On its 20th anniversary, SPORTO, as the largest regional sports-marketing conference, awarded four special awards – to individuals and organizations that have contributed to the development of sports and the sports-marketing industry in the Adriatic region. We would like to show them respect and recognition for their persistent and excellent work, which contributed to better conditions for sport and athletes, and thanks to their work, sport was also recognized by commercial partners as an excellent communication platform. Over the course of 20 years, the SPORTO conference has also left its mark in the field of sports marketing education. The first Lifetime Achievement Award was presented five years ago. At that time, it was received by one of the most successful Slovenian athletes of all time – two-time Olympic champion Miro Cerar, who still inspires today with his involvement in sports.
SPORTO presented two Lifetime Achievement Awards. The awards were given to individuals who have devoted a great deal of their time, energy and financial support to sport for more than 20 years. With their philanthropic attitude and professionalism in all areas of sport, they set an exceptional example, especially for those who are successful and to whom sport often turns.
The SPORTO conference awarded a lifetime achievement award to Darko Klarič.
Darko Klarič has a very special life story behind him, which first took him to four Olympic Games as a sports journalist at RTV Ljubljana. As a rally driver and co-driver, he got to know the adrenaline of sports up close, and at the end of the eighties he was the first to show how a successful marketing campaign could fill the speedway stadium in Ljubljana. To date, no one else in Ljubljana has been able to do this.
After he founded the advertising agency Studio Publikum in the late eighties and proved himself to be an excellent marketer, in 1991 he heard a request for financial aid to the threatened football club Kladivar from Celje. Unfortunately, the financial support was not enough and a few months later he also took over management and financial responsibility for the operation of the club. During his thirteen years in Celje, then NK Publikum, left a strong mark on the football scene – both with results, as well as with organization and marketing approaches. Then he decided to start his new story in Ljubljana. From the very beginning, first with a single selection of football players up to the age of 11, he founded the Bravo football club. 18 years later, Bravo has several national championship titles in junior selections, and this year he participated in the European club competition for the first time. Today, NK Bravo is a model for many sports organizations in Slovenia, mainly because of its approach to the development of the club, which is based on sustainability and the creation of added value through the education and marketing of young football players. Darko Klarič is also the recipient of the Marjan Rožanc award, the highest award of the City of Ljubljana in the field of sports.
The SPORTO conference awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to Jože Mermal.
Jože Mermal, president of BTC’s board of directors, marked the Slovenian economic space with passion and vision during the decades of management of BTC and left deep traces in Slovenian sports. His commitment to sports, athletes and sports organizations goes beyond mere financial support – it is an invaluable commitment to social responsibility based on the values of perseverance, teamwork and responsibility. Under his leadership, BTC became one of the largest supporters of sports in Slovenia, recognized for its strategic and long-term approach.
With a clear vision and personal commitment, he supported a series of important sports events, including the largest cycling marathon in Slovenia – the Franja Marathon, which thus became an internationally established cycling event, and the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup for women in Ljubno, which is for women put ski jumping on the international map of the biggest events in Slovenia.
Jože Mermal has always believed in the power of sport as a unifying element that transcends the boundaries of the economy and opened opportunities for cooperation and recognition of Slovenia in the world. His visionary role is also noticeable more widely, as he has enabled the dream success of many Slovenian athletes and sports organizations, who today are globally recognized ambassadors of Slovenia. With his work, he remains a role model and proof that sport is a value that shapes society and inspires generations.
For his valuable support to the development of women’s sports, for his social responsibility and the creation of positive stories that inspire us all, the SPORTO conference is awarding him a lifetime achievement award.
The Adriatic region is one of the strongest sporting regions in the world. Athletes from the countries that formed around the former commonwealth are today global stars in many sports industries. The fact that it is a region that has sports in its DNA is now clearly known to the world sports public. Although the former country fell apart through countless sad stories, new stories have sprouted from its burning ground, which unite the region in true sportsmanship. Many different competitions have tried to connect the region over the past 20 years, but only two have really succeeded. The SPORTO conference gives them special recognition for their contribution to the development of sports, sportsmanship, friendship between nations and building a sports marketing platform.
YOUTH SPORTS GAMES PLAZMA
Youth sports bring a special energy to the lives of children and young people. They help create responsible members of society who build their future on the foundations of sportsmanship and fair play. The Youth Sports Games were founded 28 years ago in Split. Today, their competitions in ten branches are held in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and starting this year also in Slovenia. Every year, more than 330,000 children and young people from these countries take part in the games, which makes them one of the biggest amateur sports events in Europe. Young people are given their first sporting experience through professionally organized competitions, which are completely free. Youth sports games have connected hundreds of thousands of children and marked the lives of many generations.
Many top athletes gained their first experience in these games. Plazma youth sports games have developed into a sports-marketing platform that has been recognized by many brands that have had the opportunity to support youth sports.
For 28 years of perseverance, uniting the region in the spirit of fair play and for its contribution to the development of sports marketing in the region, SPORTO is awarding a special award on the 20th anniversary of the conference to the Plazma Youth Sports Games organization.
ADRIATIC BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
If any sport really made a strong mark and celebrated the region of the former commonwealth, it is basketball. 5 titles of European champions, 2 titles of world champions and the title of Olympic champion. Not to mention how many players from the region have played in the NBA during this time and are inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Adriatic Basketball League was founded in 2001, and we are now following its 24th season. Despite concerns and obstacles, the desire to maintain the competition, which enables the development of basketball players in the region, has always won. Today, the ABA league is one of the strongest league competitions in the world, which brings together the best clubs in the region, and occasionally the motive of playing in such a high-quality competition also attracts clubs from elsewhere. As the only team sports competition in the region, the ABA League has developed a sports media product that appeals to viewers in a market of 21 million people and provides one of the few sports marketing platforms in the region.
Due to its contribution to the integration of sports and the development of sports marketing in the region, SPORTO is awarding a special award on the anniversary of the conference to the Adriatic Basketball Association.
