The Sport Industry Awards 2016 were launched today (Thursday, 6th October) at the Guinness Enterprise Centre by Bernard Brogan, President of the Federation of Irish Sport, James Galvin, CEO, Federation of Irish Sport, Pat Breen, Minister of State for Employment and Small Business and Roddy Guiney, Chairman of Wilson Hartnell PR and Board Member of Federation of Irish Sport. The Federation is the representative body for Ireland’s National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs), Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) and other voluntary sports organisations. The awards are to be held at the Round Room in the Mansion House on 10th November, 2016.

The Sport Industry Awards were established in 2015 by the Federation of Irish Sport to create a forum to recognise excellence in the business of sport and also to highlight the increasing contribution of sport to Ireland. 40,000 jobs are supported by the sports industry in Ireland, which contributes approximately €2.8 billion to GDP each year. Sport is also estimated to stimulate some €1.9 billion in household spending each year, whilst also contributing approximately in €1 billion in tourism revenue for Ireland annually.

The winners will be determined by an experienced and knowledgeable Judging Panel drawn from the business and sports communities and includes Cliona O’ Leary, Deputy Head of TV Sport, RTE; Rob Harnett, CEO, Sport for Business; Russell Murphy, Founder & Owner, BSI Entertainment and Maeve Buckley, Director, Line Up Sports. Also joining the panel are Roddy Guiney, Chairman of Wilson Hartnell and Federation of Irish Sport Board Member; Fiona Coghlan, former Ireland women’s rugby captain and Chairperson, Dublin City Sport & Wellbeing Partnership, Ian Hyland, CEO & Publisher, Business and Finance media group and Sean O’ Connor, Chief Operations Officer of last year’s winner of the established sports business award, Statsports.

Bernard Brogan, President of the Federation of Irish Sport

A total of 13 Award Categories touch on the many diverse elements that make up the Irish sports industry and include; recognition for established and emerging sport businesses, the best sports participation event, best international sports event hosted in Ireland, best sponsorship campaigns, best sports journalist, best use of social media by a sports business, best corporate social responsibility initiative, best innovation in sport, NGB of the year, best LSP initiative and a lifetime achievement/outstanding contribution award.

Speaking at the launch, four-time All-Ireland winner Bernard Brogan said, “As President of the Federation of Irish Sport, I am delighted to be part of the Irish Sport Industry Awards which I believe have a vital role in highlighting the significant economic contribution sport makes to Ireland. The awards will also recognise those who stand out from their peers in attaining real excellence within a growing and increasingly thriving sport sector.”

The deadline for entries has been extended to Tuesday, 25th October at 12pm SHARP.

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