UNOFFICIAL PARTNER
THE SPORTS BUSINESS PODCAST
Ian Thompson
Independent Sponsorship Strategist
Best pitch presenter you’ve
ever seen
I’ve rarely been on the receiving end of pitches. You’ve got to admire the way Barak Obama
delivers a speech with clarity, humility and humour.
Best sports marketing campaign (that wasn’t yours)
Guinness Six Nations campaign, a good fit well brought to life in a way that resonates with
rugby fans.
Best agency (that isn’t yours)
LimeLight Sports did an outstanding job creating and implementing the Swims Britain
campaign for British Gas
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Best young industry talent
Matthew Leopold has a rare gift for getting the best out of people. He’s also ahead of the
game in terms of understanding how and why sponsorship can be so effective
Best sporting event attended
An emotional weekend away with my daughter and her U14 hockey team mates for the
national finals when they were runners up
Best sporting event on TV
The Ryder Cup. It’s the only golf I’ll watch. It’s completely compelling and rarely fails to
deliver.
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Best brand ambassador
Can’t really look beyond David Beckham. Still immensely popular and back in the pre-digital days he helped transform the fortunes of Police sunglasses.
Best Industry Event or Conference
Leaders in Sport
Best film containing a scene depicting the sports
Hard not to select Moneyball
Best book recommendation
Anna Funder, Stasiland (stories from behind the Berlin wall), it’s frightening the control a totalitarian state can have. I also recommend The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton which shines a light on many aspects of human behaviour
Best pub or bar
Opium in Gerrard St or the Jolly Coopers in Hampton
Best restaurant
A small unassuming family run seafood restaurant on the harbours edge in Sorrento called Porta Marina Seafood. Brilliant food and service and great value.
Best holiday resort
I love the Alps; St Anton for skiing and touring around in the summer.
Best box set
Recently finished Narcos Mexico. Currently watching Last Dance on Netflix – possibly one
of the best sporting documentaries.
Best influence on your career
Richard Dean, my former business partner at Sponsorship Science
Best dinner companions (min 4, max 6)
Ellen MacArthur
Sarah Taylor
Michael Jordan
Jenson Button
David Walsh
Best job in the sports biz
Sports psychologist. It would be great to help athletes and teams to fulfil their potential.
Best professional regret
No regrets. Just important to learn from your mistakes.
Best skill you most covet
Being more open minded
Best trait you admire in others
Being open minded
Best overrated virtue
Size – the biggest (and therefore safest choice) is not always the best
Best ambition
Travel and to experience sport around the globe. Starting with the IPL.
