ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 22, 2014 – Trusted Choice®, the consumer branding program for independent insurance agents and brokers, was the presenting sponsor of the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Lacrosse Championships July 10-19 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. 
 
As the presenting sponsor, Trusted Choice® was highly visible at the stadium location and vendor village, on the game fields through large sponsor signs on the sidelines and the jumbotron, and through clever giveaways such as branded fans, sun glasses and lip balm. Trusted Choice® was mentioned and visible hundreds of times on ESPN and other media coverage of the games. There was also recognition via the Trusted Choice® player of the game covered extensively on ESPN, and the Trusted Choice® fan of the game.

 

Like the soccer World Cup, the World Lacrosse Championships are held just once every four years. Fans were able to watch the games on ESPN 2, ESPN U and online. The final game between the United States and Canada took place Saturday evening. The Canadians defeated the world champion U.S. team 8-5.

 

“Sponsoring the 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championship was a wonderful opportunity for Trusted Choice® to showcase our tradition of supporting sports on a national and international stage,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Trusted Choice® president and Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) president & CEO. “From hundreds of Little League baseball teams to the annual Trusted Choice® Big ‘I’ National Championship junior golf tournament, to a PGA tour sponsor, Trusted Choice® and the Big ‘I’ have a long history of supporting sports at all levels and it was an honor to support the hundreds of athletes and fans from around the world who gathered in Colorado July 10-19 for the largest lacrosse event in the history of the sport.”
 
Lacrosse is the fastest growing team sport in the United States–even faster than soccer–and has spread to every corner of the country. The World Championships provide a unique and powerful marketing opportunity for the largest brand of independent insurance agents and brokers in the United States. The demographics of the lacrosse community tend to parallel the Trusted Choice® target audience in most markets. The ESPN family of networks broadcast 43 games during the 10-day event on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. The broadcasts were also distributed internationally to those ESPN affiliates that want the programming. In addition, nearly 450,000 US Lacrosse members received Trusted Choice® messages via email and more than 100,000 people attended the games in Colorado.
 
Since the start of this international competition format in 1967, this is only the third time the United States has hosted the games and the first time it has been West of Baltimore. The United States was the reigning World Champion (2010 in Manchester, England) and has been historically dominant having won the gold medal in all but two championships since 1967. The championship takes place every four years and was hosted and managed by US Lacrosse, the sport’s National Governing Body.

 

“We are pleased and fortunate to have Trusted Choice® as the presenting sponsor of the 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championships,” said Bill Schoonmaker, US Lacrosse vice president of strategy & business development. “Their commitment to quality and independence is a fantastic fit for our event and we look forward to working with them and their national network of independent agents.”
 
The list of countries, the final results of the entire series and much more information is available on the World Championship website, which is http://www.worldlacrosse2014.com.
 
Trusted Choice® was launched by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) and several independent agency companies to highlight the benefits independent agencies and brokerage firms offer consumers—choice of companies, customization of policies and advocacy support. It is the premier consumer brand for independent insurance agents and provides national advertising and other strategic tools to reach consumers. Trusted Choice® is the consumer marketing identity for more than 25,000 independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms and 70 leading insurance and financial services companies. For more information, go to www.TrustedChoice.com.