news and press

13/11/2008 5th November 2008 Essentially Group has entered into...
Essentially Group has entered into a joint venture with the Fast Moving Signage Company Limited. more

10/11/2008 Acquisition of rugby player management business in South Africa
Essentially Group Limited today announces that it has acquired the management contracts and management team of 40 South African rugby players. more

04/11/2008 Masters Appoints Essentially Group as Exclusive Commercial Marketing Agency
Essentially Group Limited today announces that it has been appointed by Masters Historic Racing (Masters) on an exclusive basis, to develop its commercial strategy and sponsorship opportunities. more

29/10/2008 "The Sun" reports Essentially''s acquisition of Arundel
Sun City 3rd September 2008 more

29/10/2008 International Rugby Board (IRB) extends Essentially event management contract for a further 4 years
Essentially has had its event management contract for the prestigious IRB Awards extended until 2012. more

29/10/2008 Essentially Group acquires Arundel Promotions Limited
Essentially Group Limited has acquired Arundel Promotions Limited, one of the leading cricket and football sports personality and event management businesses in the UK. more

20/10/2008 Essentially Australia – Adam Cooney
Essentially Australia is proud to announce that Adam Cooney has taken out the Australian Football Leagues most prestigious award for 2008: The Brownlow Medal. more

06/10/2008 Red Hot Penny Shares – October 2008 article
"[Essentially’s] record so far bodes well and with the shares on such a low rating I rate them as a buy." more

30/09/2008 IRB Awards Press Release
2008 sees the IRB Awards Ceremony returning to London... the highlight of the rugby calendar. This year tables are available for sale... more

25/09/2008 Essentially client Dan Carter touches down in Perpignan
Link to French language video news report. more

02/09/2008 Essentially acquires Arundel Promotions Limited
Essentially Group Limited ("Essentially" or the "Group"), the AIM listed full service sports marketing, media, management and professional services Group, today announces that it has acquired Arundel Promotions Limited ("Arundel"), one of the leading cricket and football sports’ personality and event management businesses in the UK. more

21/08/2008 Captain''s Christmas Lunch
Following the success of last year’s Sportsman’s lunch featuring Alec Stewart and Jason Leonard, Arundel Promotions, which is now a part of Essentially Group, are busy planning this year’s event and would like you to note this event in your diary as one that is not to be missed... more

11/08/2008 Essentially Group''s delight at Nicole Cooke''s Gold
Essentially Group Ltd (AIM: ESN.L), the full service sports marketing agency is please to announce that its long term client Nicole Cooke kicked off Great Britian’s medal haul on Sunday by taking the 200th GB Gold medal in a rain soaked Women’s road race in Beijing.  Cooke is managed by the Essentially Group Management Division alongside clients such as New Zealand Rugby Union star Dan Carter. more

12/05/2008 Invesco Perpetual Appointed IRB Junior World Championship 2008 Principal Partner
The International Rugby Board and Welsh Rugby Union have announced the appointment of leading fund management firm Invesco Perpetual as principal partner of the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship in Wales from June 6-22. more

08/04/2008 The Professional Jockeys Association Appoint Essentially
The Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) announces the appointment of Essentially as exclusive sponsorship agency. more

11/02/2008 11/02/08 Essentially benefits from IPL and change in the Idian cricket market
Essentially Group (RIC: ESN), the AIM-listed provider of sports marketing, management and media services, through Athletes 1 Group, part of its athletes management division, with offices in London, Mumbai and Melbourne, is pleased to announce the signing of 14 of the 50 players to the BCCI controlled Indian Premier League 20/20 cricket competition for 2008 and beyond. more

23/01/2008 23/01/08 Sponsorship deal for ING Renault F1 team gauteng provincial government contract
Essentially Group Ltd (AIM: ESN.L), the full service sports marketing agency, is pleased to announce that it has brokered a partnership (the "partnership") between the ING Renault F1 Team, a high profile client of Essentially,and the Gauteng Provincial Government ("Gauteng"), South Africa’s largest province incorporating Johannesburg and Pretoria. more

07/01/2008 Essentially Group Welcomes Macarenhas and Finn
Essentially Group is pleased to welcome on board Dimitri Mascarenhas and Steve Finn as clients of the athlete Management division. more

07/01/2008 Canadian Tourism Commission announces official partnership with Cirque du Soleil
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), has announced that it will partner with Cirque du Soleil’s™ newest show Varekai™, premiering at London’s Royal Albert Hall this Tuesday, the 8th January, 2008. more

20/11/2007 HSBC to be Principal Partner to British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 2009
HSBC will be the Principal Partner to the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 2009; it was formally announced at a function at HSBC’s global headquarters in Canary Wharf, London today. more

14/11/2007 Cockspur Rum
Cockspur Rum to become Official Spirit of English Test Match Grounds and extend Cockspur Cup sponsorship with ECB more

21/09/2007 Frontiers Group announce National Trust and Yorkshire Bank sponsorship agreement
Frontiers Group have announced that Yorkshire Bank has been unveiled as the National Trust’s ’Outdoor Programme’ sponsor, supportingEurope’s largest conservation charity by funding environmental initiatives and projects in its gardens. more

07/09/2007 Rugby World Cup
Essentially Group’s Accelerate subsidiary is managing the Rugby Town facility under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. more

05/04/2007 Jockey Sponsorship deal for Dan Carter
Essentially, the AIM listed full service sports marketing and media group, announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Global Sports Management ("GSM") has negotiated a major new sponsorship deal with more

05/02/2007 Motorsport Business Restructuring
Essentially Group, the AIM listed provider of sports marketing, management and television production services, today announces the restructuring of its motorsport business that includes a name change and the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer. more

18/01/2007 Accelerate to advise Lions
Essentially Group, the AIM listed provider of sports marketing, management and television production services, announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Accelerate Sport and Music has been appointed as exclusive broker and manager to represent the commercial interests of the British and Irish Lions ("the Lions") on their forthcoming tour to South Africa in 2009. more

23/01/08 Sponsorship deal for ING Renault F1 team gauteng provincial government contract

Sponsorship Deal

Essentially Group Ltd (AIM: ESN.L), the full service sports marketing agency, is pleased to announce that it has brokered a partnership (the "partnership") between the ING Renault F1 Team, a high profile client of Essentially,and the Gauteng Provincial Government ("Gauteng"), South Africa’s largest province incorporating Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The deal involves the promotion of Gauteng through direct sponsorship of the ING Renault F1 team, culminating in an F1 street event in Johannesburg scheduled for 27 July 2008. The partnership will also feature a competition to be run throughout the Gauteng Province that will offer a chance for one South African winner to drive the ING Renault F1 Team 2007 race car in England in June 2008.

Essentially has a multi year marketing and sponsorship agreement with the ING Renault F1 team and brokered the sponsorship agreement with Gauteng under its appointment. The contract is for an initial one year term with an option to extend for a further two. Gauteng intends to use this new partnership as a platform for increasing its international profile, and generating further inward investment into the region.

The ING Renault F1 Team, which recently signed Fernando Alonso on a two season contract, attracted over 80,000 spectators to its roadshow event in Johannesburg’s Sandton suburb in July 2007. Renault already has a strong presence in the region, and has recently announced that the new Renault Sandero will be produced in South Africa from 2009.

Commenting on the deal between ING Renault F1 and Gauteng, John Byfield, Chairman of Essentially said:

"With this deal we have provided ING Renault F1, one of the highest profile F1 teams in the sport, with a partnership with one of the most innovative and forward thinking regions in the world, whilst simultaneously increasing the visibility of earnings for Essentially. Gauteng is rapidly becoming a global centre for international sport and we look forward to furthering the partnership in maintaining this success for years to come. This contract represents the start of a wide reaching commercial partnership which we believe will realise significant value for Essentially and its shareholders in the medium term".

Flavio Briatore, Team Principal and Managing Director of ING Renault F1 Team, added:

"Essentially’s brief is to find sponsors which have ambitions to become key partners with the ING Renault F1 team over the next few years. Gauteng is such a partner. We are delighted with this innovative relationship which Essentially has helped us to build with a regional Provincial Government which is successfully transforming the region into a global centre of excellence in motor and other professional sports in addition to being Africa’s leading financial centre."

For further information please contact:

Essentially Group Ltd. Telephone numbers:
John Byfield / Bart Campbell

 +44 (0)1534 485626 or +44 (0)20 78207051
Evolution Securities
Bobbie Hilliam / Chris Sim

+44 (0)20 7071 4300
Buchanan Communications +44 (0)20 74665000
Bobby Morse / Susanna Gale