UK Sponsorship Awards 2022 – Early Bird Tickets Available Now
November 8, 2021
The UK Sponsorship Awards, the annual showcase for the sponsorship sector, are going to be taking place on the 29th of March 2022.
The UK Sponsorship Awards (UKSA) organising team is delighted to announce the official launch of its 2022 edition. Brands, agencies, rights holders, charities and other sponsorship stakeholders are now able to enter the Awards via the UKSA website. At time of writing, the firm plan is to revert to a physical edition of the industry-leading gala event, to be held in March 2022.
“While Covid-19 continues to be a concern for many in sponsorship, March 2022 currently looks like an opportune time to hold a bricks and mortar event,” said UKSA CEO Rosie Sarginson. “Sponsorship is a people business which thrives on face to face interaction. So we are looking forward to hosting a live celebration that can bring so many of our friends and colleagues back together under one roof.”
Many of the usual categories are available for entry – across arts, sport, media and digital. But as usual UKSA 2022 is leading the way with its category innovations. “We have already set out our stall on sustainability,” said Sarginson, “but in addition there will be special categories for Olympics/Paralympics sponsors and arts sponsors. The arts sector has done a magnificent job of reinventing itself over the last decade so we will acknowledge that fact through a one-off Award for the Best Arts Sponsorship since 2010. 2022 will also see the reboot of the Spotlight Award, targeted this year at financial services firms.”
Company and People Awards are an important component of the UKSA line-up – and this year is no exception. Rights holders and consultancies will have their own categories, and there will be new additions to our Champions of Sponsorship Hall of Fame. Not to be overlooked is the Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Sponsorship Executive – a signpost towards the sector’s bright future.
While most industry sectors are now finding solutions to the Covid-19 challenge, there’s no question it continues to impact people-facing business like sponsorship. For this reason, there will be a Rising To The Covid Challenge Award – rewarding companies that have found creative and effective strategies and activations to combat the pandemic. “Hopefully,” said Sarginson, “entries in this category can provide best practice insights and ideas about how to bounce back.”
2022 will also see the return of the 20/20 Vision Award, a celebration of craft and creativity. Like last year, judges will be on the hunt for outstanding executions where sublime craft has brought an exceptional creative idea to life. The category is open to every area of the sponsorship sector and will focus on areas such as design, craft, artistry, technique, expertise, talent, vision and iconic imagery. It runs alongside UKSA’s innovation award, which is concentrated more on the use of future-facing, game-changing or unorthodox technology.
“More details will be provided on this year’s categories and criteria in the run up to our early bird deadline of December 1 2021,” said Sarginson, “At UKSA, we’re looking forward to showcasing the industry’s creativity, innovation and effectiveness when we meet on March 29 2022.”
For more details on categories, criteria, entering and UKSA’s renewed commitment to sustainability, please explore their site. And keep your eyes open for new editorial insights over the coming weeks.
