Marks & Spencer to be ‘Official Fashion Show Partner’ of the Aircel Chennai Open 2013

Chennai, 24th December, 2012:  Marks & Spencer, one of the UK’s leading retailer with 24 stores in India, has come on board as the ‘Official Fashion Show Partner’ of India’s only ATP World Tour championship, the Aircel Chennai Open 2013.

The world of tennis has always had a serious affair with fashion and style both on and off the court. During the upcoming edition of the tournament that attracts the biggest names from the world of sports, business, films and politics, Marks & Spencer, will host a glamorous fashion evening showcasing their on-trend stylish and fashionable pieces.

Legendary player, Vijay Amritraj will play the master of ceremonies, setting the mood of the evening with his charming personality. The runway will be set ablaze by India’s leading models, as they adorn Marks & Spencer’s exclusive collection and create magic on the ramp. And taking a break from making that perfect serve or smashing back a volley, a number of ATP players will hit the runway showcasing M&S’ stylish range of merchandise.

The fashion extravaganza will be hosted at The Park Hotel, Chennai on Sunday, 30^th December 2012 with an exclusive invite list for the event.  

Venu Nair, Managing Director, Marks & Spencer India said “We’re absolutely delighted to be the ‘Official Fashion Show Partner’ of the Aircel Chennai Open 2013. We’re looking forward to showcase our latest stylish and innovative fashion collection to tennis fans across India. This will be a perfect way to kick off 2013, an exciting year for M&S India.”

Commenting about the partnership, Mr. Ashu Jindal, COO, IMG Reliance said, “We are pleased to have Marks & Spencer on board as the ‘Official Fashion Show Partner’. Their uncompromising attitude towards creating stylish and high quality products has made them one of the most iconic brands in the international market.”

The 18th edition of Aircel Chennai Open has one of the strongest playing fields ever, featuring an impressive line-up of tennis players including top 20 players Tomas Berdych, Janko Tipsarevic, Marin Cilic and Stanislas Wawrinka among others. Both Indian and International participants will compete for the coveted title.

         

ABOUT AIRCEL CHENNAI OPEN 2013

The USD 430,000 Aircel Chennai Open, owned by IMG and operated and organized by IMG Reliance, is India's only and South Asia's premier ATP World Tour Open 250 event. Started in 1996, by IMG, a global leader in sports management and marketing, the tournament has completed sixteen successful years of existence, branding Chennai and India on the global tennis map thus creating a legacy of sorts of promoting international tennis in India. Winner of the prestigious ATP's Player Services Award of Excellence (2006) for its outstanding organization and wonderful hospitality towards the participants and ATP's Best Marketing Award (2008), the event has acquired the status of a much sought-after tennis event for both players and fans alike in the International tennis circuit. The 18th edition of the tournament will be held from December 31, 2012 to January 6, 2013 at the SDAT Tennis stadium in Nungambakkam, Chennai. The tournament is conducted in Chennai under the aegis of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and is organized with the active collaboration of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA).

ABOUT MARKS & SPENCER:

Marks & Spencer opened its first store in India in 2001 and in April 2008  M&S entered the Joint Venture with Reliance Retail to form Marks & Spencer Reliance India Pvt Ltd. M&S currently has 24 stores located in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Amritsar, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Reliance Retail Limited is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited and opened its first retail store in November 2006. It today operates more than 1,000 stores in over 85 cities serving over 2.5 million customers every week.

ABOUT IMG RELIANCE:

In 2010 Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India's largest and most recognized private sector company, and IMG Worldwide (IMG), the world’s leading sports marketing and management company, announced the formation of an equal joint venture to develop, market and manage sports and entertainment in India. The joint venture company, IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd., will create and operate major sports and entertainment assets in the country.  In its first initiative, IMG Reliance entered into an agreement with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to create a new professional basketball league and manage all aspects of the commercial rights to the game in India. IMG Reliance signed a 15-year agreement with the AIFF, to improve, popularize and promote the game of football throughout India, from the grassroots to the professional level.  IMG Reliance has also created a scholarship program to identify and train talented young Indians from sports including - basketball, soccer and tennis–at IMG’s world-class sports training facilities at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida.