diary@managingip.com
Orange blossoming
Football fans attending the annual MARQUES conference in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, last month sat up in excitement when one of the speakers, Jean-Paul Decossaux of the Royal Dutch Football Association, revealed that they might be sleeping in beds, or using crockery, that had been graced by stars such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt. Decossaux explained that the Dutch national team trains in the North Sea resort eight times a year, and stays in the conference venue, the Hotel Huis Ter Duin.
In an interesting presentation, Decossaux, the association's commercial director, said that his job involves "continuously exploiting IP assets" and described the success the organisation has had in the past five years, by multiplying its broadcasting revenues six-fold, signing deals with partners such as Unilever, Heineken and Nike, combating ambush marketing and exploiting endorsement and image rights. He also noted...