UPS has been selected by luxury goods manufacturer Prada as the logistics partner for itsnon-profit cultural project Prada Transformer and has stepped up its sponsorship of The Open
Championship, the oldest and most prestigious of the four major championships in professional golf.Under the deal with Prada, UPS managed the transportation of materials critical to theopening events of Prada Transformer which opened on 25th April in Seoul, South Korea. Installednear the historical Gyeonghui Palace, Prada Transformer will host a series of cross-culturalexhibitions, screenings and live events in the South Korean capital over the next six months.
“UPS shares the same dedication to perfection, precision and innovation as Prada” said FrankSportolari, UPS Italy country manager. “Our experience in providing unmatched service andreliability on a global scale served us well in managing the complex tasks of transporting all thegoods and displays necessary to assure the event launched flawlessly.”
“The Prada Transformer is a unique project, not only for its revolutionary architecture andits rich cultural programme, but also for its complexity.” said Sebastian Suhl, President of PradaAsia Pacific. “The successful delivery of all the opening day materials across multiple borders andseven time zones is a testament to UPS’s flexibility. Reducing the complexity thanks to UPS’sreliability has allowed us to focus on the successful project delivery.”
Separately, UPS is expanding its international golf sponsorship programme in scale and scopewith the new four-year agreement as an official supplier of The Open Championship. In addition, UPSteamed up with the British golf champion Lee Westwood and the rising star Pablo Larrazábal of Spainto represent the company as global brand ambassadors.
As the Official Logistics and Express Sponsor of The European Tour, UPS already has secured aprominent position with the international golf circuit. The company provides key transportation andlogistical support for The Tour, which oversees 53 tournaments spanning more than two dozencountries on five continents.
In addition, UPS is sponsoring six tournaments during each year of its four-year agreementwith The Tour. Those tournaments include the Volvo China Open, the Ballantine’s Championship, theBMW PGA Championship, the BMW International Open, Barclay’s Scottish Open and the UBS Hong KongOpen.
“UPS’s association with The Open Championship will be a valuable addition to an alreadystrong programme,” said Ron Rogowski, UPS head of global sponsorships. “The UPS international golfsponsorship programme gives us a strategic platform to demonstrate UPS’s capabilities on a globalscale.”
Westwood, who holds 18 European Tour titles and also has won tournaments in the U.S., Africa,Asia and Australia, is currently ranked 15th in the Official World Golf Rankings. While relativelynew to the professional circuit, Larrazábal already has established himself as a top tier playerwith several impressive finishes during his 2008 rookie season with The Tour, culminating with awin at the French Open.
“Lee Westwood and Pablo Larrazábal will bring an important and valuable dimension to UPS’ssponsorship of The Tour,” Rogowski stated. “We look forward to their involvement as we leveragetheir talents to further enhance our international golf programme.”
