Wood Targets 1 Million Fans During Australian Summer Events

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 18th December 2012

Wood Targets 1 Million Fans During Australian Summer Events |

Tennis Australia chief executive Steve Wood has high hopes for the upcoming summer tournaments Down Under, targeting 1 million fans at events across the country

Tennis Australia is currently managing the mixed team competition, the Hopman Cup, which begins in Perth on December 29.

The combined event at Brisbane starts at December 30.

The next week, there is another combined tournament at Sydney , as well as a WTA 250 level tournament in Hobart .

The Australian Open then starts on January 14. Last year, 686,000 spectators attended the Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific.

â€œThe business of tennis is in strong shape,â€ Wood told the Australian Financial review. â€œAnd the more crowds we have, broadcast rights and corporate support boosts the prize money and the amount we can put into participation programs.â€

Wood did say that corporate hospitality sales for the Australian Open has been slow and that there is a lack of secondary sponsors the Apia Sydney International.

The Australian Open is also hoping to convince South Korean car manufacturer Kia, to ink a new deal. Kia signed a $36 million five-year deal in 2008.

â€œItâ€™s a tough economic environment out there,â€ Wood says. â€œWe are seeing that on our corporate [hospitality] side, where sales are taking longer and people are deciding later or buying in smaller portions from their corporate entertaining budget. So we are seeing some difficultiesâ=