The Irish sponsorship and marketing community will have an opportunity to gain insights from some of the most acclaimed campaigns of the past year this morning at an event hosted by ESA Ireland at the Dublin HQ of Bord Bia, sponsors of Bloom.
The event will bring together leading voices from across the industry to share the stories behind their success at the 2026 ESA Awards, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how impactful sponsorship strategies are conceived, delivered and measured.
Among those to be with us will be representatives of Aer Lingus, Bord Bia, BradyInk, Cairn, Core Creative, Core Sponsorship, Daring EXP Limited, Deloitte, Druid Sport, Electric Ireland, Energia, Equinox Events, ESA, ESB, EXP, Feenix Group, ForeFront Group, Guinness / Diageo, Horse Racing Ireland, HRI Racecourses, Irish Heart Foundation, Irish Life, Legacy Communications, Navy Blue Sports, 1920 Worldwide, RTÉ Media Sales, Sky Ireland, Sky Media, Sport for Business, Taurus Productions, Teneo, Three Ireland, TicketCo, Verve The Live Agency, Vhi, VYCTO, and Wilson Hartnell.
Attendees will hear directly from those responsible for some of the standout campaigns recognised at this year’s awards, with a focus on creativity, effectiveness and measurable impact.
Among the speakers will be Tom Noonan, who played a key role in the Cairn Community Games campaign, which secured the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Sponsorship award. His contribution will highlight how purpose-led initiatives can deliver both social and commercial value.
Also taking part is Áine Kavanagh, representing Diageo Ireland. She was part of the team behind the ‘Lovely Summer for a Guinness’ campaign, which earned ESA Best of Europe Gold, demonstrating the power of brand storytelling at scale.
Completing the line-up is Louise O’Mahony of Sky Ireland, whose work on the ‘Bound By Belief’ campaign with Irish football secured multiple awards, including Best Use of Measurement & Insight, underlining the growing importance of data-led decision making in sponsorship.
The session is expected to provide valuable learnings for brands, rights holders and agencies alike, reinforcing the evolving role of sponsorship as a driver of engagement, inclusion and measurable return on investment.
We will have a report on the event tomorrow morning on Sport for Business.
Image Credit: ESA Ireland
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