Zug, Switzerland – Samsung has become the new main sponsor and naming partner of the WTA tournament in Lugano. Joining Samsung as presenting sponsor of the tennis competition is Lugano-based Cornèr Bank, which has led to the design of a new event logo to reflect this unique partnership.
After the first edition of the Ladies Open in April this year in Biel / Bienne, the tournament will be held for the first time in 2018 in Lugano on clay. The two partners will use the week-long event to present, among other things, their joint service Samsung Pay, while Samsung will also showcase its broad product range both on and off the court.
"The tournament will be fully Samsung-branded in all its products: from televisions and refrigerators in the public areas to LED boards with Samsung Galaxy and QLED TV, as well as washing machines on centre court," said Dario Casari, Sales Director at Samsung. "In addition to naming, we also want to proactively shape the event in 2018. The mobile payment solution 'Samsung Pay' is ideal for this: a safe and easy payment method, just everywhere. At the Samsung Open, you can leave your wallet at home."
Samsung Pay is a mobile payment service. Credit card and debit cards as well as loyalty cards can be registered via their own application and used at all points of sale where contactless payment is available.
Alessandro Seralvo, Director of Cornèrcard said: "We are happy to be part of the revitalisation of the world tennis elite in Ticino, where international tennis tournaments took place in Lugano from 1981 to 1986 and from 1999 to 2010. With Samsung we will use the event to demonstrate the benefits of the Samsung Pay mobile service to both on-site and TV spectators. "
"We are pleased to welcome two successful companies as our main partners in the WTA tournament, and thanks to them, we are keeping up with digitisation. We are very proud of that," said Geraldine Dondit, Tournament Director of the Samsung Open.
The second edition of the newly launched Swiss WTA Ladies tennis tournament will be, together with the CSI Ascona, the largest one-off event in Ticino's sports year. World-class tennis is guaranteed given the confirmed attendance of Belinda Bencic and other top Swiss and foreign players. Recently retired Swiss tennis legend Martina Hingis will be on-site during the tournament as ambassador of the event.
The Samsung Open will be held from 9-15 April 2018 at TC Lido Lugano. InfrontRingier Sports & Entertainment Switzerland is collaborating with Octagon on the Samsung Open, with responsibility for the organization and the marketing rights, national media rights and the exclusive hospitality area of the tournament.
About Samsung Electronics
Samsung inspires people and shapes the future with ideas and technologies that improve our lives. The company is changing the world of televisions, smartphones, wearables, tablets, home appliances, networking systems, memory, semiconductor and LED products. Discover the latest news, background and press materials on www.samsung.com/ch and the Samsung newsroom at news.samsung.com.
About Cornèr Bank/Cornèrcard
Cornèr Bank, founded in 1952 in Lugano, is a private and independent Swiss banking institution. In 1975, it became the first bank in Switzerland to launch the Visa credit card and, thanks to constant innovation, it has significantly shaped the Swiss credit card landscape. Cornèr Bank is among the first banking institutions in Europe to introduce standards of secure e-commerce and continues to innovate in its offering of e-commerce and mobile commerce services.
About InfrontRingier
InfrontRingier - a joint venture between Infront and Ringier - is the leading sports marketing company in Switzerland. The experienced team supports sports associations, organisers of sports events, leagues and clubs as well as top athletes in the form of marketing, consulting and service partner. The high-quality portfolio includes, among others, the Raiffeisen Super League, the Tour de Suisse, the Swiss Ice Hockey Cup, the Samsung Open and Swiss athlete Stefan Küng.
