Agreements signed to promote aviation sports

FAME, the marketing arm of FAI, the World Air Sports Federation has signed Memorandums of Understanding with the FAI Gliding Commission (IGC) and the FAI Hang-Gliding and Paragliding Commission (CIVL).

FAME, the FAI Sports Marketing and Events Company, was formed in 2012 to work with the individual sporting aviation groups in the FAI to help them develop, market and produce specialist sports events aimed at promoting aviation sports to the public.

The IGC is the world body responsible for the sport of gliding while the CIVL is the world body responsible for both hang-gliding and paragliding sports internationally. Both of these organisations are developing specialist sports products that are fast, easy to understand and that make use of the latest video and on-line technology to bring the action to the public via giant screens and through the internet.

Eric Mozer, President of the IGC said: “I am very pleased that the FAI Gliding Commission and FAME have reached an agreement to advance the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix (SGP) series. The SGP is an established and very successful competitive sporting event. Each party will bring their unique energy and expertise to this groundbreaking collaborative agreement with the goal of bringing the SGP to an exciting new level for the benefit of the pilots, sponsors and viewing audience. I believe that the partnership between FAME and the IGC will develop the SGP as the flagship promotion event for the sport of Gliding.”

The Memorandums of Understanding allow the two sports bodies to work with FAME to create project teams, with financial backing, to facilitate the creation and presentation of their specialist events. FAME will provide the marketing, promotion and support for these events as well as facilitate the opportunity for sponsors to benefit from being associated with the events. The two FAI sports bodies, IGC and CIVL, will be responsible for the safety, design, rules and operational conduct of the events.

Agust Gudmundsson, President of CIVL, said: ”CIVL is exited about this project with FAME which is intended to promote Paragliding Aerobatics and make the activity a more publicly visible sport. The success of the cooperation will break new grounds in development of Paragliding Aerobatics and it will open up new possibilities in competition and Paragliding Aerobatics shows for pilots, organizers as well as being very interesting for public viewers and sponsors.”

Giancarlo Sergi, the CEO of FAME, sees the signing of these two Memorandum of Understanding as being the beginning of a new chapter in aviation sports world-wide: "The synergies between the expertise of the FAI sports commissions and the marketing strength of FAME are exciting and I look forward to being able to assist the IGC and CIVL develop their sports."