Thank you for being such a great audience to write for , to broadcast to to engage with over the past 12 months.
It was a special year of the Olympics and the Paralympics, of all of our major and minor sports doing so much good in terms of the important part they play as entertainers, fitness enablers, social change makers and more.
It was a year in which our membership grew but without diluting at all the connection we have with you.
It was a year in which our reach grew yet again. This past month alone has been 60 per cent ahead of where we were a year ago and we are now being seen by almost 40,000 individual readers each month.
It was a year in which I was humbled to receive an Outstanding Contribution Award at the Irish Sponsorship Awards and that was only possible because of the support and friendship which comes from all of you.
I could barely have imagined when we set out on this journey 12 years ago that it would have grown to have some influence in such an important area of Irish life, and for the recognition of sport to be now at the level it is in politics, sponsorship, media and society.
I wish all of you a great christmas, a time to unwind and reset, and, for 2025 to be as brilliant as you always are.
Stay healthy, stay happy and we will see you in the new year with the first Sport for Business morning Bulletin hitting your inboxes on Monday, January 6th.
By way of a final word on 2024…
An AI review of content tells me that the post I did on my speaking notes from that night in September went down pretty well and now at this time of easing back and getting our priorities straight on family and friends it is perhaps worth sharing again.
Thanks to all of you who are members of Sport for Business, or indeed might be in the future.
Honestly you have given me the opportunity to create and grow the absolute dream job combining all of whatever skills I might have, to shine a light on the brilliant work you do.
I never wake up without a buzz of adrenaline for what today might bring, and that is a gift you have given me.
When I thought about what I might share with you, it kind of came out like a manifesto for how I do what I do. So, in the hope that it might strike a chord, here goes.
It comes in two parts…
Work.
Never be afraid to jump into the unknown.
When I was 29, I was a Director of the Tote with a 2 million budget, world travel, and responsibility for the Cheltenham Gold Cup—the perfect job. But I jumped at the chance to come home to Ireland because I absolutely love the place.
Never be afraid to make stupid mistakes. You will never fail if you never try, but it is worth it.
Be a friend to those you work with. It’s always about people, how you treat them, and how you get along.
When you can, always say yes as your default. If someone is starting out and asking for coffee and advice, take the time.
We lost a good man earlier this year, John Trainor of Onside, who many here will have known, and many who will have become better in what they do and who they are as a result.
I wish you were here, John.
Life
In everything you do, try to be kind and to be the best version of you that you can be.
Give your time, thoughts, and experience, ask for nothing in return, and you’ll find sooner or later that you get back far more than you imagined it might be worth.
If you are a parent, never miss out on those key parts of your children’s lives. They will remember you being there longer than you remember the call you had to take. Be present.
If you are lucky to have parents who are still alive, tell them you love them. Not on Instagram, but in person, with a hug. Again, you will never know until you know just what value there is in that.
And lastly, find someone you love and make sure you hang onto them.
My beautiful wife Elaine is here with me tonight. It’s our wedding anniversary. Today, 32 years ago, we danced around the Conrad Hotel, the happiest couple in the world.
And we are still going strong.
She gave me the courage to stop away from working with Dermot Desmond to take a flyer on an unproven idea to try to make a difference in sport and the way it operates.
She has held her breath at times when the idea of bootstrapping a business that needed to be big and bold on a budget meant some corners had to be shaved if not cut.
If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t be here, and if this wasn’t me, you might have had somebody who doesn’t know when his three minutes of fame are up.
Thanks for this but I would stress that it it is an outstanding, not a lifetime contribution award and I’m not going anywhere other than wherever I can keep on playing a part among such wonderful people as all of you.
Go raibh mile mile maith agaibh.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Enjoy the break and see you back with the first Daily Bulletin of 2025 on January 6th
MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS
The Sporting Year Ahead will be our first event back in the New Year on Thursday morning January 16th.
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE FOR THE SPORTING YEAR AHEAD 2025
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The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
