This Thursday’s Sport for Business Conference on The Business of Women’s Sport was covered prominently in the Sunday Business Post over the weekend.
“Sport at all levels in Ireland reaches into life in a much deeper way than elsewhere,” said Rob Hartnett, CEO of Sport for Business.
“The emotional factor enables brands to be activated better by sport than by anything else. That is what Centra, Supervalu, Liberty Insurance and others are latching onto. It’s less about sponsorship and more about partnership to build value in relationships.”
“Women’s sport is still undervalued in commercial terms but it’s appeal in terms of coverage at the top level and participation at grassroots is growing rapidly and the reward for brands of getting involved now is out of all proportion to the investment.”
Annette Ní Dhathlaoi, Head of Marketing at Liberty Insurance will be on our Business panel to explain why the All Ireland GAA Sponsorship runs across hurling and Camogie. She will be joined at the UCD Smurfit Business School on Thursday June 20th by Henry Dummer, Marketing Director of Tesco Ireland and Simon McBeth of eFlow, both of whom have put their company investment into supporting the sports that are leading the way in encouraging female participation in sport from grassroots to elite level.
This strong business panel will be supported by our Sports panel comprising Sue Ronan, Manager of the Irish National Soccer Team; Gemma Crowley, Manager of the Irish Women’s Rugby teams, Mary O’Connor, Director general of the Camogie Association and winner of 12 All Ireland medals; and Nikki Symmons, Irelands most capped athlete with 199 caps in Hockey and 7 in cricket.
The Sports Marketing Panel will include Maire Scully, Head of Sponsorship at Wilson Hartnell who helped bring Electric Ireland’s sponsorship of the Irish Olympic team to life in 2012; Dermot Rigley from RTE Sport who will be central to the growth of coverage of Women’s sport; and Kelli O’Keefe, Head of Sport at Slattery Communications which includes Allianz, Sky and the IRFU among those it works with.
Representatives from within Ireland’s business community, including from AIB, Ulster Bank, PwC, Mason Hayes and Curran and RTE will be joined by sporting leaders and participants to begin to unlock the potential that lies within Women’s sport.
The timetable for the day will include:
9:30 Registration and coffee on arrival
10:00 Welcome from Rob Hartnett, Founder of Sport for Business
10:20 Business Panel explaining the different motivations that drive a commercial partnership. This will include Annette Ní Dhathlaoi of Liberty Insurance, Henry Dummer of Tesco Ireland and Simon McBeth of eFlow.
11:00 Networking Round Tables to consider “What can Women’s Sport offer to business?”
11:45 Coffee Break
12:00 Results from around the networking groups
12:30 The Rise of Women’s participation in Sport by Peter Smyth, Irish Sports Council
13:00 Launch of Sport for Daughters Pledge initiative
13:15 Lunch
14:00 Sports Marketing Panel looking at how sport needs to adapt in order to attract the interest of business partners. Maire Scully, Head of Sponsorship at Wilson Hartnell who helped bring Electric Ireland’s sponsorship of the Irish Olympic team to life in 2012; Dermot Rigley from RTE Sport who will be central to the growth of coverage of Women’s sport; and Kelli O’Keefe, Head of Sport at Slattery Communications which includes Allianz, Spar and the IRFU among those it works with.
14:45 Networking Round Tables to consider “Climbing out of the shadows – Programmes to raise the profile of Women’s Sport
15:30 Results from around the Networking Groups
15:45 The Sports Panel featuring Sue Ronan, Manager of the Irish National Soccer Team; Gemma Crowley, Manager of the Irish Women’s Rugby teams, Mary O’Connor Director general of the Camogie Association and winner of 12 All Ireland medals; Nikki Symmons, Ireland most capped athlete with 199 caps in Hockey and 7 in cricket.
16:30: Closing remarks and a way forward.
Join us on June 20th and help to reshape the environment in which Women’s sport is operating.
Attendance is guaranteed for members of the Sport for Business Community and we also have spaces available for guests.
Make sure of your place today by booking through our online service
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