*** THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT; PLEASE CLICK HERE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAIT LIST OR CONTACT ESA EVENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ***
Join us for ESA’s first event in Manchester and discover how large organisations are leveraging brand partnerships to prove their commitment to purpose-based initiatives that benefit and engage their communities – both locally and globally.
Moderated by ESA Chair Sophie Morris, an expert panel will include Nuala Donnelly (Head of Partnerships and Events at Co-op) speaking as the naming rights holder of the state-of-the-art Co-op Live entertainment venue. Co-op Live is part-owned by Oak View Group, whose Commercial and Brand Strategy Director Alex Reese will provide a music and entertainment perspective.
Football will also be an extensive focal point of the session, with 2025 Premier League champions Liverpool FC represented on the panel by Foundation CEO Matt Parish. And Beni De Makoso (Creative) and Jack Ward (Creative Strategy Director) from Manchester-based agency Ear To The Ground will present on SNIPES’ bold community-first collaboration with 2025 UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain FC.
Attending this ESA Breakfast is free for all sponsorship professionals. Priority will be given to ESA Members, each of whom is entitled to two tickets, in case of a sell-out.
Event timings
- 08:30 arrivals and breakfast
- 09:00-10:15 session
- 10:15-11:30 additional networking and refreshments
- 10:45-11:15 venue tour (optional)
- 11:30 event closes.
Beni De Makoso
Creative, Ear To The Ground
Beni is a creative polymath who has excelled at the Ear To The Ground agency. Generating and developing ideas and campaigns for PlayStation, Nike, SNIPES and Powerade. Beni also runs a record label and recently won the IPA Young Creative of the Year.
Nuala Donnelly
Head of Partnerships and Events, Co-op
Nuala has spent 20+ years connecting music, live experiences and brands to create memorable fan moments and meaningful partnerships. Starting at Sony Music (2001), she moved to Orange, leading festival partnerships with Glastonbury, Reading and more. In 16 years at O2 she helped build Priority Tickets into one of the UK’s most loved customer perks and led the £100m partnership with The O2. Since 2022, Nuala has been Head of Partnerships and Events at Co-op, responsible for Co-op Live and major UK festivals partnerships. She has worked with artists like Ed Sheeran, Sam Fender and Foo Fighters, and partners including AEG, Live Nation and War Child — always driven by a love of and respect for the power of live entertainment.
Matt Parish
Foundation CEO, Liverpool FC
Matt joined Liverpool FC in 2019 as Foundation Director and is responsible for leading the charity and its Executive Team, having become Foundation CEO in 2022. Having started his professional life as a PE teacher in South East London, he has over 25 years’ experience in sports charity and community development having previously worked at Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) as Chief Operating Officer and Burnley FC in the Community (BFCitC), as Director of Education & Inclusion. During Matt’s time at the LFC Foundation, annual income has more than doubled and the staff team grown from 30 to 100, which enabled 127,000 people to be supported by the charity in 2024 both in the Liverpool City Region and internationally.
Alex Reese
Commercial and Brand Strategy Director, Oak View Group
Alex joined OVG in 2022 having spent an extensive term working at global sports marketing agency, Wasserman. Alex set up and leads OVG International’s consulting division, specialising in brand and rightsholder advisory, revenue maximisation and sponsorship strategy. This division has expanded rapidly and has delivered multi-faceted projects for a range of clients such as Birmingham City FC, Ambassador Theatre Group, EF Pro Cycling and SailGP, across sectors from Sport and Music, to Media and Events.
Jack Ward
Creative Strategy Director, Ear To The Ground
Jack is a Creative Strategy Director with over a decade of experience shaping brands, campaigns and cultural narratives across sport, media, music and gaming. For the past seven years, he’s been a key part of Ear to the Ground, where he has built creative strategies for some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Puma, Nike, New Balance, SNIPES, 2K, Coca-Cola and PlayStation. He helps ambitious organisations define their voice, reach new influential audiences and execute ideas with clarity and impact.
