Industry Shorts: Button, Chelmsford Races, Neville
Former Manchester United captain and Salford City Co-owner Gary Neville has revealed that he has sold a 50% stake in his sports production business to marketing firm reach4entertainment (r4e).
Neville agreed to sell a stake in his company Buzz 16, founded in 2016 with former Sky Sports Premier League producer Scott Melvin for an undisclosed amount.
Buzz 16 has been responsible for a number of shows including the Class of 92: Full time. Staff will relocate from its Chiswick base to r4e central London Offices.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has been announced as the Official Charity Partner of the 2019 Boat Race, which this year takes place on Sunday 7th April.
The RNLI’s Chiswick Lifeboat Station has supported The Boat Race since 2002, in the form of its E-class lifeboat.
The latest partnership will see all funds raised go towards essential crew training at Chiswick Lifeboat Station.
In addition, the RNLI’s Community Safety team will work with venues along the Boat Race course to train staff on water safety, such as the throwline initiative, which has been rolled out to other riverside venues along the Thames.
Former FIA Formula 1 Driver’s World Champion Jenson Button’s clothing brand Léger has been confirmed as providing equipment for the first Haute Route, taking place in Oman this March.
Participants of the race will be provided with Léger performance cycling kit including jerseys and bib shorts.
Button has also been confirmed as a rider for the climb up Jebel Akhdar, the Green Mountain in the Al Hajar range.
Chelmsford Racecourse has become the latest sports venue to partner with technology provider Event Genius to introduce its cashless payment service.
Starting in May, the Essex venue will utilise Event Genius Pay at its largest events. The platform allows fans to pre-purchase credits via a white-label solution hosted on the racecourse’s website. These credits are loaded onto a wristband equipped with a small RFID chip which fans are given upon entry to the racecourse.
Once inside, fans use these credits, which can be topped up at any time, to purchase drinks, food and merchandise with a tap of their wrist. The platform aims to reduce queuing times, allowing fans to enjoy the entertainment on offer.
Children with Cancer UK is to become the headline partner of Swim Serpentine, the biggest single day open water swimming event in the country, for the next three years.
The first Children with Cancer UK Swim Serpentine, organised by London Marathon Events, will feature open water swimming events in the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park over a range of distances, including ½ mile, one mile, two miles, six miles and a free Wellness Festival in Hyde Park.
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of London Marathon Events Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be creating this innovative partnership with Children with Cancer UK to raise funds and awareness for their vital work.”
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