The 2014 Sports Industry Awards (SPIAs) took place on March 26 at Atlantis The Palm, and despite the hectic build-up – brought on by the heavy rainfall – the event proved an enormous success.
The unexpected weather forced a last-minute relocation from the One & Only Royal Mirage but it was hardly noticeable as the great and good of the Middle East's sports industry descended on Dubai for the glitzy event.
It was a night to remember for all those in attendance and particularly for all of the worthy winners.
Here, Sport360 celebrates the achievements of our Gold winners (Part I):
BEST HEALTH AND FITNESS FACILITY
GOLD: Smart Fitness
Mark Robinson, Founder: The good thing with us is that we’re very woman-oriented. It’s never been about the business, it’s always about the people and the team itself. What we’ve built is absolutely amazing, so we’re very, very happy. I started the company out of very humble beginnings on the beach with a CD player, playing one of my mom’s CDs. We’ve grown it from word-of-mouth publicity and it’s just been going since then.
BEST SPORT AND RECREATION FACILITY
GOLD: Emirates Golf Club
Andrew Whitelaw, General Manager: It’s really fantastic to be recognised this way. The competition in the UAE now is just amazing. It’s even more special this year because the club is now 25 years old and we hosted the 25th anniversary of the Dubai Desert Classic. So, this is like the icing on the cake for our celebrations. We have been the pioneers of sporting facilities in this region for 25 years and this gives our entire team more motivation to do better in the coming years.
GOLD: Zayed Sports City
Barry Bremner, General Manager: This reflects the team’s hard work. Last year we’ve put a lot of work into customer services and there was a big focus on new events. Zayed Sports City was founded by Sheikh Zayed. He had a vision 35 years ago and all we’re doing is delivering on his vision. I’m most proud of the team that we employ. Mubadala took over that facility five years ago and we’ve fundamentally turned the whole service around.
BEST SPORTS BRAND
GOLD: adidas
Tiago Perdigao, Senior Brand Marketing Manager: It’s a recognition of our efforts in this region for our brand and in supporting sports in the region, so we’re very happy to have this award for the second time in a row. It comes from us being here, always trying to connect with the local consumers. We’ve been present with our office here for more than 10 years now and I think this makes a massive difference. We have strategies in place and we’re much closer to consumers than anyone else.
BEST PROFESSIONAL SPORT EVENT
GOLD: Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship
Greg Sproule, Managing Director of IMG Middle East: It’s a great example of partnership. First and foremost, we’ve got to thank the Tourism and Culture Authority of Abu Dhabi for creating the event. And then all the partners involved. In these kind of awards, it’s never one-dimensional. It’s a combination of a lot of great things coming together. So it’s a great title partner in HSBC, it’s a great event owner in the Tourism and Culture Authority, a great communications team behind it, and finally, a great experience for the fans, the families, the sponsors and the players.
BEST CSR INITIATIVE
GOLD: The Emirates Returns Program by Emirates Airline
Roger Duthie, Head of Sports Sponsorship: This is a very important award to win because it shows that a large company like us is going to small towns and communities and giving something back to the people. As we continue to grow, it shows to people that we care. It shows that what we did with our Emirates Returns program starting last year, all the hard work that the team has put in, has come to fruition. We are working on a similar program for our other markets and will bring it to the UAE soon.
BEST SPORT SPONSORSHIP
GOLD: HSBC for Sevens World Series & Dubai Rugby Sevens
Ben Sadek, Fast Track Middle East: The thing about HSBC is that they understand their customers very well and what appeals to them. They strike the right chord with the public. I think rugby lets a brand like HSBC be a bit more playful than it can be otherwise with its marketing. We do a lot for grassroots development and with our HSBC ambassadors in the lead-up to the tournament. It is a two-day event for the world, but the work has already begun for us – almost 10 months before it starts.
BEST SPORT RETAIL OUTLET
GOLD: Adventure HQ
Sam Whittam, General Manager and Founder: We have a lot of passion for our brand. We believe in what we do and we love it. So it’s really great to be recognised for a second year in a row. I think what makes us special is our people, our team, our attitude. What we love about bringing to the Middle East is a new energy, a higher level of customer service and a fun retail environment.
BEST SPORT MARKETING CAMPAIGN
GOLD: FIFA U17 World Cup
Ben Faber, Director of Communications, Fast Track Middle East: It’s a recognition of 12 months of very hard work from the UAE Football Association, the whole local organising committee and from FIFA, who we worked closely with and from us as the agency. It was the biggest football event ever staged in the UAE with 52 games, 24 teams, over six weeks, across six cities, so an enormous undertaking to try and raise awareness, interest, excitement and ultimately get people to go to the games. The final in Abu Dhabi in a sold-out stadium, is quite an achievement for an U17 match.
BEST AMATEUR SPORT EVENT
GOLD: Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Tournament
Derren Sanders, Tournament Director: We are here as very amateur people, we all have full-time jobs but we enjoy rugby and we enjoy what we put back into the community. Being here with so many high-profile events means a lot to us. We have some very professional supporters in Etihad Airways, HSBC and Zayed Sports City who help us deliver what is now the second biggest rugby tournament in the world with almost 5,000 people attending in Abu Dhabi for the weekend every October and November.
Click here for Part II of 'SPIAs 2014: A night to remember for all the winners'
