How do global giants transform stadium passion into measurable business growth? On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, the Rome Business School campus became a high-level strategic laboratory. Alongside partners such as Next Different, EIS, and Blink, the school hosted “Game On: The Sponsorship Effect.” This event offered an exclusive look into an industry where data-driven ROI meets high-impact emotional resonance.
Following the success of the Milan edition, the format arrived in Rome. It gathered managers, companies, athletes, and sports business professionals. The day began at 11:00 AM with opening remarks from Massimo Scarcello (RBS), Davide Arduini (Next Different), and Giuseppe Capasso (Football Recruitment). Consequently, the workshop outlined new frontiers for sponsorship as a primary marketing lever.
Modern sponsorship has outgrown the simple logo on a jersey. On the contrary, it is now a sophisticated tool. Indeed, it improves brand perception for 72% of consumers. During the workshop, experts dismantled the old visibility model. Instead, they revealed a strategy focused on long-term value creation.
Paolo Laurito, New Business & Sport Director at Next Different, commented with great clarity:
“Sponsorship is no longer a mere visual presence; it is a strategic ecosystem that must generate measurable value. We created Game On to share this approach with companies and students, offering the tools needed to read the evolution of contemporary sports marketing.”
Furthermore, the Hub Sport division demonstrated how to turn sponsorship into an operational asset. By combining strategy, creativity, and data, Hub Sport guides brands from defining business goals to the final measurement of results.
The strength of this workshop lay in the direct access to the architects of the international sports landscape. Therefore, students analyzed frameworks alongside key industry players:
Additionally, the event analyzed the power of athletes as **Brand Ambassadors**. Elite performers like Olympic champion Martina Valcepina joined experts like Marco Martinasso (FITP), Andrea Cimbrico (FIR), and Mattia Sperotto (AS Monaco). Together, they confirmed that authenticity is now the primary driver of commercial value.
The success of Game On confirms Rome Business School’s status as Italy’s most international hub. The school does not merely teach business; it lives it through constant dialogue with the corporate world. In this context, inclusive leadership does not seek to conform talent to rigid paradigms. Instead, it focuses on evolving organizational systems to fully leverage diverse strategic assets.
Ultimately, the day concluded with a networking session in the school garden. This moment fostered new collaborations between professionals and students. It successfully transformed academic theory into the leadership skills required for the global market.
