The company is maintaining its position as the longest-ever main sponsor of any sports world championship, a fact that indeed earned Škoda Auto a Guinness World Record last year.
It is the very first time for the event to take place in the cradle of ice hockey and, quite symbolically, also the first time in the new-age history for Škoda vehicles to be the official vehicle of the event in the Canadian territory.
A fleet of 45 official silver vehicles is made up of
Roomster Scouts,
Octavias and Octavia Combis, including a sports version (RS) for the International Ice Hockey Federation President René Fasel. Furthermore, the championships in Canada will be the worldwide TV premiere for the latest
Škoda Superb. Two vehicles are going to be displayed in each of the arenas in Quebec and Halifax.
As usual, Škoda Auto is going to act as
the official partner of the Czech and Slovak national teams. In addition to that, the Škoda emblem and logo are going to appear on the Russian team's jerseys and helmets. “This is more than symbolic for us,” says Head of Corporate Communications
Martin Lauer and explains why: “Russia is one of our most important markets, a country that offers a huge potential for growth, which is why we opened a brand new Škoda assembly plant in Kaluga last year. Moreover, as an ice hockey superpower, Russia have been a tough sporting rival for the Czech Republic for decades.“
The 2008 IIHF World Championships in Canada mark
the 100th anniversary of existence for the
International Ice Hockey Federation, as well as for the
Czech Ice Hockey Association, long-time partners of Škoda Auto. Škoda Auto has been a partner of the IIHF since the world championships in Czechoslovakia in 1992 when its products were the official vehicles of the event for the first time. One year later, the Company became the main partner of the IIHF World Championships. The partnership with the Czech Republic's national team also started in 1992.
Commenting upon the upcoming climax of the ice hockey season,
Martin Lauer says: “The championships are going to see the world's best teams, and we wish every success to the Škoda brand and products, as well as to ice hockey alone. Our liaison with the world's fastest team sport is positive in terms of brand and product visibility and awareness which, along with a positive image, is the key precondition for good results of the entire Škoda Auto corporation. We feel very honoured to have a chance of presenting our vehicles in the country where ice hockey was born. May the best team win!“