TSG Hoffenheim take centre stage in the USA

At the invitation of the US-based environmental organisation Green Sports Alliance, TSG Hoffenheim was able to showcase its club motto "TSG on the move" at an international conference in Seattle.

In front of 650 participants from all major US professional leagues as well as representatives of clubs and organisations from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and several European countries, Stefan Wagner (head of corporate development at TSG) and Tony Mamodaly (head of internationalisation at TSG) presented the sustainability concept and its successful implementation on the main stage at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. TSG was the only football club from Europe invited to the prestigious event.

Representatives from top teams such as the New York Mets (baseball), San Francisco 49ers (American football) or Golden State Warriors (basketball), various Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs as well as representatives from other sports reacted with great interest to TSG's projects. "There is a welcome amount of movement in US sport with regard to sustainability. TSG Hoffenheim's strategy, including our "common-value approach", through which we establish sustainability in marketing, has attracted a lot of attention and positive feedback," says Wagner. "The talks with the representatives from the major leagues made it clear that the development and consistent implementation of our future strategy 'TSG on the move' have enormous relevancy and resonance not only in the regional context, but also in the international context," explains Mamodaly.

Prior to the summit in Seattle, the two TSG representatives visited partner club FC Cincinnati (FCC) for an intensive exchange with the club's managers and to participate in a two-day workshop where the individual initiatives and entire sustainability concept of "TSG on the move" were presented. Conversely, the presentation by the FCC managers of how professional brand building is handled at their club was informative for the TSG delegation. Cincinnati are currently causing a stir in the MLS. At the halfway point of the season, the team are six points clear at the top of the overall table of 29 clubs. Both clubs are linked in the "Common Value Club Alliance" initiated by TSG; an exchange of personnel is also taking place.