#ESAawards
Special Categories
• ESA Best of Europe
for 2017 national sponsorship award winners across Europe, 3 awards: Bronze, Silver and Gold – by invitation only
• ESA Sponsorship of the Year
the overall best sponsorship campaign of the year and how it was brought to life – winners of the 10 eligible categories below (marked with an asterisk) are judged for this award
Main Categories
A project may be entered into more than one category, but a separate entry form must be prepared and tailored to suit the specific category selected.
Please refer to the Rules of Entry for further details.
Sector-focused awards
• *Arts & Culture Sponsorship of the Year
an award specifically focused on the arts and culture sector – the best sponsorship by a brand in this area
• *B2B Sponsorship of the Year
the best business to business sponsorship activation (a campaign targeted specifically at business customers rather than consumers)
• *Community Sponsorship of the Year
the best sponsorship that makes an impact on communities – small and large
• *CSR Partnership of the Year
the best CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) partnerships/ sponsorship that help to fulfil an organisation’s CSR agenda
• *Media Sponsorship of the Year
best media partnership / sponsorship across all channels e.g. sponsoring a TV programme, digital channel, magazine, broadcast partnerships etc
• *Sport Sponsorship of the Year
awarding the brand that has demonstrated a successful sponsorship in sport.
3 sub-categories:
– *Sport Sponsorship < €1million
– *Sport Sponsorship between €1million and €2million
– *Sport Sponsorship > €2million
Discipline-focused awards
• Best Newcomer to Sponsorship
recognising a brand new to sponsorship, entering a new sponsorship contract or a new business/ agency in the industry
• *Best Use of Branded Content in Sponsorship
the most effective use of branded content in a sponsorship campaign
• Best Use of Digital Channels in Sponsorship
best overall digital campaign – does not have to be specifically social media, it should reflect overall use of digital as a platform (e.g. use of website, content, and social media) linked to a sponsorship or event
• Best Use of Employee Engagement in Sponsorship
the best activation of a sponsorship specifically targeted at engaging employees
• Best Use of Hospitality in Sponsorship
celebrating creativity and execution specifically in hospitality as part of a sponsorship programme
• Best Use of Innovation in Sponsorship
recognising the person, organisation or brand that has demonstrated innovation in the sponsorship industry. This includes new research, measurement or evaluation in the field of sponsorship
• Best Use of PR in Sponsorship
the best example of how PR has been used as part of a sponsorship campaign, or in a tactical way to activate around a sport and music event / moment / news story
• Best Use of Social Media in Sponsorship
best use of social media by a brand in sponsorship execution or tactically in sport, music or entertainment
• *Best Use of Talent in Sponsorship
best use of talent in sponsorship and activations – may be an ambassador, celebrity, influencer, blogger, sports star etc and can be an individual, group or team
Organisation-focused awards
• Agency of the Year (Pan-Europe)
recognising the very best agency or consultancy engaged in sponsorship (or related disciplines) work that spans MORE THAN ONE European country. Usually, you will have offices in more than one European country
• Agency of the Year (Single Nation)
recognising the very best agency or consultancy predominantly focused on delivering work in sponsorship (or related disciplines) in ONE European country. Usually, you will only have offices in one European country
• Rights Holder of the Year
celebrating the Rights Holder that has gone out of their way to support sponsoring brands, offering innovative solutions and opportunities, and hitting targets. The RH may be a charity, sport, music festival, artist or athlete.
***the ESA Sponsorship of the Year award brings the winners of 10 eligible categories (see asterisk) together to be judged again by the expert panel of judges and one campaign that is regarded as the very best among these winners, is crowned ‘ESA Sponsorship of the Year’.