CONFERENCE PROGRAM
13:00 – Doors Open – Welcome Drink
14:00 – Welcome by Sophie Morris – Chair European Sponsorship Association
14:15 – Keynote by Birger De Geyter – Benchmarking the Belgian sponsorship landscape – Insights from cycling, basketball & football
14:45 – 5 nominated cases for the Best Sponsorship Award
15:35 – BREAK – Small Snack
16:00 – Round table by Bavo Mortier, Bert De Backer & Charles Masset – The New Voices of Sport – How Creators Are Redefining Sports Communication
16:45 – 5 nominated cases for the Best Sponsorship Award & “Coup de Cœur” voting
17:35 – BREAK – Small Snack
18:05 – Round table by Liselotte Bierhoff – Sponsorship as a Growth Engine – Decades of Sponsorship, One Strategic Vision
18:50 – BREAK – Walking Dinner & Networking
20:00 – Keynote by David Grunewald – From one logo to a thousand stories – AI’s impact on creative personalisation in sports sponsorship
20:30 – Belgian Sponsorship Awards
20:45 – Networking
22:00 – End of Conference
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OUR SPEAKERS
Sponsorship as a Growth Engine - Decades of Sponsorship, One Strategic Vision
For decades, Nike has set the global benchmark in sports sponsorship — not by chasing exposure, but by building meaning, relevance and long-term brand value.
This roundtable brings together former and current Nike sport marketers to reflect on how sponsorship has evolved: from performance-driven partnerships to cultural platforms that shape brand identity, consumer perception and business growth. The discussion goes beyond nostalgia and focuses on strategic principles that remain highly relevant today:
- How sponsorship can align with brand purpose rather than short-term ROI
- Why consistency and long-term commitment outperform fragmented activations
- What today’s brands can learn from Nike’s ability to turn athletes, teams and movements into cultural assets
At Sponsorlive, this session offers a rare opportunity to gain first-hand insights from those who helped build one of the most influential sponsorship models in the world — and to translate those lessons into actionable thinking for modern brand strategy. A must-attend session for senior marketers, brand leaders and sponsorship decision-makers.
Round Table The New Voices of Sport - How Creators Are Redefining Sports Communication by Bavo Mortier, Bert De Backer & Charles Masset
Sports communication is no longer shaped solely by elite athletes or traditional media. Today, credible insiders — creators and storytellers embedded in sports culture — are redefining how sport is communicated, experienced and valued. They may not be on the field, but they understand the codes, the communities and the conversations that matter. Their strength lies in relevance, proximity and trust — qualities brands increasingly seek in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
From one logo to a thousand stories – AI's impact on creative personalisation in sports sponsorship
In this keynote, David Grunewald explores how artificial intelligence is transforming sponsorship strategies — shifting from broadcasting one message to millions, to creating thousands of personalised conversations at scale. While global organisations like the NBA already produce tens of thousands of tailored content pieces for individual fans, these AI-driven technologies are now accessible to local events and regional sponsorships.
Discover how AI enables:
- Real-time content adaptation during live events with sponsor-specific overlays and data
- Dynamic product integration across regional, national and international
audiences, unlocking new revenue streams - Post-event personalisation that turns generic content into targeted, sponsorrelevant
communication
From global case studies to local applications, this keynote delivers concrete, actionable strategies for implementing AI-powered personalisation in day-to-day
sponsorship operations. At Sponsorlive, this session offers a forward-looking perspective on what’s next — and how Belgian sports organisations can leverage AI to compete on a European and global stage.
Benchmarking the Belgian sponsorship landscape - Insights from cycling, basketball & football
Belgium’s sports sponsorship landscape is evolving rapidly — shaped by deeprooted fan passion, changing media consumption habits, and rising expectations
from both brands and rights holders. This keynote provides a clear benchmarking perspective on cycling, basketball and football, highlighting:
- Key performance metrics across sports
- Structural differences in sponsorship models
- Strategic opportunities for brands and rights holders to create more value
By combining data-driven insights with strategic interpretation, this session helps decision-makers better understand where the Belgian market stands today — and where the real opportunities lie. At Sponsorlive, this keynote offers essential context for anyone shaping the future of sponsorship in Belgium.
PREVIOUS SPEAKERS
