PBA, MOA Arena among finalists for first Asian sports industry awards
A LARGE NUMBER of Philippine groups and entities, including the Philippine Basketball Association ( PBA) and Mall of Asia ( MOA) Arena, are among the finalists in the first-ever Sports Industry Awards ( SPIA) Asia, organizers said.
In a press conference held on Wednesday, MMC Sportz, the group spearheading the staging of the awards, announced the short list of finalists for the different categories.
The winners will be known in a black-tie gala night event at the New World Hotel in Makati on Oct. 2.
According to Eric Gottschalk, chief executive officer of MMC Sportz, an international sports advertising and marketing agency, 168 entries were registered from 10 Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Brunei and Hong Kong.
“I think we got good quality entries, not bad for a first year,” Mr. Gottschalk shared to Business World on the sidelines of the announcement.
From the initial submissions, 101 were short-listed as finalists which will further be evaluated by a panel of the region’s leading industry experts and overseen by auditors in strict accordance with the international sport industry award rules.
Organizers said the SPIA is a fresh take on giving sporting awards in Asia as it deviates from the usual handing of recognition to athletes and instead channelling attention to other movers and shakers of the sports industry — business leaders and organizations — as well as other facets — facilities and campaigns.
The PBA has been short-listed for four categories, namely, Best Sports Marketing Campaign, Best Use of Social Media in Sport, Best Live Experience at a Professional Sports Event and Best Sports Digital Platform.
The 20,000- capacity MOA Arena, which opened in 2012, meanwhile, is up for the Sport & Recreation Facility of the Year award along with the Philippine Arena and Philippine Sports Stadium.
Sunrise Events, Inc., an organizer of multisport events in the country and led by businessman Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, is a finalist for Sport Organization of the Year.
It is up against the Gymnastic Association of the Philippines, Hong Kong Ultra Marathon Association Limited, Pertubuhan Seni Gayung Fatani (Malaysia), Primer Group-DC (Philippines), Sporting Republic (Singapore), Wrestling Association of the Philippines and XLE Group ( Vietnam).
Philippine entries dominated finalists in the Best Sports Marketing Campaign category, with nine out of 12, namely, #mygirls by Adidas & Iprospect, Color Manila by Brother International, DC Shoes by Primer Group, Gilas FIBA World Cup by Smart Communications, Isang Bayan Para Kay Pacman by ABS- CBN, Manila Mavericks at the IPTL by SM Lifestyle Ent., PBA, Puso the Max by Max Restaurants & Carat and UFC Manila by SM Lifestyle Ent.
Other categories are the Sports Retail Campaign of the Year, Best Sports Youth Program, Best Sport Event (Amateur) and Best Sports CSR Initiative.
Organizers said the staging of the inaugural SPIA Asia in the Philippines is in “recognition of the country’s contribution to the development of sports in Asia” as a quality host to some of the biggest sporting events in the last couple of years, including the FIBA Asia Championship, and the first-ever International Premier Tennis League.
SPIA Asia is organized by MMC Sportz and Sport 360 in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. —