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The annual EuroLeague ELPA Player Representatives Meeting took place in Barcelona on Thursday, bringing one player from each Turkish Airlines EuroLeague club together with Euroleague Basketball executives to discuss relevant issues ahead of the new season. Held at Euroleague Basketball headquarters, the meeting offered an opportunity to show players the direction the competition is heading for in the 2023-24 season and beyond.

ELPA player representatives meet with Euroleague Basketball executives

The annual EuroLeague ELPA Player Representatives Meeting took place in Barcelona on Thursday, bringing one player from each Turkish Airlines EuroLeague club together with Euroleague Basketball executives to discuss relevant issues ahead of the new season. Held at Euroleague Basketball headquarters, the meeting offered an opportunity to show players the direction the competition is heading for in the 2023-24 season and beyond.

Euroleague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga was the first person to take the floor, welcoming everyone to the meeting.

"It is no secret that last season was one to remember," Bodiroga said. "More fans than ever filled our arenas, more eyeballs than ever watched our games and the content around them on television and digital platforms. On the court, you delivered a top-class experience with what was arguably the most competitive season in EuroLeague history.

"We want to listen to all your ideas and thoughts. We want to help you about any doubt you may have and we want to support you with your initiatives, because players are the true protagonists of the game and your opinion matters. I wish you all a successful and healthy season."

Euroleague Basketball sports director Ibrahim Erkan addressed players about the biggest change in the competition system: the Play-in Tournament, set to take place after the regular season and before the playoffs. He also talked about calendar rules and how double rounds are set to avoid games on consecutive days, among other restrictions.

It was the first meeting of this kind for new Officiating Director Daniel Hierrezuelo, who introduced a couple of new features to help players before and during the season. A number of referees will meet with all EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup teams before the season starts to make sure everyone is in the same page. Another new feature is that referees and team captains will briefly meet on the court before each and every EuroLeague game. In those meetings, questions about rules and any other pertinent information may be covered, and players will be reminded to play within the spirit of the rules and with appropriate sportsmanlike behavior.

"Probably some of you are happy because you are not meeting me on the court, but this is understandable," Hierrezuelo, who recently retired from refereeing, joked in his presentation. "I just arrived three months ago but I will put all of my effort to teaching my partners in a good way to help you, on and off the court. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any problems of any kind."

The players received a breakdown of the competition's fan engagement through television, social media and digital avenues, showing where the largest and most active fan bases are, and in which countries' TV audience and online viewers are growing. This was followed by a presentation on how fan growth and interest in the EuroLeague has developed in the last five seasons, with all-time records being broken in attendance and social media hits.

Also discussed was how EuroLeague is making an effort to put players in the forefront, offering a high-quality platform to promote them. A Quarter with Kyle Hines and The Player's View with Jake Cohen and Michael Roll were some of the examples. Cohen and Hines were present in the meeting, representing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, respectively.

"I think Euroleague has done a great job of doing this and including the players and making the players feel like their voices are able to be heard," Hines said. "The meeting with the referees is very important because we are all on the court at the same time. So I think the relationship that we have with each other, it will help improve the game, help improve the overall performance of the game, the appearance of the game. So it's very important that we are able to establish this connection with the referees."

Euroleague Basketball also wanted to emphasize and reinforce its commitment to maintain the integrity of its competitions, and gave players instructions on what to do if they suspect integrity is being compromised.

"I have been to a few of these \[meetings\] now and it's great to see the progress that the league has made, and I think it's because of the cooperation of all the people involved," Cohen said. "I think it's a big reason why the EuroLeague has progressed the last few years; the participation, the cooperation of all the parties involved, between the league, the teams, the players and the fans. When we all get together try to work for something better, it's great what we can do."

In a vote conducted last month, before he was named CEO of Euroleague Basketball, Paulius Motiejunas was selected as the Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year.

Paulius Motiejunas chosen as EuroLeague's top Exec for record third time

In a vote conducted last month, before he was named CEO of Euroleague Basketball, Paulius Motiejunas was selected as the Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year.

This marks the third time, following 2017-18 and 2018-19, that Motiejunas has been thus honored, which is the most in the award's history. The voting process took place in early June and was based on his actions as Zalgiris Kaunas General Manager before and during the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, which culminated with the Final Four on Motiejunas’s home turf, Zalgirio Arena.

The Executive of the Year award honors the person and club whose management decisions have best exemplified the EuroLeague's commitment to excellence in all facets of club direction during the previous season. Among the categories considered before casting votes are sporting merits, fan experience, and marketing and communications. And under Motiejunas, Zalgiris excelled in all of those areas.

In addition to putting together a playoff team – Zalgiris finished the regular season in seventh place – Motiejunas sat atop an organization that met and surpassed all standards for ticket sales and advertising campaigns. And then all of European basketball descended on Kaunas for the Final Four and could take in firsthand the impressive job he has done there, which includes Zalgiris's state-of-the-art training facilities, its youth academy and the management of Zalgirio Arena.

Thanks to Motiejunas's leadership, Zalgiris has been able to remain a EuroLeague contender despite having a modest budget and playing in one of the league’s smallest markets. Zalgiris sold out 16 of its 17 EuroLeague home games and its average attendance of 14,801 was second highest in the league last season. Its revenue from its playoff home game against FC Barcelona was €1.4 million. More than 350,00 fans attended Zalgiris games in 2022-23 in all competitions, there are 2,500 people on the season ticket waiting list and 70 companies on the waiting list for VIP skyboxes.

The club's revolutionary partnership with Samsung created a Zalgiris limited edition Galaxy S23 smartphone, which featured exclusive protective cases and Zalgiris animations plus a revamped Zalgiris app. The phone and corresponding ad campaign reached nearly 8 million people in less than two months and generated an 80% bump in Zalgiris app users. The buzz about Zalgiris crossed borders, too. When the club re-signed Rolands Smits, it announced the move on billboards in Smits's native Latvia and invited Latvian fans to visit Zalgirio Arena for games, too.

The Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year has been awarded annually since 2005. The executive award recognizes those whose efforts build Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs into success stories. Mr. Porelli, who served as president of Virtus Bologna for more than two decades, was among the founders of ULEB and later its president. He passed away in 2009.

Euroleague Basketball clubs were quite busy and creative throughout the past season with special initiatives to engage their fans and larger communities in important ways.

Three of their most impactful campaigns were highlighted during the Euroleague Clubs Marketing Directors Meeting on Tuesday with the announcement of the Devotion Marketing Awards.

Fenerbahce, Efes, Paris win Devotion Marketing Awards

Euroleague Basketball clubs were quite busy and creative throughout the past season with special initiatives to engage their fans and larger communities in important ways.

Three of their most impactful campaigns were highlighted during the Euroleague Clubs Marketing Directors Meeting on Tuesday with the announcement of the Devotion Marketing Awards.

To become eligible for the awards, clubs were invited to present a marketing initiatives they had carried out in areas such as digital strategy, sponsorship activation, brand development and game presentation, among others.

### **Gold Award winner: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul**

Fenerbahce made off with the top prize thanks to a series of efforts to improve the game-day and arena experience for fans while increasing ticket sales and creating a new revenue source for the future.

Those efforts included the opening of Turkiye's first basketball museum, dedicated to the club's men's and women's teams, which has already attracted nearly 30,000 visitors.

Fenerbahce also introduced its first-ever official mascot, the "Yellow Canary", to great fan acceptance. The mascot has 50,000-plus social media followers and up to 2 million views of certain videos.

At Ulker Sports and Event Hall, the club raised ticketing revenue by 70% in part by creating new courtside seats near the team benches and creating a "Kid Club" that hosted more than 5,000 children this season.

Fenerbahce also filled its EuroLeague home games with a variety of colorful shows, introducing closed-area "flame" and "co2" technologies for the first time in Turkiye.

### **Silver Award winner: Anadolu Efes Istanbul**

Efes, last season's winner, came in second place this time for its efforts to find homes for the countless domestic pets, farm animals and strays displaced by the devastating earthquakes that struck southern and central Turkiye on February 6 of this year.

In what is surely a first, Efes called attention to their plight by bringing some of the surviving dogs to a VIP lounge at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall during a EuroLeague game by collaborating with partner Pet Taxi to safely and comfortably transport the traumatized animals from across the country.

Efes general manager Alper Yilmaz adopted a dog himself while TV celebrities and Social Media influencers supported the project by going to the arena with their own dogs. More than 200 news articles were published in the media about the project, reaching approximately 4 million people, while 10% of the fans at the game registered with Efes partner Pawder, an animal-friendly app, to adopt a surviving dog.

### **Bronze Award winner: Paris Basketball**

A newcomer to the EuroCup this season, Paris Basketball, took the third prize with a unique initiative, playing one of its games at the famous Philippe Chatrier court at Roland Garros, home of the French Open tennis grand slam tournament. Organization of the event took 10 months to cover all the different technical and operational challenges, which the Paris club managed in-house with 30 staff members helped by 170 volunteers from various university partners.

The game also debuted the club's partnership with Give Vision, whose technology allows people suffering from blindness to follow the game live at the stadium using infrared glasses. More than 10,000 people attended the game, which was broadcast live and broadly covered in French and international media. What's more, 14% of the attendees became new ticket buyers for future club games.

**Congratulations to the winning clubs, and to all the others who submitted outstanding entries!**

Euroleague Basketball clubs were quite busy and creative throughout the past season with special initiatives to engage their fans and larger communities in important ways. Three of their most impactful campaigns were highlighted during the Euroleague Clubs Marketing Directors Meeting on Tuesday with the announcement of the Devotion Marketing Awards.

The 2023 and 2024 Sports Business MBA classes met in Kaunas, Lithuania for their fourth and second in-person sessions, respectively. The MBA candidates received a warm welcome from Vytautas Magnus University's Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management, Rita Bendaraviciene, and then went for a walk around the brand-new university campus, which includes state-of-the-art classrooms and libraries located in the heart of the city center.

The 2023 and 2024 Sports Business MBA classes met in Kaunas, Lithuania for their respective fourth and second in-person sessions. The MBA candidates received a warm welcome from the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management of Vytautas Magnus University, Rita Bendaraviciene, and went for a walk around the brand-new university campus with state-of-the-art classrooms and libraries located in the heart of the city center.

2023-24 MBA Classes meeting in Kaunas!

The 2024 class listened to presentations from the Lithuanian National Sports Agency Director, the Sports Department Directors of Kaunas and Vilnius Municipalities and the Head of eSports and Gaming at Lithuanian Football Federation, while they also participated in a Q&A session with EB Institute Alumni and the Executive Director of the Lithuanian Basketball League.

The students also presented their midterm papers under the supervision of the module leaders and heard the first lectures of the upcoming modules, namely in the areas of Sports Management, Sports Economics and Finance and Sports Law and Governance.

Zalgiris Kaunas and its president, Paulius Motiejunas, once again opened their doors for the Sports Business MBA students, who had the chance to listen to the club’s senior management and a take a behind-the-scenes tour of one of Europe’s best basketball arenas.

With the 2023 class already present, both groups visited the recently built Olympic swimming pool and several sports facilities in Kaunas, before ending the day with a friendly basketball tournament at the university’s sports center, where the students played together with a group of wheelchair basketball players and learned about the general rules and characteristics of the sport.

For the class of 2023, it was also the culmination of a unique learning experience, where they defended their final master's thesis in front of a commission. After successfully graduating, the students collected their caps and gowns for the graduation ceremony in the Zalgirio Arena amphitheater, where they received their respective diplomas.

2023-24 MBA Classes Interviews

Vincenzo Di Giuseppe, from Italy, was feeling grateful after the graduation ceremony: “I’m really happy right now! I’m feeling that I’m terminating a long journey. It has been tough, hard, but it has been a great experience! I would do it again 100 times over.”   

Spaniard Javier Barcala was already looking ahead to his future: “Now with this MBA, I have more knowledge in the industry and a great network of professors, speakers and colleagues, so that will be very useful for my future career."

While Gabriel Hoyos, from the United Kingdom, shared his best moments from the 2022 edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four: “It was my first Final Four, which was coincidently my first EuroLeague game that I’ve actually been able to attend in person. It was incredible! Anadolu Efes Istanbul lifted the trophy, although I’m a Real Madrid fan, so that hurt a little bit. But it was a great experience overall, spent with great friends. I’ll take that memory with me for the rest of my life!”  

Two Sports Business MBA classes gathered for one more week 

The Sports Business MBA sixth edition opens in Barcelona

The 2022-24 edition of the Euroleague Basketball Institute's Sports Business MBA, delivered in collaboration with Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania, began late last month with the students of the MBA visiting the Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, for the first in-person session. This year's class features a diverse and truly enthusiastic group of students from across Europe, North America and the Middle East. 

The full-week session included introductions to the study program and the six online modules presented by Vytautas Magnus University professors. It also featured presentations delivered by the Euroleague Basketball executives who spoke about a wide range of topics such as stakeholders in sports, partnerships activations, commercial strategy, sustainability, business intelligence and analytics, business operations and club services, digital and content marketing, communication governance and legal, events sports production, and basketball operations. The week also coincided with the European Week of Sport #BEACTIVE campaign where students participated in physical activities during a team-building session.

Lucie Schepens, France, digital project manager, Scallion DS:

"This week we already gain a lot of knowledge into the Euroleague Basketball ecosystem. So for me coming from outside of the industry was a lot of input to take in."

Simon Kellerman, Germany, ticketing manager, FC Bayern Munich Basketball:

"The first week was really great, we did a lot of interactions, a lot of discussions, a lot of interesting people. We exchanged also after class, and I already got a lot of input which I hope I can implement at FC Bayern Munich Basketball so I can help improve and develop the club."

Olajide Ojuawo, legal counsel-regulatory compliance, FIFA

"The chemistry so far has been great. We all have a passion for sports. That links us together from the beginning and then that love for sports, coming from different nationalities and academic backgrounds, bring that all together. It has been really fun, educational and a great experience so far."  

Students will now start the first academic semester of online learning with the professors of Vytautas Magnus University, guest academicians and industry experts before meeting again in Kaunas, Lithuania, for the second in-person session, where they will defend their term papers and receive presentations from the senior management of EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas.

The winner of the Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year Trophy for the 2021-22 season is Alper Yilmaz, General Director of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, who has garnered the award for the second consecutive year.

Efes's Yilmaz repeats as EuroLeague Executive of the Year 

Yilmaz was selected for the award by his EuroLeague peers as the best executive for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign that finished with his team lifting the trophy as only the fourth back-to-back champion in the Final Four era. Yilmaz and Efes succeeded by keeping the roster virtually intact for a span of four consecutive seasons during which the team reached the maximum of three Final Fours. 

The Executive of the Year award honors the person and club whose management decisions have best exemplified the EuroLeague's commitment to excellence in all facets of club direction during the previous season. Among the categories considered before casting votes are sporting merit, fan experience, and marketing and communications. As more proof of the club's success both on and off the court, Efes was recognized with Euroleague Basketball's Gold Marketing Award earlier on Tuesday. Among the reasons Yilmaz's peers chose him for the award were his efforts to keep a championship roster together and the club's attendance records for the post-pandemic period. 

Yilmaz, 47, spent six seasons as a player for Efes at the start of the century. As a shooting guard, he also suited up for Turk Telekom Ankara, Tofas Bursa, Beykoz and Erdemirspor as well as the Turkish national team. After retiring as a player in 2009, Yilmaz was appointed Efes's sports director and was promoted to general director in 2015. 

The Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year has been awarded annually since 2005. The executive award recognizes those whose efforts build Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs into success stories. Mr. Porelli, who served as president of Virtus Bologna for more than two decades, was among the founders of ULEB and later its president. He passed away in 2009.

Yilmaz is the fourth man to win the Porelli Trophy for the second time and just the second to do so in back-to-back years. The other three were Marco Baldi of ALBA Berlin (2009 and 2015), Jose Antonio Querejeta of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2005 and 2016) and Paulius Motiejunas of Zalgiris Kaunas (2018 and 2019). This is also the third time the trophy has gone to an Efes executive, with club president Tuncay Ozilhan having received the award in 2013. 

The Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, was home to the first in-person session of the year for new students studying for the 2024-26 Sports Business MBA. Over the course of five days, they took part in engaging lectures featuring professors from Vytautas Magnus University and Euroleague Basketball executives.

Class commences for the 2024-26 Sports Business MBA students in Barcelona

The Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, was home to the first in-person session of the year for new students studying for the 2024-26 Sports Business MBA. Over the course of five days, they took part in engaging lectures featuring professors from Vytautas Magnus University and Euroleague Basketball executives.

In total, 24 students from 16 different countries have officially started their 18-month journey towards attaining a Sports Business MBA, with six online modules set to take place before putting together a thesis. While in Barcelona, they heard from **16** Euroleague Basketball executives and covered an array of topics, such as governance, partnership sales and activations, event strategy and ticketing, digital and communications, sustainability, basketball operations, financial fair play, as well as business intelligence and analytics.

2024-26 Sports Business MBA first session recap video

“I’m a basketball fan and I’m always wondering how the EuroLeague operates, so this is uncovering all the secrets. I find it super interesting," said Julio Lema Iglesias from Spain.

“Coming from Toronto, Canada, I was nervous If I had made the right choice with this program, and it has been absolutely amazing. We’ve already formed a great bond with the group," commented Matthew Munro from Canada.

“The group was very diverse and I think there are great people, very open and very creative. I’m looking for finding interesting new people, connecting with, and networking!” added Julia Borowczyk from Poland.

Over the next 15 weeks, students will learn from professors at Vytautas Magnus University, along with guest academics and industry experts, as they complete three online modules and work on developing a scientific research-applied project. Afterward, they will travel to the Lithuanian city of Kaunas for the second in-person session, where they will present their project before the Term Paper Defense Committee. They will also spend two full days visiting Zalgiris Kaunas and Zalgirio Arena, gaining insights from the club and arena management.

The eighth edition of the Euroleague Basketball Institute's Sports Business MBA, delivered in collaboration with Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania, got underway last week

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The Euroleague Basketball Institute is proud to celebrate the graduation of 20 excellent students from 12 different nationalities, who have successfully completed the Sports Business MBA program offered in partnership with Vytautas Magnus University (VDU). These graduates represent the seventh generation of students to participate in this renowned program, and their hard work culminated in a graduation ceremony held at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Celebrating the 2023-2025 graduates of the Sports Business MBA program

The Euroleague Basketball Institute is proud to celebrate the graduation of 20 excellent students from 12 different nationalities, who have successfully completed the Sports Business MBA program offered in partnership with Vytautas Magnus University (VDU). These graduates represent the seventh generation of students to participate in this renowned program, and their hard work culminated in a graduation ceremony held at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania.

This year’s cohort of students came together for the final phase of their MBA journey, gathering in Kaunas to present their master’s theses, with the group discussing their ideas and insights into the sports business landscape. These future leaders of the sports industry have shown remarkable dedication and passion during the course of the program, acquiring a deep understanding of the global sports business environment.

The graduation ceremony, a significant milestone for the 2023-2025 class, was held at the home of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas, adding a special touch to an already momentous occasion. Speeches were delivered by Vincenzo Di Giuseppe, Manager of the Euroleague Basketball Institute, and Rita Bendaraviciene, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management at Vytautas Magnus University, who each shared their warm congratulations and inspiring words with the graduates.

"Today marks the end of one incredible journey and the beginning of another," said Vincenzo Di Giuseppe. "The graduates have shown tremendous growth and determination, and we are excited to see them contribute to the future of the sports industry."

Rita Bendaraviciene also expressed her pride in the achievements of the graduates. "This MBA program has equipped these students with the skills, knowledge, and international perspective needed to thrive in the dynamic world of sports business. We are confident that they will make a positive impact in their respective fields."

Congratulations to the 20 graduates on completing their Sports Business MBA. Everybody at Euroleague Basketball wishes them great success in their future careers.

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