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As part of our 6 year anniversary celebration, we’re taking the time to look back at our short yet productive history as a company. Each month over the next several months, we’ll be revealing a part of our story, a story that wouldn’t exist without everyone who has helped support ISL along the way.
For our second look back at our story, we have a look at when ISL truly began to establish itself, and continue to prepare for the growth that we couldn’t predict to come.
June 11, 2019
This week, Barca Academy camps around the the country begin as thousands of participants aged 6-16 years old train and compete under the FC Barcelona moniker for a week. This is an exciting time, and a huge event management undertaking as once again we have the good fortune of partnering with FC Barcelona in representing their namesake branded camps.
FC Barcelona camps managed by ISL will be in 37 different cities, coast to coast, over the course of 6 weeks. The tour requires intricate logistical and travel management planning months in advance. The 2019 tour will have hundreds of staff members across the country to help ensure the thousand of participants all get the same high quality experience.
Since ISL began it’s partnership with FC Barcelona, each tour sees more locations added year on year, leading to consistent grow. 2019 will see 4 new locations with Washington D.C., Seattle, Dallas, and Houston added to the tour, continuing the FC Barcelona brand expansion strategy.
We have an established and trusted relationship with FC Barcelona, to which the iconic soccer club relies heavily on our Event Management team to execute all forms of planning to see that each camp is impactful, fun, and a memorable event for all players and attendees. We highly value our relationship with FC Barcelona, not just because it is a legendary global brand, but because everything they do is done with excellence. That standard of excellence is one that leads to a powerful partnership, and long term success.
During a press conference in Barcelona today, MIC Sports and ISL officially announce their formal agreement. The agreement see’s ISL acquire the rights to host and manage the worlds most prominent International youth soccer tournament to the United States, the Mediterranean International Cup. Tournament ambassador Marc Bartra, and former participant of the Mediterranean International Cup, was alongside the two partners supporting the new venture.
ISL Co-Founder and CEO Alex Isern said of the agreement “We are very excited to bring to the US one of the best youth soccer tournaments in the world. It will be a pleasure to work with a great organization like MIC Sports and together we will form a very powerful team. We have been working on this project for a long time and we are thrilled to say it will be a reality at the end of this year. We believe it’s a great opportunity for American teams to participate in a world class event that has hosted world class soccer stars like Messi, Neymar, Piqué.”
ISL are delighted to bring the MIC, short for Mediterranean International Cup, to the United States. The 19 year old tournament is considered the worlds most prestigious youth soccer tournament and is headed into its milestone 20th year. Over the course of nearly two decades, tens of thousands of players from around the world have participated, and countless of the game’s modern stars found the tournament to be the launching pad for their early careers. MIC USA will bring a distinguished level of professionalism to the youth soccer tournament scene in the United States, and has the vision of being the destination event for years to come.
The inaugural American event will take place in late 2019 in Florida, and will be held annually. The tournament was originated with one vision, to provide the opportunity for young players to participate against the worlds best teams and players. ISL are now seeking valued partners and sponsors to support the tournaments vision in the United States.
This morning, ISL hosted a press conference in Orlando, Florida with FC Barcelona announcing the 50th Barça Academy will be coming to Orlando in Fall 2019. ISL have been trusted by FC Barcelona over the years to strategically plan and execute an expansion strategy for the Catalan club, and it continues with the opening of the milestone Barça Academy Orlando. Key FC Barcelona, ISL and local Orlando figures were in attendance drawing strong local media attention.
Xavier O’Callaghan, FC Barcelona managing Director North America, was quoted on the launch saying “This is a unique opportunity for Orlando-area youth to receive the methodology and values from coaches with one of the premier soccer clubs in the world.” Xavier O’Callaghan leads the FC Barcelona strategy of establishing and maximizing representation of the club in the North American market. Part of the club establishment, is led by Carles Martin, Director of the Global Barça Academy project. “One of the main goals of Barça Academy has always been to give players around the world the opportunity to be exposed to our methodology, acquiring our core values and soccer capacities” Said Carles.
Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe was in attendance and showed her enthusiasm for Barça Academy coming to Orlando in saying “The fact that FC Barcelona is coming to Orlando gives us the opportunity to involve our diverse community in a project that has a dedicated foundation and integration base. These standards are very well aligned to our operative mindset. This could be a major boost for Orange County.”
Barça Academy Orlando will begin play in Fall of 2019 at Austin Tindall Regional Park.
The move is part of the club’s giant push for a bigger footprint in the United States, and a worldwide boost of its Barça Academy project. ISL are looking forward to continuing its work with FC Barcelona, and ISL co-founder said of being an official partner “This new program will not only help local players experience firsthand the best international, professional and developmental soccer pathway, but will also reinforce Orlando in a Global Soccer Stage.”
ISL executives were fortunate to attend Sports Business Decision Makers Summit to take in some great insights into current sports business and marketing trends.
While a majority of the Miami, FL event held at the W Hotel focused around sponsorship and partnerships, the summit also covered investment in sport, global expansion of sports brands, sports fans, collegiate athletics, and much more. Read up on some of the major insights discussed, and social media highlights.
Fans in Asia, are different to fans in Europe, who are different to fans in South America, who are even more different to fans in North America. Each region brings different challenges, and North America appears to be the most challenging, yet most rewarding. O’Callaghan cited 2 important strategies that build the FC Barcelona fan base in the United States, those were the presence of a North American office, and the expansion of Grassroots efforts like the world famous Barca Academies. ISL continues to execute the major Barca Academy grassroots strategy, and growing the famous FC Barcelona brand.
Eelco van der Noll, head of Partnership and Sponsorship for Anheuser-Busch inBev, spoke on the Brand side of sponsorship and partnership. One key topic was on the value of the Esport target market for brands. All the major sports and leagues primary targets vary in ages, however they are all primarily 30+ years old. Esports primary target market, 24-30 years old, is an extremely valuable age range for building lifelong brand affinity.
As a major focus of the event was on partnership and sponsorship, we had to mention some of the modern approaches to the effective marketing strategy. Chief Revenue Officer for Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, Adam Davis, spoke on a modern approach to partnership marketing. Today, brands are looking for partners, not sponsors. Traditional stock sponsorship packages are a thing of the past. Instead, the approach to a modern conversation needs to have the mind frame of improving the business for each side of table, and it’s an ever evolving relationship.
Join us over the next several months as we celebrate how far we’ve come in just a short time. Each month we’ll be revealing a part of our history that has led us to today, a history that wouldn’t exist without everyone who has helped support ISL along the way. Our first glimpse takes a look back at the roots of ISL, well before our first days as a company. This is just the beginning!
On April 13th, the ISL Travel Management Group provided agency services over a unique 9 day experience in Barcelona, Spain to 3 different clients and partners from opposite sides of the globe. Groups from Sporting Global, Nashville United Soccer Academy, and Barca Academy Chengdu (China) enjoyed a trip of a lifetime. The trip was made possible with meticulous planning of cultural activities, travel logistics, and elite playing opportunities by the ISL Travel Management Team.
Sporting Global are a sports management organization that creates new opportunities and value for sporting organizations around the world. ISL were glad to provide services to the group in order to bring 4 teams competing in the Mediterranean International Cup (MIC).
NUSA (Nashville United Soccer Academy) are the first soccer club ISL have partnered with for international competition. ISL and NUSA have had a strong relationship for years, and this was the first opportunity for the two organizations to partner for an international trip. NUSA leaders and parents said of the trip, “It was a total success. Everybody was happy and impressed with the professionalism and coordination of ISL during all the trip events. We’re looking forward to getting NUSA more involved in next years tournaments with ISL!”
ISL also worked with Barca Academy Chengdu in order to bring over a team to compete in the Barca Academy World Cup. This was the first time ISL executed a strategic travel management plan for a Chinese Client.
ISL continue to build strong relationships around the world with clubs and organizations. We look forward to helping others achieve their Travel Management goals.
With the recent announcement of the 2019 International Champions Cup (ICC) fixtures around the world, American fans of the worlds game can look forward to seeing world class soccer at their doorstep. The annual summer club competition is now in its 7th edition, and is now crucial for the next generation of young players around the world, and even more so in the United States.
ISL is rooted in the beautiful game across the United States and around the world, so as a company we couldn’t be more excited for the ICC’s return. Soccer is wildly popular in America and it’s only getting bigger. From youth academies, collegiate teams, the USL, NWSL, and the MLS, the game has taken a foothold at all levels.
As the growth of the game continues throughout the United States, ISL are privileged to be a part of the future of the game. Our strong partnerships around the world allow us to provide services that connect the American market to the highest levels of the game. A perfect example are the competitions Team ISL players compete in against some of the top youth club teams around the world. Our Travel Management Group make it all possible for Team ISL to compete in youth International Tournaments like the Mediterranean International Cup (MIC), similar to the ICC.
International Competitions like the ICC, and the MIC are events that will continue to improve the game in the United States. ISL are committed to continuing this growth, and making dreams a reality for young players.
Last weekend, ISL Foundation had the honor of partnering with Developmental Disabilities Resources, Inc. (DDR, Inc.) in putting on a free soccer clinic for 40 plus kids and adults in the Charlotte, NC community. “Dream, Believe, Achieve” is the bedrock on which they stand and for us, their motto is everything that embodies ISL Foundation as a whole.
The special event gained local news coverage from WCCB CW, and helped build support throughout the community leading into the event.
Kim Michel, the Leader of DDR’s Dream Squad, was quoted saying of the event “The DDR Dream Squad were in complete agreement that the soccer event this past weekend was easily one of our favorite events we have ever been a part of. This event ensured that each individual had the opportunity to stand out for a different reason, for trying hard and for being able to take risks doing something they have never tried before.”
The event was supported by Barca Academy Charlotte coaches and methodologies. Kim went on to say of the staff “I can honestly speak for the entire group when I tell you how much we truly appreciate the level of professionalism, effort, kindness, and genuine sincerity the staff put into this event.”
It was a chilly morning in Matthews, NC at the Matthews Sportsplex, but spirits were high and smiles were beaming all around. The emphasis of the day, simply to have fun, forget about the cares of the world and for a few hours train and play like real professional soccer players. After a brief welcoming introduction, players were broken up into different teams under the watchful and caring eyes of official Barcelona trained coaches and staff. Players were lead through the same instructions and drills academy players are routinely put through in preparation for league play and competitions. Passing, shooting, ball control and field formations were on the docket for the morning, before a spirited scrimmage to wrap up the morning.
ISL Foundation would like to thank everyone for making this event possible, and making it a memorable day for a special group of players.
After years in the background providing unique soccer experiences to those in need, the charitable arm of ISL now has a voice and a platform to achieve even more. We are proud to unveil ISL Foundation. ISL Foundation has a new logo, a new website, and easier access for those seeking to help the Foundation vision.
ISL Foundation strives to positively affect change and provide young athletes the opportunity to enjoy their sport, all while learning lifelong lessons to serve them well for the rest of their lives. Through a multitude of sports projects, ISL Foundation affords our communities a helping hand for young athletes to achieve and exceed their goals.
With the new platform, ISL Foundation can now actively reach out to our communities at large, as well as open up doors to valued corporate partners. Our support system will make a greater impact for the good, and continue to put more smiles on the faces of young athletes and their families in need.
If interested in helping or getting involved with ISL Foundation, please visit our new site, ISLAgency.com/foundation, and please reach out. We’d love to hear your ideas, and any support helps the Foundation achieve it’s goals!
Over the years, the ISL charitable arm, ISL Foundation, has worked hard with our communities and our partners in order to put on programs, both big and small. Be sure to check out some of our past works below!
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