Performance gears for Asian launch

Performance Asia-Pacific will be headed by managing director Mike Rich, who will relocate to Singapore from Europe in April. Rich is currently second in command of Performance's European operation, which numbers five offices in that region. "We've decided it's the right time to bring this kind of expertise to Asia," said MindShare Southeast Asia chief executive officer Nick Waters. "It's really to advise clients how to market themselves through sports -- from evaluating from a strategic point of view and, within that, (determining) what practical opportunities there are." While Waters would not confirm the specific clients requesting services in Asia, he noted that Performance's European roster includes SAP, Vodafone, Nestlé, Volvo and SABMiller. "A number of our global clients in Europe have started saying that they feel they would benefit from representation on the ground in Asia as well," explained Waters. "It also comes from a sense that sport in Asia is reaching a critical level of interest." In Europe, Performance replaced MindShare offering Broadmind. However, given Broadmind's emphasis on programming and syndication in this region, Waters said that the two arms would remain separate for now. "Broadmind will continue to focus on branded entertainment, and we will continue to assess long-term plans for both entities." In addition to Singapore, furthermore, Waters expect a Performance office in North Asia in due course -- located in Shanghai, Beijing or Hong Kong.