Over the past year, ESA has been in discussions with the Portman Group, the UK organisation representing all alcohol producers. The work was part of the UK government’s Responsibility Deal, with the aim to develop a UK Code of Alcohol Sponsorship that would be binding on all alcohol sponsors.
In particular, ESA has assisted in including rights holders in these discussions in order to represent the views of those hosting and staging sponsored events supported by alcohol companies.
The Portman Group launched its new Alcohol Sponsorship Code for the UK on the 31st January and it came into force on the same day.
Karen Earl, ESA Chairman welcomes the code and says: “It is binding for all alcohol sponsors in the UK, and gives them guidelines for their sponsorship, as well as ensuring that they include responsible drinking messages or a commitment to campaigns related to drink issues within any activity they are supporting”.
The Portman Group explained that the Code was actively developed in partnership with major sports, music and venue rights holders, who have also formally endorsed it. These include: AEG, Association of Independent Festivals, British Horseracing, DF Concerts, England and Wales Cricket Board, Football Association, Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League, Lawn Tennis Association, Premier League, Scottish Golf Union, Scottish Rugby, and the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
The new Sponsorship Code will sit alongside the Portman Group’s Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks – the latest edition of which came into effect, following wide consultation, in May 2013.
For more information on the Alcohol Sponsorship Code, please visit http://www.portmangroup.org.uk/docs/default-source/recruitment-jds/alcohol-sponsorship-code.pdf?sfvrsn=
For any ESA-related queries, please contact Helen Day, ESA Head of European Policy via helenday@sponsorship.org
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For enquiries about the code, contact the Portman Group via Sam Pither at SPither@portmangroup.org.uk ; www.portmangroup.org.uk
