Vero Communications, the London-based sport business consultancy, has announced the launch of its first overseas office in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Vero was set up in January 2006 by Mike Lee, the former director of communications and public affairs during London’s 2012 Olympic bid, to offer campaigning style communications, brand positioning, campaign planning and media relations solutions to clients.

Drawing on Vero’s experience, which includes the successful Rio 2016 Olympic Bid campaign, the subsidiary, called MLA True Communications, will look to capitalise on sports industry opportunities in Brazil ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Brazil’s presence on the world stage is greater than ever and we are keen to be part of that ahead of the World Cup and Olympic Games,” said Lee.

“I have had a fantastic experience working with the Rio 2016 team and we are now thrilled to launch MLA True Communications to offer our services in Brazil - a dynamic country in an exciting stage of its growth.”

Vero’s current clients include Rio 2016, the Pyeongchang 2018 Bid Committee, the International Rugby Board, the International Cricket Council, the Qatar Olympic Committee and UK Sport.

Meanwhile Vero’s campaign that helped sway Fifa to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar has been honoured by communications industry bosses.

Vero was one of six finalists nominated for the global public relations prize at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) 2011 Excellence Awards.

CIPR officials described Qatar’s bid victory as an “epic achievement” for the PR industry.

The awards evening programme stated: “Persuading Fifa that football’s most prestigious tournament could and should be played in the Middle East during the summer months was the daunting brief faced by Vero Communications.

“Transforming initial perceptions of Qatar’s bid from ‘no-hope’ to a serious contender lay at the heart of that challenge.

“Vero’s approach was to construct a central bid narrative, and messaging that focused on new cooling technologies, new stadia openings and the infrastructure legacy a World Cup would deliver.

“The result has made history and, as Yahoo! Sport reported at the time, must be considered an ‘epic achievement’ for the public relations industry.”

Sport Tourism – a booming industry
Sport Tourism is travel industry’s fastest growing sector, and contributed an astonishing 14 percent of overall travel and tourism receipts in 2010, according to WSDE Sport Tourism Expo, the only global exhibition and business forum dedicated to showcasing the full spectrum of Sport Tourism related products and services.

At a time when some traditional tourism trends are in decline, Sport Tourism continues to flourish and is set to grow exponentially in the next decade.

Yet the complex mechanics of Sport Tourism have not yet been fully understood or realised.  The annual WSDE Sport Tourism Expo aims to present the future business deals and source new contacts and markets, but also to gain invaluable insights from the advanced knowledge of market leaders.

Now in its second year, WDSE Sport Tourism Expo will take place in Bangkok, Thailand - Asia’s Sport Tourism Gateway - from 27-29 September 2011. FInd out about Bangkok at www.bangkok.mobi

To find out more visit www.sporttourismexpo.com