ESA News

Andy Westlake appointed ESA’s new Chairman The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) is delighted to announce that Andy Westlake has been elected Chairman after Karen Earl’s 10 years in office came to a close in July this year. As a founding member of the Association with 46 years’ experience in the sponsorship industry to her name, Karen will be a tough act to follow, but she believes that Andy is more than up to the challenge: “I am delighted that Andy has been elected ESA's new ... read more

2016 revenue figures increase 5.7% to EUR€27.15b The European Sponsorship Association (ESA), the membership body that raises standards within the sponsorship profession, today announced that the annual figure for the size of the European sponsorship industry in 2016 was EUR€27.15 billion, an increase of 5.7% from the 2015 figure of EUR€25.70 billion. The 2016 UEFA European Championship was held in France and figures were further boosted by Rio de Janeiro hosting the 2016 Olympic Games, ... read more

Be part of the biggest evening in our sponsorship calendar - the 2017 ESA Excellence Awards launches today with new categories and a call for judges The European Sponsorship Association (ESA), the membership body that works to inspire, unite and grow the sponsorship industry across rights holders, brands and agencies, is now accepting entries for its prestigious 2017 ESA Excellence Awards. The Awards will see industry professionals across Europe rewarded for their best-in-class sponsorship ... read more

Four new members elected and one incumbent re-elected. The European Sponsorship Association (ESA), the membership body that seeks to inspire, unite and grow the sponsorship industry, held its AGM yesterday (Wednesday 5th July) with the main order of business being the election of new members to its 15-person Board of Directors. Five Board Directors were appointed at the AGM. William Fenton (Sponsorship Ideas, in Belgium) was re-elected, while Bob Mitchell (Harbottle & Lewis LLP), ... read more

The ESA Arts Sponsorship Certificate celebrates a second successful graduation that sees 14 students receive Commendation grades The European Sponsorship Association (ESA), the membership body that raises standards within the sponsorship profession, today congratulates its newest ESA Arts Sponsorship Certificate graduates on a job well done. This year’s cohort saw 16 students graduate, with 14 achieve the grade of Commended. The next course opens its doors in September 2017, and enrolment ... read more

The exclusive setting of Porchester Hall in London became the centre of the sponsorship universeas the industry gathered to recognise those companies that made a difference in 2016 Last night, at Porchester Hall in London, the 10th annual ESA Excellence Awards took place. The glittering ceremony saw a plethora of UK and international winners crowned across twenty three categories, including the awarding of the ultimate honour – that of ESA Sponsorship of the Year. Organised by the European ... read more

Ahead Of The 2016 ESA Excellence Awards... A free VR Workshop On Thursday 9th February the 2016 ESA Excellence Awards Ceremony takes place in London. This year we’d also like to invite you to a completely free of charge event being held earlier in the day. Why not combine the VR event with attending the ESA Excellence Awards evening and make a day of it! The topic for discussion will be all about Virtual Reality (VR) and how brand marketing is benefiting from the engagement this exciting ... read more

Core Knowledge is delighted to announce that it will be promoting the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) Diploma and hosting a Free Taster Session for the 2017 course in Dublin. When: Thursday 12th January 2017 8.00-9.00am at Core Knowledge Learning Centre Speaker: Course Director Peter Raymond With Special Appearance from ESA Diploma Graduate Eoin O'Carroll The ESA Diploma has become the sponsorship industry’s most highly regarded and respected training qualification. In 5 years of ... read more

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) today announced the entries shortlisted for its prestigious 2016 Excellence Awards, to be held at London’s Porchester Hall on Thursday 9th February 2017. The 2016 Excellence Awards sees agencies, brands, individuals and rights holders submit their best-in-class campaigns to a judging panel comprised of senior sponsorship and engagement marketing professionals. The glittering awards ceremony will see winners crowned from a diverse range of ... read more

The modern sponsorship landscape requires a multitude of different skills, and ESA today launches its new Sales Certificate in order to equip sponsorship practitioners with key learnings to enhance their selling potential. The 4 week course is conducted across 4 mornings per week, and is a practical certification designed and developed to support the needs of the sponsorship sales professional. The modular framework guides students through the sales process and teaches key skills such as ... read more

Students of the 2016 ESA Diploma received their marks today after successfully completing a 7-month online sponsorship course that runs annually from January to August. Now in its fifth year, the qualification has seen over 250 candidates awarded the ESA Diploma, and we are delighted to announce that 52 students will be graduating this year. Of those, 5 received Distinction, achieving over 75%, and 23 students received Commended, achieving over 65%. Peter Raymond, Course Director, ... read more

The 2016 ESA Excellence Awards take place at Porchester Hall, London, W2 on Thursday 9th February 2017, and we are pleased to announce that the 2016 judging panel has been chosen and ratified by the Awards selection committee. Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who took the time to apply for a judging position. The ESA Excellence Awards are defined not only by the high standard of entries, but also by the impartiality and the high quality of our judges. The Awards committee went ... read more

Nick Johnson, Partner and Head of Advertising and Sponsorship Law at international legal practice Osborne Clarke, has been re-appointed to the Board of the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) for a further year. Johnson's appointment fills a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of a Board member, and has effect until the Association's next Annual General Meeting. He will continue during his tenure to help guide the Association on governance and regulatory issues, and to support William ... read more

Now in its 5th successful year, the ESA Diploma continues to go from strength to strength. It has firmly established itself as the qualification that provides candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to forge a successful career in the sponsorship or sports marketing industries. The ESA Diploma is also the only training qualification which provides a fully rounded overview of all aspects of our multi-faceted industry, while highlighting many best practice methodologies as ... read more

The European Sponsorship Association today launched its prestigious 2016 Excellence Awards, complete with an increase in open categories, from 16 to 20, so as to take into account the developments within the industry over the past 12 months. A call for judges is also open as of today, and more information can be found at the end of this release. The Awards recognise successful sponsorship campaigns across all sectors – sport, culture, entertainment, media, community and corporate ... read more

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA), the membership body that raises standards within the sponsorship profession, held its AGM yesterday (Wednesday 6th July) with the main order of business being the election of new members to its 15-person Board of Directors. Five Board Directors were appointed at the AGM. Jackie Fast (Slingshot Sponsorship) and Toby Hester (Sponsorship Coach) were re-elected, while Matthew Leopold (British Gas), Sophie Morris (Millharbour Marketing) and Matt ... read more

"With regards to the vote for the UK to leave the EU, ESA has thought about the implications for our members and, at this stage, we can see no immediate changes that will occur. Still, we are monitoring the situation closely, both in the UK and through the ESA presence in Brussels. This presence includes tracking legislation, sponsorship market size across Europe, representing the industry amongst policy makers and giving facts and figures to the media. Our Brussels representation will now ... read more

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA), the membership body that raises standards within the sponsorship profession, today announced that the annual figure for the size of the European sponsorship industry in 2015 was EUR€25.70 billion, a drop of 2.8% from the 2014 figure of EUR€26.44 billion. The main factor associated with the overall drop in the total industry spend across Europe was due mainly to a decrease in the Russian Market, the Sochi Games having boosted the country’s figures in ... read more

The first year of the ESA Arts Sponsorship Certificate was met with universal praise, both from the graduates and the many stakeholders within the wider arts community to whom this essential learning opportunity applies.
 ESA is delighted to announce that enrolment is now open for its second iteration which starts on 2 September 2016. The concept behind the Certificate is similar to ESA’s much lauded Diploma, although the content has been finessed to incorporate learning specifically for the ... read more

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and charity and fundraising innovator Cause4, along with the Arts Council England-funded Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Programme, are pleased to announce that the inaugural ESA Arts Sponsorship Certificate has just seen its first intake of students graduate, with some fantastic results. The 16-week, distance-learning certificate is a cost-effective course targeted towards those who either work currently within sector-specific marketing positions, ... read more

The Café de Paris in London became the centre of the sponsorship universe as the industry gathered to recognise those companies who made a difference in 2015 Last night, at the prestigious Café de Paris in London, the 9th annual ESA Excellence Awards took place. The ceremony saw a plethora of UK and international winners crowned across eighteen categories, including awarding the ultimate honour of Sponsorship of the Year. Organised by the European Sponsorship Association (ESA), the ... read more

Swedish entry crowned European gold medal winner in the face of some very stiff competition Last night, at the prestigious Café de Paris in London, the 9th annual ESA Excellence Awards took place. The ceremony saw a plethora of UK and international winners crowned across eighteen categories, including honouring the Best of Europe and the Sponsorship of the Year. Organised by the European Sponsorship Association (ESA), the Excellence Awards recognise the best campaigns across a multitude ... read more