Unifying and vibrant European Championships brand unveiled ahead of inaugural event in 2018

Published: 22 February 2016

Unifying and vibrant European Championships brand unveiled ahead of inaugural event in 2018.

The dynamic Mark of a Champion is the star-like logo representing the vision at the heart of the multi-sport championships brand - to create a must-attend, must-watch experience that elevates the status of European Champions.

With the number of television viewers for the event revealed to be projected at 1.03 billion - with many more across digital channels - Glasgow and Scotland will be promoted across multiple European markets as a leisure and business destination.

The inspiring shapes and colours of the logo - created in partnership by the sports, Host Cities Glasgow and Berlin and broadcast partner the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - come together to represent the defining moments that create champions.

Attending the launch of the brand in Glasgow, Great Britain swimmer Ross Murdoch spoke of his "golden moment" when he won Commonwealth Games gold in the pool in 2014 in Glasgow and said he couldn't wait for the prospect of another chance to be a champion in front of a home crowd.

Funded jointly by the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council, the new event will be run in partnership and allow Glasgow and Scotland to continue to build on the economic and sporting legacy achieved by staging the Commonwealth Games. A cultural, tourism and sporting partnership is also planned with the key market of Berlin.

Almost 300,000 European leisure visitors spent £73 million in Glasgow in 2014, taking up 1.2m bed nights in the city. Of those, Germany was Glasgow's leading European market, with 63,000 visitors spending £14m over 206,000 bed nights

And with sport now contributing more than £360m of added value to the Glasgow economy and tourism bringing £687m to the city in 2014, attracting events of this calibre has become key to the city's economic success. Almost 30,000 people are employed in tourism related activities in Glasgow, with sport supporting a further 10,000 jobs across the city.

The multi-sport event in 2018 will bring together the existing European Championships of athletics aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon with around 3025 athletes coming to Scotland as part of a total delegation of around 8500 including officials, media and others. A further 1500 athletes will compete in Berlin in the European Athletics Championships.

Ross Murdoch said: "Multi-sport events bring out the best in athletes and also in the fans who love getting behind their nation. The moment I won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will live with me forever. It was an incredible feeling and those are exactly the type of moments that will be at the heart of European Championships.

"Glasgow and Scotland has shown time and time again that it has the ability and experience to deliver world-class events and I would love to make the inaugural 2018 European Championships in my home country part of my sporting journey."

London 2012 Olympic gold medallist and six-time world champion Katherine Grainger CBE, who narrated the brand launch film, said: "For every athlete a major championship like the Europeans is extremely important. Whether it is your first time on the team or on the podium, beating your biggest rival,  breaking records or winning gold, it all adds up to so many special moments that will stay with you for ever.

"Bringing a number of sports together in 2018 in Glasgow and Berlin will raise the European Championships to a new level and make it even more exciting to be part of for athletes, coaches and spectators alike. l am already getting excited about 2018.  The countdown has already begun!"

Jamie Hepburn, Scottish Government Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: "I'm delighted that the Scottish Government has been able to support the 2018 European Championships. This is a totally new concept in European sport, so it's tremendous that we can be at the forefront of that, welcoming all these world class athletes to Glasgow, and other venues across Scotland. We have a growing reputation when it comes to hosting major events like this, and I'm sure the people of Scotland will embrace these championships as only they can."

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "I am delighted that Glasgow's vibrant personality shines through this new event brand. We have worked together with these amazing sports to create something that reflects all of our values by embracing our ambition, our strength in unity and our ongoing journey to provide opportunities for all of our citizens through the power of sport and culture.

"The fact that the city will be hosting an event watched by more than one billion people across Europe is a golden opportunity for us to use the magical moments that the athletes, our fantastic home crowd and our many visitors will create to showcase everything we have to offer as a visitor destination."