Between 6-11 March 2018, all nations taking part in the Hockey Pro League joined International Hockey Federation (FIH) staff in Evian, France for updates and workshops in preparation for the new competition which begins in January 2019.
Representatives from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, China, Great Britain/England, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan (with Scotland), Spain and USA were all present.
There they received updates from FIH's Broadcast and Commercial teams which were important for National Associations as they progress discussions with potential partners on a local level over the coming months.
"This was a hugely important opportunity for both FIH and the participating teams to share progress with one another. It was incredibly encouraging to see the amount of positive energy from all stakeholders, which further enhances our excitement ahead of the League launch next year."
Delf Ness, FIH Interim CEO
As part of this, FIH provided important financial information based on a number of updates across all areas of the organisation.
The majority of the workshop involved two way engagement, with National Associations sharing their plans with the FIH, with venue selection and commercial activities, including ticket sale launches, key indicators of the progress being made.
It was also an important opportunity for the teams to provide feedback on a number of areas including League management, regulations, rules and marketing activities ahead of what will be a crucial few months in the lead up to the first match on 19 January 2018.
The content presented by both the FIH and National Associations indicates that considerable progress is being made across all areas, and whilst there is a still a huge amount of work to undertake, a unified, collaborative approach continues to drive forward to development of this new competition.
Speaking about the workshop, FIH Interim CEO Delf Ness said: "It was an extremely productive week with our National Associations where we were able to align our efforts as we progress into a crucial phase of the League's implementation."
He continued: "This was a hugely important opportunity for both FIH and the participating teams to share progress with one another. It was incredibly encouraging to see the amount of positive energy from all stakeholders, which further enhances our excitement ahead of the League launch next year."
With a number of conference calls and webinars taking place each month, and further face to face workshops planned between FIH and the National Associations, stakeholders will be kept up to date with all the latest Hockey Pro League developments.
For more information on the Hockey Pro League, click here.
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