Join ESA, Nielsen Sports and Feenix on 12 March for our popular pre-Awards event, taking place at the new venue of LABS House, in a 7th-floor function room overlooking Central London.
Produced annually in conjunction with Nielsen Sports using the agency’s proprietary Nielsen Sports Market Intelligence, the ESA Sponsorship Market Overview is the definitive annual report measuring the volume of the European sponsorship industry.
Hosted by ESA Chair Sophie Morris, the 2026 Sponsorship Market Overview event is held on the same day as the 2026 ESA Awards ceremony, and provides networking time either side of the presentation and discussion session, which will include a focus on charity sponsorship with James Jackson, Head of Corporate Partnerships at British Red Cross.
- Please note that all ESA Members and all guests attending the 2026 ESA Awards are permitted free entry to this event
- The content can also be accessed via livestream, free for ESA Members and with a £15 (€17) charge for all others. The stream begins at 14:00 GMT / 15:00 CET
- Please click BOOK NOW on this page and select your preferred option.
Agenda
- Sponsorship Market Overview 2026 – presented by Andy Milnes and Maya Prentis (Nielsen Sports) with introduction from Sophie Morris (ESA Chair)
- Sponsorship in the Charity Sector – James Jackson (British Red Cross) with Sophie Morris (ESA Chair)
- Audience Q&A – moderated by Sophie Morris (ESA Chair).
Timings
13:30-14:00: networking and refreshments
14:00-15:15: session
15:15-16:00: networking and refreshments.
James Jackson
Head of Corporate Partnerships, British Red Cross
James leads strategic engagement with UK‑based companies at the British Red Cross. He works with a diverse range of brands to develop purpose‑led partnerships that create commercial value while enabling the British Red Cross to ensure people in the UK and around the world receive vital support when crisis strikes. With extensive experience in developing long‑term, high‑impact corporate-charity collaborations, James specialises in aligning business objectives with meaningful social impact and brand objectives. His work centres on designing partnerships that help organisations translate their purpose into practical, measurable action, contributing to lasting positive change for communities in need.
Andrew Milnes
Market Leader UK & Ireland, Nielsen Sports
Andy leads the Sports team across the region with a key focus on leveraging Nielsen’s industry leading data and insight to drive business success for clients. With a career spanning over a decade at Nielsen and Repucom, Andy has experience across numerous areas of the organisation including leading the International Solutions team focusing on establishing ways of working and effective delivery processes from Mexico to South Korea. He has also worked closely with leading brands in the sponsorship space supporting their sponsorship investment and evaluation programmes.
Maya Prentis
UK and Ireland Consulting Director, Nielsen Sports
Maya’s role at Nielsen Sports involves supporting rights holders, sports bodies and brands in solutions such as sponsorship valuations, measurement and economic impact assessments. Maya joined Nielsen Sports after eight years of experience in management consulting at KPMG and Capgemini Invent, and has an MBA from Imperial College London.
