Super series in 2011

[Cheung]

Been told that India wanted to host Premier also but since they have not hosted any SS..they have to host super series before going to Premier,..so in 2014, India may bid to host Premier and the prize money for 2011 ( super series) will be US$ 500K, higher than CHN, AE or DEnmark's premier SS

I am sure in 2014, the prize money will have increased in at least one of those three tournaments. It is also possible that the prize money in Korea and Indonesia will have decreased.

[huangkwokhau]

I am sure in 2014, the prize money will have increased in at least one of those three tournaments. It is also possible that the prize money in Korea and Indonesia will have decreased.

I do not think KOR will drcrease..
For INA Open:
2011: US$ 600 K
2012: US$ 650K
2013: US$ 700K
I do not see INA will decrease the prize money...

[Cheung]

And replace filled arenas with empty ones???

To give a country SS status does not make badminton popular in that country.

But anyway, you are looking at it from the wrong side. First, badminton needs to be somewhat popular in that country. Only then will the sponsors be more willing to fork up more cash for the prize money. And only then can it qualify to be a SS or Premier event. A certain amount of prize money is BWF's requirement for SS and Premier. Now, will sponsors be willing to fork out USD 200,000 for the US Open when the interest is lukewarm?

That raises a very good point. Do we want to remove established and popular venues from the calendar? What is the risk?
The risk is losing that venue's interest in the sport, and dare I say, losing sponsors. OK, perhaps HK and S'pore are small places so the impact of loss may only be 'small'. But, those sponsors are established and regular and forms a strong base where other sponsors have a desire to be. What if we try to give SS status to US, Canada, Australia etc? Is the likelihood of gathering greater interest in the sport and attracting sponsorship high? So high that the risk of alienating a small but core base of sponsors in HK and S'pore is acceptable?

If we look at Swiss Open as an example, it is a tournament that has been run many years. It got SS status. Have we got any data that the SS status has improved the status of badminton in Switzerland?

Next will be France. We have had a World Championship there and SS tournaments. We will need a couple of years to confirm wether the strategy really has opened up grass roots interest and increased popularity.

What I am really saying is do not assume giving a SS status to a certain country will automatically get you the sponsors and fill stadiums.

[Cheung]

I do not think KOR will drcrease..
For INA Open:
2011: US$ 600 K
2012: US$ 650K
2013: US$ 700K
I do not see INA will decrease the prize money...

3 years is a long time but it is possible (though may not be likely).

[ctjcad]

...Next will be France. We have had a World Championship there...

..France has never hosted a WC event before but will do so in a few months..As far as i can recall, the WC event is the only major BWF event which has covered the most countries in its short history (14 different countries incl. France this yr)..

[Cheung]

..France has never hosted a WC event before but will do so in a few months..As far as i can recall, the WC event is the only major BWF event which has covered the most countries in its short history (14 different countries incl. France this yr)..

Thanks for correcting my faux pas I do wonder if France can maintain its momentum after a certain photogenic ladies singles player has retired

[ants]

Korea may have a $1.5M in the next 1012 Premier SS..

[huangkwokhau]

Hm..I think KOR will have US$ 1.2 for next 3 yrs....not US$ 1.5

[Krisna]

Here's a case study taken from a very popular HK event (popular as in worldwide). Perhaps this is an example we can move to?






In you are wondering, this is the sport and event:

Hehehe, please do not just give case studies... PROVE IT for badminton, please... Starting INA Open 2010, INA will give badminton a marketing blast during this annual event. I will share the photos later... As for HK, please do not just say they wanna do something, prove it, baby... Let's see if HK can realize what they've learned in the case studies ........starting in HK Open 2010!

Better do it soon, otherwise, come 2013, BWF will vote again whether to retain HK Open as a Super Series... This year HK was already in the 'endangered' list... By 2013, if USA, Russia, and Australia have significantly improved, I say HK Open shall be a Gold GP event...

[Thom_bad]

Thanks for correcting my faux pas I do wonder if France can maintain its momentum after a certain photogenic ladies singles player has retired

Who are you refering to ?

[T-maker]

Who are you refering to ?

lol..... there... that one.... name starting with the letter 'P'.....

my favourite....

[demolidor]

That raises a very good point. Do we want to remove established and popular venues from the calendar? What is the risk?
The risk is losing that venue's interest in the sport, and dare I say, losing sponsors. OK, perhaps HK and S'pore are small places so the impact of loss may only be 'small'. But, those sponsors are established and regular and forms a strong base where other sponsors have a desire to be. What if we try to give SS status to US, Canada, Australia etc? Is the likelihood of gathering greater interest in the sport and attracting sponsorship high? So high that the risk of alienating a small but core base of sponsors in HK and S'pore is acceptable?

If we look at Swiss Open as an example, it is a tournament that has been run many years. It got SS status. Have we got any data that the SS status has improved the status of badminton in Switzerland?

Next will be France. We have had a World Championship there and SS tournaments. We will need a couple of years to confirm wether the strategy really has opened up grass roots interest and increased popularity.

What I am really saying is do not assume giving a SS status to a certain country will automatically get you the sponsors and fill stadiums.

I'd say things are definitely on the up in Switzerland. New halls are opening left and right it seems (like a brand new Yonex hall in Zurich http://www.badmintonhalle.ch/typo3te...83e0010931.jpg http://www.badmintonhalle.ch/typo3te...de5a959dbb.jpg). A lot more going on there than here in Netherladns for example eventhough the level is still lower. I think it's a ridiculous decision to cut them out after putting up the prize money for several years when not even Germany (with a population ten times larger) could do so or was willing to but I guess they'd like to say "we have SS in Paris same as Roland Garros" (perhaps SO should've moved to Zurich or more central Bern to attract spectators from every corner).
A positive spin I'm reading is that there are less restrictions for an non SS event in terms of promoting the event and they are determined to make it the best GP Gold there is with possibly still $200,000 in prizemoney. In the end it's only a label and on the calendar it's probably still before or after AE so will it really a make a big difference?

[sen]

I think Swiss need to consider providing affordable accomodation during the tournament for the players and spectators outside the region. That's the problem with Swiss.

It is not just giving more money for the winners.

[Cheung]

Hehehe, please do not just give case studies... PROVE IT for badminton, please... Starting INA Open 2010, INA will give badminton a marketing blast during this annual event. I will share the photos later... As for HK, please do not just say they wanna do something, prove it, baby... Let's see if HK can realize what they've learned in the case studies ........starting in HK Open 2010!

Better do it soon, otherwise, come 2013, BWF will vote again whether to retain HK Open as a Super Series... This year HK was already in the 'endangered' list... By 2013, if USA, Russia, and Australia have significantly improved, I say HK Open shall be a Gold GP event...

The case study is merely to illustrate the point. S'pore has the Formula One Grand Prix - unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from that event Perhaps Hau-ge can tell us why HK still kept its SS status? (especially as HK doesn't have much political clout)

I look forward to the Indonesia Open. Do they serve beer as well?

What are your thoughts on the risk:benefit assessment?

I'd say things are definitely on the up in Switzerland. New halls are opening left and right it seems (like a brand new Yonex hall in Zurich http://www.badmintonhalle.ch/typo3te...83e0010931.jpg http://www.badmintonhalle.ch/typo3te...de5a959dbb.jpg). A lot more going on there than here in Netherladns for example eventhough the level is still lower. I think it's a ridiculous decision to cut them out after putting up the prize money for several years when not even Germany (with a population ten times larger) could do so or was willing to but I guess they'd like to say "we have SS in Paris same as Roland Garros" (perhaps SO should've moved to Zurich or more central Bern to attract spectators from every corner).
A positive spin I'm reading is that there are less restrictions for an non SS event in terms of promoting the event and they are determined to make it the best GP Gold there is with possibly still $200,000 in prizemoney. In the end it's only a label and on the calendar it's probably still before or after AE so will it really a make a big difference?

Thanks for giving more insight on the Switzerland situation.


To be honest, do we really need to cut SS status if an event can generate enough sponsorship? I am sure a player will not be able to attend all the SS events in one year.

[Krisna]

The case study is merely to illustrate the point. S'pore has the Formula One Grand Prix - unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from that event Perhaps Hau-ge can tell us why HK still kept its SS status? (especially as HK doesn't have much political clout)

I look forward to the Indonesia Open. Do they serve beer as well?

What are your thoughts on the risk:benefit assessment?

What risk:benefit assessment? Of what?

In Indonesia, no beer... We're a country where 85%+ of the population are muslims. Alcohol is considered not kosher by them... I don't drink alcohol either out of sheer habit (because most of my society do not consume alcohol either)... Alcohol advertisements are also banned in Indonesia...

If you're coming to Indonesia Open, please feel free to contact me via PM...

[Cheung]

What risk:benefit assessment? Of what?

In Indonesia, no beer... We're a country where 85%+ of the population are muslims. Alcohol is considered not kosher by them... I don't drink alcohol either out of sheer habit (because most of my society do not consume alcohol either)... Alcohol advertisements are also banned in Indonesia...

If you're coming to Indonesia Open, please feel free to contact me via PM...

Oh, detailed in post #105. But it doesn't really matter

Hope to see you in HK in a new venue. QE stadium is intimate atmosphere but not big enough.

[Loh]

TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
Published: 7:00AM BST 26 May 2010

The All England Championships, badminton's oldest tournament, will break $1 million in prize money over the next three years after being awarded top-tier status in a revamped Super Series.

By Rod Gilmour

From next season, the All England will join the Korea Open, Indonesia Open, Denmark Open and China Open as one of five events comprising badminton's new Premier Series, effectively the first tennis-style grand slam. There will be seven other second-tier Super Series events and total prize money for the year for the 12 events will rise to $4.7 million.

Adrian Christy, Badminton England's chief executive, told The Daily Telegraph: "Having five focused events, this will be the equivalent of the Majors. It is definitely a step in the right direction and time that the top players were rewarded.

The Super Series format was introduced in 2007 but after a review at the end of last year, the Badminton World Federation decided to introduce a two-tier system from 2011.

Over the next three years, All England's prize purse will amount to $1.1 million and Christy believes that the new format will benefit both the sport in the UK and the Super Series' global status.

He said: "I don't think the Super Series went stale, it was just a tour without any focal events during the course of the year other than the finals at the end of the 12 months.

"The All England in 2012 will be part of the Olympic qualification process. It will be a real shop window for talent. Having three world-class events leading up to 2012 [two All Englands and the World Championships in 2011], I am not sure too many sports can say that."

Lee Chong Wei won this year's All England Championships in Birmingham, bringing China's domination to an end.


(BTW I also don't know why the BWF was so generous to tiny Singapore for retaining its SS status. With almost its 'first team' prematurely retired and none of its present batch having attained notable world ranking status, Singapore Badminton has experienced a rather bad patch for the past year. It is a slow road to regaining its former 'glory'.

On the other hand, surely size is not everything. If it were, then India should have gained a place in the Premier league, displacing perhaps Denmark which has a population not very much larger than Singapore's. )