These are interesting times for the sports industry and its partners, as the economic downturn and the reducing availability of credit usher in a sea change in the commercial confidence in sport. The importance of sports marketing and sponsorship to the production and consumption of sport cannot be overstated. Not since the start of the new millennium have these practices come under such scrutiny for their value and dependability. However, this is where marketing and sponsorship can reinforce their value to sport’s myriad stakeholders. This should happen not just at the international and elite levels of sport but also in local communities, to prove that the transactional approach to sponsorship no longer has relevance and that authenticity and substance have become the hallmarks of the relationship approach that will hopefully dominate future practices.

I am pleased to be taking over the stewardship of the Journal from Professor Simon Chadwick, who over the past four years has continued the successful development of this publication. Central to this has been the establishment of a double blind peer-review system, which has increased the Journal’s quality and reputation with each passing volume and seen it become one of the premier sports marketing publications in an industry that is dynamic and innovative.

There are still challenges facing the Journal for its continued growth, and I am very happy to have Paul Kitchin alongside as a deputy editor to help me in this work. His contribution has already been significant for this issue and I am sure we will make a great team.

Our first challenge is that despite being an ‘international’ journal, our global evidence is still dominated by work from Western Europe, Australasia, North America and the Far East. While this may well correspond to the majority of sports management and marketing programmes internationally, there is a pressing need to increase submissions from Africa, South and South-East Asia and South America. The staging of the 2010 World Cup, the increasing popularity of European football in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and, until recent developments, the promising beginnings of the Indian Premier League highlight the development of sport in these regions. Our publication should begin to address the issues they face. One of our aims, therefore, is to appoint regional editors to work with our European base to increase the quality and relevance of submissions.

The second challenge is to enhance our contribution to sports marketing and sponsorship practice while also increasing the Journal’s use as a resource for teaching.

Becoming all things to all audiences is not our intention, but by maintaining the quality of research published we can provide the platform for these complementary goals. We also aim to develop more case studies to demonstrate good marketing and sponsorship practice to industry and to benefit academics and students in the classroom. In 2009 we plan to host a conference in London to emphasise the value of such a platform for both practitioners and academics, to build new bridges and encourage new research programmes.

Professor Michel Desbordes,

Editor

Email: michel.desbordes1@wanadoo.fr

Paul Kitchin, Deputy Editor

Email: PJ.Kitchin@ulster.ac.uk