Sponsorship views were ill-placed

We feel compelled to write – on behalf of fellow professionals in our industry – to question the bizarre decision to include Rob Furber’s “Decent exposure” article in a supplement supposedly intended to celebrate all that is best in the sponsorship industry (Hollis Sponsorship Awards MW April 20).

We do not know Paul Narraway (or his company MDI) but are amazed that you gave space (and implied credence) to his inaccurate and insulting comment: “There is a poor standard of sponsorship consultation in this country. A lot of sponsorship consultancies short-change the client.”

Seldom can a comment have been so out of place in a supplement which went on to chronicle the outstanding achievements of all the agencies – including nine European Sponsorship Consultants Association (ESCA) member consultancies – which won major Hollis awards and nominations for campaigns they had helped create, promote, administer and market on behalf of blue-chip clients.

Somehow we doubt that companies of the calibre of Guinness, PPP Healthcare, Aberdeen Asset Management, Flora, AXA, MEB, Whitbread, Spa, Bass, CGU, BT, Ericsson, Lloyds TSB, Cornhill and Barclays Bank would agree that they have been short-changed”. Certainly not by the consultancies that shared their accolades on a night that paid deserved tribute to the creativity, expertise and commitment of the proven professionals in a highly-competitive $19bn (&£12bn) industry.

Barrie Gill and Helen Day

Chairman and vice-chairman

ESCA