The Irish Sport Industry Awards will recognise excellence across ten key categories when they take place for the first time at Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre on November 5th.
Entries for the new awards closed on Friday, October 16th and came in from a range of sectors within sport and the business that supports it that have never previously been highlighted here in Ireland.
The awards have been created by the Federation of Irish Sport and will be supported in this first year by major brands including Supervalu, Paddy Power and Failte Ireland. The Sunday Business Post, WHPR and Leman Solicitors and others are also coming in behind the event.
Sport for Business is proud to be involved in the Awards and Founder Rob Hartnett will be a judge alongside former Dublin GAA Manager and CEO of Veolia Pat Gilroy, Tech entrepreneur Ray Nolan, Sports Surgery Clinic Founder Ray Moran, Joe.ie Founder Niall McGarry, International Sports Industry consultant Russell Murphy, Cliona O’Leary of RTÉ Sport, Barry Walsh and Ian Talbot.
The judging panel will be chaired by broadcaster Matt Cooper.
The ten categories in which awards will be made are:
1. Established Sport Business
2. Emerging Sports Business
3. Best Mass Participation Event
4. Best International Sports Event
5. Best Activation of a Sport Sponsorship
6. Best Sports Facility
7. Excellence in Media Coverage
8. Best Use of a Social Media
9. Best Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative in Sport
10. Best Sports Club
11. Best Innovation in Sport
12. Best Global Sports Campaign
“The sports industry in Ireland supports 40,000 jobs, contributes 2.4% to GDP and stimulates €1.9 billion in household spending each year,” said President of the Federation of Irish Sport and recent three time All Ireland winning footballer Bernard Brogan.
“We all know that sport is hugely important to us here in Ireland.”
“However, the contribution that sport makes to the economic life of the country is much less known.”
“Sport is one of the fastest developing sectors here in Ireland and between 2006 & 2011 there was more growth in the number of people employed as professional athletes or sports officials than in computer related activities.”
“The Federation of Irish Sport strongly believes that much more benefit can be derived from the commercial side of sport and to this end have developed the inaugural sport industry awards both to recognise those who have achieved excellence as well as shine a light on the economic contribution of the sector as a whole.”
Full details of the categories can be found at www.sportindustryawards.ie
Image credit: Dan Sheridan / Inpho.ie
