NEWS

Palermo is considered by the many as a very important venue for polo. In between the two fields there is a marquee promenade which is well known to all those who have visited. For those who don’t know about Palermo, the promenade is a walk of fame for the stars of the sport. Fans can bump into the current players as well as many legends like a Heguy, a Harriott, and many other famous names within the sport.

The official store of the Argentine Polo Association was spotted halfway down the promenade last year. Now, the place belongs to U.S. Polo Assn., one of the sponsors of the tournament, a great step forward for the brand’s aim to continue growing.

“We are opening to the world, something we want to do from the new leadership of the AAP,” Carlos Menéndez Behety, treasurer of the AAP, told CLICKPOLOUSA. Behety has held this position since last May, when Eduardo Novillo Astrada was elected as President of the AAP. “We want a variety of important brands, like U.S. Polo Assn. In addition, we have to think of global platforms in order to bring polo together and help the sport grow,” Behety added.

This year, Palermo will have a champions on and off the field, as the most important clothing brand of polo in the U.S. is making history.

Why did you decide to bring together the name of U.S. Polo Assn. and the most important polo tournament in the world?

The U.S. Polo Assn. brand has a global reach and our USPA product can be found in over 150 countries with a retail footprint of 900 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores. As we are the official apparel sponsor of the best polo in the U.S., the U.S. Open Polo Championship®, why shouldn’t the brand take the next step and be affiliated with the best polo in Argentina, the 124th Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo? Because we have major licensees in every region around the world, our goal is to build public awareness of the brand and the sport of polo, as well as highlighting our authentic connection to the sport to our licensees’ customers.

Will the brand sponsor only at Palermo or are there plans to support other competitions or tournaments organized by the Argentine Polo Association? Will you also provide official apparel for Argentine teams in official tournaments? (Copa de las Naciones, FIP World Snow Polo) What are your expectations for the years to come?

Over the last few years, USPA Global Licensing, the sports marketing arm of the United States Polo Association has sponsored many different polo events from the East Coast Open, Aspen Valley Polo and Gladiator Polo here in the States to the FIP European Championship, Dubai Gold Cup, the FIP Zone Playoffs and the FIP World Championship in Australia. This is the first year for us to work with the Argentine Polo Association as the official apparel sponsor of the 124th Argentine Open. My team and I will meet with AAP President Eduardo Novillo Astrada to discuss how we can work together in 2018 to improve polo and expand the reach of the Argentine Open to a broader audience while also promoting the U.S. Polo Assn. brand apparel and accessories.

Are you interested to provide apparel for teams who will play at Palermo in the future? If so, do you have any team in sight?

In 2017, we are not providing jerseys for the teams, but we are outfitting the professional umpires with polo attire: white pants, jerseys, caps and jackets. It is my understanding that most of the teams have their own sponsors with their own uniforms. It’s too bad there isn’t a U.S. Polo Assn. team in the Argentine Open, but who knows, that might be a goal in the future.

Do you have any idea of the impact that the arrival of a foreign clothing brand has on Argentine polo by joining its name within a sport usually linked to national brands?

Since we have a strong licensee, Esmo International, who has been granted the licensing rights for all of South America it doesn’t feel like a foreign brand, but rather a natural, organic collaboration. Esmo has 101 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores located in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and we are working to open stores in Argentina. The U.S. Polo Assn. brand and its accessories have been well received by the consumer, and we expect the same in Argentina. The U.S. Polo Assn. brand’s strength and momentum is derived from the USPA’s 126 years of heritage and tradition, our authentic connection to the sport, and our product is well made and sold at an affordable price.

U.S. Polo Assn. was the sponsor of the XI FIP World Polo Championship in Australia. What is your evaluation of the tournament in terms of its global impact? Will you continue the link with FIP? If so, until when and under what conditions?

First, my congratulations to FIP and Peter Higgins and team for a great event. The XI FIP World Polo Championship was well-organized and the tournament with peripheral activities went smoothly, drawing excellent attendance. From the brand’s point of view, we realized tremendous exposure because our USPA product was everywhere. Our branded merchandise was popular; in fact, many styles were sold out. In addition, the broadcast of the event on Eurosport showcased our brand to 1.5 million households in 54 countries and 24 different languages. Our relationship with FIP as the apparel sponsor has worked well for both organizations, and we are currently negotiating a three-year contract for 2018-2020.