Last week, the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) brought its Ireland annual flagship event to Dublin’s iconic Aviva Stadium, in association with Levy Ireland. MII was proud to help shape the conversation: our CEO, Shane McGonigle, moderated the “MII AIM Awards Sponsorship Winners” panel—one of the key highlights of the morning.
From doors-open to the final networking session the agenda delivered a masterclass in sponsorship.
ESA Board Director Daragh Persse opened with a warm welcome and outlined the Association’s strategic priorities for 2025, setting the tone for a day focused on innovation and growth in the sponsorship sector.
ESA Chair Sophie Morris delivered essential market intelligence through her European Sponsorship Market Overview & Trends presentation, offering attendees current data and insights to inform their strategic planning and investment decisions.
An expert trio tackled one of the industry’s most significant opportunities: building the business case for investing in women’s sport. Award-winning sports broadcaster Marie Crowe brought journalistic insight, while Royal London’s Jess Glover shared practical partnership experience and Wasserman’s Lenah Ueltzen-Gabell contributed global agency perspective on this rapidly expanding market.
Aris Theophilakis of NOSLEEPTILLBROOKLYN showcased the 2025 ESA Awards “Sponsorship of the Year” winner, highlighting Norwegian insurance company Gjensidige’s innovative partnership with Pearlfinders in support of the Palmesus beach festival. Their activation, entitled ‘The Breathing Space’, demonstrated creative excellence in experiential sponsorship.
Audience Engagement insights were expertly delivered by Verve, providing practical tools and strategies for deeper fan connection while setting the stage for the MII-led panel discussion that followed.
Shane McGonigle’s session brought the power of practical success stories to life. Guinness Global Marketing Manager Jeanette Levis (Diageo) and John West Ireland Head of Marketing Anne-Claire Monde—fresh from their victories at the 2025 MII AIM Awards—discussed the core drivers behind their winning campaigns.
The event closed with Global Partnerships Director at Elemis, Amy Mansell unveiling the headline-grabbing ELEMIS × Aston Martin F1 collaboration—a fitting finale that underscored sponsorship’s capacity for bold, category-stretching innovation.
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