Rory Bryant
ESA Diploma Scholar, 2025
ESA introduced the ESA Diploma Scholarship in 2022 to increase industry diversity as part of its mission as the essential and inclusive community for all professionals working in sponsorship. Rory Bryant, Sponsorship Manager at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Society, reflects on his experience.
You have been studying the ESA Diploma for the past eight months. How did it go for you?
It’s been an amazing journey! Returning to studying after quite a few years was definitely an adjustment but it’s been hugely rewarding. The course really does cover all aspects of the sponsorship discipline. Having worked in sponsorship for a while, I began with some foundation knowledge, yet the course contents are so comprehensive I felt every module helped consolidate my existing understanding of the industry but also introduced new learnings and practical insights.
You can now use the Dip ESA suffix after your name, having earned a prestigious professional qualification. How does that feel?
It’s a great feeling and I’m really proud of the hard work I put in to achieve it. The ESA Diploma is the industry’s leading training qualification so carries a lot of credibility. Having it certainly gives me confidence in my own knowledge that I’m sure will help me in my career going forwards.
What did you find most enjoyable about the course, and what did you find most challenging?
I really enjoyed the regular course seminars, which saw leaders from across the industry talk about their experience and specialities within the sponsorship discipline. The seminars were practical in that they were always themed to add value to the relevant assignment we were working on at the time, but they were also hugely engaging and interesting, offering unique access to current expert insights on a range of subjects, including a seminar with the IOC Partnerships team!
Having become a Dad a month after the course started, I’d say the most challenging part of the course was simply balancing studies with family life and my day job at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society!
You mentioned at the start of your Scholarship that the cultural sector is ‘fragile’ – how do you hope to address that situation via this qualification?
To generalise a bit, I think the cultural sector has traditionally depended upon public sector and grant funding to help sustain its activities. As these traditional funding streams narrow, cultural organisations are needing to evolve to be more commercially focused and to deliver partnerships that deliver real, tangible value for brands.
As someone who’s only ever experienced sponsorship from a rights holder perspective, the course’s 360-degree insights have been really helpful. I now have a greater appreciation of sponsorship from the perspective of a brand in particular and, as such, I feel better positioned to put myself in a brand manager’s shoes when developing sponsorship propositions, which I think will ultimately help me to develop more compelling proposals.
What would you say to somebody considering applying for the 2026 Scholarship?
Go for it! I think if you’re serious about starting or developing your career in the sponsorship industry, it is a hugely valuable experience whether you’re working in the rights holder, brand or agency space.
It’s hard work, of course, but I think it’s also important to highlight that you’re not alone and there is plenty of support available; Course Director Peter Raymond is a total legend and offers all students 1:1 tutorials in between each module to help you with any questions or challenges you might have, which I personally found hugely valuable.
The ESA team also help connect you with fellow students both virtually and in person via socials, so there’s a great opportunity to share the course experience with counterparts and expand your network.
How important is it for the sponsorship industry to be representative of the whole sponsorship industry?
I think representation is hugely important. Indeed, ESA research highlights ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) as the top sponsorship trend of 2025 which partly encompasses equality, diversity and inclusion. To effectively implement partnerships that champion these values authentically, the industry needs to have broad representation of genders, beliefs and ethnicities at all levels across rights holders, agencies and brands.
What are your personal career goals within sponsorship, and how do you think this qualification will enable you to achieve them?
I would like to use the knowledge and learnings gained from the qualification to help deliver more impact within my existing role at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I have big ambitions to secure the major sponsorship that the Fringe deserves and to recruit, develop and retain a small sponsorship team for the Fringe Society. I feel the course has equipped me with a more solid understanding of the sponsorship process – from prospecting to evaluation – and the confidence to go out and achieve these ambitions.
- Find out more about the ESA Sponsorship Diploma Scholarship
