The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) turns 35 next year and the 2023 ESA Awards in London on Thursday 9 March will be a truly universal celebration of the best in sponsorship.

The nomination process for those awards is now open and will remain so until October 21st.

Ireland has a rich history of success at the awards. Sport for Business members the GAA, Aviva, Vodafone, Energia, The Olympic Federation of Ireland and SSE Airtricity were among those to taste victory at the 2022 awards in March.

ESA’s mission is to inspire, unite and grow a welcoming and diverse sponsorship industry – and the #ESAawards are designed to reflect that purpose. The cost of entries is lower than in 2022, and entrants will have a choice of providing a video or written submission.

One new category – Best Use of Cutting-edge Technology – has been added for 2023, alongside the regular broad range of disciplines and categories.

“I’m very excited to see what the ESA Awards will bring in 2023 as we celebrate a year of post-COVID creativity and innovation,” said ESA Chair Andy Westlake.

“The market has really moved on over the past 12 months and landmark events like UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, as well as the return of major live music festivals across the continent, have put brands at the heart of some incredible sport and entertainment experiences.”

“With an updated mission to ‘inspire, unite and grow a welcoming and diverse sponsorship industry, we’re keen to open up the Awards to the broadest possible community across Europe. We represent an incredible, creative community and we’ll keep exploring ways to make the ESA Awards more accessible and representative.”

“The ESA Awards is always such a fantastic celebration of the power of sponsorship as an integrated part of the marketing mix. I can’t wait to get together with so many friends when we gather again in London.”

Entry

Those entering the 2023 ESA Awards will be asked to submit a 250-word ‘elevator pitch’, one composite graphic with logos, a short showreel video and either a 10-minute video presentation or written entry.

The credibility of the ESA Awards is firmly established, with a reputation for high-quality judging among the strengths highlighted by regular entrants.

“The ESA Awards continue to go from strength to strength thanks to high-quality entries and judging. It’s a celebration of sponsorship innovation that really resonates within the industry,” added ESA Awards Chair, Matthew Leopold.

“However, this is not a moment to rest on our laurels and we are determined to make the Awards as inclusive as possible. That’s why we have revisited the entry format for the benefit of all potential entrants who hope to be up on that stage when we gather again in March 2023.”

Check out the 2023 Awards right here.