The Next Frontier of The Roller Sports

It seems that the time has come for rollersports to change skin and achieve a brand new identity. This is the basis of the brand new planning and communication project implemented by the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), based on a professional approach towards media and public.

The primary target for the rollersports management is the IOC Session Copenhagen 2009, a date where the Olympic Programme shall be revised and where the fate of the rollersports might be changing forever, much depending on the way this sport shall introduce itself to the world’s appreciation.

Boosting Roller sports towards the Olympic Games, here comes the project “ROLLER FOR OLYMPICS by FIRS”: a new professional project, with a new unique logo and an increased staff in the FIRS Headquarters in Rome, with distinguished roles and responsibilities working on different activities according to planned deadlines. Key man of this Olympic project is Mr Luciano Barra, former member of the Italian Olympic Committee and Vice General Director of the Winter Olympics Turin 2006, a man whom can easily be called “the right man at the right place”. Mr Barra, supported by a qualified staff of marketing and communication experts, shall supervise the FIRS contacts with the Olympic Commission and the IOC Members, as the official spokesman for roller sports.

Needless to say, the path to Copenhagen 2009 must pass through the key gates of public relations, visibility and promotion.

Rollersports events, e.g. world championships shall be run as a guarantee of professional and  perfectioned view of roller disciplines, either for medias and the public.

On this purpose FIRS has recently implemented a brand new “Communication Vademecum”, a real study for a communication plan referred to world rollersports championships, reaching for a professional standardized approach to communication. This document represents the first step of a developing strategy whose next issues will be concerning other organizational aspects. All people involved in events organisation at leadership positions shall have to refer to these guidelines.

The TV coverage of the roller world championships shall be made available at high standards, as well as videos and highlights of rollersports events on the TV news. The web represents the ultimate challenge of communication and plays an extremely important role for everyone, that is why FIRS does not want to miss this chance, e.g., the FIRS official website shall offer streming coverage of International roller events, also promoting the presence of digital video available to users on specific webzines.
Contacts with TV Broadcasting networks will be strenghtened, especially during specific meetings (SPORTEL – IF Forums). And a special advertising campaign concerning banners in International airports during IOC Meetings shall soon be activated..

Furthermore, FIRS is planning to institute a “ROLLER DAY” where many initiatives and International events can be performed in the spots where roller sports are more likely to be appreciated.
The FIRS Schedule of international meetings is filled with important events. As concerns International meetings organised under the umbrella of the IOC in 2008 FIRS shall take part at SPORTACCORD in Athens, and SPORTEL MONACO in Montecarlo with a stand and demonstration.
Several roller sports demonstrations are also under study all over the world, wherever the promotion of rollersports needs to be enhanced.