The unusually heavy rain in Dubai may have brought life to a standstill in the city, but that could not dampen the spirits at the 2014 Sports Industries Awards (SPIAs) on Wednesday night.
Despite a last-minute change in the venue from the open-air gala planned at One & Only Royal Mirage to the protected environs of the Asateer Tents at the Atlantis, a full-house of 476 guests felicitated the winners in 12 categories.
The SPIAs were instituted last year by Sport360° to recognise and honour the people working behind the scenes to bring alive the finest sporting events in the Middle East.
Michael Chalhoub, CEO, Sport360°, kick-started the proceedings with his opening address, and set the tone for the night saying: “Beyond the fireworks, the grandiose events and new launches, there are a myriad of dedicated people working hand-in-hand and at all hours of day and night to bring, offer and show us the best of the best.
“The SPIAs are the reward and shed the spotlight on those who are the backbone of every major sport endeavour in the Middle East.”
Among the various companies sponsoring sporting events in the region, HSBC and Emirates Airlines were the big winners, while sports management firm IMG walked away with the honour of the Best Sport Agency.
HSBC, well known for their Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the HSBC Rugby Sevens, won the gold for the Best Sport Event (Professional) for their golf tournament, and also for the Best Sponsorship of a Sport Event for HSBCSevens World Series and Dubai Rugby Sevens.
Speaking on behalf of HSBC, Ben Sadek of Fast Track, the agency thatactivated their Dubai Rugby Sevens programme, said: “The thing about HSBC is that they really understand their customers very well and what appeals to them. They strike the right cord with the public.”
Emirates Airlines’ Emirates Returns, a children’s tennis and education programme, won the gold in the Best Sport CSR Initiative, one of two new important awards introduced this year which reflects the changing nature of sports marketing and promotion.
Roger Duthie, Head of Sports Sponsorship, Emirates, said: “For us, it is a very important award to win. The CSR part is very important for a large company like us, where we are trying to make a difference to people’s life.”
The other new award – for the Best Use of Social Media in Sport – was won by Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for their active use of social media in the build-up to and during the race.
IMG, who manage events like the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and Mubadala World Tennis Championship, won the Best Agency award for a second successive year.
“I’d say that firstly, we are honoured that we are able to work with such fantastic clients like Tourism and Cultural Authority of Abu Dhabi, Flash Entertainment, Daman and others,” said Greg Sproule, head of IMG Middle East.
“We are not used to taking credit for any of the events we do… it is all about the clients. So, to be recognised for our work is just great, and that’s what makes SPIA such a unique awards function for the sports industry.”
Among other gold winners were adidas (Best Sport Brand), Emirates Golf Club and Zayed Sports City (Best Sport and Recreation Facility), Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Tournament (Best Sport Event – Amateur), Adventure HQ (Best Sport Retail Outlet), Emirates American Football Youth League and Mubadala Tennis Community Programme (Best Sport Youth Development Project), FIFA Under-17 World Cup (Best Sport Marketing Campaign) and Smart Fitness (Best Health & Fitness Facility).
Another first for SPIA this year was its delayed live telecast on Dubai Sports Channel and live updates on Dubai Eye 103.8. The 2014 SPIAs was sponsored by Emirates Airlines, Al Mana Fashion Group – Go Sport, Emirates NBD, Suunto, Lacoste, Salomon, Dubai Sports World – DWTC, Masar, Thanyapura Phuket, Replay, MMC Sportz, AVID, Dubai Sports Channel, Deloitte, Dubai Eye, Mediaquest, and Dubai Sports Council.
