Wednesday 8 November 2000
Scottish Olympic silver medallists, Craig MacLean and Chris Hoy, got on their bikes to launch a search for Scotland’s top sports sponsorships.
The Inaugural sportscotland Sponsorship Awards have been introduced to highlight the work currently going on within Scotland’s sponsorship industry. They will also generate further awareness of the unique commercial benefits sponsoring sport offers business and promote good practice within the industry.
Clubs and businesses throughout the country are being invited to nominate their sponsored projects for an award in one of seven possible categories designed to accommodate the broad range of sponsorships that currently exist within Scottish sport. These range from best sponsorship of young people in Scottish sport to sponsorships in excess of £100,000.
The seven category winners will then be considered for the overall ‘sportscotland Sponsorship of the Year Award’.
Ian Robson, Chief Executive of sportscotland said, “The additional resources sponsorship brings in is vital to the survival of much of sport in Scotland, from the local village team upwards.
“In return, sport offers the commercial sector unique promotional benefits such as association with a healthy active image, direct access to target audiences and where a company is keen to build brand loyalty, support for a project their customers genuinely care about.
“When effectively executed a sponsorship can be an extremely powerful marketing tool.
“These new Awards seek to recognise the important role business sponsorship plays in Scottish sport and by spotlighting good practice we hope to encourage even more to get involved.”
The closing date for nominations is Friday 26 January 2001, when an independent panel of experts, chaired by sportscotland Chief Executive, Ian Robson, will consider which nominations best meet the Awards criteria.
Winners will be announced at the end of March 2001 when all short-listed nominees will be invited to attend the Inaugural sportscotland Sponsorship Awards presentation evening.
Businesses wanting further information on the Awards should contact: Aileen Simpson, Head of Commercial Development, sportscotland, Caledonia House. South Gyle. Edinburgh EH12 9DQ. Telephone 0131 317 7200. Email: aileen.simpson@sportscotland.org.uk
Sports sponsorship is worth an estimated £35-40m annually in Scotland.- sportscotland (formerly the Scottish Sports Council) is the government agency responsible for leading the development of sport in Scotland.
- The seven Inaugural sportscotland Sponsorship Award categories are:
- Gairich Award (best sponsorship for a fee of less than £50,000 pa);
- Conival Award (best sponsorship for a fee between £50,000 & £100,000 pa);
- Cairnwell Award (best sponsorship for a fee for more than £100,000 pa);
- Best newcomer to sport sponsorship in Scotland;
- Best long-term commitment to sport sponsorship in Scotland;
- Best sponsorship of young people in Scottish sport;
- Sportsmatch Award for Best Community Sponsorship.
- The overall sportscotland Sponsorship of the Year will be selected from the above category winners.
- The seven award categories are designed to accommodate the broad range of sponsorships that currently exist within Scottish sport, from local community projects through to the support of national teams.
- The independent panel of industry experts who will judge nominations will comprise:
- Ian Robson – Chief Executive, sportscotland.
- Jim Faulds – Chairman, Faulds Group.
- Alan Ferguson – Managing Director, The Sports Business.
- Sandra Greer – Research Director, S.Comm Research.
- Denise West – Managing Director, Insider Group.
- Craig Mclean and Chris Hoy won silver medals in the Olympic Sprint at the Sydney Olympics as part of Team GB and also recently won silver at the World Championships in Manchester.
- Photographs from the photocall involving the two Olympic cyclists and sportscotland Chief Executive, Ian Robson, are available free of charge from: Steve Lindridge, Ideal Images, Tel 01383 720697.