2017 Diploma Graduate Testimonials
Presented with their certificates at the 2017 ESA Diploma graduation ceremony, held at BAFTA (the British Academy of Film and Television Arts) in London, we asked a couple of graduates for a few words.
The ESA Diploma gives the opportunity to dive into sponsorship in other markets, gaining a different perspective from sponsorship you are not immersed in. Gaining an insight from a different angle developed my sponsorship knowledge in a way completely different from that of working in the industry. Patrick Carberry
I began the ESA diploma at the same time as I began my career in sponsorship. The timing was excellent, as this diploma provided a wealth of information and really helped me gain knowledge and confidence quickly for my new role. Although I am not from London, I found it very important to attend the seminars and to take the time to talk with my classmates, as well as the presenters and gain perspective from the agency, sponsor and rights holder sides of the industry. This has given me a much broader frame of reference for my job and how I approach sponsorship now.
The graduation marks a big milestone in my career as it puts in perspective how much I have learned in the last 9 months. I will miss the monthly seminars, the chats on Slack, and the support I have found during this diploma.
Thank you ESA for an unforgettable experience. Giuseppe Randazzo
Feedback from 2017 Diploma Students
Every year our students submit feedback via an anonymous survey. Here is a selection of their comments:
“Challenging, comprehensive, thoroughly enjoyable. Crucial for future career development.”
“Having done the ESA Diploma I now feel SO much better equipped to do my job and feel like I am working at a completely different skill level. Cannot recommend it enough to anyone working in sponsorship.”
“Fantastic course and invaluable to get the perspective from both brands, rights-holders and agencies. The course has given me a great overall insight into the world of sponsorship and I know I will refer back to my notes regularly in the future.”
“Very relevant to the role I am currently in and gave me a great reason to research what other brands are doing internationally outside of sport too.
An enjoyable learning experience, especially applying learnings to my current role within sports sponsorship, and also understanding the world of sponsorship beyond sport. It has given me confidence to approach client and stakeholder conversations with more authority and demonstrate my expertise within the industry.”
“The seminar guests were really knowledgeable, interesting & engaging and I liked the structure where each seminar covered a different topic. I feel I learned the most from the hands on practical seminar on research & evaluation. It was really useful to get feedback from someone in the industry on our approach to a task.
It was great to meet other people in the industry and I found the seminars to be absolutely fantastic – the best part of the course and where I learnt the most.”
“Coming from agency-side, it was particularly useful to learn the viewpoints, approaches and processes from the point of view of rights holders…
Each time I came out of a seminar I felt inspired, and wanted to put what I had learnt straight into action. It has given me the confidence to lead conversations about sponsorship within my workplace and with clients.”
“This course has provided a comprehensive and thorough grounding in sponsorship from the perspectives of rights holders, sponsors and agents. It is ideal for those wishing to access the industry, progress within it or for those in organisations without a strong history of sponsorship.”
“…the ESA Diploma is something that all people aspiring to a career in sport sponsorship need to do. It covers all aspects of sponsorship and marketing very well and has given me the knowledge to further my own career and add value to sponsorships for our clients.”
“These excellent results reinforce our unshakeable belief that the future of the industry is in good hands and that anyone who passes the ESA Diploma has taken a stepping stone to a more fruitful and successful career.” Peter Raymond, ESA Diploma Course Director