Tag: Shortlist

Slingshot Sponsorship’s Very Own Jackie Fast Has Been Shortlisted For Small Business Entrepreneur Of The Year 26th October, 2015

Slingshot Sponsorship’s MD Jackie Fast has been shortlisted for a GB Entrepreneur Award after she was recognised at last year’s event for her success and achievements within the sponsorship industry.

Having started the company from her bedroom 5 years ago, Jackie has rapidly grown the agency to open three international offices, working with the world’s biggest clients. By focussing on a diverse clientele base, Jackie is pioneering the current development of sponsorship.

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards is the benchmark for entrepreneurial success, designed to celebrate the contribution of entrepreneurs to the UK economy. The awards seek to acknowledge and honour the individual, not the business, and in Jackie’s case; her hard work, creativity and energy she has drove into the creation of Slingshot Sponsorship.

Jackie stated; “I am delighted to be nominated for this award. The event itself celebrates entrepreneurship in the UK, which I am particularly proud to be associated with.”

The entrepreneur who wins Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year will have examples that show their resilience and fortitude in overcoming obstacles and difficulties to ensure a secure and growing success.

The GB Entrepreneur Awards will take place on 25^th November at The Ballroom, Southbank.

Slingshot Sponsorship Shortlisted For Three ESA Excellence Awards 23rd October, 2015

Slingshot Sponsorship is delighted to announce that they have made the shortlist in the ESA Excellence Awards not just once, but three times. Against fierce competition with a significant increase in award entries this year, Slingshot have been shortlisted within the B2B Activation Award for their work in securing Hill Dickinson as a sponsor for GB Taekwondo, focussed on reinvigorating staff and driving revenue within law. As a reflection of their strong work with commercialising rights holders, they have been shortlisted for a further two entries within the Rights Holders Achievement Award for their work with the What Car Awards and Wales Rally GB.

Jackie Fast, Managing Director, Slingshot Sponsorship said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted three times this year. It’s a reflection of a lot of hard work within the agency as well as a lot of confidence from the clients we have been working with over the past couple of years. It’s also an honor to be shortlisted against some great agencies and campaigns. We are really looking forward to the event!”

The ESA Excellence Awards reward exceptional work created by sponsorship professionals across all of Europe and across a wide spectrum of sectors. These include sport, media, entertainment, culture, community and corporate responsibility. This year ESA has introduced a host of new categories to keep pace with the evolving way in which sponsorships are being used by marketers.

To book tickets for the Awards ceremony on Thursday 11 February, 2016, at Café de Paris, London, visit http://sponsorship.org/awards/ceremony/ .

National Business Awards Q&A: Jackie Fast, Slingshot Sponsorship 20th August, 2014

Jackie Fast is the Managing Director of UK-based strategic sponsorship agency Slingshot Sponsorship. Her organisation has been chosen as a finalist in the BlackBerry Business Enabler of the Year category at the 2014 National Business Awards; as part of Outsource‘s partnership with the NBAs, we got together with the finalists for this award to ask them a few questions about their activities and the changing nature of partnership and collaboration in a rapidly evolving business environment…

Outsource: In the words of the organisers, “The winner of this award will be the organisation that has best helped client or partner businesses to increase profitability by improving efficiency, develop talent or implement innovation.” How do you think your organisation has managed to do any one of these things to the extent that it has been shortlisted?

Jackie Fast: Our entire business model centres on how successful we are at identifying, uncovering and generating additional income through commercial gaps and sponsorship; therefore, this award could not be more suitable as every single aspect of our business is built on this.

When we launched only four years ago, we anticipated that this model would only suit smaller organisations who either didn’t have the resource to properly commercialise their opportunities or didn’t have the skill set. However, over the years, this applies to almost every business and can take an objective specialist view to really identify the opportunities that are being missed. Since inception, our clients have ranged dramatically from charities such as the British Heart Foundation and the Mayor’s Fund for London, to music festivals such as Outlook and Dimensions, to big B2B events such as the What Car? Awards. Ironically, regardless of the business or industry, the framework put in place is the same.

O: When a buy-side organisation engages with a supplier, how far do you think it transfers responsibility for innovation?

JF: This is a topic much debated at the moment as historically the brand was always responsible for the activation. However, it is in both parties’ interests to actively engage and ensure that the programme, event, or campaign is successful for the audience. Therefore, I would strongly argue that the onus is placed on the rights holder side to ensure that activation falls in line with the overall business strategy to help align objectives.

O: Do you think the very definition of partnership, in a business sense, is evolving and if so how?

JF: The output of partnership is still the same; however, the input of partnerships is radically changing, which is why there are discrepancies around definitions of what sponsorship or partnership is. Sponsorship makes marketing work harder and always has; however, who is involved in that partnership is different now through the advance of digital technology. This will inevitably change our industry.

O: What’s your definition of the perfect client?

JF: A client who understands their business and their reason for bringing on partnerships beyond the financial. A client who isn’t about just selling the logo.

Partnerships can deliver far beyond the investment of rights. When clients understand this implication and its potential, we then have the ability to create sponsorships that deliver value well beyond expectations.

Slingshot Sponsorship Announced as National Business Awards Finalist for the New Business of the Year Category 16th July, 2013

Slingshot Sponsorship has been shortlisted for the New Business of the Year Award at this year’s National Business Awards. Slingshot Sponsorship is a new breed of sponsorship agency – with their head office in London, they work across the globe helping clients develop strategies that maximise the commercial potential through partnerships.

The extremely prestigious awards recognises the best in business with winners being revealed at the National Business Awards gala dinner held on 12 November in London.

Michael Hayman, Co-founder, Start-Up Britain who is the judge for the category said: “Slingshot Sponsorship stands out as a disruptive force in their sector. Demonstrating solid growth and a clear commitment to CSR, it impresses as a determinedly entrepreneurial business, working with blue-chip clients.”The extremely prestigious awards recognises the best in business with winners being revealed at the National Business Awards gala dinner held on 12 November in London.

Jackie Fast, Managing Director of Slingshot Sponsorship said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted at the National Business Awards. We are an agency that always strives to deliver more in everything that we do and it is an honour to be recognised for all our team’s hard work. It is especially relevant in the business sector where commercial partnerships are becoming vital to organisations in light of public funding cuts and the recent economic climate.”

Over 150 of Britain’s leading businesses, business leaders and social enterprises have today been revealed as finalists for the 2013 National Business Awards. The finalists announced today represent 15 categories including the Croner Employer of the Year, the Smith & Williamson Entrepreneur of the Year and Santander Small to Medium-Sized Business of the Year. The Leader of the Year finalists and Decade of Excellence winner will be announced over the coming months.

This year’s shortlisted businesses have a collective global turnover of more than £341 billion, covering activities as diverse as telecoms, construction, entertainment, publishing and manufacturing. One fifth of the finalists turnover more than £1 billion annually – with the lowest turnover peaking at £30k and highest reaching £55 billion. They represent regions from all over Britain including London, Exeter, Glasgow and Cardiff.

Dame Helen Alexander, Chair of judges for the National Business Awards, said: “These organisations and leaders represent exceptional success over the past year. The environment has been tough; these are the firms leading the way to growth. There’s a broad spectrum of sectors represented, as well as organisations of very different sizes, reflecting the diversity of British business and the vitality of our economy. Congratulations to all our finalists.”

Alex Evans, Programme Director of the National Business Awards said: “The quality of finalists is outstanding every year – with Britain’s most promising new businesses and most impactful social enterprises recognised alongside top performing SMEs and the most sustainable mid market and large cap firms.”