World Football Summit appoints APO Group as official public relations agency in Africa

The signing ceremony was led by Jan Alessie, co-founder and director of World Football Summit, Marian Otamendi, director of World Football Summit, and Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, founder and chairman of APO Group

APO Group, the leading pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, has been appointed as the official public relations agency for the World Football Summit (WFS) in Africa.

The signing ceremony, which took place today in Madrid, Spain, was led by Jan Alessie, co-founder and director of World Football Summit, Marian Otamendi, director of World Football Summit, and Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, founder and chairman of APO Group. Both organisations committed to an enduring partnership aimed at utilising football to promote positive change in African society, fostering networking and business prospects, and ultimately cultivating economic growth in African economies.

The multi-year agreement will see APO Group coordinate all media activity for WFS in Africa, including the distribution of press releases for WFS events, online press conferences, interviews, and placements in some of the most prominent African media.

World Football Summit is the biggest platform dedicated to the football industry. Since its inception in 2016, WFS has successfully attracted over 22,000 attendees across 17 events and has built a global community of 90,000+ sports industry executives throughout its platforms. Top names in the industry, including Gianni Infantino, Fatma Samoura, Ronaldo Nazario, Peter Moore, and Cindy Cone have participated, showcasing the event's significance in the global football landscape.

WFS Africa is the flagship event in the African football industry calendar. The event features high-calibre industry leaders from Africa and overseas who will discuss and debate key topics such as the legacy of the FIFA World Cup and the opportunities of hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup in South Africa, digital adaptation, talent development, new competition models, smart investment, the rise of OTT, and sponsorship activation.

During its first edition on the African continent, held in Durban, South Africa, more than 700 on-site attendees enjoyed the possibility to network and make thousands of connections, helping accelerate opportunities that would normally take years to materialise. For its next edition, which is still pending an official date, expectations are for it to reach over 1,000 attendees from all over the world.

As the official public relations agency for WFS in Africa, APO Group will work with the global WFS organisation to help build its profile in Africa – one of the biggest growth markets for the football industry. APO Group will also manage all public relations activity for the WFS Africa event.

APO Group will also leverage its vast client network of 300+ multinational companies, African governments, and international institutions to explore potential partnerships for future WFS Africa events.

APO Group operates at the very heart of sport and business in Africa. It has extremely strong credentials in the football industry as the pan-African public relations agency of FIFA, and the official partner of French football club Olympique de Marseille’s African programme, OM Africa.

It is also the official public relations partner of Rugby Africa; strategic partner of the Olympic Movement in Africa (ANOCA); the pan-African public relations agency of the NBA and the Basketball Africa League; and the official partner of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).

“APO Group is perfectly positioned to help us connect the worlds of football and business in Africa,” said Jan Alessie, co-founder and director of World Football Summit. “Their vast media network will carry our news to every corner of the continent, and their relationships with key government, multinational companies, and public institutions will help us drive new conversations about the African football industry. Together, APO Group and the World Football Summit aim to foster collaboration and drive the business of sport to new heights across the continent.”

“The football industry holds a global economic value of well over $200bn, with a significant portion of this revenue concentrated in Europe. By increasing the visibility of the World Football Summit in Africa, APO Group aims to actively contribute to the growth and development of the business of sport across the continent,” said APO Group founder and chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard. “We are completely aligned in our vision for raising the profile of the game in Africa, creating new networking and business opportunities, and ultimately driving growth in African economies.”