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October 18, 2019
We are a little over three weeks out from the inaugural MICFootball USA Tournament, and teams across the U.S. and Caribbean are buzzing with anticipation about making their way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 2019 promises to be the first of many exciting and competitive tournaments for years to come.
Bred out of Spain, the original MICFootball Tournament is held annually in Costa Brava. This year marks a milestone for them as they will be celebrating 20 years of putting on this global event that has produced stars such as Coutinho, Neymar and Messi. Additionally, MICFootball prides itself on being globally recognized for its high level of competition and professionalism, setting the standard in Youth Soccer tournament experiences, a standard ISL seek to replicate in the United States.
The First MIC Football USA will see teams convene upon Central Broward Regional Park, site location of the 2019 Tournament, from Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Dominican Republic, New York, and of course Florida.
MICFootball USA will continue to grow the legacy of MICFootball, as well as export the values and prestige to the shores of Florida. Kickoff is will take place on November 9th at Central Broward Regional Park. This facility boasts of 5 lush 11v11 Bermuda grass fields, with a main stadium that can adequately seat 5,000 spectators. In addition to the heated competition on the fields, there will be plenty of activities off of the field to enjoy. Activities include food trucks, a fan fun zone, opening ceremonies, and a closing awards ceremony for players and age category winners.
But wait, there’s more! Winners of each respective age category (U12, U14, U16) will receive a FREE invitation to MIC Football in Spain to participate in the original tournament against the best of the best! We are beyond excited to get things kicked off and we look forward to seeing you there.
Across the United States, Barca Academy USA kicked off a new season as ISL enters the 4th year of activating FC Barcelona’s global brand strategy. 6 Academies from coast to coast, and 1 from Costa Rica, begin their season with Opening Ceremonies which are unique to Barca Academy. They welcome the future FC Barcelona hopefuls as they begin their journey learning the FC Barcelona teachings and methodologies. For a few lucky locations, FC Barcelona legend and current club ambassador Juliano Belletti, goalscorer in the 2006 Champions League final, was in attendance. Take in the excitement and fun with our special gallery from across the country!
In Barcelona, Spain today, FC Barcelona Femení, one of the most successful Spanish Women’s soccer teams, took time after training to meet with an all girls soccer group that ISL Travel Management were managing during a Sports Trip throughout the historic Catalan city. Major Women’s soccer stars like Marta Torrejón, and Stefani Van Der Gragt met with the girls soccer players to provide words of encouragement and to hopefully inspire them to further greatness! We’d like to thank FC Barcelona Femeni and their players for helping create this special moment.
The curtains have drawn to a close on six action packed weeks of FC Barcelona youth soccer action across the nation. Summer soccer camps 2019 is officially a wrap, and once again ISL have had the great honor of helping FCB and Barça Academy paint the country blue and red. This is the 5th year that Blaugrana have relied upon ISL in helping make sure the nationwide tour was executed seamlessly.
A lot of planning goes into this countrywide tour, from recruiting coaches from Barcelona for the Summer, staff to aid in the day to day operations, identifying facilities for the week, accommodation in each city, it’s truly an example of countrywide event management execution.
To break it down in numbers, we were in 37 cities from coast to coast, with 125 coaches and 150 staff members, but most importantly, 5000+ kids were instructed in the traditions, values and methodologies that have served generations of FC Barcelona superstars.
This year we were fortunate to be in numerous cities across the country, most of which we already have had a footprint in from past Summer camps. In addition to the existing locations, we were able to break ground into new territories and make headway into developing new lifelong relationships in parts of the country, including San Francisco, which boasted our largest turnout of close to 400 boys and girls. Be sure to check back with us in December as we get set to announce cities and dates for 2020.
Historic La Liga team Real Betis, commonly known as Betis, was on a recent postseason tour in the U.S. and around the globe as part of an aggressive growth strategy to expand into foreign markets to gain a larger fan base. The tours focus was to give current fans the opportunity to see them play locally, but also to test their futbol prowess against international clubs from around the world.
It was upon learning that the team would be stopping off as part of their travels in the nation’s capital to take on Wayne Rooney and D.C. United for an exhibition match that Toni Ortega, the International Business Manager for Real Betis and (long time ISL friend) Marc Barta, reached out to our Events Team to put together an itinerary for the players during their brief stay in Washington.
ISL Relationship Director, Pere Segara, arranged full access activities for the club. For many of the Betis players this was their first time to the Washington, D.C., let alone traveling to the United States, so what better way to experience America than taking in the countries traditional past time, baseball. Betis took in a Washington Nationals game to cap off a memorable trip for the club, players, and Betis fans.
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.
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.
This past fall, 77 girls from across the United States experienced a trip of a lifetime during the first all girls Barcelona Experience program. Over the 9 day trip, the group of girls enjoyed elite European training at World Class facilities, competed against European academies, learned from the teachings of leaders in the game, and explored the beautiful culture of Barcelona.
Equality in sport is of key importance to the ISL, and the ISL Travel Management team. It was an event to remember, and it won’t be the last.
Get in contact with someone from our travel management team at Experience@islagency-old.nntesting.com for more information on how we can help mange your next major travel plans.
ISL’s clients, Jonathan and Giovanni Dos Santos, wanted to create a global brand that would represent themselves as soccer players, community leaders, and business men.
Through a unique relationship, ISL were entrusted by the Dos Santos brothers to develop a comprehensive brand strategy for them which could be used as a versatile, timeless, and limitless image of the brothers to be used now and after their playing careers are over.
Jonathan and Giovanni Dos Santos are two of the most recognizable and popular Mexican National team players. Both of their careers include time spent at some of the largest soccer clubs in the world including FC Barcelona, Villarreal, Tottenham Hotspur, and LA Galaxy. As well as illustrious club careers, both Jonathan and Giovanni Dos Santos have featured in the the FIFA World Cup for the Mexican National Team.
The two brothers now are key players for the LA Galaxy of the MLS. Both players are strong, marketable assets for the Los Angeles Galaxy. The city is one of the strongest soccer markets and one of the most heavily populated Hispanic-American markets in the United States.
Jonathan and Giovanni wanted to create a marketable brand encompassing the Dos Santos values and image. The brand needed to be relatable for both a Mexican and Hispanic-American market, as well as youth and adults. In order for execution of this goal, the brothers needed some one to develop, market, and manage the roll out of the brand.
When the clients came to ISL, they didn’t have a name or image in mind; just this intention of developing a lasting, versatile, and timeless brand. It fell on ISL to turn the dream into a reality.
