As we approach the end of the calendar for various football leagues across Europe, sport businesses too will be recognised for their work in the upcoming weeks at various awards events. The BT Sport Industry Awards, Sport Technology Awards, and the Football Blogging Awards are just some of the upcoming events in the sports calendar.

While we always pay attention to the various awards that are handed out to athletes across the sporting world, mainstream attention doesn’t usually find its way to industry awards. This is due to the fact that the common sports fan simply forgets all of the additional behind-the-scenes work these companies do for their respective clients. Whether it’s sponsored content through various online platforms, activation campaigns, social media, or blog posts, the work that companies do helps to drive the success of the athletes that we always keep our eyes focused on.

That in itself reinforces the importance of industry awards.

Of course, the people that drive sports business companies have quite a different workload compared to the athletes / brands they work with or represent. But that doesn’t mean that their hard work shouldn’t be rewarded. These companies compete to earn the most lucrative clients and unlike your typical football club, their season never ends. Every day presents a new challenge due to the constantly changing nature of sport. Each company must adapt to the tastes and preferences of their demanding clients, and figure out these trends before their competitors.

In addition to being recognised for their work, awards ceremonies give another benefit for various companies that go home with some silverware later that night. Sports business is a never-ending cycle that requires year-round dedication.

While these companies will celebrate awards for their previous work, they truly care more about what that specific award means for them in the future. For the sports industry, too. Whilst prizes aren’t the point for those working behind the scenes of the world of sport, they do drive innovation and creativity. And that’s great news for everyone.