MMA WORLD EXPO & MSG SPORTS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

Mixed Martial Arts Expo teams up with Madison Square Garden to give MMA fans unparalleled access to the sport’s most elite athletes, coaches, and leading vendors

New York, NY, May 27, 2010 – The 2nd annual MMA WORLD EXPO will return to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on November 5-6, 2010.  Following the MMA WORLD EXPO’s successful debut last October, the event is expanding its marketing reach through a promotional partnership with MSG Sports. This joint promotion, incorporating Madison Square Garden’s various sports and media platforms, will provide significant marketing exposure in the New York metropolitan area.

“Madison Square Garden is an iconic powerhouse in the sports world, and I could think of no better group with which to align the event” said Paul Paone, MMA WORLD EXPO founder and director. “The unique sporting-events marketing reach that MSG represents is unparalleled and will inevitably translate into increased opportunities for both attendees and vendors at this year’s show” added Paone.

“Madison Square Garden is excited to be a promotional partner for the Mixed Martial Arts World Expo,” said Scott O’Neil, president, MSG Sports. “While we anxiously await the sanctioning of MMA in New York, Madison Square Garden has continuously experienced the demand for the sport. We have successfully hosted UFC viewing parties at both The Garden and Radio City Music Hall, and also recently partnered with Bellator Fighting Championships for shows in both Chicago and Boston. The MMA World Expo is the perfect setting to watch live demonstrations, network and learn more about the world’s fastest growing sport.” 

About the 2011 MMA WORLD EXPO:

More Pro MMA Athletes, Live Demonstrations and New Combat Matches Planned

The 2010 Expo will feature a signing and photograph session inside a fighting cage where fans can get up close and personal with their MMA idols as they did at last year’s show with MMA superstars Wanderlei Silva, Matt Hughes and others pro fighters. The fall agenda will also again feature live demonstrations from world-class coaches demonstrating their expertise in front of fans and fellow athletes. The inaugural event showcased celebrity presenters such as Judo Legend Jimmy Pedro; Jiu-Jitsu Phenom Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro; Muay Thai Master Kru Phil Nurse; World-Renown BJJ Teacher & Competitor Marcelo Garcia; Olympic Gold Medalist & American Top Team’s Head Boxing Coach Howard Davis Jr., UFC, World and Olympic Champ, Mark Schultz; among many others. New to the line-up of live activities, the MMA WORLD EXPO will feature combat bouts in both grappling and stand-up bringing the best amateur fighters under one roof at one time.

New Educational Sessions

The MMA WORLD EXPO is continuing its goal to educate both practitioners and fans of the sport by offering educational seminars pertaining to mixed martial arts. Classes covering training, nutrition, and treating/preventing injuries will be offered as will panel discussions with key industry players, similar to last year’s conference which featured New York State Sports Commissioner, Melvina Lathan, speaking about the future of mixed martial arts in New York State.

MMA Marketplace

Designed for both on-the-spot-sales and business-to-business interaction, the MMA WORLD EXPO 2011 will feature an exhibit hall filled with vendors representing virtually all aspects of martial arts products, supplies, services and schools. Business-only hours for wholesale buyers will be structured into the exhibit hall schedule followed by consumer hours open to the public. Last year’s exhibit-hall representatives included Bodybuilding.com, Combat Sports, MET-Rx, Everlast, Zebra Mats, Ring-to-Cage, Modern Martial Arts, Vitamin Shoppe, Dymatize, Defense Soap, Knockout Athletics and Elite Plus Fitness to name just a few.

“The 2010 MMA WORLD EXPO will seek to provide the mixed martial arts community with the ultimate forum for idea exchange, networking, business opportunities and enjoyment for its fan base,” said Paone and added, “With the additional support of Madison Square Garden the show will be positioned as one of MMA’s must-attend events of the year.

Tickets will be going on sale soon. Visit www.mmaworldexpo.com for more information and updates.

MSG Sports, which includes world championship boxing, college basketball, tennis, track & field, and all other sports events, is part of Madison Square Garden, a fully-integrated sports, entertainment and media business. The company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Entertainment and MSG Media, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive its overall business, and built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that MSG creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports consists of the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League). MSG Entertainment is a leader in managing and creating concerts and events at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, the legendary Chicago Theatre, the Wang Theatre in Boston, and produces the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes. MSG Media is comprised of leading television networks MSG, MSG Plus, MSG HD and MSG Plus HD, as well as MSG Interactive, which oversees all company wireless and online initiatives, and Fuse and Fuse HD, the national television network dedicated exclusively to music. The company owns and operates the Madison Square Garden arena complex located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.  More information is available at www.msg.com.

Tags: MMA, MSG, New York, World EXPO

Category: MMA, Press Releases