Clear Channel Exploring Sponsorship Deals In U.K.

Clear Channel Entertainment's (CCE) European music unit is looking to expand its sponsorship activities and has named James Campling as U.K. sponsorship director. Campling, former head of sponsorship at leading London radio station Capital Radio, will report to Tim Smale, CCE Europe's sales VP for the U.K. and another Capital Radio alumnus.

Smale, who joined CCE Europe last year, helped the company complete its three-year, multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal with leading U.K. brewery brand Carling (Bulletin, Jan. 9). Campling has been brought in to develop similar deals.

"There's a mandate to make sure that ticket sales and sponsorship are the two key functions in every single market," Smale tells Bulletin. "We're going to create more Carling-type of partnership deals with other brands and promote concerts that lend themselves to sponsorship." Smale says similar sponsorship services exist at CCE in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia.