Establishment of ESA Ireland announced at European Sponsorship Association’s Annual Irish Event
Sponsorship spend in Ireland is growing. Irish sponsorship consultancy, ONSIDE, estimate the value of Ireland’s sponsorship industry at €227million, an increase of 7% on 2023 and a figure that will surpass the pre-pandemic peak of €224million reached in 2019. This is reflective of investment in sponsorship around the world which continuesto grow, particularly sportsponsorship. Statista anticipate spending on sportsponsorship will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 8.68% from $97.35billion in 2022 to reach $189.5billion by 2030.
Research presented as part of the ESA Ireland launch at today’s conference identified emerging sports and music as two areas of opportunities for sponsors. The research also identified the importance of sponsorship activation to ensuring sponsorship investment resonates with the ultimate target audience, consumers. The research identified a perception gap on the impact of sponsorship between industry professionals and consumers with that gap narrowing where activation formed a significant part of the overall investment and widening where activation levels have traditionally been lower.
Speaking at the launch of ESA Ireland, Daragh Persse, ESA Board Director & Founder of The Brand Fans, said: “We are delighted to be launching ESA Ireland today. It is a landmark moment for Irish sponsorship, which has experienced significant growth and success over the last 15 years".
- Sponsorship when done well is proven not only to deliver for business but can also have a significant impact on some of the things of crucial importance to Irish society – sport, music, the arts and charitable causes.To have our own dedicated network of sponsorship professionals from across the brand, rights holder and agency landscape will be of huge benefit to all of us working in the industry, enabling us to learn from each other and continue to set the standard for excellence in sponsorship.
Sophie Morris, ESA Chair, said: “I'm thrilled to see the launch of a new ESA Chapter in Ireland today. Irish sponsorship professionals are already a strong part of the ESA community and the establishment of ESA Ireland will further drive the already very high standard of sponsorship in Ireland and enable ESA to deliver more local benefits in training, networking and events".
ESA Ireland will provide more information about the development of the community in the coming weeks. Current ESA members based in Ireland or interested professionals who would like to find out more can connect with ESA Ireland through the social channels and email address listed below.Part of ESA’s mission is to grow a diverse community and ESA Ireland will bring more sponsors, rights holders, agencies and suppliers into the ESA family to help us achieve that.
About ESA
The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) is the essential and inclusive community for all professionals working in sponsorship. We inspire more successful sponsorships, drive confidence in decision making and grow a diverse community through world-leading education, events and resources, industry connections and recognition of excellence.
A not-for-profit membership association, ESA’s reach encompasses all types of sponsorship activity from sport, broadcast, education, charity, arts and culture to environment and the community. Its members include sponsors, rights holders, agencies and consultants, professional advisors and suppliers.
Visit sponsorship.org for more information.
