With summer in full swing, the 2007 Paris Beach Volleyball Grand Slam has arrived, with a total of 64 teams – 32 men’s and 32 women’s – from 40 nations vying for victory. Following a successful première last year, Henkel is again headlining the event as its title sponsor. The tournament features the best teams in the world meeting head to head at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, with the winners due to be crowned on June 24. In addition to Paris, Henkel has also sponsored the Grand Slam tournament in Austria’s Klagenfurt on Lake Wörthersee, which is again scheduled for the beginning of August this year.

Henkel, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary of operations in France this year, will be a prominent presence as title sponsor on signage, flags and banners in the venue. Moreover, of the 60 brands Henkel markets in France, the company is showcasing, among others, Fa, Diadermine, Pattex, Pritt, Schwarzkopf Professional and Bref with some eye-catching campaigning. A magician will be on view performing tricks with Pritt brand products, and visitors will also be able to test their balancing skills in a “Bref-type” surfing competition. There is room in the arena on the Champ de Mars site for 6,500 spectators per game who will be able to enjoy the spectacle of world-class beach volleyball free of charge.

The complement of around 250 beach volleyballers will be playing on 2,000 metric tons of specially shipped sand – not just for the prize money of 600,000 dollars but also for valuable ranking points that go toward qualification for the 2008 Olympic Games. The best 24 male and female teams can expect to earn a place in the Beijing showcase of this sport, which gained its Olympic credentials in 1996.

Henkel sponsors top sporting events and sports teams throughout the world. These include the World Ice Hockey Championship in Russia, and the World Handball Championship in Germany. And in the elite class of motor sport, Formula One, Henkel is an official sponsor of and supplier to Team McLaren Mercedes.