KEMPINSKI Hotels are not a brand previously associated with the game of darts and nor, until very recently, would you have expected them to be. However, the private hotel chain’s new partnership with Dutch darting icon Michael Van Gerwen speaks very to the success of those seeking to broaden the appeal of the tungsten arts.
The Boardroom team is aware that for some time now many behind the scenes in our game have envisaged a move away from the betting, booze and sin product promotion, to more Golf-like prestigious brand partnerships. This weeks MVG & Kempinski tie up may be the first of those to actually come to fruition:
Geneva, 6 March 2024 — Kempinski Hotels is proud to present a new brand ambassador: Michael van Gerwen, triple Darts World Champion, signed a partnership contract with Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group in a ceremony held yesterday at one of Kempinski’s flagship hotels, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. The 34 years old Dutch world-class player has been part of the Dart’s elite around the globe since the age of 13 and won the World Masters as the youngest player ever at the age of 17.
 |
The versatile game’s popularity has seen impressive growth over the past decades, not only through the high increase of private players, but also by the fascination of international competitions with their universal appeal. As the game has also become more widely televised, the World Darts Championships continuously see an average of two million viewers and the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) announced its prize money for a year had reached USD 20 million.
Since my early age, I have been fascinated by this game, which is easy to play, but extremely difficult to master on a professional level,
Focus on the performance is key to each throw, and mental effort is even higher than physical effort. Only through intense and constant mental training am I able to stay calm and balance my tension, which brought me to where I am today.
Michael van Gerwen’s first televised title in the PDC was the 2012 World Grand Prix, where he defeated Mervyn King 6-4 in the final. Since then, Van Gerwen has gone on to truly dominate the PDC, winning 47 PDC major titles, including three World Championships.
Van Gerwen, who also goes by the names ‘Mighty Mike’ or ‘Green machine’, has won several times all crucial tournaments a professional player can dream of and has truly amassed titles all over the world: He also won 36 times on the European Tour and 16 times on the World Series, the Premier League, The Masters and the Champions League, the World Matchplay and the UK Open. He is the second most successful player in the history of the Professional Darts Corporation.
 |
“It gives us great pride to be partnering with Michael van Gerwen as our new brand ambassador”
“Kempinski stands for focus on beautiful performances, precision in quality and service, craftsmanship, as well as its commitment to being best in class in every aspect of hospitality – values we definitely share with Michael. Michael shares similar passions for outperforming the competition and brings this commitment to the centre stage, aligning seamlessly with Kempinski’s vision to elevate itself to the next level.”
René Nijhof, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Kempinski Hotels S.A.
“Michael will add to our brand awareness and increase visibility of the Kempinski brand throughout his immense presence at the Dart World Championships and his constant appearance on TV.”
Even though travelling can be exhausting sometimes, especially when you are always on the road like I am, I still never get tired of discovering new destinations and staying at high class hotels”
Over the past years, Kempinski Hotels have been home to me away from home and I have enjoyed staying at many of their outstanding properties. For me this is an iconic brand which has stood out over more than 125 years for its elegant hospitality, high-end quality, fabulous and personal service and pioneering spirit. I am very proud to be associated to this world famous brand.
Michael van Gerwen,
The next major tournament on his programme is the PDC European Tour 2024 from 30 March – 1st April in Zenith, Munich, Germany. Michael is married to his wife Daphne and is a father of two.
Will this unusual deal become more of the norm for top dart players, with perhaps the top 10 having a variety of such deals and events in Saudia Arabia or the Emirates being sponsored by Rolex or similar?
—–ENDS—–
Images: Copyright Kempinski Hotels
Grab the current print issue 585 here or a 50th Anniversary Darts World bundle 581 here
The Darts World 50 limited edition dart set is available to order (Here) in your choice of pack
