Emerging Market: Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn, Estonia is known as the “Silicon Valley of the Baltic”. Since their independence from the Soviet Union the country has made major strides with the democratically elected government and free market policies. Estonia is a member of the World Trade Organization and the European Union. Estonia serves as a shining beacon of democracy and free market success in Eastern Europe. In recent years Estonia’s economy has been so successful it has been labeled the Estonian economic miracle and the Baltic Tiger. Estonia prides itself on a balanced budget, a non-existent public debt, flat-rate income tax, free trade, full convertible currency, and extremely favorable foreign investment policies.
BC Kalev is a professional basketball franchise that participates in SEB Korvpalli Meistriliiga, Baltic Basketball League, and ULEB Cup. Martin Muursepp (former Utah Jazz first round pick) plays for the team. Travis Reed (former UCLA Bruin) is the team’s starting center and team leader. BC Kalev won the Estonian Cup in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The franchise plays their home games in Saku Suurhall (7,200 capacity).
Tallinn would be an ideal city for an IBL team. There are many successful businesses to call on to support the team in the local community through sponsorship opportunities. 7,200 is a excellent sized arena for IBL play as well. A cluster of teams in Europe (western or eastern) would make more sense than in the UK. The BBL does not draw nearly the amount of fans that a team in Tallinn would draw. For those OMT members interested in Western Europe I would suggest countries like Iceland, France, and Spain.
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