Conference Content

Event Introduction: Catherine Hawkins, Founder, Think!Sponsorship / Welcome Address: Roland Keating, Chief Executive Officer, British Library

Topic One: Collaborative Trends
Our opening session sets the tone for our 2020 theme of ‘Collaborate’ and reviews and reflects on the trend findings from the Frontier20 industry report. Hot of the press Think!Sponsorship attendees will hear exclusive findings from the 2020 survey providing an empirical framework for the days discussions. Sandra Greer, Director of Insight, MKTG

Topic Two: Selling Collaboratively - Panel Discussion
As sponsorship has become more integrated so objectives have become more sophisticated and wide-reaching, calling for sellers to create collaborative, bespoke solutions with creative activation plans. In this session we explore how the marketplace is evolving and the changing nature of sponsorship rights and assets and the art of modern successful sponsorship sales. This session will be run as a panel discussion with sponsorship buyers and sponsorship sellers representing both ends of the sales negotiation.
Ria Thomas, Head of Sponsorship, Vodafone
Tom Whiteside, Manager—Sponsorship, Toyota UK
Stacey Bowles, Head of Development, Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)
Tony Singh, Chief Commercial Officer, England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB)

Topic Three: Collaborative Content
Exclusive and creative content was hotly tipped as a growth area for sponsorship in 2019. In this session we explore this trend examining where and how collaborative content has been best developed and released for maximum impact and cut through with the target audience.
Naomi Conway, Director of Development, National Parks
Gemma Chance, Head of Partnership & Purpose, Forest Holidays

Topic Four: People Power
Employee Engagement retains its growth and impact on the sponsorship marketplace. In this session we examine how to harness the power of people to a collective goal, thereby delivering on many objectives simultaneously: inspiring passion and purpose in people, creating a connected employee community and delivering long term outcomes and a motivated workforce.
Nick Tuppen, CEO, Threshold Sports
Kesah Trowell, Group Head of Sustainable Business & ESG, Dixons Carphone

Topic Five: Collaborative Audiences:
As sponsorship has become more integrated so objectives have become more sophisticated and wide-reaching. In this session we explore an example of how the marketplace is changing to reflect this. In this case study-led breakout we explore a partnership where sponsor and rights holder have both benefited from the partnership in opening and establishing relationships with both existing and new audiences.
Cristina Munoz , Senior Brand Partnerships Manager, Cunard Cruises
Khadeen O’Donnell, Head of Corporate & Strategic Partnerships, English National Ballet

Topic Six: Purposeful Collaboration
Charity based partnerships are no longer a ‘soft’ partnership option. The evolution of purpose in this space has seen a collaborative approach net dividends. In this topic we examine the benefits of a 360 degree partnership delivering commercially and purposefully in equal measure and how to achieve the right type of cut through, communications and reach to deliver against commercial and corporate responsibility objectives.
Rachael Conroy, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Movember
Conner Wells, Product Brand Manager, L’Oréal Paris

Topic Seven: Collaborative Evaluation—Case Study & Panel Discussion
Evaluating the effect of sponsorship activity remains a persistent challenge for the sponsorship industry and yet greater sponsorship ambition inevitably forces sponsorship measurement tools and techniques forward. Undoubtably campaigns with shared objectives have the potential to deliver meaningful, rounded and ambitious evaluation goals and targets. In this session we examine how collaborative evaluation may be the future for demonstrating sponsorship’s ability to answer its critics in proving the return on investment.

Jenny Smith, Head of Events, Sponsorship & Communications, Volvo Car UK

Topic Eight: A Women’s World - Panel Discussion
From large scale investment in women’s football through to supporting initiatives to encourage more women into board positions the current sponsorship landscape demonstrates a huge appetite from the sponsoring business sector to connect with initiatives that celebrate, empower or support women across sport, culture, business and entertainment. How can brands stand out and avoid tokenism in this space and how does our panel see this trend evolving in the coming years?

Lisa Kirkbright, Communications Manager, SKODA UK #thisisourtime

Stuart Boxall, Head of Corporate Relations, British Library #unfinishedbusiness 

Kate Moore, Senior Sponsorship Manager, Diageo #globalonequalisingmusic

Topic Nine - Grassroot Sponsorship
The quest for an authentic voice within a partnership has been an long-felt challenge by many sponsoring businesses. In this session we question whether grassroots initiatives offer the cut through and environment for a sponsors to add real value and be a genuine and connected part of the conversation? Does this sector offer a platform to tell more engaging stories?

Topic Ten: ‘Social’ Sponsorship
The game-changing and fast-paced growth of social channels has influenced not only activation strategies but also expectation in terms of sponsor engagement levels with their target community—be that a fan, enthusiast, audience or visitor. If social gives reach, and experiences give depth, how can rights sellers, sponsors and agencies collaborate on their approach to find an authentic social voice that delivers its part in the wider activation spectrum?