The forecasts are on the back of Ryder Cup 2006, major deals in Irish Rugby and GAA and marketing shifts away from traditional media, according to Dublin consultancy Onside Sponsorship.
Europe will lead the wider global double digit growth forecast by US sponsorship experts IEG, who forecast that in 2006 sponsorship spending worldwide will rise at a rate of 11 per cent from B25billion in 2005.
European forecasts are up at 13 per cent, spurred on by a positive economic outlook, major events including the soccer World Cup 2006 in Germany, Rugby World Cup 2007 in France and preparations by European athletes for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in China.
John Trainor, managing director at Onside Sponsorship, said: “An array of forces will be at play in 2006 that are fuelling this anticipated extraordinary growth in the Irish sponsorship industry, including an increasing range of rights available to Irish brands to sponsor, escalating prices for rights and improvement on the part of rights owners in their approach to such partnerships.
"Properties like the Ryder Cup and potential naming rights of Lansdowne Road will also throw major fuel on what is already a hot tool in the marketing mix at present."
Meanwhile, alcohol, banking, retail and telecoms sectors head Ireland’s sponsorship players in 2005, based on new research also carried out by Onside Sponsorship to uncover Ireland’s most appealing sponsorships of 2005.
The Guinness portfolio emerged as the clear favourite among Irish consumers generally followed by Irish soccer sponsors eircom.
