The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) today announces the launch of the 2024 ESA Diploma, the industry’s most respected qualification.
All companies looking to certify sponsorship professionals with the ESA Diploma can take advantage of a £750 saving by enrolling before the early bird deadline of Friday 24 November. ESA Members can also benefit from further discounts.
The part-time eight-month course, now delivered entirely online, has helped more than 600 graduates progress to senior positions in the industry since its introduction in 2012.
The Diploma is increasingly seen as a prerequisite for employers seeking the most talented and best-prepared staff available.
The Class of ’24 will benefit from updated learning materials as they tackle a series of stimulating exercises, including a set brief based on a real-life sponsorship scenario. Digital seminars will be presented by industry luminaries and there will also be in-person social gatherings in London.
All successful students can now join the ESA Diploma Alumni Society, which ESA is aiming to grow into sponsorship’s largest and most influential networking group.
Introduced in 2022 to celebrate the Diploma’s tenth anniversary, the ESA Diploma Scholarship is helping to cultivate diversity within the sponsorship industry by offering applicants a free place on the course. Applications for the 2024 ESA Diploma Scholarship are now open.
Key dates
- ESA Diploma enrolment (early bird): Friday 24 November 2023
- Scholarship application deadline: Friday 24 November 2023
- ESA Diploma enrolment (final): Thursday 18 January 2024
- Course begins: Friday 19 January 2024
Comments
ESA Diploma Course Director, Peter Raymond, said: “The Diploma continues to deliver the ultimate training programme for anyone who wants to make a career in sponsorship and sports marketing. I recently spent some time researching what some of our previous students have achieved in their careers and have been amazed at the variation of senior roles that many of them now occupy.
“While the ESA Diploma can’t necessarily take the credit for that, I have little doubt that it prepared them for the challenges ahead and has been a factor in their successful elevation. I know that 2024 will provide another stimulating and educative experience for another set of enthusiastic and ambitious candidates wanting to fast-track their career aspirations.”
ESA Chairman, Andy Westlake, added: “The ESA Diploma is a must-have qualification for brands, rights holders and many other organisations across Europe that aspire to best practice in sponsorship.
“Digital seminars and other innovations have ensured that the course not only moves with the times but becomes stronger and offers better value with each passing year. Practitioners come out with a broader understanding of the industry and tremendous confidence in their ability to thrive as sponsorship professionals.
“Now in its 13th year, I am grateful to everyone involved in this professional development success story, especially Course Director Peter Raymond, who was honoured as one of the inaugural ESA Fellows at the 2023 ESA Awards.”
Click here for more information about the 2024 ESA Diploma
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About ESA
The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to inspire, unite and grow a welcoming and diverse sponsorship industry. ESA does this through education, guidance, representation, the recognition of excellence and the sharing of best practice and performance.
ESA’s reach encompasses all types of sponsorship activity from sport, broadcast, education, charity, the arts and culture, to environment and the community. Its members include sponsors, rights holders, agencies and consultants, professional advisors and suppliers. Visit sponsorship.org for more information.
Media queries
Jonathan Coates | ESA Marketing, Communications and Events Manager
marketing@sponsorship.org | +44 7788 352219
