The inaugural episode of The Kirsh Connection features Jeff Marks, CEO of Innovative Partnerships Group, on how stadium naming rights became a multi-billion-dollar asset class - and what’s driving the market today.
Full episode available now.
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g2TZXWs5
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3GT1hoM
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OQrd6j
Anchor: https://lnkd.in/gQhBihXV...
Listen Notes: https://lnkd.in/gk5TFc9w
The Tampa Bay Rays are ushering in a meaningful new chapter for the franchise, combining innovation, storytelling, and commercial growth through a newly announced partnership with Webull. The agreement marks the first jersey patch sponsorship in club history – an important milestone not only for the Rays, but within the broader evolution of Major League Baseball.
Set to debut in the 2026 season, the jersey patches will carry deeper significance beyond brand visibility. Each patch will incorporate material from Tropicana Field’s original roof, which was torn apart during Hurricane Milton in October 2024. The storm caused widespread damage across the Tampa Bay region, and the ballpark’s destruction became a lasting symbol of the community’s challenges. After spending the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field while repairs were completed, the Rays now return to a fully restored Tropicana Field – following more than $50 million in renovations that included a new roof, lighting, and playing surface.
The Webull partnership brings a St. Petersburg–based brand directly onto the Rays’ uniforms, aligning local relevance with national exposure. More importantly, the initiative reflects a broader narrative of resilience and recovery, embedding a tangible piece of the team’s recent history into its future identity on the field.
Innovative Partnerships Group played a central role in making the deal a reality. The firm worked closely with both the Rays and Webull to structure and execute the partnership, guiding the process from early concept development through final agreement. Their involvement underscores the growing importance of strategic advisory in crafting partnerships that go beyond traditional sponsorship models to deliver both business impact and authentic storytelling.
As jersey patch sponsorships continue to gain traction across MLB, this collaboration stands out for its combination of innovation, local connection, and emotional resonance. With the Rays taking the field featuring Webull’s branding – alongside a physical reminder of the community’s strength – the partnership represents a forward-thinking approach to fan engagement and revenue generation, while highlighting how sports organizations are redefining the future of the business.
Hendrick Motorsports has selected Innovative Partnerships Group as its agency of record to support the organization’s commercial strategy and partnership development.
Innovative Partnerships Group will work closely with Hendrick Motorsports to create innovative sponsorship programs and platforms designed to grow the long-term value of the team’s NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts sponsorship portfolio.
The collaboration will focus on identifying new brand opportunities, particularly with non-endemic partners, and developing integrated programs that extend beyond the racetrack. Areas of exploration include future-focused concepts such as the “garage of the future,” immersive brand integrations, and campus-wide activations that enhance the Hendrick Motorsports experience for partners and fans alike.
To support the engagement, Innovative Partnerships Group will dedicate business development resources in Charlotte to work alongside the Hendrick Motorsports team.
The Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, the only professional soccer stadium in Orange County, has emerged as one of the region’s most valuable sports marketing opportunities. With naming rights currently available, the venue offers brands a rare chance to align with a premier soccer destination in one of Southern California’s most dynamic markets. Innovative Partnerships Group is the agency representing the stadium and leading the effort to bring this high-profile sponsorship opportunity to market.
Further elevating the venue’s prominence, the City of Irvine and U.S. Soccer have announced that the U.S. Men’s National Team has selected the Great Park as its official Team Base Camp training site during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As part of this designation, the U.S. Men’s National Team will conduct its training sessions at the Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium. The stadium, opened in 2017, is a premier soccer-specific facility that seats more than 5,000 spectators and has become a centerpiece of the Great Park’s growing sports complex. The selection underscores the quality of Irvine’s athletic facilities and reflects the City’s ongoing commitment to developing venues capable of hosting world-class competition while remaining accessible to the community.
“We are honored that the U.S. Men’s National Team has chosen to train at the Great Park during the FIFA World Cup,” said Irvine Mayor Larry Agran. “This decision reflects the caliber of the Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium and the professionalism of the staff who operate it. Irvine is proud to welcome the players, coaches, and supporters from around the world to our great City for one of the world’s most celebrated sporting events.”
U.S. Soccer also praised the facility and its role in preparing the team for the global tournament.
“We are delighted to have the Great Park as our training site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker. “The facilities are simply outstanding and will provide the perfect training environment for our team to prepare to be successful at the World Cup.”
In conjunction with the team’s presence in Irvine, the Soccer Forward Foundation — U.S. Soccer’s legacy and social impact initiative — will collaborate with the City of Irvine and local organizations to host community-based coaching development programming during April in the lead-up to the tournament. The initiative will provide local coaches with training, tools, and resources to help them better support and inspire young athletes, ensuring that the impact of the World Cup extends well beyond the competition itself and strengthens the local soccer ecosystem.
“Moments like this create an incredible opportunity to connect the world’s biggest sporting event with the communities that make the game special,” said Lex Chalat, Executive Director of the Soccer Forward Foundation. “Through Soccer Forward, we are proud to partner with the City of Irvine and local organizations to equip coaches with the tools, training, and support they need to positively impact young people. By investing in the leaders who bring the game to life in their communities, we can ensure the momentum of the World Cup creates lasting opportunities for the next generation.”
The U.S. Men’s National Team, established in 1913, has qualified for 11 FIFA World Cups and will compete on home soil for the first time in more than three decades. The 2026 FIFA World Cup — co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — will be the largest tournament in the event’s history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches.
“From its transformation as Marine Corps Air Station El Toro into one of the nation’s premier municipal parks, the Great Park has become a destination for athletes and families alike,” said Irvine Councilmember and Great Park Board Chair William Go. “Hosting the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a once-in-a-generation moment for the park and a proud milestone for our entire community.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 through July 19 across host venues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The U.S. Men’s National Team will open its tournament against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium. The team most recently advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Training sessions at the Great Park during the tournament will not be open to the public. Additional information regarding a welcome event in April and a potential community day will be announced in the coming weeks.
The world's most popular audio streaming subscription service also to continue to hold the naming rights for Spotify Camp Nou until 2034
Originally posted by fcbarcelona.com
After three years of successful collaboration, FC Barcelona and Spotify have agreed to extend their sponsorship agreement through to 2030, which covers both the men’s and women’s football first team jerseys and the front of the training kits. The naming rights for Spotify Camp Nou remain secured until 2034, while the stadium – at the heart of the Espai Barça complex – continues to be transformed into a world leading sports and entertainment facility.
Both Barça and Spotify are global brands with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. This partnership enables both brands to expand their presence in strategic markets and create shared synergies with an international reach, connecting with new audiences and consolidating their global outlook.
Memorable moments and actions have been created since the association between FC Barcelona and Spotify began in 2022 – both for fans and musical artists – going beyond the barriers of sports sponsorship and have made the connection between football and music reverberate around the world.
Extending this partnership further strengthens the shared goal of exploring new ways to bring fans, football and music together, promoting unique global experiences. With the reopening of the Spotify Camp Nou on the horizon and an excellent generation of young talent, FC Barcelona and Spotify look towards the future together to shape a new and promising era for the Club and its global community.
About Innovative Partnerships Group
Innovative Partnerships Group is a global leader in developing long-term, revenue-generating business relationships among the most prestigious professional sports team, entertainment properties and global brands.
The company has been recognized on several occasions in recent years by Sports Business Journal as one of the leading sports marketing agencies in this industry. Innovative Partnerships Group has its breakthrough Partnership Intelligence™ system that allows both properties and brands to maximize their return on sponsorship partnerships. For more information, visit www.Innovative Partnerships Group360.com.
For more information about this partnership, check out our case study.
LOS ANGELES, CA – June 13, 2025 – Innovative Partnerships Group is a leader in naming rights, long-term sponsorships and brand partnership advisory and consultancy for the sports and entertainment industry. HotelPlanner is proud to announce the successful execution of over 25 new partnerships between HotelPlanner and premier sports properties over the past three years. Representing HotelPlanner, Innovative Partnerships Group has played a critical role in expanding the travel technology company's presence across the sports landscape, ultimately building strategic and creative relationships with major organizations across the United States.
Innovative Partnerships Group is the best in the business—a trusted partner whose proprietary Partnership Intelligence System and proven deal-making methodology give us significant credibility and a competitive edge”, said Bruce Rosenberg, CEO of HotelPlanner. “This relationship has been instrumental in acquiring partnerships with unique and emerging sports properties”.
Through Innovative Partnerships Group’s strategic leadership, HotelPlanner has become a trusted travel partner for organizations such as USA Boxing, the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Tough Mudder, DEKA, Life Time, The Basketball League (TBL), Team Combat League (TCL), and the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Each partnership is tailored to the unique needs of the property—ranging from offering exclusive hotel discounts and streamlined group booking solutions to developing custom-branded platforms and providing 24/7 travel support.
“These partnerships reflect our commitment to adding real value to the clients we work with and building their sports portfolio in a meaningful way,” said Sierra Kempthorn, Director of Business Development at Innovative Partnerships Group.
Among the highlights: HotelPlanner now supports endurance athletes participating in Life Time’s top events nationwide; helps Tough Mudder and DEKA participants save up to 70% on travel with direct platform integrations; provides discounted lodging for USA Boxing referees, staff, and supporters; powers team and fan travel logistics for emerging leagues like The Basketball League and Team Combat League; and offers NLL teams, fans, and youth programs access to a fully customized hotel booking platform under the NLL brand.
"Whether it's a world-class boxing event, a gritty endurance challenge, or a lacrosse championship weekend, travel is a crucial piece of the experience," Kempthorn added. "Our role at Innovative Partnerships Group is connecting value to sports properties in ways that drive impact and growth for all parties involved."
With 30 current HotelPlanner deals now in place—and additional partnerships on the horizon—Innovative Partnerships Group continues to deliver transformative, revenue-generating solutions for some of the most dynamic organizations in the sports and entertainment world.
About Innovative Partnerships Group
Innovative Partnerships Group is a global leader in developing long-term, revenue-generating business relationships among the most prestigious professional sports team, entertainment properties and global brands.
The company has been recognized on several occasions in recent years by Sports Business Journal as one of the leading sports marketing agencies in this industry. Innovative Partnerships Group has its breakthrough Partnership Intelligence™ system that allows both properties and brands to maximize their return on sponsorship partnerships. For more information, visit www.Innovative Partnerships Group360.com.
About HotelPlanner
HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company and hotel booking platform that combines proprietary artificial intelligence technology, a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service network, and robust travel partnerships to deliver the best value for hotel stays worldwide.
For more information about this partnership, check out our case study.
Irvine, Calif., Feb. 5, 2025 — OCVIBE, the visionary entertainment and lifestyle district coming to Anaheim, is proud to announce Concordia University Irvine as a Founding Partner and its Official Education Partner. This groundbreaking partnership marks a transformative step for both organizations, creating opportunities to showcase Concordia’s reputation as a regionally and nationally recognized institution that fosters unique professional and academic experiences for its students.
Through this collaboration, OCVIBE and Concordia will jointly develop innovative programs designed to enhance the educational journey of Concordia University Irvine students. These initiatives will include:
Looking to the future, OCVIBE and Concordia will also create a dedicated workspace at OCVIBE, offering students and the community a dynamic environment to collaborate and learn within the heart of this cutting-edge district.
“Concordia University Irvine is thrilled to serve as the sponsoring educational partner with OCVIBE, a new locale that will become the heart of Orange County,” said Dr. Michael A. Thomas, President of Concordia University Irvine. “Filled with sports and entertainment venues, restaurants, hotels, residential housing, business spaces, and open plazas, OCVIBE will be the place to be in Southern California! We have caught Henry and Susan Samueli’s vision for this transformative project, and we applaud their ongoing commitment to Orange County. And we just knew that Concordia’s faculty, staff, and students had to be part of this. Concordia University Irvine has called OC home for nearly 50 years, so we cannot imagine a more fitting and strategic partnership to showcase our educational offerings and the talents of our students with the citizens of Orange County!”
As part of the partnership, Concordia University Irvine will also play an integral role in community engagement at OCVIBE, serving as the presenting partner for one tentpole community event each year and hosting four public performance arts events annually within the district. Concordia will also benefit from LED and static signage throughout the OCVIBE campus, reinforcing its role as an educational leader and its deep connection to Orange County.
In addition to aligning with OCVIBE, Concordia University Irvine is becoming the Official Education Partner of the Anaheim Ducks and Honda Center. More details on this exciting collaboration will be shared closer to the start of the Ducks' 2025–2026 season, highlighting the expanded opportunities for Concordia students and the greater Anaheim community.
“Concordia University Irvine’s commitment to academic excellence and community enrichment aligns perfectly with OCVIBE’s mission to inspire and connect people through exceptional experiences,” said Graham Siderius, OCVIBE’s Chief Partnerships Officer. “We’re thrilled to welcome Concordia as a Founding Partner and look forward to creating transformative opportunities together.”
OCVIBE was represented by Innovative Partnerships Group for the origination and negotiation of the partnership with Concordia University Irvine.
For information about OCVIBE, including press materials, please visit ocvibe.com/mediacenter.
About OCVIBE
OCVIBE is a vibrant entertainment district at the heart of Anaheim in Orange County, California. Currently in development by the Samueli Family and OC Sports and Entertainment (OCSE), OCVIBE will reimagine the downtown experience by turning 100 acres in Anaheim into an easily accessible, walkable district designed to bring surrounding communities together at the intersection of culture and entertainment. OCVIBE will surround Honda Center with serene park space and introduce a broad selection of eclectic dining options, concerts and nightlife, and a rotation of immersive entertainment experiences not found elsewhere in Orange County. For more information, visit ocvibe.com.
About Concordia University Irvine
Concordia University Irvine, part of the Concordia University System, is a private, nonprofit Christian university that is proud to be one of the founding institutions of higher education in Irvine, California. For nearly 50 years, we have developed “wise, honorable, and cultivated citizens” through distinctive Lutheran education. Today, we educate nearly 5,000 students on campus and online, and our alumni network has grown to over 25,000 worldwide. We’re recognized as a top-ranked university for Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report and a fierce NCAA Division II PacWest competitor. Learn more at cui.edu.
About Innovative Partnerships Group
Innovative Partnerships Group is a global leader in developing long-term, revenue-generating business relationships among the most prestigious professional sports teams, entertainment properties and global brands. The company has been recognized on several occasions in recent years by Sports Business Journal and other publications as one of the leading sports sponsorship and naming rights agencies in this industry. Innovative Partnerships Group has its breakthrough Partnership Intelligence™ system that allows both properties and brands to maximize their return on sponsorship partnerships. For more information, visit www.ipg360.com.
Concordia University Irvine Media Contact
Ann Ashmon
ann.ashmon@cui.edu
OCVIBE Media Contacts
Erika Muir
emuir@ocvibe.com
Emily Sharp
esharp@ocvibe.com
OCVIBE has selected Innovative Partnerships Group (IPG) as its exclusive agency of record for the $4B mixed-use development project that is underway in the roughly 100 acres surrounding Honda Center in Anaheim. OCVIBE, owned and developed by the Samueli family (which owns the Ducks), ran an RFP, and spoke in-depth to at least three agencies, ultimately opting for IPG, which has past mixed-use district sponsorship sales experience with TD Place in Ottawa and Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village. IPG is also working with FC Barcelona on its Spotify Camp Nou redevelopment and will focus on sourcing national and global brands to activate in OCVIBE, which will begin substantially coming to life in 2026.
“IPG has a proven track record of success for different property types,” said Graham Siderius, Head of Partnerships for OCVIBE, the Ducks and Honda Center.
IPG founder & CEO Jeff Marks said the firm was delighted to be selected for a project of such magnitude in the agency's backyard. OCVIBE is a unique sports-adjacent mixed-use development, to this point at least, in that it’s being created around an existing venue. IPG, which takes over for Premier Partnerships, doesn’t start from zero. OCVIBE has one founding partner on the books, the global insurance giant Gallagher, which has made mixed-use development sponsorship core to its sports marketing efforts. Siderius said there are four more partners signed that haven’t been unveiled yet and discussions are already underway with current Ducks and Honda Center sponsors.
"It’s a perfect opportunity for them and they’re who we wanted to approach first,” Siderius said. "It just represents a scaled-up version and new opportunities. A lot of positive response from current partners.”
OCVIBE sponsorships will begin activating this year, whether existing sponsors or new ones. District naming rights aren’t available but dozens of other spaces, venues, and projected events (like a summer concert series) within the larger district will be. Major assets, including the 5,700-seat concert venue, food hall, an office building, and one of the first of several urban parks, will be online by early 2026. At least three subsequent phases are projected to fill out the development by the end of the decade.
“We can bring brands outside the walls of the arena, we can touch what most brands call normal daily activities,” Siderius said. “And we’re very proud of the tech stack at OCVIBE and how that’s going to be a differentiator for the development.”
Central to that will be a deployment of district-wide WiFi 7. Last year, the Ducks and Honda Center launched an in-house-developed app that is beta-testing features and functions that will tie the city-owned arena to the wider district, including the blending of digital opportunities with the physical experience. Siderius and Marks both think that OCVIBE will present an intriguing b-to-b activation opportunity for tech companies that could produce real-life examples and case studies of their tech in use.
“What we’ve been finding out is a lot of tech companies and innovative tech companies are so excited to be part of Henry Samueli’s vision,” Marks said, "Things that have never been done.”
Originally published by Sports Business Journal
As part of Innovative Partnerships Group’s new Data Insights & Reporting division, we recently launched a survey focusing on health systems and hospitals. We currently work with several health brands and have found that, despite the hundreds of healthcare system sponsorship deals, there is very little accurate information on trends and best practices in this sector. The healthcare industry has been one of the most popular categories for properties to target for sponsorships, while offering an array of benefits to the participating healthcare companies including direct business - on-field physicians, ambulatory care, in-arena first aid centers, etc. All survey participants will receive a complimentary and comprehensive report of the findings. If you are a health system or hospital and would like to participate, you can take the survey here.
The healthcare survey follows the success of our initial survey last year on sponsorship and naming rights in the credit union industry. The results of that survey provide meaningful benchmarking results, research and actionable insights to decision makers who support and influence future partnership marketing activities that had not been typically captured for this important industry sub-sector. For a look at the results, an executive summary of our credit union sponsorship survey is available. We plan to launch our second survey of the credit union industry in April.
OCVIBE has selected Innovative Partnerships Group as its global Agency of Record responsible for securing next-generation business partnerships. Innovative Partnerships Group will lead the $4B development’s new initiative, officially launched today, to attract hyper-local companies with national reach to the immersive sports and entertainment project surrounding Honda Center, home of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.
Phase one of the sports and entertainment district, scheduled to open in 2026, will feature state-of-the-art venues including:
The mixed-use district will highlight the technological advancement in fan experience and the global nature of the property to brands, focusing on connectivity, sustainability and new business engagement. A recently reconstructed B2B platform, that helps turn vendors into partners, has already exceeded expectations. More than one-third of B2B partner categories have been filled, with only about eight (8) more spots available over the next 12 months. After transforming the development into a global innovation showroom for vendors and suppliers, OCVIBE and Innovative Partnerships Group will turn its attention to B2C brands and retail partners.
With a diverse and thriving economy packaged with cultural vibrancy, Southern California is a hub of innovation and experiences. The region’s attractions, as well as its climate for year-round activity, make it a draw for millions both nationally and across the globe.
