Press briefing regarding the competition for the Title Sponsor of the Municipal Stadium

On April 29th, a press briefing regarding the competition for the Title Sponsor of the Municipal Stadium took place at the Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium. Here is a text transcript of the event.

"This is a very important project. First of all, its preparation and implementation is a big challenge. We know that various attempts and ideas on this topic have been put forward, but what I am very grateful for is the fact that the extraordinary cooperation with the club and the Sports Infrastructure Management Board is very important here. Together with Wisła Kraków, we have been working for a long time to prepare this competition, but in a formula that will make the offer as attractive as possible. The club, for its part, has also enriched it with additional elements for a potential title sponsor. Therefore, this offer is extremely comprehensive and is something that has never been seen before! I think this is a significant experience for us in the context of other sports facilities in Krakow. It shows how to work in cooperation with the club. I am convinced that we will be able to find interested entities that will be able to utilize the enormous potential of this previously undiscovered facility. I think everyone who comes here knows perfectly well what the atmosphere can be, and it is this atmosphere that is unique in Krakow, but it is not only about that, because The facility, which was modernized for the European Games, is one of the largest in Poland. In fact, aside from those used for Euro 2012, this facility is the largest. I know that this season, 18,000 is the average attendance for matches at Reymonta Street, so we're really talking about a huge crowd of people interested. Ideas for various additional events are being developed to keep this place vibrant every day, so I'm convinced that this title sponsor will be able to reap many benefits. This is an offer that offers the opportunity to build not only recognition but also a brand associated with such activity and joy, a great atmosphere, and unique events. - began Łukasz Sęk, Deputy Mayor of the City of Krakow.

"This competition is an important element, but it's part of a much broader project. I'm pleased that today we can announce the competition for the title sponsor of the facility, but it's important to remember that this is just one element of the commercialization process, which we began a few weeks ago. We're currently conducting a legal audit of the agreements signed to date. We're also conducting an energy audit of the facility to verify whether we can reduce the facility's maintenance costs. We're also exploring the possibilities of commercializing the parking lots next to the facility and verifying the spaces within the facility that could be used for various events. I hope that, together, we will ensure that the stadium is bustling with life every day, and that, in addition to football matches, other special events will also be held here." - said Tomasz Marzec, General Director of the Sports Infrastructure Management Board in Krakow.

What benefits can a title sponsor count on? "The scope of these benefits is very broad. Thanks to our partnership with the club, we can offer potential future sponsors a very wide range of benefits. Of course, the most important benefit is the right to use the name of the venue's title sponsor, but also advertising that will appear on the stadium facade, in the stands inside, indoors, and on large screens. Sponsor advertising will also appear in the match area. This is, of course, just a brief outline of the benefits." - the detailed scope of benefits is available on the website HERE - said the Director of ZIS.

How will the competition proceed operationally? "A competition committee has been appointed, headed by Mayor Łukasz Senek. The committee also includes representatives of the Sports Infrastructure Management Board and Wisła Kraków. The competition is divided into two stages. In the first stage, entities present their basic data, present their brand, which they would like to advertise as part of the advertising agreement, and propose a name for the future stadium. The second stage, of course, is the amount of the proposed remuneration for services provided over a three-year period, as this is the period for which we are announcing this procedure. Bids can be submitted until May 30, 2025, at the Sports Infrastructure Management Board. These bids will be reviewed for their content and form, followed by negotiations between the competition committee and the potential entity. Finally, after these negotiations, the competition committee will select the most advantageous bid and sign an agreement with the future title sponsor of the facility." - added Tomasz Marzec.

Due to the fact that Wisła Kraków plays its matches at the stadium as the host, some of the services are naturally related to club activities. "I definitely think that this stadium and this place have been associated with Wisła Kraków for many years, with its best moments, but also with its difficult moments. There is no denying that the driver for this operation is, among other things, the Wisła Kraków brand. I think that there is no better place in Poland today." "There's no better way to advertise in Małopolska than with this stadium. We believe it's time to operationalize this process, and hopefully, it will be successful this year. We'd like to thank the city and all the other entities working with us for their cooperation. We hope to secure a good contract with a great sponsor." - said Jarosław Królewski - President of TS Wisła Kraków SA

Due to the strong affiliation of fans with the Wisła Kraków brand, the cooperation of a potential sponsor with the stadium also has an image-related impact. "Definitely yes. However, we, as Wisła Kraków, have been proving for a long time that we are, above all, a place worth investing in, both in terms of advertising and the value of individual brands that cooperate with us. We must also remember that we recently commissioned research together with Ernst & Young, where we showed the importance of Wisła Kraków for the region, for Małopolska, for Poland, and I think that, typically from a numerical point of view, it is It's a truly great place to showcase your brand, both for international corporations and local Polish companies. This is because we can describe most of these media values ​​very precisely. We thoroughly examine them at every point. Our team is prepared for various changes and modifications, as well as responding promptly to the needs of these sponsors. Therefore, these frameworks and draft agreements are, of course, important, and they oblige us to provide certain services. Wisła, on the other hand, is flexible today, so depending on what's happening at the stadium—whether we're winning, losing, or playing in cup competitions—we can prepare these offers accordingly. We're also a brand that has undergone a digital transformation, so we're proficient in social media. We understand our user segments perfectly, and I believe we're able to very precisely reach the groups that will be interested in sponsorship. I think that if someone wants to build a brand identity, this is the right place, especially since something happens here practically every week or two. So, from an advertising and PR perspective, I think it's rare to see so much excitement associated with such a venue, and I think that's particularly important for us. Personally, as a club, we appreciate all the efforts involved in commercializing the stadium. I think it's time to better describe sports in Krakow and be more precise. As everyone knows, I am a staunch opponent of communism and treating everyone the same. Wisła Kraków is the largest sports organization in Małopolska, and we need to start appreciating this more, especially when it comes to reforming how we want to live, how we want to present sports, and what this means for healthcare and society in general. I hope that we will work with the city authorities to view Krakow not only as a private entity, but as a private-public partnership – where we also have missions and many different projects to implement. These projects aren't two- or three-year projects, but long-term ones, where we instill good values ​​in people when it comes to sports, not, for example, stimulants. Of course, that's "It's a place – let me be blunt – of cult for our fans, and mine personally as well. So we have our own requirements to ensure it doesn't turn into a shopping mall anytime soon. We're very keen to maintain the spirit of this place, because we know that this sport has been developed here, not only in the stadium itself, but also around it, for over a hundred years." - concluded the President of TS Wisła Kraków SA - Jarosław Królewski