Venezia Enhances Elevate Ties After Serie A Return
Venezia FC has ramped up its association with US-based sports and entertainment agency Elevate as it seeks to capitalise on its return to Italy’s Serie A.
Elevate has been named ‘Agency Operating Partner’ of Venezia, a move designed to accelerate the club’s commercial growth as it returns to the top division of Italian football and expands its global profile. Today’s (Monday’s) announcement comes after Elevate was brought on board by Venezia in April to assist with premium and sponsorship sales, creative and insights.'
As Agency Operating Partner, Elevate will provide support across business strategy, hospitality, corporate partnerships, and creative. The agency will also lead partner discovery and commercial growth, focused on identifying brands to expand the club’s roster of sponsors.
Elevate lent on its premium matchday experience work to help launch of Venezia’s first-ever hospitality boat, designed by the agency’s creative team to offer supporters and guests a distinctly Venetian journey to the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo.
Venezia first announced this venture last month, launching what it stated would be the “pinnacle” of the club’s premium offering – a traditional Venetian-style vessel taking fans from the heart of Venice to home games at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo.
The experience on board La Serenissima (pictured) is reserved for just 75 guests per match, with the goal of providing “tailored services and an intimate atmosphere with meticulous attention to detail”.
Elevate led the creative design of the boat and will support its ongoing commercial strategy. The inaugural voyage set sail yesterday for Venezia’s first home match of the season, a 2-0 defeat to Lecce, with club president Francesca Bodie and Elevate CEO and chairman, Al Guido, joining supporters on board to mark the occasion.
Bodie said: “Returning to Serie A is a moment of pride for our club and our supporters. We are partnering with Elevate to ensure we have the expertise and infrastructure in place to compete at the highest level – not just on the pitch, but across every aspect of our organisation.”
Guido added: “Venezia FC has built an incredibly special identity at the intersection of football, culture, and Venice itself. We’re proud they’ve chosen Elevate as a partner at such an important moment for the club.”
An investment vehicle fronted by experienced US sports executive Tim Leiweke and his daughter, Bodie, bought a significant minority stake in Venezia back in May, after it won promotion to Serie A. The investment was part of a €100m ($116.7m) fund raise conducted by the VFC Operating Committee during 2025-26, aimed at strengthening the club’s financial stability.
Venezia in April announced it had secured the contract to manage the new stadium that is being developed as part of the Bosco dello Sport complex in the Tessera neighbourhood of Venice. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new stadium was held in October, with the 18,500-seat facility targeted for completion in spring 2027.
