The new strategic alliance - the first of its kind for the sports body based in Lausanne - means Burson-Marsteller will become SportAccord's exclusive communications advisor.

They have been hired to support the strengthening of the SportAccord brand and offerings, including SportAccord Multi-Sports Games, such as the World Combat Games and World Mind Games.

The firm will also be the recommended service provider to SportAccord's 107 member organisations.

"We are delighted to announce this new strategic communications partnership," said Vincent Gaillard, director general of SportAccord.

"We have a number of very exciting global projects that we will be developing over the coming months, such as our SportAccord Multi-Sports Games, and we look forward to working with Burson-Marsteller to ensure their success.

"As our mission has grown, it has become clear that it was time to engage a global firm to ensure that our work on behalf of our members is properly communicated."

Leading the partnership for Burson-Marsteller are Dennis Landsbert-Noon, chairman of Burson-Marsteller's Sport Practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, located in Brussels, and Rhonda Brauer, managing director for the global marketing team, based in Los Angeles.


SportAccord's orgins stretch back to 1921 when the international sports federations expressed the need for a representative of their common objectives and interests.

Under the direction of Paul Rousseau, secretary general of the International Cycling Union (UCI), a permanent bureau was established to facilitate the dialogue with the Olympic authorities.

In 1967, 26 international sports federations met in Lausanne and agreed on the need to increase permanent liaisons and the name General Assembly of International Sports Federations (GAISF) was adopted.

In order to establish a more formalised organisation, GAISF was set-up along proper lines in 1976 and the headquarters were moved to Monaco two years later.

Reacting to the increasing pressure on International Federations to professionalise and develop, GAISF in collaboration with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF), launched the first SportAccord International Convention in 2003.

In March 2009, GAISF was rebranded SportAccord and, in the same year, its offices returned to Lausanne.

"At Burson-Marsteller, we are passionate about the sports industry and proud of our rapidly growing sports communications capabilities, so it is a great opportunity to work with SportAccord and its members," said Donald A. Baer, the company's worldwide chairman and chief executive.

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