GREATER ORLANDO SPORTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES BROADCAST DATE FOR 2021 SPORTYS: GREATER ORLANDO’S NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS

Nominations are now being accepted for awards show to honor sports business professionals from Greater Orlando’s sports ecosystem

 

ORLANDO, Fla. (April 8, 2021) – The Greater Orlando Sports Commission has opened nominations and announced the broadcast date for the 2021 SPORTYS. With Orlando Health returning as the presenting sponsor, the 2021 SPORTYS: Greater Orlando’s Night of Champions will air on WKMG-TV News 6 on Saturday, June 19 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

From 2011 through 2013, the SPORTYS was an awards show that recognized dozens of athletes and professionals for their unwavering work in the community and performance in our local sports industry.

In 2020, the SPORTYS returned with a new focus, honoring sports business professionals whose contributions and impact are vital in making Greater Orlando one of the country’s premier sports destinations. An international audience watched as 12 category winners were revealed from a field of 51 finalists and helped raise money for the Heart of Florida United Way’s ALICE Fund through the SPORTYS Sweepstakes.

The categories for 2021 are listed below, along with the list of winners from 2020.

“We’re thrilled to announce the broadcast date and open up the nominations for the 2021 SPORTYS, and we also want to thank Orlando Health for returning as our presenting sponsor,” said Faron Kelley, Vice President of ESPN Wide World of Sports, runDisney and Disney’s Water Parks, and Chairman of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission Board of Directors. “In the midst of the chaos and uncertainty of 2020, the return of the SPORTYS was a bright spot for the region and gave our local stakeholders a much-needed chance to celebrate their employees and corporate partners who went above and beyond. We expect to see even more nominations submitted in 2021 and look forward to another chance to showcase the talented sports business professionals who support the Greater Orlando sports community.”

Nominations are now being accepted online at GreaterOrlandoSports.com/SPORTYS. The nomination period will close on Wednesday, April 28 and a voting committee will determine the finalists and a winner for each category. Finalists will be notified and announced in advance of the broadcast, and the winners will be revealed during the televised show on Saturday, June 19.

Limited sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Michael D. Kalinich at Michael@greaterorlandosports.com.

 

2021 SPORTYS Award Categories                             2020 Winner Name & Organization

 

  1. Best in Sports Media                                                   Marc Daniels, UCF Athletics
  2. Best in Corporate Partnerships                                 Wayne Bannatyne, Arnold Palmer Invitational
  3. Best in Facility Operations                                         Jose Mola, ESPN Wide World of Sports
  4. Best in Business Operations                                      Caesar Lopez, Orlando City Soccer Club
  5. Best in Gameday & Team Operations                       Tim Cass, USTA National Campus
  6. Best in Marketing                                                        Laura Conner, Arnold Palmer Invitational
  7. Best in Communications & PR                                  Eric DeSalvo, UCF Athletics
  8. Best in Social Responsibility                                      Malika Harrison, Orlando Magic
  9. Best in Sales                                                                 Jack Lensky, Orlando Magic
  10. Sponsorship Activation of the Year                           City Furniture & Orlando City Soccer Club
  11. Executive of the Year                                                  Allen Johnson, Orlando Venues
  12. Chairman’s Award of Excellence                               Bud Beucher, Mission Inn Resort & Club

 

ABOUT THE GREATER ORLANDO SPORTS COMMISSION

GO Sports is a private, non-profit organization established to attract and manage sports-related events, conferences and activities that drive positive economic development in the City of Orlando, Lake County, Orange County, Osceola County, and Seminole County. Founded in 1993, the organization has hosted or co-hosted more than 1,450 events in the Greater Orlando area with a total economic impact exceeding $1.9 billion in spending within the community. For more information, please visit GreaterOrlandoSports.com.