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Soccerex is ready for a very successful European edition. One of the greatest news of the next season is also the edition in China.

The three days event will take place in Manchester (4 to 6 September) during the International break. The protagonists of the world of soccer will be involved.

Lega Serie A, Jaap Kalma, Milan’s Chief Commercial Officer, and Robert Faulkner, Inter’s Chief Communications Officer will be attending the event.

Calcio e Finanza had interviewed Nicola Gaiti, Soccerex’s Head of the Italian market, who has announced that this is going to be the last edition for Manchester.

Organizational and economic aspects are increasingly important for football. How can Soccerex support clubs and leagues?

Soccerex provides an invaluable networking and insight platform for all of football’s rights holders – Clubs, Leagues or Federations – by creating a unique business environment for them to connect and share knowledge with their counterparts and other experts from around the world. The event also allows them to experience the latest innovations on the market and meet with suppliers whose products and services can give them a competitive edge and improve their business approach.

From your observatory how do you see this moment of Italian football and its economic development?

Juventus, through their domestic and European success, remains a force but overall Italian football has gone through a difficult period in recent years where the economic situation of the league and its clubs have not matched those seen in England and Spain. Huge broadcasting deals and increased number of commercial partnerships, especially internationally, have created a financial gulf between the top clubs in England and Spain and those in other leagues. However, significant foreign investment into the Milan clubs will most likely see them quickly return to the top table of Europe’s elite and with a new broadcasting due next season, if negotiated well under strong leadership, this could see significant additional revenues for all Serie A clubs.

What will be the main events of Soccerex this year?

The Soccerex Global Convention will have nearly 40 hours of marketing leading insight delivered by international experts, covering subjects ranging from sponsorship and digital marketing to the impact of technology on performance and broadcasting. There are so many highlights but to pick a few – Charlie Stillitano, the Chairman of Relevent Sports, will be talking about the growth of the International Champions Cup; League chiefs from the EFL, Eredivisie, the Danish League and Liga Portugal will be discussing their league’s perspective on subjects such as governance and broadcasting rights; and Edwin Van Der Sar will be speaking alongside senior directors from AC Milan and Brighton & Hove Albion about the importance of youth development to their teams’ brand.

What growth programs does the Soccerex platform have?

These are very exciting times for Soccerex. We have just announced that we will be hosting a new two-day event in China next year with Soccerex China taking place in Shenzhen on 17-18 April 2018. The event will unite the global football business community in what is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and fast-growing markets in the game, providing access to key regional stakeholders and expertize to support the development of China’s National Football Reform Plan. Before that we return to Qatar for the Soccerex Asian Forum, 4-5 December 2017, working in partnership with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. In September we will host our final Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester from the 4-6 September. We have enjoyed four fantastic years in Manchester, but the Global Convention will be moving on to different markets in 2018, and there will be an announcement on our new events plans at this year’s Convention.

For information, you can visit www.soccerex.com or contact nicolag@soccerex.com