FEVO Sport Industry Awards 2023: A Welcome From Nick Keller
This article is an extract from the Order of Play at the FEVO Sport Industry Awards 2023.
Anyone still believing in the fantasy of sport being separate from politics must have found 2022 a rude awakening.
However, after 30 years in the industry, I remain fundamental in the belief that a large majority of those working in sport want to see it shape the world for the better. Reaching individuals, communities and society and effecting the positive change we all know it can deliver on.
We are in for the most fantastic few years – which promises to see a wonderful clash of technological change and the social impact of our industry being recognised, meanwhile the voice of the athlete and teams will be heard far and wide and unfettered. In my near three decades, I have never been so excited by our industry, and it is reflected in the work that we will see tonight.
It also reflected in the presence of a new headline partner. FEVO’s technology is set to revolutionise the way that tickets to sports and entertainment events are sold in this country and we’re immensely proud of their desire to use the Awards as the entry point into a vibrant and global industry. A personal ‘thank you’ to Ari Daie for his support.
Further thanks to the brilliant team at the Sport Industry Group, who throughout the year bring people together and celebrate the very best of our industry – through brilliant online content, social gatherings, speakers and dinners. It’s a year-round labour of love that culminates in the biggest night in the sport industry calendar.
Thank you to all our partners, EY and especially Tom Kingsley for his dedication to Awards process and, of course, to the 80 or so selectors and judges that gave their input and ultimately decided the winners tonight. I’m also delighted to welcome this year’s Chair of the Judges, Sanjay Bhandari, whose insight and input into the Awards process has been invaluable.
Lastly, thanks to all of you for your support in being here, to those that entered, those that made the shortlist and the deserving few who will win the coveted awards tonight.
Like many of us in this entrepreneurial industry, it’s been challenging running a business in the disruptive macro environment of the last few years. Believe it or not, this is our third Awards since coming out of the pandemic and it is a testament to the robust nature of industry that tonight’s event is the biggest yet.
We could be accused of being too hyperbolic about industry get-togethers and their value, but when you look at the work that is being rewarded, you can see that in this room lies the opportunity to blend traditional business nous and creativity and, at the same time, bring people together to affect real change.
Finally, please find a moment to support the Sport Together Fund. Sport has a significant role in supporting displaced communities and young people who have lost everything. It’s not an issue the corporate world is keen to engage in and I think, as an industry, together we can change that.
