The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) announced the creation of ESA Ireland at its annual Irish event in the Odeon, Point Square, Dublin, this week.
ESA Ireland is a networking community for all professionals working in sponsorship in Ireland.
Together with the ESA, it will seek to promote excellence in sponsorship while providing access to sponsorship-specific education and training for members.
Sponsorship spend in Ireland is growing. Irish sponsorship consultancy ONSIDE estimates the value of Ireland’s sponsorship industry at €227 million – an increase of 7% on 2023.
This figure is expected to surpass the pre-pandemic figure of €224 million, reached in 2019.
The increase is reflective of investment in sponsorship around the world, which continues to grow, particularly sports sponsorship.
Statista anticipates that spending on sport sponsorship will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 8.68%, from $97.35 billion in 2020 to reach $189.5 billion by 2030.
‘A Landmark Moment’
Speaking at the launch of ESA Ireland, the board director of the ESA, Daragh Persse, 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.
“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.
“Sponsorship, when done well, is proven not only to deliver for businesses, 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.”
The chair of the ESA, Sophie Morris, added, “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.
“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.”
