Blog

Subscribe to the SMA Newsletter

2026 Sponsorship Excellence Award Winners

We are proud to announce the winners of the 5th annual Sponsorship Excellence Awards, celebrated at this year’s Summit. The ceremony brought together leaders from across the sponsorship marketing industry…

What Brands Showed Up to Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza’s 2026 edition stretched far beyond the eight stages scattered throughout Chicago’s Grant Park. As dozens of artists took the stage, an entire second festival unfolded on the ground:

Intelligence Report: FIFA World Cup 2026

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 passes into the rearview mirror, it is safe to say brands have taken full advantage of the first Men’s World Cup hosted in North America in over 30 years. Between IRL activations, unique broadcast integrations, and ambush marketing ploys, partnerships have arisen in all different shapes and sizes…

The Game of Sponsorship at Wimbledon

Wimbledon is all about the prestige. As the sport’s oldest Grand Slam tournament dating back to the 1800’s, tradition reigns supreme along with the rarified air that is present throughout the match-day atmosphere.

Warriors x Iren

The most lucrative sponsorship deal in North American sports history was just signed. And the buyer? An AI cloud company. That tells you everything about where our industry is headed.

How Brands Showed Up for America’s 250th Birthday

There are moments in history that create sponsorship opportunities, and then there is America250. The official commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this is a milestone the country celebrates exactly once every quarter-millennium. Brands across every sector of the American economy are seizing the moment.

Tamara Goddard Swager

As Vice President of Business Development at Tandem Partnerships, I lead Tandem’s sponsorship strategy, business development efforts, and day-to-day agency operations, with a primary focus on delivering meaningful…

The Wild Side of Zoo Partnerships

Accredited zoos and aquariums in the United States draw more than 180 million visitors each year, more than all major professional sports leagues combined. Families return season after season. Dwell time is exceptional…

What the 2026 NBA Finals Taught Us About the Future of Sponsorship

New York is electric. The Knicks just won their first NBA championship in 53 years. And while the city celebrates, sponsorship marketers everywhere should be paying very close attention to what happened off the court.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Impact on Sponsorship Trends

FIFA World Cup 2026 has the real opportunity to turn potential into reality as the most seismic sponsorship opportunity in sports history to date. With sponsorship revenue estimated to produce in the range of $3 billion in contracts alone, The Beautiful Game’s…

Alicia Richardson

I’m Co-Founder and Managing Partner of CrowdAxis. We’re building the independent universal measurement standard for experiential marketing. Every other major marketing channel has a standardized, third-party way to measure performance.

What Hit Songwriters Can Remind Every Sponsorship Marketer About Connection

What do “Fancy Like,” “Buy Dirt,” and “Happy Anywhere” have in common? Beyond being number ones, they make people feel something — instantly, viscerally, and for years after the first listen.

Intelligence Report: Zoos & Aquariums

When most brand marketers think about sponsorship, they think sports. But accredited zoos and aquariums in the United States draw more than 180 million visitors each year — more than all major professional sports leagues combined…

SMA Launches Inaugural Mentorship Program

SMA’s first-of-its-kind “family cohort” program kicks off June 15, pairing emerging sponsorship professionals with experts across brands, properties, agencies, and service providers

SMAsh Up: Bold Moves Only

The WNBA and Amazon Web Services have announced a multi-year partnership making AWS the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the WNBA, marking the company’s first-ever partnership with a women’s professional sports league…

SMAsh Up: Putting People First

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum is hosting Healthcare Workers Week, May 11–17, presented by UCHealth, offering free admission to all healthcare workers with a valid ID regardless of employer or healthcare network…

SMAsh Up: Partnerships that Are Stealing the Show

Visit Milwaukee has partnered with Wheel of Fortune for a full episode dedicated to the Cream City which aired April 23 on CBS to an expected audience of 8 million viewers. The episode showcases Milwaukee’s culture…

Kelly Candotti Habas

Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA) was founded 25+ years ago to provide para sports to athletes with disabilities, now reaching 1,000 individuals annually across 20+ sports with 600 program sessions each year.

SMAsh Up: This Week’s Partnerships Are Going All In

The Colorado Rapids set a new MLS attendance milestone on Saturday, drawing 75,824 fans to Empower Field at Mile High for the 30th Anniversary Match, presented by UCHealth…

SMAsh Up: Partners Making Big Moves This Week

ITS Logistics, one of North America’s fastest-growing third-party logistics providers, is presenting xZOOberance — the Indianapolis Zoo’s annual spring festival — running daily through April 19…

SMAsh Up: Partnerships Playing for More Than Just a Win

The 18th annual Milwaukee Film Festival (MFF26), presented by Associated Bank, runs April 16–30, 2026, featuring an eclectic lineup of short and feature films from local, national, and international filmmakers…

Krista Deherrera

My role as Director of Events is to design, plan, and execute large-scale signature events that showcase Beaver Creek Village as refined and vibrant while stimulating economic sustainability and developing long-term guest and stakeholder memories.

Parks & Recreation: The Most Undervalued Sponsorship Property in America

Parks and recreation departments and districts nationwide are successfully implementing sponsorship programs that benefit both sponsors and communities. Parks serve every demographic, every neighborhood, every stage of life. Facilities are open year-round. The community trust is built in.