PSA

Oct 2008:
Saudi Ziad Al-Turki
To Chair PSA Board

In a major shake up of the board of the Professional Squash Association, former world number one and event promoter Peter Nicol, MBE, and businessman Ziad Al-Turki, have been elected directors of the players' organisation which boasts a flourishing men's world tour valued this year at more than $3 million.

Al-Turki has been appointed Chairman of the new board. The UK-based Saudi, Vice-Chairman of the ATCO Group, is the driving force behind the Saudi International. Launched four years ago, the event will offer a record $250,000 prize fund this December. Last month, Al-Turki announced that the ATCO Group will sponsor the PSA's flagship Super Series Finals Championship, which will be staged for the first time at The Queen's Club in London next year.

With Nicol and Al-Turki on the PSA board are Robert Graham, the US-based Treasurer; former player Mark Chaloner, who has stood down as Chairman; British lawyer Richard Bramall; and players Lee Beachill, who assumes the position of President, and Frenchman Renan Lavigne, who becomes Vice President.

Tony Hands and Martin Macdonnell, who retired from the board, have been appointed Honorery Life Members of the PSA.

"The appointment means a lot to me, it also means a lot to Saudi Arabia - going from a country not known in Squash, to having a Saudi head the PSA in four years is an accomplishment of its own.

"I have been working for some time at ways to raise the profile of squash, from meeting$with potential sponsors to media and marketing companies - and this appointment will validate my position with them. It shows that the efforts I have put are appreciated by all!

"But there’s a lot of work ahead, and with the PSA Executives, the Board and of course the players, I feel that we can reach our goals. All of us have the same objectives and I feel that everyone feels positive about the direction the PSA is heading towards."

Richard Graham, the recently-appointed PSA CEO, added his enthusiasm for the new board line-up: "There is an important array of skills and experiences which are now reflected in the new board - led by the new Chairman's proven international business expertise and the event promotion experience introduced by Peter Nicol.

"While there is continuity within the board, there is also a sense of change with the new appointments," Graham added. "The board provides valuable support to the efforts of myself and my colleague Alex Gough, the Chief Operating Officer.

"Our objective going forward include the re-launch of the top events on the PSA Tour in 2010, including planning dates and the sequence of events a year in advance to enhance broadcasting and sponsorship opportunities; the renegotiation of PSA's international TV and other commercial rights; and the elevation of the profile of Squash and, in particular, our players."

Dec 2008:

PSA Joins forces with KHP Consulting

PSA appoints Greenspace to make World Squash 'cool'

Interview with Ziad

Super Series Finals Launch

Professional Squash Association Joins Forces
With KHP Consulting

The Board of the Professional Squash Association (PSA), through its newly-appointed chairman Ziad Al-Turki, has engaged the services of international marketing and communications agency KHP Consulting to help further build the universal appeal of the PSA World Tour.

KHP has supported the development of Formula One™ from a purist motorsport activity to the lifestyle sport it is today. This partnership with the PSA will see the agency draw on twenty-five years’ experience working in sport, to open new markets and establish the sport of Squash on the global stage.

And the beauty of Squash's growing popularity? Its mobility; how many other sports can say they have been played at the Pyramids of Giza or New York's Grand Central Station? Sell-out tournaments are played throughout the year across five continents, from Manchester to Melbourne, Cairo to Quebec, and with Squash up for consideration for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games no-one can deny the sport is on the rise. Al-Turki indicated that the Board intends to capture the imagination of young people everywhere and bring through a new, enthused generation of Squash players and fans whilst continuing to build its growing corporate profile and take the sport to new iconic venues around the world.

Saudi Arabia businessman Al-Turki has been instrumental in bringing KHP on board and is confident that the new partnership will be hugely beneficial to the future of the sport: "I have been working for some time on ways to raise the profile of squash," said Al-Turki. "It is very exciting to join forces with KHP, and although there is a lot of work ahead I am sure that with the wealth of experience KHP brings to the PSA, we can reach our goals."

Commenting on the announcement, KHP Consulting’s CEO Scott Garrett said: "KHP has a long history within sport and understands what it takes to build a growing sport into a global commercial success. We are always looking to work with new and exciting championships, and with that in mind the passion and ambitions of the PSA World Tour to take Squash to the next level fit perfectly with our company objectives.

"Squash is rapidly growing in popularity so it is a really exciting time for the sport and KHP is looking forward to working closely with the PSA to help promote the professional squash tour."

PSA Appoints Greenspace To Make World Squash ‘Cool’

Brand identity and experiential agency Greenspace has been appointed by the Professional Squash Association to refresh and re-invigorate the PSA Tour Super Series in order to widen the appeal of the sport.

Greenspace has been tasked to update the image of the sport and make it more appealing to a younger, more diverse audience.

Commencing immediately, Greenspace will develop a new identity including promotional and marketing direction, as well as experiential and interactive development for the sport itself right from street level through to the professional circuit.

Appointed by PSA Chairman Ziad Al-Turki, the Saudi Vice-President of the ATCO Group who has already made the Saudi International the most financially lucrative tournament for players, the PSA aims to 're-brand' the Super Series as a modern and exciting spectacle - and believes there is a huge opportunity for the re-emergence of this fast-paced sport.

"The image and therefore perception of World Squash hasn’t really moved on since its inception," said Al-Turki, during the Saudi International - the world's richest ever squash tournament which is taking place currently in the Saudi city of Al-Khobar. "I’m excited to be working with Greenspace who have really captured our imagination with ways to bring the sport alive to a new audience as we approach the 2012 Olympics."

Greenspace will be looking at all aspects of the game, from the design of the court and audience experience at the tournament, through to player uniforms and profiles and marketing campaigns. Early ideas include concepts for light displays and even a sonic branding element that captures the unique sound of squash.

This refreshing new experience will be launched through 2009 and Greenspace is keen to make it one of the most exciting sporting expressions of the year. A key moment for the sport will be the ATCO Super Series Finals at Queen's Club in London in March, followed by the Saudi International in December 2009.

As a keen squash fan, Greenspace Creative Director Paul Blackburn is especially excited: "On a personal level, this is really a dream job. I played squash all through my youth, so it’s great to now be able to make it a much more popular and visible sport for the present day," said Blackburn.

Greenspace Founder and CEO Adrian Caddy adds: “With our experience of developing campaigns and events for global brands like Toyota Motor Europe, Heineken International and Nokia, and with the enthusiasm and support of Ziad Al-Turki, we’re in an ideal position to develop the World Squash Super Series into a truly contemporary, popular and global sporting event."