IAA Romania Launches the “Sports Marketing Masterclass with Iulia Niculae-Cuciurean”, a Program Dedicated to Companies and Agencies Investing in Sport
IAA Romania announces the launch of the Sports Marketing Masterclass: From Sponsorship to Impact for Business and Community, a program designed for professionals working in companies and agencies that use, or intend to use, sport as a platform for marketing, communication, and business development.
Designed and delivered by Iulia Niculae-Cuciurean, Head of Marketing at the Romanian Football Federation, the masterclass aims to provide participants with a practical perspective on how investments in sport can generate value for brands, communities, and sports organizations.
At a time when sport has become one of the most relevant platforms for connecting brands with their audiences, success is no longer defined solely by signing a sponsorship agreement, but by the ability to build meaningful partnerships, create effective activations, and deliver measurable results.
„In my almost 11 years of experience in sports marketing, I have worked with more than 150 companies and agencies in Romania and abroad to develop campaigns, partnerships, and activations. This experience has shown me that the success of an investment is not determined by the value of the sponsorship agreement, but by the ability to transform that partnership into value for the brand, the sport, and the community.
This masterclass brings together experiences, lessons learned, and best practices accumulated through real projects, in a practical format with immediate applicability for professionals who want to invest in sport or maximize the value of their current investments,” says Iulia Niculae-Cuciurean.
The masterclass will take place on November 24 at the IAA headquarters, located at 126 Calea Victoriei, 3rd Floor, District 1, Bucharest.
Registration:
The program is designed for marketing and brand managers, communication, PR, CSR and sponsorship specialists, agency consultants, as well as all professionals involved in the development and activation of sports partnerships. Key topics include:
- The sports ecosystem, and the development and activation of sports partnerships;
- Measuring impact and return on investment;
- Key elements that should be included in briefs, scripts, concepts, and activations for successful campaigns;
- Managing relationships between brands, agencies, rights holders, and athletes;
- Current trends in sports marketing;
- Local and international case studies.
The masterclass will feature Telmo Esteves, Senior Marketing Manager: Brand Strategy & Campaigns at the Portuguese Football Federation, as a special guest. Telmo will discuss the principles behind building authentic connections with fans, the challenges and opportunities of managing an ecosystem that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, and how cultural elements are integrated into football storytelling.
Through this initiative, IAA Romania aims to contribute to the development of professionals operating at the intersection of marketing, business, and sport, while supporting the strategic use of sport as a growth platform for brands and communities.
“We are delighted to have Iulia join IAA in this project. Her experience, built over more than a decade in sports marketing and validated through campaigns recognized both in Romania and internationally, provides participants with access to knowledge and practical examples that are rarely available in a traditional educational setting. This masterclass reflects IAA’s mission to bring marketing professionals closer to practitioners who have delivered real results and can transform their experience into applied learning,” says Victor Dobre.
About Iulia Niculae-Cuciurean
With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communication, Iulia Niculae-Cuciurean has led the marketing activities of the Romanian Football Federation since 2016.
Throughout her career, she has managed the development of 15 sports brands (including the Romanian National Team, Generation of Soul, and the Romanian Cup), been involved in seven UEFA EURO tournaments, and overseen marketing activities for hundreds of matches, fan engagement campaigns, sports product launches, and merchandising collections.
Her work includes nationally and internationally awarded campaigns, including projects recognized by UEFA and Effie for creativity, impact, and innovation, such as the EURO 2024 campaign “When We Dream Together, We Gather Together”, winner of a Gold Effie; the launch of SuporteRO, winner of first place in the Commercial Partnerships category at the UEFA Grow Awards; and the FRF B.R.A.V.O. Black Card campaign, which attracted the attention of more than 70 publications across 50 countries.
About IAA Romania
IAA Romania is the largest and most representative professional association in the marketing, communications, and media industry. It is a unique strategic partnership representing the interests of more than 110 companies active in the industry, including advertisers, advertising and media agencies, and media organizations.
IAA’s objective is to transform Romania into a global creative hub, becoming the compass of the marketing and communications industry.
IAA Romania is affiliated with IAA Global, headquartered in New York, with chapters in more than 56 countries worldwide. In recognition of its excellence, IAA Romania has received the global IAA Inspire Award three times, as the most active and creative chapter in the world.