Slovenian institutions partner up with the Dallas Mavericks to promote the country in the USA

The partnerships with the globally renowned Dallas Mavericks, a popular team among basketball fans, and Slovenian top basketball player Luka Dončić will help increase the visibility of Slovenia and its business sector, and showcase the country as an attractive tourist destination in the US market and globally. 

Thanks to our young talented champion Luka Dončić, the Dallas Mavericks drafted a partnership offer for Slovenia, which provides numerous opportunities. While the exclusive authorisation was granted to the Sport Media Focus Agency, the project has brought together numerous other public institutions: the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia (UKOM), the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB), the Public Agency for Entrepreneurship, Internationalization, Foreign Investments and Technology (SPIRIT) and Ljubljana Tourism. Together, these institutions will undertake several promotional activities linked with the game of 11 March 2020 (Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets) as well as the team’s other promotional operations. 

Msc. Maja Pak, Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB), pointed out that the participation of the STB in the project means upgrading its regular activities in the USA: "Slovenia is getting more and more popular in the USA and Luka Dončić has put on quite a show. We have been brought together at the right time and such synergies would otherwise not be generated. This project definitely upgrades the STB activities in the US market."

According to Pak, the STB and the Slovenian tourism industry have significantly enhanced their activities in the USA, which also contributes to the expansion of the investments in the US market. 

Within the partnership with the Dallas Mavericks, the STB's activities will focus on promoting Slovenia as a tourist destination. As part of the partnership with the Dallas Mavericks, the STB will advertise at 10 NBA games in the 2019–20 season. Advertising will also take place at the game called the I FEEL SLOVENIA NIGHT (11 March 2020).

To intensify business connections between Slovenia and the State of Texas, a business conference entitled 'Texas feels Slovenia' will be carried out on 12 March. The event will also incorporate a working meeting or a workshop of the Slovenian tourism industry and the representatives of American tour operators and travel agencies.

The partnership with the Dallas Mavericks was presented by the Slovenian agency, Sport Media Focus, whose Director Tomaž Ambrožič said that the Dallas Mavericks organisation was aware of Dončić’s potential and the fact that sport opens doors worldwide.

Tomaž Ambrožič, Director of Sport Media Focus: "It’s being constantly reaffirmed that sport is an exceptionally effective communication platform. We have never before had a story like this one with Luka Dončić. As a Slovenian, I am proud that the custodians of the ‘I feel Slovenia’ national brand have recognised the opportunity and partnered with the Dallas Mavericks. During the talks that took place in  the recent months, the team showed a great interest in partnership, and also towards Slovenia as a country. We also noticed that they understood the concept of the ‘I feel Slovenia’ brand brought to them by Dončić."

Mateja Malnar Štembal, Head of the Division for the Promotion of Slovenia (UKOM), explained, how the Government Communication Office as a custodian of the 'I feel Slovenia’ national brand assesses this opportunity and stressed that sport is a very effective 'soft tool' to enhance Slovenia’s visibility in the world. Malnar Štembal was also thrilled about the fact that several institutions joint this project.

Msc. Ajša Vodnik, Executive Director of AmCham Slovenia, spoke about the potential for stronger integration of Slovenian and American business sectors in the partnership of the 'I feel Slovenia’ national brand and the Dallas Mavericks. "Luka Dončić is exceptional, and his incredible popularity in Texas and the USA is an excellent opportunity for Slovenia to showcase its best attributes. The motto of the Slovenian business sector says 'green, creative, smart' and if we also add sport to it then the formula of successful integration of our business sector with Texas and the USA is complete. The 'Texas Feels Slovenia' conference directly opens the door to the 10th largest economy in the world as per its GDP, and makes the perfect tool for promotion and integration." Vodnik also highlighted that this project proved once again that Slovenian institutions are united in addressing concrete and targeted American business public and companies.

Eva Štravs Podlogar, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MGRT), summed it up that it is great to see synergies between all institutions, and emphasised that the partnership of the 'I feel Slovenia’ national brand and the Dallas Mavericks also opens doors for the Slovenian business sector to the USA.

SPIRIT and Ljubljana Tourism also joined the project. The US market is particularly important for tourist visits to Ljubljana. In 2018, US visitors generated 6.2 per cent of all overnight stays in Ljubljana, and thus ranked fourth. In 2019, they have already ranked third. In recent years, Ljubljana Tourism has been investing increasingly more funds in the activities on the US market. The great potential for promoting Ljubljana as Luka Dončić’s hometown to possible future guests from Texas or basketball fans in the USA was acknowledged in the partnership with the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. 

Read more about Luka Dončić here. 

On the cover photo (from left): Eva Štravs Podlogar, State Secretary at the MGRT, Ajša Vodnik, Executive Director of AmCham Slovenia, Mateja Malnar Štembal, Head of the Division for the Promotion of Slovenia, Maja Pak, Director of the STO, Tomaž Ambrožič, Director of Sport Media Focus, and moderator Rok Šinkovc.

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