But how far away, seen from the terraces of the Montecarlo Yachting Club, is the stormy air that makes the structures of the most beautiful sport creak: sheiks partisans vs super league rebels: PSG shopping in defiance of financial fair play (which was suspended, but with other purposes) which brought the coffers of the Barcelona, forced to give up Lionel Messi and those of the Juventus, abandoned in extremis by Cristiano Ronaldo. And maybe that's not all: until the end of the transfer market, the prosecutors who have offices and homes in the shadow of the Rocca del Principe are following the counter-offensive with feverish attention. Real Madrid, on the hunt for Kylian Mbappé, probable star of the World Cup in Qatar, a living jewel worth 180 million euros that blossomed right here in Monaco, a stone's throw from the center of La Turbie, Coverciano beyond the Alps, the cradle of talent blue.
In short, the ideal place for those who have made sport a profession, as well as a mission. As Romy Gay, for 14 years (from 1991 to 2005) marketing manager in a Juventus capable of winning the Champions League and climbing to the top of the world, then consultant for Pepsico's sports initiatives and, at the invitation of the government, in Abu Dhabi to organize the championship of the United Arab Emirates (“we became the fifth federation in Asia, but everything fell apart six months after my departure”). Today Gay drives Awe Sports, a sports marketing agency aimed at those wishing to invest in the world of sport, born thanks to a club deal of entrepreneurs gathered by Antonello Sanna, one of the pioneers of Banca Generali planning, today at the SCM head, one of the most active SIMs on the Milanese market in portfolio management and consultancy.
Awe's headquarters are in London, a major office is about to open its doors in Saudi Arabia where the agency has already scored important coups, from the final of the Italian Super Cup to events with Ferrari and Giugiaro. But it seems like an activity made especially for Montecarlo, the land of the Formula 1 Grand Prix and of great tennis players, who, with the exception of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, have chosen tax-proof domicile here. "But the record belongs to the cyclists – Gay points out – There are 56 professionals who have their residence here. But… ”. But? “I didn't end up in Montecarlo for business, but for love. Not yesterday, but 15 years ago”.
After Juventus… "A closed chapter". In other words, we don't talk about the past, especially in the most delicate moments. With an exception for the Super League. “It has been talked about for a long time. Indeed, at the end of the nineties it was almost done. But, at the last moment Real Madrid backed out. Then it was easier to settle the disagreement, because there hadn't been an echo in the newspapers: the Champions League was enlarged to four teams for the most important leagues and the protest subsided". And this time? “It will be more difficult. I think it will come to a compromise at the turn of the World Cup in Qatar, a truly innovative step in the calendar”. Will it be a revolution? “If we look at history, revolutions are made by the poor, not the richest”.
In short, the labor will still be long. Together with consequences of Covid which have drastically reduced the potential of an emerging group (15 million turnover) of an activity linked to major events, decimated by the contagion syndrome. But Romy Gay and associates (see the CEO Beniamino Savio, among the 100 under 35s who have brought innovation to Italy according to Wired) are not people who hold back. And so, waiting for the return in style with the finals ATP tennis in Turin, Awe has laid the foundations for a fresh approach to the growth prospects of the sports industry. Starting from respect for the environment, the subject of a five-year work project in collaboration with the Turin Polytechnic which will culminate in the definition of a green certificate for large events. “What happened with the pandemic – says Gay – has changed paradigms and accelerated the need for a sustainable approach even for major sporting events”.
In organizing the post-Covid mass events, was the initial reasoning, the negative effects of large gatherings can no longer be overlooked. On the contrary, the impact of CO2 emissions, the integration of renewable energy sources and the recyclability of materials must also be taken into account for sport, as envisaged by the circular economy. Without neglecting, where necessary, the principle of offsetting credits to repay the territories for the damages linked to the mass migrations of sports tourism.
No less challenging are the objectives that it sets itself Sports Horizon Holding, a club deal to invest in startups linked to sportech, a project developed with Scm with the aim, in the medium term, of bringing the most interesting news from sport to Aim Italia. Without neglecting a stake in the virtual economy, halfway between gaming and educational: "Play your future" is a product that is aimed at young people who want to start the professions related to events and all the aspects concerning the business of sport. An international project, for now in English and Portuguese. "But Ronaldo has nothing to do with it" specifies Romy, the green sport manager.
