—- As we look back on the inaugural Soccerex Asian Forum in Jordan, held in partnership with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), initial estimates show that over 800 delegates, across 50 countries, flocked to the banks of The Dead Sea for this outstanding event.

With a record number of FIFA, AFC ExCo members and football presidents in attendance, including HRH Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, (FIFA Vice-President Asia), Sunil Gulati, (USA), H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, (Qatar) and Chung Mong-gyu, (Korea), not forgetting some of the biggest clubs and brands in football including Valencia CF, English Premier League, PepsiCo, Galatasary, La Liga, Liverpool and Manchester City, the event discussed the most pressing issues and challenges in Asian football, and presented opportunities and solutions to raise the calibre of the world’s most popular sport.

Event highlights included:

  • ·         Panel discussion on the Future of Asia with HRH Prince Ali, Moya Dodd, Vice President of the AFC and Winston Lee, General Secretary of the Singapore FA.
  • ·         An insight into the World Cup plans of Qatar 2022, an interview with Nasser Al Khater, Marketing and Communications Executive Director of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy
  • ·         La Liga, US Soccer Federation and leading football agencies and sponsors discuss the development of league football with a particular focus on Asia.
  • ·         Spotlight session on women’s football in Asia, with Moya Dodd and Samar Nassar, CEO of the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
  • ·         The upcoming 2015 AFC Asian Cup held a major presence, including participation in the ‘Major Events’ panel and sponsorship of the Networking Cafe and Happy Hours
  • ·         Wrapping up the Forum, the closing session featured footballing legends – England’s Manchester United Legend Bryan Robson, Argentina’s 1978 FIFA World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles, and France and Manchester United Legend Louis Saha, discussing their thoughts on this year’s World Cup.

Nearly 100 press delegates from around the world attended the event, providing extensive coverage to the global football business community. Some stories generated from the event included:

Soccerex CEO, Duncan Revie, was delighted with the event and commented: “The Forum has exceeded all our expectations. With the incredible support from HRH Prince Ali, and the integral hard work from the AFDP, we have made one truly fantastic event. We cannot wait to be back on the banks of The Dead Sea to do it all over again!”

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About Soccerex

Established in 1995, Soccerex is the leading provider of business events for the global football community. Bringing together key industry decision makers from the world of football, Soccerex provides a unique commercial environment where delegates can benefit from exclusive business opportunities, networking and bespoke educational content.

Since its launch 18 years ago, Soccerex has hosted over 33 events across five continents. The Soccerex portfolio includes an annual Global Convention complimented by regionalised Forums.

About the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP)

Non-profit youth commission founded and chaired by HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and headquartered in Amman. AFDP focuses its needs-based support on strengthening football development as well as promoting social development through football across Asia. With the support of its Official Partner PepsiCo, AFDP aims to cement its place as the leading football development and football for development platform and organization in Asia. For more information on the Asian Football Development Project please visitwww.the-afdp.org