• Adweek, Tuesday, June 2, 2009 10 AM

The sponsorship business will enjoy significant global growth this year despite the economic downturn, according to Mediaedge:cia and sister consulting agency EIG.

A new report predicts that spending on sponsorships and related activity will climb worldwide by 15% this year to $44 billion and will increase by a little more than 2% in North America to roughly $17 billion. Jon Levine, senior vice president at MEC Access, admits that "sponsorships are clearly under the microscope and the sector is politically charged" as being a wasteful luxury. But he argues that sponsorships "constitute a key and significant piece of the overall communications mix."

By example, Levine points to a recent deal that ties client Xerox with Citi Field and the New York Mets. As part of the arrangement, the team utilizes Xerox's products and services at the stadium, while the client gets signage, media, hospitality and the ability to host business seminars at the venue. The seminars, in particular, "create new efficiencies and cost savings for [the client's] marketing/business solutions," he says.

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