The driving force behind Sports Marketing Skills

Few people could be better qualified to establish a sports sponsorship consultancy than Brian Sims, a man who has built an enviable reputation as one of international motorsport's most experienced and successful exponents of sponsorship acquistion.

Brian is the author of a highly acclaimed new book on the subject of acquiring sports sponsorship: Sports Sponsorship / Getting Your Share.

He is also the Marketing Director for the British Team in the new A1 Grand Prix series, which begins in September 2005.          

Prior to moving into professional sport, Brian proved himself in the corporate world as a successful salesman for Rank Xerox and Goodyear Tyre Company, before becoming UK Sales Training Director for the global ITT Corporation.

Brian Sims’ international track record includes being the Founder and former Chairman of the Motorsport Industry Association, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year (2004). Recently described by Business F1 as being the 2nd most powerful motorsport organisation globally, the MIA became the first trade association to represent the world-leading British motorsport industry and now boasts over 300 member companies. The MIA Business Achievement Awards are presented annually at a function within the House of Lords in London. To initially launch the Association, Brian secured sponsorship from Andersen Consulting (Accenture) and Hewlett Packard.

Without doubt, one of Brian Sims’ most successful attributes has been his ability to acquire high profile commercial sponsorship programmes at all levels of sport, from Formula Ford to Formula 1. To date, he has personally raised more than £50 million of sponsorship, including introducing FedEx, Gillette and Marconi to the Benetton Formula 1 Team, where he became its Commercial Director.

It is not only in motorsport that Brian has been successful in obtaining sponsorship. In 2001, he secured substantial shirt sponsorship deals from Virgin Mobile and Northgate Information Systems for the famous Zurich Premiership team, Bath Rugby.

Brian spent many years in South Africa, racing professionally for Honda in Group N touring cars and was also Manager of the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, home of the South African F1 GP. He established South Africa’s first ever professional racing driver school, attracting major sponsorship from Autoglass, Camel, Sasol and Ford.

Brian now acts as marketing consultant to Team Nasamax, the Le Mans team that is creating a high profile through its use of bio-ethanol, a wholly renewable fuel.

Brian is also an accomplished sports broadcaster and professional speaker.