European Sponsorship Association (ESA)

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) is the essential and inclusive community for all professionals working in sponsorship. We inspire more successful sponsorships and drive confidence in decision making through world-leading education, events and resources, industry connections and recognition of excellence.

A not-for-profit membership association, ESA’s reach encompasses all types of sponsorship activity from sport, broadcast, education, charity, arts and culture to environment and the community. Its members include sponsors, rights holders, agencies and consultants, professional advisors and suppliers.

ESA is committed to best practice and raising standards within sponsorship and marketing and offers a range of qualifications to suit all levels of professional experience, including the renowned ESA Diploma (see below), ESA Sponsorship Sales Certificate and ESA Introduction to Sponsorship, as well as advertising job opportunities on behalf of members and supplying careers advice.

If you are not ready to sign up for a course or to join ESA as a full member (see below) you can register free of charge as an ESA ASSOCIATE and receive access to selected case studies, discounts to events and more.

ESA runs a busy calendar of in-person events as well as online webinars and member-only round tables. The aim of our events is to facilitate networking and knowledge sharing. We also promote partner conferences across Europe with discounts for ESA members.

Taking place in London every March, the ESA Awards is the perfect showcase for best in class campaigns that cover the entire spectrum of sponsorship disciplines – recognising industry excellence right across Europe.

ESA has a wealth of resources, including our annual Sponsorship Trends report and Sponsorship Market Overview, which measures the industry across Europe. Other resources include ESA Award-winning case studies and policy papers.

We publish news of deals, renewals, key appointments and campaigns on behalf of ESA members, as well as introductory articles and thought leadership blogs. ESA members are able to contact each other directly through our membership website portal.

You can join ESA from as little as €499 / £420 +VAT (individuals) or €660 / £580 +VAT (organisations) annually. Visit our website for more about the benefits and levels of membership.