GREATER ORLANDO SPORTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES DATE FOR 2022 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. (March 30, 2022) – The Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports) has opened nominations and announced the date for the 2022 SPORTYS. With Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute returning as the presenting sponsor, the 2022 SPORTYS: Greater Orlando’s Night of Champions will air on WKMG-TV News 6 on Saturday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The SPORTYS in-person reception and live watch party will take place at the Orlando Museum of Art with registration opening at 6:00 p.m., followed by the live watch party at 7:00 p.m. and Orlando Sports Industry post-event reception at 8:00 p.m.
From 2011 through 2013, the SPORTYS awards show 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. With more than 50 finalists being recognized each year in 2020 and 2021, the SPORTYS are proud to showcase the work being done by the hard-working professionals in Orlando’s sports ecosystem. Finalists and viewers also helped GO Sports raise money for the Heart of Florida United Way’s ALICE Fund through the SPORTYS Sweepstakes.
The categories for 2022 are listed below, along with the list of winners from 2021.
“We’re thrilled to announce the broadcast date and open the nominations for the 2022 SPORTYS, and we want to thank Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute 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 GO Sports’ Board of Directors. “When the SPORTYS returned in 2020, it 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 saw even more nominations in 2021 and expect that trend to continue in 2022. We 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 Friday, April 22, 2022 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 and watch party on Saturday, June 25.
Limited sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Michael D. Kalinich at Michael@greaterorlandosports.com.
2022 SPORTYS Award Categories & 2021 Winners
1. Best in Sports Media – David Steele, Orlando Magic
2. Best in Corporate Partnerships – Amy Wise, Special Olympics 2022 USA Games
3. Best in Facility Operations – Craig Borkon, Orlando Venues
4. Best in Business Operations – Doug Patterson, Orange County Public Schools
5. Best in Gameday & Team Operations – Tom Ward, Track Shack Events
6. Best in Marketing – Jade Mallard, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
7. Best in Communications & PR – Casey Tanous, Full Sail University
8. Best in Social Responsibility – Delise O’Meally, Institute for Sport + Social Justice
9. Best in Sales – Brooke Smoley, UCF Athletics
10. Sponsorship Activation of the Year – Orlando Health & Orlando Pride
11. Executive of the Year – Faron Kelley, ESPN Wide World of Sports
12. Chairman’s Award of Excellence – Jon & Betsy Hughes, Track Shack
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 1,550 events in the Greater Orlando area with a total economic impact exceeding $2.1 billion in spending within the community. For more information, please visit GreaterOrlandoSports.com.
