About International Football Arena IFA
The International Football Arena Ltd (IFA)., has been founded in Zurich in 1993 (formerly Art & Weise AG).
The agency specialized in athletes-management and focused more and more on the fields of football.
Since 1999 the IFA has been hosting events, fostering debate and inspiring exchange between decision-makers in the business of football. Over the years IFA Conferences moved to China, Malaysia, India, Japan, Brazil and Germany. IFA addressed current affairs in the football industry. It always intended to spot trends and identify conflicts or opportunities early on.
IFA Community
With its conferences and high-level round-tables IFA brought together ministries, associations, leagues, clubs, sponsors, media, law firms, rights agencies, stadium architects, players managers. To learn from other industries, IFA has connected with leaders from other business areas such as Formula One, American Football, Music - or Digital Industry. For its conferences IFA was always supported by corporate partners, many with big names such as Telekom, Chelsea FC, Financial Times, Audi, Vontobel, PWC ,Sony and many more.
Circle of Excellence
IFA has never had the intention of attracting the masses. We want to stay exclusive and form a circle of excellence with our global community. IFA often provides first-time encounters leading to new personal and business relations. There is nothing to replace personal contacts. Personal exchanges, eye contact continue to be the moments that define the future of an acquaintance. An initial personal encounter at an IFA event results in a string of e-mails, phone calls and meetings.
Let’s work
together
International Football Arena Ltd.
Obstgartenstrasse 34
8136 Gattikon, Switzerland
Marcel Schmid
Founder
Marcel Schmid is the founder and chairman of International Football Arena (IFA) Ltd which is based in Zurich, Switzerland. Originally he was a journalist and producer in the fields of print media, radio and Swiss television. In 1993 he started his own agency, who became the producer of the prestigious football-business-conference in 1999. He managed to stage these high-level events in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Berlin over the last decade. Thanks to his growing network of high-level players in the football industry, his advice is valued from companies, clubs and media. In his youth he played with Grasshopper-Club Zurich for 9 years.
Marco Casanova
Executive Board
Marco Casanova has been active in sports management for more than 25 years, including as Head of Communications, Sponsoring and Marketing of the Swiss Ice Hockey Association SEHV (Zurich) and as Head of Communications & PR of the ATP Tour (Monte Carlo). Furthermore he worked at Swiss television SPlus as head of sports and football journalist and is an expert and lecturer in Intercultural Communications and for brand and reputation guided stakeholder management (he published recently two books; Branding it 3.0 and Pop-Up-Brands).
He has his special expertise and extensive network in football. Amongst others, he was a board member of BSC Young Boys Bern and initiator & project manager of the new multifunctional stadium, Head of Stakeholder Management at UEFA as well as personal advisor to the UEFA President Lennart Johansson and the UEFA General Secretary Gerhard Aigner. For many years he is now advising several exposed companies and personalities in the world of football and sports in general as an Executive Consultant. In his youth he played with BSC Young Boys for 7 years and was the Head Coach of the Under 14 (he holds the Level 4, UEFA A License).
