SEF Events
Where the industry meets to shape the future of sponsorship effectiveness.
Our next forum
SEF:02 | How The Best Build The Case
Tuesday 17 March 2026 | 4pm-6pm
Wembley Stadium, London
NB: This event is sold out, please sign up to the SEF newsletter for future events
Guest speakers
Craig Mawdsley (craig+bridget)
Tom Roach (Jellyfish)
A practical session on how strong, credible cases for sponsorship effectiveness are built in practice.
SEF:02 explores how objectives, evidence, and interpretation come together to form an effectiveness narrative that supports confident decision-making. Rather than focusing solely on outcomes, the emphasis is on the thinking and structure that underpin robust claims of success.
We are joined by Craig Mawdsley (craig+bridget) and Tom Roach (Jellyfish), both winners of multiple IPA Effectiveness Awards, who will share perspectives shaped by years of experience at the highest level. Their experience offers a valuable lens on the standards of clarity, discipline and judgement required when effectiveness claims need to stand up to serious scrutiny.
We will also be discussing our first research of 2026, examining sponsorship effectiveness in women's football. We will open up the forum to seek input on the research scope, methodology and participants.
What to expect
Insight into how effective cases are structured, from objectives through to evidence. Practical guidance on aligning sponsorship activity with clear effectiveness frameworks. Discussion of how IPA-level standards translate into sponsorship contexts. Examples of how different forms of evidence can be combined to support decision-making. Open discussion and audience participation.
Who it's for
Rights holders seeking to demonstrate partnership effectiveness. Brand and sponsorship leads responsible for investment decisions. Agency practitioners working across strategy, measurement and evaluation. Anyone interested in developing a more robust approach to sponsorship effectiveness.
SEF:01 Recap
Tuesday 18 November 2025
Wembley Stadium, London
The first Sponsorship Effectiveness Forum brought together more than 50 rights holders, agencies and sponsors at Wembley Stadium to examine the current state of sponsorship effectiveness and establish shared priorities for future research.
The event coincided with the publication of The Sponsorship Effect, SEF's landmark first study analysing 92 sponsorship case studies to IPA-style standards, which was presented on the night.
Attendees then formed breakout groups to discuss possible future research, with some key themes emerging.
1. The data barrier
Many attendees noted the difficulty in accessing meaningful data - especially from sponsors - and the impact this has on rights holders, agencies and analysts trying to advance their effectiveness practice. Increasing sponsor involvement in SEF is a priority for unlocking richer, shared evidence.
2. Measuring experiential
From fan zones to hospitality, B2B hosting, and matchday activations, experiential work remains central to sponsorship but often sits outside established measurement frameworks. There is a clear interest in future research that captures and quantifies the effects of this unique aspect of sponsorship.
3. Supporting teams with limited time or budget
There is a recognition that more advanced measurement approaches, such as econometrics, may be beyond the reach of many brands. This highlights a consistent need: lightweight, pragmatic ways to demonstrate effectiveness when resources are constrained. This will become an important focus for SEF’s future working groups and capability-building efforts.