidisciplinary events. He was recently hired by Panam Sports to advise the Lima-19 Organizing Committee.

The tender seeks to guarantee that the largest multi-sport celebration in the region has a broad level of television coverage while facilitating new sources of funding for the promotion of Olympism among the 14 member countries of the organization.

The winning bid would sign a contract that would run from October 2018 to December 2023 for the advice and full commercialization of the rights of the 2021 South American Youth Games, the 2022 South American Games and the 2023 South American Beach Games, in addition to the new games or events that ODESUR may add to its calendar.

It also contemplates the management of the sponsorship, licenses and audiovisual rights of the South American Beach Games to be held in Rosario, Argentina in 2019, but only outside Argentine territory, in accordance with the obligations already assumed by the South American entity.

ODESUR is the only regional sports entity recognized by the International Olympic Committee that organizes three Games of different characteristics.

In June, under the direction of its new president, the Paraguayan Camilo Pérez López Moreira, ODESUR organized the largest South American Games in its history in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

"Now it is time to move on to the next stage to continue working hard in developing olympism in South America," said López Moreira. "For that we need to strengthen our institutional and brand positioning," he added.

In recent days the president of ODESUR and his team held meetings in Asunción, Paraguay with various representatives of companies interested in TV rights and marketing such as S & T Sports, 1190 Sports and Relevent Sports.

They also talked with experts in technological development in sports such as the Venezuelan Juan José "Cheché" Vidal who visualized and developed "FIFA.com".

The most recent South American Games in Cochabamba ensured a sports program with a record number of 16 qualifying disciplines for the Pan American Games in Lima.

"And in Asunción-22 it could reach 20. This makes them more attractive for the best athletes and for the television stations," Cilenti comments.

A final agreement with the new marketing agency in the coming weeks would also be welcoming a "new ODESUR" for the benefit of the Olympic sport of South America, a region that will host relevant sporting events in the near future.

Written by Miguel Hernandez

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