After a 32 hour journey, I finally touched down in Sydney on an October morning. The sun was poking through clouds that looked like they’d been taken straight out of ‘The Simpsons’ opening credits, and the forecast boasted a 26° day ahead. I unpacked my swimmers and headed straight to the beach to wash any threatening signs of jet lag away. As I jumped inelegantly through the waves of Bondi Beach I knew I had well and truly arrived.
If you had told me a year prior that I would be relocating my life to Australia to set up MATTA’s Sydney office, I would have sarcastically replied “Oh yeah, in my dreams”, yet here I was about to embark on just that; excited and terrified in equal measure.
Perhaps even more valuable for me has been the opportunity to attend a number of events and conferences. It was at a recent event, hosted by the New South Wales’ Office of Sport, that I heard the quote “The strength of sport comes from its stories and traditions, but the future of sport rests on its relevance and innovation.” As fans’ expectations and consumption habits change, we know this to be true. Those who embrace innovation are the ones who will ultimately come out on top, but where there’s resistance or a ‘business as usual’ mentality persists there will be troubled waters ahead.
In a country whose cricket teams (both men and women) have won more World Cups than anyone else. A country that orchestrated a spectacular FIFA Women’s World Cup that ignited the imaginations of girls and boys all over the world. A country that has three different types of ‘football’, whose mullets are iconic symbols that are recognised across the globe. Australian sport is stitched into the fabric of the nation’s culture and with a new office in Sydney, MATTA is in prime position to take advantage of all Australian sport offers. Taking a closer look, just like Micheal Jordan’s partnership with Nike or Roger Federer with Lindt chocolate, MATTA and Australia is a partnership that just makes sense.
