From October 2015, Visma became the title sponsor of Visma Ski Classics – the long distance cross-country championship. The championship includes Birkebeinerrennet, Vasaloppet, Marcialonga, and ten other prestigious and traditional races taking place in several countries.
Fellowship
Visma has experienced a rapid growth over the past years. In light of this, it has been important to maintain a strong internal culture. Overall, this sponsorship has tied our organization even closer. Visma Ski Classics is a venture that goes beyond the office and daily business, and transcends Visma’s divisions and countries. The sponsorship is a common journey all our employees are a part of and share.
Internal pride
The traditional and prestigious races are televised in more than 70 countries and the Visma brand is exposed to more than 20 million viewers. Visma is an integral part of the championship’s name and logo, and the Visma brand can be seen along the tracks, at the skiers bibs, around the finish areas and many more places. The massive exposure has generated great enthusiasm and internal pride. The employees feel that they are a part of something significant, something that interests people worldwide.
Visma Nordic Trophy
A brand new competition for Visma Ski Classics season VII carries the name Visma Nordic Trophy. Our employees has found this competition particularly exciting, as it was initiated by Visma and provides extra strength to the championship. Visma will hand out prize money to the top three male and female skiers at the end of the competition. Visma Nordic Trophy takes place in the Nordic countries and includes Vasaloppet, Birkebeinerrennet, Årefjällsloppet, Reistadløpet and Ylläs-Levi. Many of our employees are planning a visit to some of these races. At Vasaloppet and Birken they also have the opportunity to stop by Visma’s own campus and participate in the public afterski events hosted in the official Visma Ski Classics Trailer.
From couch potato to elite skier
As title sponsor of Visma Ski Classics, we have encouraged six inexperienced skiers within Visma to sign up for Project Ylläs-Levi. The challenge: To get in shape and complete the race Ylläs-Levi. In summary, they have less than four months to go from skiing zeros to long distance heroes. In this period, they are supported by professionals to develop skiing technique and improve their physical health. On April 8, they take on the 60 km long race.
We see that this project has generated a lot of engagement internally. Our employees can follow the participants through blog posts and videos at both internal and external channels. The project is a hot topic at lunch and the participants themselves have experienced a lot of support from their colleagues throughout the project.
Visma Active
A good health is important for both the skiers in Visma Ski Classics and the employees at Visma. Consequently, we have initiated various activities focusing on and facilitating an active lifestyle.
Our employees can participate in the instagram contest Visma Active. To participate, they need to tag their outdoor activities by using the hashtag #vismaactive. It can be all kinds of activities, from skiing to walking the dog in the park. Each week, the employee with the best picture is awarded a Visma Ski Classics item.
In addition to this contest, the employees can enjoy discounts on sport products, “double-pooling-machines” located at some offices, videos providing tips about ski technique, ski waxing and strength training, as well as other sporty activities. We have also designed a Visma Ski Classics collection consisting of ski clothing and various ski items. The collection is popular among our employees and contribute to common affiliation.
Visma Ski Classics 4 kids
In several countries, we are also arranging a fun and family oriented ski event – Visma Ski Classics 4 kids. In this event, we give the children of our employees and other interested the opportunity to feel like real long distance runners for a day. We want children to get to know the great atmosphere before start, the ongoing support during the race, and not to mention the good feeling of having completed a ski race.
To summarise, The Visma Ski Classics sponsorship is a fun and great experience for both our company and our employees. We certainly look forward to continue with similar activities in the future.
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