MPS Group, Inc., a leading provider of specialty staffing, consulting and business solutions, today announced that it will take over as title sponsor of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event played in North Florida. This professional women’s tennis event will be known as The MPS Group Championships and will be held at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, April 6-12, 2009.
“As the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour continues to reach new heights, it is exciting to see strong global brands such as MPS Group investing in the sport to take our game to the next level,” said Sony Ericsson WTA Tour chief executive officer Larry Scott.
“MPS Group is a recruitment leader in the fields of law, healthcare, and accounting, all professions that are popular career choices for women,” said Timothy Payne, president and chief executive officer of MPS Group. “Sponsoring The MPS Group Championships will allow us to build brand awareness and underscores our commitment to providing career opportunities for women professionals.”
“Northeast Florida tennis fans are passionate and knowledgeable,” added Lindsay Davenport, winner of 92 singles and doubles titles on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and three-time winner of this event. “With a new title sponsor and site, I expect the event will continue to be one of the favorites on the Tour. It is great for American tennis to see companies like MPS Group supporting the women’s game.”
“With great past champions like Lindsay Davenport, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Venus Williams, and our defending champion Maria Sharapova, we look forward to building on that legacy and making The MPS Group Championships a premier event for both players and sports enthusiasts,” said Tyra Tutor, senior vice president of corporate development for MPS Group. “The broad appeal of women’s tennis provides an excellent platform for MPS Group to enhance its brand recognition and to build awareness for its specialized professional recruitment business units.”
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is the world’s largest premier professional sport for women with more than 2,000 players representing 90 nations competing for $70.8 million in prize money at the Tour’s 60 events in 34 countries. More than 4.7 million people attended women’s tennis events in 2007 with millions more watching events on television networks around the world. Further information on the Tour can be found at www.sonyericssonwtatour.com.
