158 days before Kiel Week kicks off, it is now clear that there will be a new main sponsor of the world's biggest sailing event alongside HSH Nordbank.
"It was simply not sportsmanlike", according to company circles at the Munich headquarters. This refers to the behaviour of Kieler Woche Management GmbH in relation to the negotiations on the continuation of BMW's sponsorship of Kieler Woche.
The car manufacturer withdrew its sponsorship offer after the Kiel team allegedly let a deadline of 11 January pass. BMW reportedly felt compelled to set this deadline as there had been no response from the state capital since 15 December despite repeated requests.
Apparently there were parallel negotiations with the competitor Audi.
Kiel rejects these accusations out of hand and emphasises that BMW had the option of extending its commitment for a further three years before the start of Kiel Week 2009. This option was not exercised, which prompted the organiser to enter into negotiations with other potential partners. Tim Holborn, spokesman for the City of Kiel and Kieler Woche Marketing GmbH, also believes that BMW's statement that it was only informed about negotiations between the organiser of the sailing event and Audi at the end of the year is factually incorrect. BMW was already aware during last year's event that Audi was trying to secure the event and had already approached the organisers with this information. Meanwhile, the negotiations with Audi had always been conducted transparently and fairly for all sides.
Holborn also emphasised that Kiel had terminated the collaboration with BMW and not, as had previously been claimed, the car manufacturer from Munich. The deadline set by BMW had been adhered to.
Furthermore, Kiel is surprised by the statement from Munich that it has been waiting unsuccessfully for a response from the state capital since 15 December 2009. "Because in Munich," continues Holborn, "there was a current contract offer sent on 10 December, to which there has been no response to date."
The Munich-based company has shaped the image of Kieler Woche since 2003 by providing a shuttle service and presenting itself in the boat harbour in the form of an event area. Last year, they expanded their presence and opened a lounge in Schilksee. They wanted to bring sailing a little closer to Kieler Woche and offer visitors something special in addition to the numerous culinary attractions and show booths. In its own opinion, BMW did this by initiating the BMW Sailing Cup and the match races, which took place on the Kiel inner fjord with former Americas Cup yachts, the "Kiel" and the "Valencia".
However, BMW does not want to withdraw from sailing as such. The US team at the 33rd Americas Cup and the BMW Sailing Cup will also be sponsored this year. The potential of sailing was recognised early on and the company wants to continue its involvement, even if other car manufacturers have now also discovered the positive external impact for themselves.
In eleven days, the "boot" will open in Düsseldorf. By then at the latest, at the Kieler Woche trade fair, it will be clear which other car manufacturer will replace BMW as one of the main sponsors.
