Submissions are now open for the Arabian Sponsorship Awards 2010. The Awards form part of the Arabian Sponsorship Forum which takes place at The Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi, on December 8th and 9th.
The Awards are an opportunity to recognize exceptional sponsorship activations which have taken place throughout the Arabian Gulf during the past 18 months. Sponsors, rights holders and agencies based in the Middle East region are invited to place submissions before December 1st. Forms can be downloaded from www.arabiansponsorship.com.
The 2009 Arabian Sponsorship Awards saw the Commercial Bank of Qatar & Qatar Golf Association pick up the Business to Business award for the Qatar Masters by Dolphin Energy, with Mubadala’s sponsorship of Scuderia Ferrari taking home the award in the Business to Community category. The Business to Consumer winner was Zain Saudi League, the Activation Under $250 winner went to Emirates NBD and the Greenland Quest, with the International Sponsorship Award going to Etihad: F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This year’s Awards contain the following categories:
• Business to Business – for sponsorship projects directed at a sponsor’s business partners, clients and distributors.
• Business to Community – for sponsorship projects focused on corporate social responsibility, educational or environmental objectives.
• Business to Consumer – for sponsorship projects intended to reach existing and potential consumers
• Sponsorship Under $250k – for sponsorship projects with a total spend of under US $250,000
• International Sponsorship – for sponsorship projects based in the Middle East which reach a minimum of three different countries in the region and have a global media footprint
The Honorary Awards are for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the sponsorship industry through sports, culture, entertainment, media and/or corporate social responsibility. Recommendations can be made to the Organisers and/or Advisory Committee of potential candidates. Last year the Sponsorship Personality of 2009 was presented to HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
The Lifetime Services to the Arabian Sponsorship Industry Awards was presented to Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free.
The Arabian Sponsorship Awards Advisory Board is set to judge all eligible applications with the winner of each category announced at the Awards Lunch on December 8th. The Board is co-ordinated by the Advisory Committee who have appointed SportBusiness to run an independent review process. This involves the first round judged by six business and marketing professionals from universities in the Arabian Gulf who produce a short-list of nominees in each category. The nominees are then judged by a panel of independent and international sponsorship experts.
Chairman of the Awards Judging Panel and SportBusiness Editorial Director, Kevin Roberts, commented:
“It is an honour to be leading the judging panel for this year’s Awards; we expect to receive submissions across a number of industries, including sport, arts and entertainment.”
“The Arabian Sponsorship Forum is an important initiative for the region, and the Awards help acknowledge and celebrate those companies who effectively use sponsorship as part of their marketing strategy.”
In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and their Sports Care Program, the Forum has announced a number of international keynote speakers for the Arabian Sponsorship Forum 2010, including Kevin Roberts, Global CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi, based out of New York, USA; Anders Sundt Jensen, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars, Germany; Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Jocelyn Robiot, Senior Vice President Global Sports Marketing, adidas International and Danny Jordaan, 2010 FIFA World Cup Chief Executive Officer.
Entries for the Awards can be made by either sponsor, rights holder or associated agency. All applicants must complete and submit their entry form by 12 noon on 1st December 2010.
For more information, please visit www.arabiansponsorship.com, email james@profsports.com or call 02 4418122.
