What are the main trends in sponsorship as we move into 2023?
How have trends changed over time and what are the constants seen throughout?
Join us at Harbottle & Lewis HQ in London to hear Sophie Morris, Jill Downey and Philip Rouwenhorst talk about the top trends the industry can expect to see in 2023.
Places are based on a first come, first served basis, with the number of free places for members dependent on membership level. Doors open at 08:30 for networking before the event begins at 09:00, and there will be more time for networking after 10:00.
Sophie Morris – HOST
ESA Board Director, and Strategic Marketing & Sponsorship Director at Millharbour Marketing | (@SophieLJMorris)
Sophie has been developing and implementing marketing strategies for the last 20 years with Director-level experience in financial services. She now runs Millharbour Marketing, a strategic marketing and sponsorship consultancy, focused on designing research-led business processes and tools for rights holders and sponsors that improve efficiency, relevance and commercial performance.
Sophie is a Chartered Marketer, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, an ESA Board Director, an Advisory Board Member of the Institute for Sport Business at Loughborough University London, a Lecturer and Strategic Sponsorship Programme Developer for Loughborough University London, an Advisory Board member of the Danish Sponsorship group ‘SPOT:ON Club’, a judge of the UK, Belgian and Slovenian Sponsorship awards and a Business Ambassador (Partnerships Management) for School of Hard Knocks charity. She co-founded ESA’s National Representatives workstream and is an international speaker on marketing and sponsorship topics.
Jill Downey
Chief Sustainability & Sponsorship Officer at Core | LinkedIn)
Jill leads the ESG strategy in Core which incorporates Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Climate Action, and Governance. Jill set up Core’s first Diversity committee in 2017 and has steered the company to achieve Gold accreditation in Investors in Diversity from the Irish Centre for Diversity, being only the 6th company in Ireland to achieve this standard to date of a total of seven companies. In 2022, Jill was elected to the Dublin Chamber Council and serves on the Sustainability Taskforce. Jill also leads the Sponsorship Practice in Core, as Chief Sponsorship Officer, working with brands and rights holders to maximise the potential in sponsorship. Jill has over 20 years’ experience in marketing communications, with unparalleled expertise in sport-based campaigns, including AIB and the GAA, SSE Airtricity and FAI, and Sky Ireland and the WNT. Jill has been listed as one of the 50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport, by Sport for Business, each year and for the past six years.
Philip Rouwenhorst
Sr Research Consultant – Sports Sponsorship Impact at Blauw Research | LinkedIn)
Philip Rouwenhorst has 15 years’ experience in measurement, data and insights in the sponsorship industry. As a senior strategic research consultant at Blauw Sponsoring Insights, Philip is responsible for continuous research studies providing insights into sponsorship success. He works on insights projects for clients like Formula One, Just Eat Takeaway and Sony. Philip develops measurement strategies to help sponsors and rights holders maximise the unique value of their sponsorship.
Kelly Simmons
Director of Women’s Professional Game at the Football Association | LinkedIn)
Kelly Simmons OBE took up the role of Director of the Women’s Professional Game in September 2018 to help transform professional women’s football in England. She has developed the FA Women’s Professional Game Strategy to drive the growth of all aspects of The Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship.
She was previously The FA Director of Development, overseeing the implementation of a £200m four-year investment programme into children’s and grassroots football.
Kelly was awarded an MBE in 2002 for services to football and the OBE in 2021 for services to women’s football. She received the BT Sports Industry Award for ‘Leadership in Sport’ in 2016. In 2020 Kelly was named in the ICC All-Star Best IX for ‘doing the most to advance women’s football globally’. In 2022 Kelly was awarded the Arthur Bell Trophy at Sport and Recreation Alliance Annual General Meeting for her contribution to sport. She is a Non-Executive Director of Women in Football, championing gender equality within the football industry.
The webinar recording is available exclusively to ESA members in our website video resources.
Sign-up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about future ESA events and other updates.
