Soccerex kicks off with LaLiga in the spotlight

LaLiga continues to play a lead role at sports fairs and conferences all over the world. The latest example is the 2016 Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester, thanks to which the British city has become the centre of attention across planet football. Up until this Wednesday, 28 September, major stakeholders from footballing institutions and top brands will be coming together at this event, which is taking place at the Manchester Central Convention Complex.

No sooner had the proceedings got up and running than LaLiga was at the fore. The organisation was represented on two panels on the opening day, with Adolfo Bara, LaLiga’s managing director of sales and marketing, featuring on one of the two and Ignacio Martinez Trujillo, the managing director of innovation and global development, sitting on the other.

Following the keynote address by FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura, Adolfo Bara participated in the International League Expansion session alongside David Dein, the former vice-chairman of Arsenal FC and The FA, and Kathy Carter, the president of Soccer United Marketing, the marketing arm of Major League Soccer. The three exchanged their expertise and approaches concerning international expansion and the keys to engaging with overseas markets. "LaLiga is in the midst of an internationalisation project. When we enter a new country, we want to work together; the first thing we do is reach out to the local leagues and share experiences with them," Bara said during the discussion. He also explained the importance of physical presence to LaLiga, as evidenced by the fact that it has opened offices in China, the United States, Dubai, South Africa, Nigeria and most recently India, and noted that Mexico and Singapore will be the next to follow.

Meanwhile, Ignacio Martinez Trujillo, along with Gareth Capon, the CEO of Grabyo; Ken Mainardis, the vice-president of sports imagery and services at Getty Images; and James Elliott, the vice-president and general manager of UFC, sat on the panel titled Maximising the Value of Your Content, at which they expressed their points of view on the best way to reach global audiences, whilst focusing on the important role played by digital and social platforms.

This convention is the perfect setting to share ideas amongst all the major players involved in world football, including leading brands and rights holders, as well as an opportunity to schedule meetings with representatives from LaLiga Santander clubs present in Manchester. LaLiga officials were joined at these Soccerex sessions by some of their counterparts from the likes of Atletico Madrid and Athletic Club.

As announced in the build-up, LaLiga's participation in this edition of Soccerex will be greater than ever, with the organisation lending its name to the VIP lounge, now known as the LaLiga Lounge, as well as offering attendees the chance to drop by the LaLiga stand to learn first-hand about some of the projects that it is working on.