Tournament director Ralf Weber and Dr Sven Jansen, Board Member NOVENTI, gave an interview about the German health care provider’s engagement at the ATP 500er-Tournament in HalleWestfalen. NOVENTI Health SE is the title sponsor at Germany’s largest tennis competition 2019. Gerry Weber Management & Event GmbH and NOVENTI have signed an agreement for a partnership till 2021. NOVENTI- Board Member Dr Jansen stated in the interview, that the company is interested in a long-term cooperation, in which both sides can “develop the content for collaboration, learn and grow further.” Jansen thanked tournament director Ralf Weber’s team for “this feat which was mastered well on both sides.” The cooperation is a strong signal” tournament director Ralf Weber said. “This is a forward-looking partnership.”
Mr. Jansen, what was the reason for your engagement at the ATP 500-Tournament in Halle?
Dr Sven Jansen: We have been looking for a theme, a platform to appear more strongly in the public for some time now. Because a large amount of our customers play tennis, it was clear to engage in tennis. Up till now, however, we have not been able to obtain the chance to reach such a large event. It was a glad and good moment for us to have got together with the tournament in Halle.
Your engagement came at quite short notice.
Dr Sven Jansen: We started talks very late, we didn’t know really that we had this chance. When we saw the opportunity, we decided quickly – for us such a rapid decision shows how dynamic the health care sector and our company. It was a challenge but we took this on gladly. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Ralf Weber and his team for this feat, which was mastered well. When you take a look around here, you can only say: that was done really superbly.
Where is the value for you company in this partnership?
Dr Sven Jansen: First I would like to state that we are very much interested in a long-term cooperation, in which both sides can develop the content for collaboration, learn and grow further. Health and sports – a strong double for us. A statement from the partnership with the ATP-tennis tournament is: stay healthy, be active, do sports. This is what we want to get across during this high-classed event to our customers, which include also, next to pharmacies, physiotherapists and other caring companies. With this engagement we also want to show the importance of these occupations for German health care, too.
Did you know the tournament and its initiatives?
Dr Sven Jansen: Of course. I was an athlete myself. I did the Iron Man nine times. I didn’t play tennis professionally, but the name Gerry Weber is strongly rooted in sports. This tournament is a strong, well-known, very good brand.
Mr. Weber, what are your feelings now the tournament no longer holds the family name?
Ralf Weber: It’s not about my feelings. It’s about keeping the tournament alive and forward-looking. If you look around the tournaments, this is not something that extraordinary. Every 30 years the main sponsors change more than once. Our situation is really more an exception to the rule.
The strong structure has surely made it possible to find a new and important sponsor.
Ralf Weber: We can be proud of the last two and a half decades. Every year 110.000 spectators visit Halle, we have Roger Federer as the great singles sportsman here, the tournament is broadcast in over 130 countries, it also has strong national media-presence – these are facts that speak for themselves.
What does the partnership with NOVENTI mean for the tournament?
Ralf Weber: It is a strong signal, a forward-looking partnership, that secures the tournament. Noventi, as Dr Jansen stated, sees this international and national tournament as a platform to show the importance of sports for health in general. We were able to refer to first-class media data; the tournament has a strong standing on the tennis tour on 500-level. Furthermore, we are market-leader in Germany.
And the sports-side is secured for the future
Ralf Weber: We have a first-class line-up of world stars, professionals and eager Nex-gen players. We have a unique, lifetime contract with Roger Federer, now Alexander Zverev has also showed his interest in such a partnership. That is a good signal that our ATP-world champion wants to stay by our side. We will hold talks on this with him shortly.
