Blogs

The European Sponsorship Association is pleased to announce three graduates from the January 2021 intake of the ESA Sponsorship Sales Certificate. Under the guidance of Course Director, Catherine Hawkins, of Think!Sponsorship, they received Distinction, Commended and Pass grades respectively. Congratulations! Find out more about the ESA Sponsorship Sales Certificate now These graduates are this year’s first to pass through ESA’s digital sales certificate, which has allowed ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Seb Dilleyston, Joint-Managing Director of Hope&Glory PR. Give us a brief overview of Hope&Glory PR in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? We are a diverse team of 80 looking after some of the world’s best known and loved brands, fortunate enough to have been named Agency of the Year no fewer than 24 times in 10 years. Our agency purpose is to ‘Create Work People Talk About’, and ... read more

Russian sports sponsorship market has faced no fewer challenges than the European one. Cancelled competitions, safety measurements, restrictions on the number of stadium visitors... It came as a shock at first. However, this is where new digital solutions and partnerships started to appear. What is going on with the sports market in Russia? What are the plans for 2021?   Evgenia Maltseva, a member of ESA and CEO of Sponsor Consulting Russia, has met several members of the Russian sports ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Jason Fletcher, CEO of KORE Software. Can you tell us in less than 100 words what your company does? KORE Software is the leader in sports and entertainment business management solutions, with offices in Vancouver, Denver, New York, London, and Melbourne. More than 850 brands, properties, and agencies rely on KORE to drive process and revenue improvements. KORE’s suite of solutions enables business excellence across ... read more

Who would have thought we would be where we are this time last year? So how are people feeling? Well, it’s pretty damn obvious; people are worried about their health, their loved ones and the economy. But in addition to these worries, we have seen seismic shifts in people’s priorities, behaviours and overall lifestyles. These shifts initially came out of necessity, but our data shows that many of them will endure – reshaping the future of our industry. Key themes for 2021 Our research ... read more

This time last year, I penned a preview to what promised to be a most extraordinary year of sport, culminating in these now immortal words: “strap in for another year of exploration, expansion and excitement, as sport continues to push the boundaries, taking us to places we have never been before” Well, we were certainly taken to new places, though not quite the ones we had hoped for. As Covid-19 gripped the planet, sport came to a standstill with several events cancelled or ... read more

Every year ESA asks its members what they think the top three trends will be for the year ahead. Back at the beginning of 2020, at the turn of a new decade, we asked members what the trends would be to ensure continued growth for the decade ahead.  However, with the pandemic hitting in March, we knew that those trends were likely to have changed and so we asked our members what key trends would define the way in which the sponsorship industry would recover.  We asked the same ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? I’m Ian Sollors, Head of Branded Content at Sunset+Vine. I’ve been in my current role a little longer than I care to admit, although I started life as a researcher for Clive James at the BBC back in the days when a VHS player was the only set top box you really needed.   Give us a brief overview of Sunset+Vine as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? In the UK Sunset+Vine is ... read more

Introducing alumni in focus, a new series where we speak to former ESA Diploma students to find out how their careers have progressed since graduating Dip ESA. Izabela Taseski, who participated in the Diploma in 2015 and leads the brand and partnerships team at activewear brand lululemon, is next up. What role were you in when you started the ESA Diploma? At Barclays (UK) working on Sponsorships. What role are you in now, and how has your career advanced since graduating? At ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? I’m Neil Stephens and I’m the Chief Marketing Officer of Sportskred group. I’ve worked in digital media for about 20 years, starting out in search engine marketing, social media and influencer marketing before moving into tech. Give us a brief overview of Sportskred as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? Sportskred is a technology business that helps rights holders, and their ... read more

At the end of a long year and with the announcement of a widespread Christmas lockdown, it seems like the right time for one last blog of 2020 that reminds us what the incredible yet often unassuming people we live and work alongside are capable of. One such person is Katie Warriner. Katie’s story is particularly relevant at this moment in time. As a junior elite gymnast for Great Britain, she had a career centred around one goal at the exclusion of pretty much all else. Work and play focused ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Dylan Holman. Having worked for both leading agencies including Fast Track (now CSM) and in-house brand roles, I’m currently Global Sponsorships, Senior Manager at investment platform eToro. This role has allowed me to develop a sponsorship strategy which now includes 15+ sporting properties across the world from Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 football clubs through to tennis ambassador Gael Monfils and The eToro Tri Nations ... read more

In March this year as COVID loomed large I started writing blogs. I kept going all the way through ‘Lockdown One’ and, as the outside world tentatively reopened, I paused. Now, as precious daylight hours wane and the cold creeps in, it seems like the perfect moment to round off the year with an inspiring story or two. The first is that of John Stanbridge, RAF Aircraft Technician and… GB Bobsleigh pilot, who juggles a full-time job in the armed forces with national level competitive sport and ... read more

When the first wave of lockdowns rolled across Europe in March 2020, the path forward for sponsorship was unclear. As festivals, major events, competitions and grassroots sport went into an indefinite hiatus, we at the European Sponsorship Association decided a tool was needed to allow us to take the ‘pulse’ of our community throughout lockdown – and the ESA Sponsorship Sentiment Tracker was launched. With wave one going live as lockdowns took hold across the continent, the Sponsorship ... read more

With vaccines starting to appear, and soon available for wide scale adoption, there is a growing sense of optimism that 2021 is not going to be a repeat of the last 12 months, both for us individually but also for sport. With the Tokyo Olympics now only eight months away, and many major competitions scheduled beforehand, both athletes and rights holders (and their respective brand partners) are now able to fully prepare for the excitement that is to come. We’ve seen how the sponsorship ... read more

The 8th of November marked the 25-year anniversary of the landmark Disability Discrimination Act passed in 1995, a civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination against disabled people in relation to employment, provision of goods and services, education and transport – where there had been no such law prior to that. The World Health Organisation estimates that more than one billion people – about 15% of the world's population – experience some form of disability.  There are 14.1 ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Sally Lockyer, Chief Executive Officer, Surrey FA Give us a brief overview of Surrey FA as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? Surrey FA is a charitable organisation, and we are committed to our principle of creating football opportunities for all. We are one of 51 County FAs affiliated to the FA. We’re responsible for football development and participation, supporting our clubs and ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? I am Treve Evans, Senior International Relations Manager at AIPH – the International Association of Horticultural Producers. I am responsible for commercial partnerships and Expo development. Give us a brief overview of AIPH as an organisation in general, and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? In addition to representing the interests of the global ornamental horticulture industry, AIPH, with a mandate by ... read more

Introducing alumni in focus, a new series where we speak to former ESA Diploma students to find out how their careers have progressed since graduating Dip ESA. Michael Higham, who participated in the Diploma in 2016 and leads the sponsorship team at Spanish football powerhouse Sevilla FC, is next up. What role were you in when you started the ESA Diploma? Partner Services Manager, Arsenal FC. What role are you in now, and how has your career advanced since graduating? Head of ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Ged Colleypriest, founder of Underdog Sports Marketing Give us a brief overview of Underdog and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? What approach makes your strategy/model unique – what is your USP/differentiator? Underdog Sports Marketing was founded to help our clients punch above their weight. Being an underdog is less about size and more about exceeding expectations, doing things differently to upset ... read more

ESA’s most recent webinar brought together industry experts from adidas, AEG, f1 Recruitment and Fuse to discuss the state of the sponsorship industry, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the sports and entertainment career market and how sponsorship marketers can stay ahead of the curve in a fast-evolving industry. Here were the key takeaways from the discussion: Nimble organisations can thrive in tough times While all panelists conceded that 2020 has been a year of unprecedented ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Owen Laverty - Director of Fan Intelligence® at Ear to the Ground, a global creative agency working with the likes of New Balance, PlayStation, STATSports, Arsenal, FIFA and Beats by Dre to build campaigns and brands that lead culture. Give us a brief overview of Ear to the Ground as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? We’re an independent creative agency using sport and esports to ... read more

From PR disaster and potential financial crisis just six months ago, Formula 1 has bounced back to enjoy one of its strongest seasons in recent history, delivering a golden year for the sport in a Coronavirus-hit 2020. Lizzie Isherwood, Communications Director at ESA member CSM, examines the lessons of the 2020 season. When the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled at the eleventh hour following the withdrawal of McLaren and amidst rumours of drivers flying home early, the wheels began to ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Nick Green Head of Sport – Commercial, The Telegraph Give us a brief overview of The Telegraph as a company The Telegraph has been a part of people’s lives for 165 years and this year our quality journalism has never been more important or in demand. So much so, we’ve recently recorded our biggest ever multiplatform audience of 29 million – that’s over half of the UK adult population.  Our focus is not about scale ... read more

In recent weeks, the frequency of my European Sponsorship Association blogs has decreased, but when I do sit down and put fingers to keyboard, the subjects I write about are as important as ever. Recently I’ve been chatting to Martin Stark, founder of the World Gay Boxing Championship (WGBC), and I realised once again, I’d stumbled upon a story that needed to be shared. Martin and I are both advocates for the LGBTQ community and determined to drive greater inclusivity and appreciation of ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? My name is Caroline Topps and I am the Brand & Sponsorship Manager at AIG Life. I’ve worked in marketing roles across a variety of industries including; insurance, healthcare, heritage and publishing. I currently lead on all things brand and sponsorship for AIG Life including activation of our rugby, golf and charity partnerships. Give us a brief overview of AIG as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and ... read more

Selling rights was never easy, but in the age of COVID it just got a whole lot harder. How do you sell rights to events which may never happen? How do you convince a brand to spend money on sponsorship when they are making staff redundant? That is tough, even for the very best business development teams. This article was originally published by ESA member Caytoo Selling rights was never easy, but in the age of COVID it just got a whole lot harder. How do you sell rights to events which ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? My name is Anthony Schaub and I am the Founder of The Consultancy Group. I have been working for large corporations active in private banking, luxury goods and Sports. Give us a brief overview of The Consultancy Group as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? The Consultancy Group is a boutique agency with unparalleled international experience and a strong professional network. We ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Kevin Moore, Managing Director of Legacy, a sponsorship and communications agency. Give us a brief overview of Legacy as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? One of Ireland’s biggest sports stars, Bernard Brogan, founded Legacy in 2012 with his cousin James. Having both represented Dublin in Gaelic Football, the company began life as a sports agency, initially representing players. ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? My name is John Denham and I am the owner and Managing Director of Dataflow Events. Give us a brief overview of Dataflow Events as a company in general and your approach to sponsorship and partnerships specifically? Dataflow has been delivering delegate registration sites for over 15 years and more recently Sponsor Asset Management platforms.  We are based in Wimbledon and have a ‘Small & Mighty’ team of 4 full-time web ... read more

Account Director Dan Sproul and Partner James English of ESA member Fuse take a look at how brands activated across the Final 8 tournaments for the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. How did Covid-19 affect the plans of Fuse clients, and how did brands pivot from traditional rights in this incredibly unique situation? As some of the world’s largest sporting events, such as UEFA EURO 2020 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, were being cancelled throughout March ... read more

From the Reese Witherspoon Challenge to literally any conversation you stumble upon on TV, radio, online, WhatsApp, or in your living room, there’s one common theme – 2020 hasn’t been the year we expected. Dissection, prediction and an emotion that oscillates between disgruntlement and malaise rank highly as burning topics - and that’s amongst those of us who count ourselves lucky. Needless to say, most people I listen to, read about or speak to aren’t relishing this sliding doors version of ... read more

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written a blog. If I went into all the reasons for that, it would fill a blog in itself. However, when I recently spoke to survivor, athlete, cultural advisor and advocate for underrepresented groups Amazin LeThi, it became clear that her story needed to be shared. I’m going to hand the floor over to her words, because what strikes me most acutely is how little I can relate to the raging discrimination she’s suffered throughout her life; first in the form of ... read more

This post first appeared on LinkedIn How do you reach the right people, at the right time with the right product? This is the very core of why sponsorships are a vital part of the marketing mix, elevating your brand, by taking it outside of your day-to-day consumer relationship and aligning with another sector, brand or experience that shares the same values and broadens your reach and engagement. It’s also how AEG Global Partnerships set about finding the right brands to partner with our ... read more

Gaming is quickly becoming a meaningful home for the future of philanthropy as gamers have significantly given back to charitable organizations over the past decade with no signs of slowing down. The community alone around Amazon’s streaming platform Twitch has collectively raised $145 million since 2011, including $42 million in 2019 (Source). Three converging factors within gaming help create an optimal landscape for charitable giving: (1) the Gaming Generation mindset, (2) streamers as ... read more

Introducing alumni in focus, a new series where we speak to former ESA Diploma students to find out how their careers have progressed since graduating Dip ESA. Daniel McEwan, who participated in the Diploma in 2016 and leads the partnerships department at F1 team McLaren Racing, is next up. What role were you in when you started the ESA Diploma? Account Manager at brandRapport (This is now part of CAA) What role are you in now, and how has your career advanced since ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? My name is Paul Dermody and I am the CEO of HRI Racecourse Division, which is a subsidiary of Horse Racing Ireland. The racecourse division is comprised of four racecourses – Leopardstown, Fairyhouse, Navan & Tipperary. I am also Commercial & Marketing Director for Horse Racing Ireland, the parent company to the racecourse division. From a sponsorship perspective this dual responsibility has definite advantages as we have the ... read more

Age is a key area of diversity in the workplace. How often do we hear about those approaching retirement being ‘written off’ from new opportunities? The Centre for Ageing Better’s 2019 report warned about risks of substantial workplace inequalities for those in their 50s and 60s, appealing to employers to adopt ‘age-friendly practices’ including flexible working, progression for workers of all ages and ending age-biased recruitment. The young suffer many of the same injustices as mature ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? Daniel Lovat – Sports Marketing Director As a fresh faced graduate, having finished my Masters in Business Management, I started life in the professional world at Deloitte, working in the Corporate Tax group. With my ACA accountancy qualification in hand, I moved across to OPRO, which is my family business and have held different roles across the organisation. With over 85 partnerships across the sporting world, I stepped into ... read more

By Anthony Scammell, a Director in H+K’s Sport + Partnership Marketing team, who are consulting, activating and evaluating for brands and sports rights holders both domestically in the UK and around the world. | This piece was first published on the website of ESA member Hill+Knowlton Strategies Significant moments offer great opportunity to develop new habits. Research from The Office for National Statistics (ONS) this week showed that more than a quarter of people are ... read more

2020 is the age of personalisation. Micro-targeted advertising, AI-driven virtual personal assistants, on demand viewing prioritised by preferences… the list is endless. But personalisation extends beyond the automated to how we approach the opportunities we choose to pursue. Gone are the days of milkround-based graduate careers generating ‘lifers’. Instead, the 2019 Millennial Manager Workplace Survey revealed that 75% of millennials believe that constantly changing jobs advanced their career. ... read more

Introducing alumni in focus, a new series where we speak to former ESA Diploma students to find out how their careers have progressed since graduating Dip ESA. Natasha Cabral, who participated in the Diploma in 2016, is next up. What role were you in when you started the ESA Diploma? Insight & Strategy Executive at Havas Sports & Entertainment. What role are you in now, and how has your career advanced since graduating? After graduating from the ESA Diploma I remained at ... read more

Brands must remain authentic when investing in women’s sport – any box-ticking manoeuvres will be detrimental This is part two of a three-part series exploring the state of women's sport during the Covid-19 pandemic. Part one, on the role of the media, can be read HERE. With no live action, women’s sport is under substantial threat – how will they generate income? As budgets are cut and purse strings are tightened, brands must remember why they invested in the women’s game in the first ... read more

A couple of weeks ago I did a Father’s Day blog on dads. While I was writing, I had a nagging feeling that the picture I was painting was missing something vital. It was; my mum. The role my mum’s played in my life is best summed up like this: I’m pretty sure that without her guidance I’d still remember to walk, talk, think and breathe, but I can’t stake my life on it. Whether single or one half of a couple, being a parent is a full-time job which superheroes juggle alongside life’s other ... read more

The pandemic has sent shockwaves through women’s sport, but there is also potential for this to be a huge step forward – now is a time for bravery and greater commitment, not shrinking back into old habits. The media talk a good game, but in reality, they are still unsupportive Women’s sport was riding high – high on participation, high on viewers, high on results. And then came coronavirus. And now, reports state that all that progress might have been stalled by up to four years. All ... read more

In an age where money has been the gravitational force that makes the sporting world go round, the impact of COVID 19 has forced the Sport & Entertainment industry to take stock. With a recent history of living hand to mouth, broadcast deal to broadcast deal, event to event, relying on the long-standing myth of AVE and media exposure, the cessation of live sporting action has led us all to question “so what”? For those expecting a crystal ball article and reassurance of what’s to come ... read more

What’s your name and position within the organisation? David Ives, Founder & CEO of TVEyes. Tell us about TVEyes TVEyes is headquartered in Fairfield CT America, with a major operations centre in Manchester UK. The Company was founded in 1999 and is privately owned. A team of 35 professionals, many having been with the Company for over 10 years, have developed and implemented proprietary technology to automate the capture and supply of broadcast media content. Exploiting the ... read more