Labour TD Aodhán O’Riordán wrote an opinion piece in Monday’s Irish Times highlighting the importance of sport within society, and raising a number of points about how it is funded through the state.
Making reference to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, he spoke of a need to balance funding more towards humans and called for the regular debate about sporting capital that arises post Olympics to be extended further this time around.
The piece will have taken some of the shine from one of racing’s best showcase events at the Galway Races which are getting into full swing this week but even in times of economic difficulty, sport is of such importance that the debate should not really be about dividing differently a shrinking pot but rather be looking how the pot can be grown.
Sport for Business is all about finding new ways that sport can deliver for business and earn valuable partnerships in return.  It can be argued that the return in terms of tourism and physical well being makes every euro of state investment in sport money well spent but the same should also be true of commercial partnerships.
It is just a case of finding the right fit between the needs of a sporting organisation, event or team and the plans of a particular business to promote a specific area of its offering either internally or to a wider consumer market.
In October 2012 Sport for Business 20/20 will bring together 20 sporting bodies and 20 commercial organisations to see how each of their needs might be addressed on a particular project in 2013.  The sporting bodies will have an opportunity to pitch one programme to an interested audience while business will have the opportunity, over the course of one morning, to see some of the best and brightest projects that Irish sport has to offer.
Sport for Business 20/20 will be launched at the end of August but if you would like to put your organisation forward to be one of the participants please make contact today.  Participation will be free for members of Sport for Business