Squash Australian Open | Partnership Pack

The new Squash Australian Open

Thank you for taking the time to discuss partnering with Squash Australia and the Squash Australian Open. It truly is an exciting time for the sport, with numerous changes to our competition and events system on their way.

As the Professional Squash Association (PSA) launches its new global strategy that will lift the sport to a level never before seen, Squash

Australia will also be reshaping the elite competition side of our sport. The Australian Squash Tour will once again be re-introduced into the domestic calendar, and over the next few years will become a true destination for the best Squash players in the world.

In addition, we are re-energising the Squash

Australian Open. Once one of the great tournaments of World Squash, the Squash

Australian Open will once again become an iconic tournament for the world’s greatest. With a vision of the Squash Australian Open becoming a platinum event towards the end of this decade and a million dollar tournament, the process is starting now. Squash Australia, together with a number of partners will be starting this process in 2023 with a new look and feel being created, the location changing to a major capital city focus, and the prize money being elevated that will attract the highest ranked players.

Together with these changes, we are seeking Iong long-term partnerships to support the Squash Australian Open, and a range of National Championships and Australian

Squash Tour events. This unique opportunity would support the· re-emergence of our international flagship event that builds the profile of our sport and provides inspiration and aspiration for our athletes.

Squash is a sport enjoyed by people of all ages, and backgrounds and contributes, positively to enhancing community health benefits.

We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our proposal.

Robert Donaghue

Chief Executive Officer

Squash Australia

Squash Australian Open

The future of Australian squash

A vibrant five day live event with an additional community day for inclusion of the local squash and sporting community

Put Squash in Australia on the World stage ahead of the run into the 2026 Commonwealth Games and 2032 Olympics Games

An expected 5,000 spectators during the duration of the SAO

Australia's best Squash athletes as ambassadors

Rachael Grinham - Former World Number 1, 6 x Commonwealth Games Athlete,

6 x Commonwealth Games Medalist,

2022 Australian Flag Bearer &

3 x Australian Open Champion

Squash in Australia

Squash Australia is the national organisation for squash in Australia, as recognised by the Professional Squash Association and the World Squash Federation.

Squash Australia was founded in 1934 and is based in Brisbane. It organises and oversees many professional tournaments each year, along with many other official squash events.

Australia is the leading Squash nation when compared by medals won against medals available at the Commonwealth Games since the sports inclusion in 1998. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games Australia won two gold medals and one bronze medal.

dynamic Squash Australia Board, is driving a new era of Squash in Australia. For many years the sport has drifted from the glory days of the 1980’s and 90’s when Squash was one of the most popular sports in Australia. Now, with the new global strategy announced by the PSA, Squash has the opportunity to reclaim a leading place in the Australian sporting landscape

Squash is a top 30 sport in Australia with a resurgence in participation in recent years.

Robert Donaghue has been the CEO of Squash Australia since January 2021 and along with a

Former Australian World Number 1's and Australian Open Champions

Michelle Martin

Squa

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Opportunities Squash is big

Spurred on by success in the 1970’s and 80’s when infrastructure was developed to a high level across the country, the sport has maintained a steady position amongst individual sports.

The rebuilding of the Squash Australian Open system is a key part of this.

170,000+

Active participants across Australia

240,000+

Casual participants across Australia

With participation most prominent in those 35 and below, it is considered a sport demanding a high level of fitness, in particular at the highest level.

Squash Australia is the governing body of the game and is currently overseeing the re positioning of the sport more broadly to ensure it thrives well into the future.

1700+

Courts in nearly 558 Australian squash centres

Squash participants are skewed towards higher income earners and are more highly represented in the

$150,000

plus bracket

* Ausplay Data

PSA

&

a vision

for the future

Founded in 1975 and based in England, the Professional Squash Association (PSA) is the governing body for the men’s and women’s professional squash circuit.

The body operates in a similar fashion to the ATP and the WTA for tennis. The PSA

Tour involves over 750 tournaments annually around the world Over 1,450 players from all the 5 continents (over 80 different countries represented) are registered with the PSA and rankings are updated weekly based on players' performances.

The PSA are currently undergoing long term change with a move in 2024 planned that will create a grand slam tour with each of the three initial grand slam events boasting USD $1 million in prize money, the highest amount of prize money in the history of the game and a move that will change the face of the sport.

The current male world number 1 player,

from Eqypt, is Ali Farag

The current female world number 1 player,

from Egypt, is Nouran Gohar

Squash

Australian Open

The future of Australian squash

The Squash Australian Open is an iconic event on the world squash calendar. With a history dating back to 1928, it has long been a destination event for the very best talent.

The PSA have a vision that over the next 5 years they will stage three USD $1 million grand slam events. The PSA and Squash Australia are developing a 10-year plan for the Squash Australian Open to reach the USD $1 million prize money mark and achieve platinum status.

From 2023 onwards, Squash Australia in partnership with the PSA, are planning on the Squash Australian Open becoming a platinum tour event where the standard of play becomes world class with the best 96 players (male and female) in the world attending, and the prize money lifts year on year.

At the same time, the reintroduction of the Australian Squash Tour (AST) will not only reinvigorate the sport in Australia, it will be a key period on the world squash calendar. Held in the lead up months to the Squash Australian Open, the AST will be promoted more than we have ever seen previously, and act as a key promotional tool heading into the Squash Australian Open.

Cameron Pilley – Former World Number 1 and 3 x Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist

SqA each year will host the Squash Australian Open and a host of associated events in a ‘festival of squash’ style event delivery in the city as a part of the Squash Australian Open.

Iconic location that showcases the host city and partners to the World of Squash.

We anticipate that global exposure through our partnership with the PSA will be significant. It is expected that the Squash Australian Open will reach 5 million unique TV-viewers and 3 million unique social media users. There will be 2 million video views on SQUASHTV and social channels with a total watch-time of 10 million minutes across PSA owned platforms.

Squash Australia has partnered with the Seven Network in Australia for the domestic broadcast of the SAO.

We anticipate that there will be 5,000 unique visitors with it being estimated 3,300 from interstate and 1,700 from overseas. This information is based on previous similar standard events staged by the PSA.

The SAO will be comprised of the Squash Australian Open itself, and the Australian Squash Tour (AST) which will be a bundle of high profile events attracting the best players from around the world in the lead up to the SAO.

In the lead up , and during , the SAO , SqA and partners will build activation sites in key locations with fun ‘ pop - up ’ squash courts a key feature of the activation ( Please see images on the previous page )

S q A w ill st age an ama t e ur t o ur namen t t ha t w ill s i t along s ide t he SAO and t he Fe st i v al of S qu a s h

Thi s t o ur namen t w ill us e t he squ a s h co urts in and a r o u nd t he ho st ci ty.

We expect we will receive upwards of 500 participants in this event.

In order to optimise and promote the benefits of squash during the SAO and the Festival of Squash , we will be partnering with an appropriate charity , something we believe is important given the benefit that Squash can bring to communities.

Squash Australian Open Partner Benefits