We look back at an extraordinary year and thank all our clients, sponsors and partners for their continued trust.

The sponsorship industry, like many other industries, have had an extraordinarily difficult year. But it hasn’t all been hardship - the challenges associated with COVID-19 have forced many, including The Sponsorship Experts, to think differently and launch new initiatives.

One of the things that we have enjoyed during the course of 2020 has been the many webinars and virtual events we have attended, including but not limited to World Football Summit, which was held virtually for the first time in November; “Is Sport Fit For The Future?”, a webinar organised by PBSL, a network for executives in the sports industry, in association with SportsBusiness; and SponsorshipX’s online season on “The Impact of COVID-19 on Consumerism and Sponsorship”. It has been a pleasure to gather with other industry professionals to learn about how they are impacted by COVID-19 and what they are doing to mitigate the changes.

We have also enjoyed reading the many reports and case studies coming out during this time, learning from our peers and widening our horizon on how to navigate this challenging time. To name but a few: SportsPro’s account on how media companies are moving to remote production in “Remote Revolution - COVID-19 and the future of sports content production”; World Football Summit’s report on the world of football during COVID-19; IMI International’s COVID-19 Global Recovery Update; Luxuo’s report on the effects of COVID-19 on the leisure yachting industry; and North Star Meeting Group’s useful “17 Fresh Sponsorship Ideas for Virtual Events”. What these and many other reports and studies do is share invaluable data and knowledge during a time when everyone is forced to make decisions based on very little, and fast-changing, information.

At The Sponsorship Experts we have also made significant changes to the way we operate. This year, our guest speakers for our training workshops, Sponsorship Part One and Part Two, joined virtually, and we re-launched our classified section, Marketplace, to better reflect the changes to the sponsorship industry.

Although 2020 has been a difficult year, it has been extremely inspiring seeing the fortitude of the industries, companies, organising bodies, agencies and brands we work with. Several have pushed ahead with planned events, either making the necessary changes or postponing in order to create the best possible experience for their clientele.

Despite the challenges, we did have a number of sponsorship and partnership marketing opportunities this year, including: Chefs Market, Blue Tree Phuket 2020/2021; Corporate Innovation Summit 2020; Fin Market 2020; GT racing team, Team BM 2020-2022; Hotels.TV 2020/2021; International Schools’ Golf Tour and Faldo Series Thailand 2020/2021; Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous 2020; Mass Participation World 2020; Oceans For All Foundation 2020/2021; Sch?chter Sports - Thailand 2020; Sports Authority of Thailand 2020/2021; Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon 2020; Team BB 2020/2021; Thailand Yacht Show 2020; The Takraw League 2019-2021; Tomasz Drybala 2020/2021; UnKonscious Beach Festival 2020; Whisky Live Thailand 2020 and Wir für Kinder - Thailand 2020/2021.

We also covered a number of important topics on how the sponsorship industry is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, we looked at how sports federations show their support in fighting the pandemic; how rights holders and brands are getting creative when it comes to retaining their fan bases and engage stakeholders; our view of the pandemic and what rights holders and brands can do; the effects of the pandemic on the MICE industry and how to operate events during this time. Lastly, we looked at how media companies are creating content in new ways.

We also launched Sponsorship Experts Corporate Concierge service, and highlighted our services and offerings.

Next year, we look forward to seeing the industry slowly rebound. We have a number of sponsorship and partnership marketing opportunities available, including: Chefs Market, Blue Tree Phuket 2020/2021; GFNY Thailand 2021; GT racing team, Team BM 2020-2022; Hotels.TV 2020/2021; International Schools’ Golf Tour and Faldo Series Thailand 2020/2021; Oceans For All Foundation 2020/2021; Sports Authority of Thailand 2021/2022; Supersports 10 Mile 2021 International Run Thailand; Supersports Bangkok Half Marathon 2021; Team BB 2020/2021; Thailand Health, Fitness and Wellness Expo 2021; Thailand Yacht Show 2021; The Takraw League 2019-2021; Tomasz Drybala 2021/2022; Whisky Live Thailand 2021; Wir für Kinder - Thailand 2020/2021; World Corporate Golf Challenge Thailand 2021 and WTF Legends Cricket Match Thailand 2021.

For a full list of current opportunities, please see www.paulpoole.co.th/opportunities.

In the past year, we have also had the pleasure of drawing on the expertise of some of the people in our networks that are experts in their field. We have heard from Tomasz Drybala, Endurance Athlete, on how to reach your full potential, from Able Wanamakok, Public Speaker and Presenter, on how to find your voice, and from Andrew J Wood, President, Sk?l International Bangkok, and PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism) on how to revive the tourism industry in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also entered into a strategic alliance with ReverseAds to offer our clients access to this new ad tech and ultimately boost opportunities to convert a buyer at every stage along the path to purchase. Lastly, we are also excited that we have confirmed Paul Pednault, founder of Sponsorium International Inc., as a guest speaker for Sponsorship Part Two in September 2021.

Lastly, we would like to thank all of our clients, sponsors and partners of the past year.

For a list of current and past clients, sponsors and partners, please see www.paulpoole.co.th/clients-sponsors-partners.

Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co., Ltd. is an independent marketing consultancy based in Bangkok, Thailand specialising in commercial sponsorship and partnership marketing, working with both rights holders and brands - acting as a catalyst by bringing them together and maximising the relationship.

We have packaged, sold and managed sponsorship and partnership opportunities for a wide range of rights holders and worked with many of the world’s leading brands to source and engage the right sponsorships and partnerships for them to maximise.

Please contact us for more information: Tel./Fax: +66 2622 0605 – 7 Email: [email protected]

This article was first published in PP(SEA)CL's December 2020 / January 2021 newsletter.