BEST SPORTS EVENT OF THE YEAR – INTERNATIONAL
2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, presented by Lilly – USA Swimming
USA Swimming’s 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, presented by Lilly marked a historic transformation of the organization’s flagship event. Staged for the first time in an NFL stadium—Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis—the Trials redefined what a swimming competition could look and feel like. The event combined elite athletic performance with arena-scale entertainment, drawing over 285,000 spectators and becoming the most attended swim meet in history.
USA Swimming partnered with local and national stakeholders to deliver an unforgettable experience that was both technically complex and emotionally resonant. Three pools were constructed inside the stadium, a 70-foot digital board enhanced athlete introductions, and fan activations across the city reinforced community connection and history. New hospitality experiences and city-wide initiatives reflected the event’s ambition to reach beyond the swim world and engage new audiences.
Nationally televised coverage and expanded digital platforms helped elevate the sport’s visibility, while standout athlete performances and robust sponsor activations underscored the event’s success. Water safety initiatives, including the Swim IN Safety Program, reinforced the sport’s broader social impact.
The 2024 Trials set new standards for attendance, engagement, and presentation, demon
ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2024 – Abu Dhabi Sport Council
The ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2024 marked a milestone in the UAE’s journey to becoming a global sporting destination. Organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in strategic partnership with ADNOC, the event attracted over 40,000 runners from 163 nationalities, blending elite performance with mass community participation.
Spanning a reimagined course through Abu Dhabi’s most iconic landmarks, the marathon showcased world-class planning, safety, and inclusivity. With participation from over 3,100 youth and 420 runners from People of Determination, the event elevated social impact to the forefront. A global broadcast reached 180+ countries, and digital platforms recorded 1.1 billion impressions and 19.6 million video views.
Sustainability was integral: the marathon featured zero-single-use plastic, hybrid transport, and 100% digital logistics, achieving a 23% waste reduction year-on-year. Community engagement extended to 60 schools, free training programs, and wellness activations across the capital.
Praised by elite athletes, media, and international federations, the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2024 set new standards in event delivery, accessibility, and innovation — reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s vision of using sport to foster unity, health, and global connection.
AFL Gather Round 2025, delivered for the Australian Football League
In 2025, KOJO delivered its third consecutive AFL Gather Round, a four-day footy festival that brought all 18 clubs to South Australia for a single, unmissable round of matches. KOJO’s remit covered sport presentation and entertainment across three venues – Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval, and the Barossa – including content, branding, music, technology, physical activations and digital fan experiences.
Powered by our proprietary FanX Framework, the entire experience was mapped around the fan journey, from anticipation to arrival, game time to long-term connection. A new stadium-wide laser and lighting show replaced previous years’ mixed reality, clubs were given bespoke content for emotional resonance, and commercial partners were integrated more meaningfully than ever.
The result? 265,011 attendees. $91.6 million in economic impact. Over 45,000 visitors, with interstate attendance reaching 33%. Visitor nights exceeded 191,000. Regional visitation more than doubled. Social and media engagement spiked, and stakeholder feedback from the AFL, clubs, and government was overwhelmingly positive.
Gather Round 2025 was declared a “signature national sporting event” – a celebration of what footy can be when innovation, entertainment and fan-first thinking come together.
LIV GOLF ADELAIDE 2025 – LIV Golf & 54
In 2025, Adelaide set yet another benchmark for LIV Golf, delivering record-breaking attendance, world-class competition, and an enhanced fan experience that cemented its reputation as a premier global sporting event. The tournament also marked the announcement of an extended commitment between LIV Golf and Adelaide, securing LIV Golf’s presence in South Australia until 2031.
Several new initiatives were introduced to elevate the experience for players and fans alike. From enhanced hospitality offerings to immersive entertainment and fan engagement, including the inaugural Family Fairway, LIV Golf Adelaide 2025 embodied the future of the sport.
We witnessed:
A hole in one
102,483 attendees at the event
28% increase in ticket sales
92% of fans said the event exceeded their expectations
11% increase in female attendance
88% of fans said they would return
81.4m in economic impact for South Australia
35% increase in coverage reach
Long LIV Golf!
Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals – Barcelona 2024 – Premier Padel
The Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals was conceptualized and executed with a clear ambition: to serve as the crowning finale of the Premier Padel season, showcasing the sport’s excellence, engaging a wide fan base, and amplifying partner value through immersive and creative integrations.
Delivering the season’s pinnacle event: Barcelona was chosen to host the season-ending finale of Premier Padel’s first year of being a truly global tour – with 25 tournaments across 17 countries. The goal wasn’t just to host another tournament – it was to elevate the finale to be a landmark celebration of the entire year – and deliver an event which put professional padel on the map in the sporting ecosystem.
Innovative partner integration: Our challenge was to seamlessly and innovatively involve each commercial partners/brand at the event, going beyond traditional sponsorship visibility. Our ambition was to create shared moments between the brands and the fans, enriching the tournament experience while delivering measurable ROI and enhanced brand equity for each partner.
Creating a festival of padel for Barcelona: Spain and Barcelona boast one of the largest and most engaged padel communities in Europe. Bringing an unforgettable experience establishing the event as an annual must-attend in the city.
UAE Tour 2025 – Abu Dhabi Sport Council
The UAE Tour 2025, organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, delivered a landmark edition of the Middle East’s only UCI WorldTour cycling race — uniting elite performance with national identity, community participation, and global visibility. Spanning all seven emirates, the event featured both the men’s and women’s editions at full parity, with world-class routes across iconic landscapes including Jebel Jais and the Abu Dhabi Corniche.
The men’s race welcomed all 21 UCI WorldTour teams, while the UAE Tour Women hosted 13 top-tier women’s squads in a fully integrated 4-stage competition, broadcast to over 200 territories worldwide. Both events showcased the UAE’s diverse terrain and growing commitment to gender equality in sport.
Off the bike, the UAE Tour 2025 reached new heights in public engagement: 15,000+ fans visited multi-emirate fan zones, 5,300 cyclists took part in community rides, and 8,000+ students engaged in school activations. A comprehensive digital campaign generated 56M+ impressions and 9.5M social media engagements.
Combining elite sport, cultural storytelling, and inclusive fan engagement, the UAE Tour 2025 set a new global benchmark for stage racing and reinforced Abu Dhabi’s position as a world-class host of major sporting events.
