Sports Business Awards winners: 11 awards were given to companies that support Romanian sports
- Sport Business Awards, the first event that rewards the involvement of companies in supporting Romanian sports, took place last night in Bucharest.
- The prizes awarded to the companies were handed out by great Romanian athletes and sports journalists.
- More than 150 top managers, entrepreneurs, athletes, representatives of sports clubs, investors and journalists were present at the gala initiated and organized by Albini Prassa and MVP Consultancy in partnership with the Swiss-Romanian Chamber of Commerce.
Bucharest, March 28, 2024: Over 150 top managers, entrepreneurs, athletes, representatives of sports clubs, investors and journalists participated yesterday evening in the first edition of the Sports Business Awards, an event that celebrated and rewarded the involvement of Romanian companies in financing sports activities. During the event, top performance athletes and sports journalists presented 11 awards to companies and organizations that have made outstanding efforts in supporting sports.
Banca Transilvania (banking sector), OMV Petrom (oil industry), Catena (pharmaceutical retail), JYSK (furniture retail), Maspex (food and soft drinks industry), Raiffeisen Bank (banking sector), Kaufland (food retail), Sport Arena Streetball (organization of sports events) and CSO Voluntari Basket (sports club) were the winners of the first Sports Business Awards. Among the prize-winning companies, Banca Transilvania and OMV Petrom won two prizes each.
"Many companies in Romania have included in their business strategy the support of sports, with multiple beneficial effects both for business and for society as a whole. But their contribution in such an important sector for Romania often remains in the shadows. Through this event, we aimed to reward the support provided by the private environment for the support of sports, so that these examples of good practices multiply and contribute to the professionalization of the way in which sports organizations are run. And yesterday a first step was taken in this direction: one of the sponsors of the gala offered a scholarship in Switzerland to a Romanian student who will specialize in the management of sports clubs", said Ion Schiau, founder of the watch distribution company Albini Prassa, member on the board and leader of the Sport working group within the Romania-Switzerland Chamber of Commerce (CCE-R).
In Romania, less than 10% of the population is involved in sports activities, in contrast to Switzerland, where 85% of the population practice a sport regularly. Sports clubs in Romania are mostly financed from the state budget, and often these funds are insufficient.
"It is important for any company in Romania to understand the benefits of association with sports, the added value that sports marketing can generate, both for business and for the development of society as a whole, as an opportune environment for the future.
Supporting sports means education through sports that positively influences an entire society, becoming healthier, more sociable, better, more determined in achieving goals and, obviously, more performing. Therefore, the involvement of companies in supporting sports activities is essential, and the efforts of companies must be recognized and popularized", said Valentin Popescu, expert in sports marketing and partner of MVP Consultancy.
Supporting sports performance among children and teenagers, engaging employees in sports activities, supporting Paralympic sports or sports performance, as well as funding high performance in sports are just some of the categories awarded at the Sports Business Awards.
List of winners of the first edition of the Sports Business Awards:
- The best company that supports sports performance among children and teenagers: OMV Petrom
- The best company that involves its employees in sports activities: Catena (Fildas)
- The best company supporting Paralympic sports: JYSK
- Best Company Supporting Olympic Performance: Maspex
- The best company that supports high performance in sports: Banca Transilvania
- The best company supporting mass sports: Raiffeisen Bank
- The best foreign company supporting Romanian sports: Kaufland
- The best company for consistency in supporting Romanian sports for more than a decade: OMV Petrom
- The best sports marketing campaign initiated by a private company: Banca Transilvania
- Best Marketing Management by a Private Organization in the Sports Field: Sport Arena Streetball
- The jury's special prize: CSO Voluntari Basketball
The jury for awarding the Sports Business Awards was formed by personalities from fields such as sports, education, business, NGOs and journalism, respectively: Mihaela Constantinescu, professor of sports marketing at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, Ion Alexandru, editor- head of Eurosport, Gabriela Popescu, president of Rugby Club Gura Humorului/ Te Aud Romania Foundation, Ray F. Iunius, CEO of the educational group winsedswiss and Adrian Socaciu, president of the Romanian Sports Institute.
The working group on Sport within the Swiss-Romanian Chamber of Commerce proposed that, in the coming years, it would dedicate its efforts to increasing the awareness of the need for the involvement of the private sector in the financing of sports, following the Swiss model.
The Sports Business Awards event was organized last night in Bucharest by Albini Prassa and MVP Consultancy through Valentin Popescu, in partnership with the Swiss-Romanian Chamber of Commerce (CCE-R). The sponsors of the event were One United Properties, Les Roches, Nestle Romania, Borsec, Zarea, KIA, Synotech, Kinetic Sport & Medicine, Banca Transilvania, Elmas, Franck Müller and Sports D'epoque.
About the Swiss-Romanian Chamber of Commerce (CCE-R)
The Chamber of Commerce Switzerland – Romania (CCE-R) is a non-profit association with a 22-year history in Romania, which aims to facilitate business relations between Swiss and Romanian investors and to provide economic information and consultancy to companies interested in developing business in the two countries.
In 2024, CCE-R reached a number of over 110 member companies that have over 17,000 employees in Romania.
Supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Romania, CCE-R has become in the last two decades the main player in Romanian-Swiss economic relations and has built 10 working groups intended to support the members of the Chamber, but also the communities in which they operate.
About Albini Prassa
A company with roots in Switzerland and Romania, Albini Prassa started its local activity in 2004, as a distributor of Swiss watches, the first brand being Tissot. Later, the company specialized in promoting and strengthening the brand image of international partners represented such as Bulgari, Franck Müller, Laurent Ferrier, Urwerk, Louis Erard, ZRC, Bomberg and Tissot.
Albini Prassa was the initiator of collections and limited editions for Romania such as TISSOT Romania 1918-2018, TISSOT Stejarii and Stejarul de Aur, Bomberg Loop, QlockTwo Romania edition and TISSOT Heritage Săgeata, and Undone FC Rapid 100 years.
In 2018 Albini Prassa entered the retail market, gradually launching B2B distribution, through Maison Albini Prassa, a place dedicated to time, where the brand experience is dedicated and personal.
About MVP Consultancy
MVP Consultancy is a young entrepreneurial company offering business consulting services: general business strategy and sports marketing.
MVP Consultancy helps companies act differently through well-designed business strategy and excellent implementation to ethically achieve high-impact competitive advantages.
Valentin Popescu, Sports Marketing Consultant, MVP Consultancy Partner, is a results-oriented sports industry leader with over 20 years of extensive professional experience in sports marketing and a wide network across the industry.
Valentin Popescu was declared "The best specialist in sports marketing in Romania" and was honored to be awarded numerous prizes due to his involvement in supporting Romanian sports.