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Continuing from its successful 2015 debut in the Philippines, the organisers of the Sports Industry Awards & Conference have announced that the Thai capital of Bangkok will host SPIA Asia 2016 on 3rd and 4th October.

The Asian Sports Industry Awards are the official celebration of the business leaders, organisations, facilities and campaigns at the forefront of Asia’s fast growing sporting industry, and recognise contributions to the growth and development of sport across the Asian region over the past 12 months.

The event was founded by MMC Sportz, a Dubai and Manila based sports advertising and communication agency, and Sport360, the leading daily sports content provider in the Middle East and North Africa.

Introducing SPIA Asia 2016, Sport360 Deputy Chief Exectuive Didier Brun stated “it is always the players who are celebrated, the likes of Lionel Messi, Roger Federer or Lewis Hamilton, and quite rightly so.

“But with SPIA Asia, it is the opportunity once a year to put the spotlight on the ‘people behind the scenes’, all these amazing sports professionals and organisations who have a passion for sports and make it all possible, and recognize, share and celebrate their fantastic achievements.

“In 2015, we presented awards to the likes of the AFC Football for All in Vietnam, BNP Paribas WTA Masters in Singapore, AFF Suzuki Cup, NBA Asia, Hong Kong Rugby 7, UFC in Manila and the Standard Chartered Marathon and we are looking forward to a large variety of entries from all eligible countries in 2016.”

SPIA Asia 2016, endorsed and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Sports Authority Thailand and the Tourism Authority Thailand, is open to 17 Asian countries and is recognising achievements of the sports industry in 19 distinct categories, both professional and community focused. The award categories are separated into recognition awards (three), Asian Awards (12) and Thailand specific categories (four).

Each submission can be submitted online (www.spisaasia.com) and is subject to a rigid and transparent three-step judging process which is facilitated by an international panel of the region’s leading industry experts and auditors.

The shortlisted finalists will be announced during a press conference on 2nd September 2016 in Bangkok before the final judging process on 3rd October.

The announcement of the winners will conclude on 4th October during the Red Carpet Awards Gala at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld.

Looking forward to the event, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports commented “Thailand is very proud to host the SPIA Asia Sports Industry Awards & Conference in October.

“The two-day conference will provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and learning while the awards gala dinner will be a celebration of the best-of-the-best in the region’s sports industry.

“With sport tourism growing in Thailand and becoming an important part of the overall tourism strategy hosting the SPIA Asia underscores the country’s importance in the regional sports industry.”

The SPIA Asia 2016 Sport Conference will gather the industry leaders during a two-day period to discuss best practices and latest developments within the sports industry with key focus on Asia.

Under the heading of ‘The Business of Sports - Asia’s Sports Industry in the Fastlane’, 400 delegates and 20 industry experts on stage are expected to attend the conference and various networking sessions which will address a variety of topics including of Tourism and Sports, Sustainability in Sports related to sports federations and facility management, Sponsorship in Numbers; New Trends in Sports Marketing; Social Media Facts and Numbers; Managing and Developing Sporting Assets of Federations; Latest Technology Trends, Data Usage and Data Analysis; Mass Participation in cycling and running in Asia; and the Business of Youth Sports and Academies.

Held across two days with more than 20 international speakers from many different industry sectors, the conference will provide valuable insights on current and future state of the sports industry in Asia.

MMC Sportz Chief Executive Eric Gottschalk added “the success of SPIA Asia 2015 was that we were addressing local subject matters in the Philippines with regional opinion leaders to provide solutions for the development of our industry and we are planning to apply the same formula in Thailand.

“One of our focus sessions will be to provide ideas of how smaller sports and sports associations can become more independent from government grants or how to manage venues and facilities more sustainable. This is a common issue among all Asian countries regardless of how developed the sport is.”

SPIA Asia 2016 is presented by Singha Corporation and sponsored by Dubai Sports City, Red Bull, New York Times and Asia Sponsorship News.

SPIA Asia 2016 recognises excellence of the sports industry in the following categories:

Recognition Award Categories (by nomination only)
1. Best International Sporting Event sanctioned by an International Federation.
2. Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Sport in Thailand by an individual or corporation.
3. Sports Development Initiative of the Year by a Government Agency or National Federation in Asia.

Asian Award Categories 
1. Best Use of Social Media in Sport.
2. Best Sports Marketing Campaign of the Year.
3. Sports Media/ PR Agency of the Year.
4. Best Sports Youth Program.
5. Best Sports Organisation or Sports Marketing Agency.
6. Best Mass Participation Event of the Year.
7. Best Sponsorship of a Sport, Team or Event.
8. Sports Brand, Retail, Activation or Product Launch of the Year.
9. Best Live Experience at a Professional Sporting Event.
10. Best Sports CSR Initiative of the Year.
11. Best Hospitality, Leisure and Recreation Offering in Sports.
12. Best Sports Digital Platform of the Year.

Thailand Specific Award Categories
1. Best Sport & Recreation Facility of the Year.
2. Best Amateur Sports Event of the Year.
3. Best Sports Youth Academy in Thailand.
4. Best Sponsorship of a Sport, Team or Event.

Click here for details of SPIA Asia 2016 in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar. 

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