Finalists announced for 2019 Sport, Recreation and Play Industry Innovation Awards

Looking to acknowledge the encouragement of more people to be active, the finalists have been announced in the 2019 Sport, Recreation and Play Industry Innovation Awards.

To be presented at next week’s National Sports Convention 2019 in Melbourne, the Category Finalists represent projects, products and facilities the Awards aim to recognise and celebrate the promotion and encouragement of more people to play, recreate and participate in sport.

Each category winner will receive a trophy and $500 cash award with each of these winners then judged for the opportunity to be the 2019 winner of the Overall Industry Award for Innovation and receive a $1,000 Award.

The finalists in each category are:

1. Programs, Activities and Events
Innovative programs, activities and events that have been developed to encourage the community to be more active in large numbers:
• ACTIV8 RYAN, A fully inclusive physical education program to activate the whole student population (Queensland) - Ryan Catholic College
• Man v Fat Soccer - University of Western Australia 
• NAB RunWest (NSW), Community running event - Athletics Australia & Athletics NSW

2. Sports Surfaces 
Innovative solutions that allow greater intensity and durability of natural, hybrid, synthetic or hard sports surfaces that allow for greater usage:
• Aura Sports Floor (Queensland) - Aura Sports 
• Australian Catholic University FIFA Field and movable cricket wicket - Hansen Yuncken 

3. Technological Solutions and Products 
Business to business or the business to consumer innovations that encourage more people to play sport or be active:
• GameDay Mobile App (NSW) - Stack Sports 
• Cricket Australia Coach APP (Victoria) - Cricket Australia 
• SportsEye Networking (NSW) - ActiveXchange 

4. Playground Design and Development
Designs and developments that allow and encourage more children to play, have fun and be active:
• Scarborough Beach Intergenerational Plaza (Western Australia) - City of Stirling 
• Carrs Bush Inclusive Playground (NSW) - Hornsby Shire Council 
• Brimbank Nature Play - REVAMP research project - Deakin University 

5. Marketing and Communications Innovations
The packaging and communication of an opportunity in a manner that has innovatively encouraged more people to be active:
• Sports Surfacing for the Colour Blind (Education guide) - Grassports Australia (Queensland )
• Exercise Right Week - Exercise & Sports Science Australia 
• Membership Retention and Communication Campaign - Belgravia Leisure and ActiveXchange 

6. Facility Design and Development 
Innovative design and management that creates and environment where more people are active, (built and natural environments):
• Penshurst Park Sporting Hub Stage 1 (NSW) - Georges River Council 
• Modular Accessible Pavilions (Queensland) - Ausco Modular 
• Broken Hill Integrated Wellness Centre (NSW) - YMCA (NSW)

7. Young Innovator of the Year 
A young person (under 25) who has developed a program, space, activity, technological solution or innovative partnership that is encouraging more people to be active:
• Laura Eason (NSW) - YMCA (NSW)
• Patrick Beazley (Victoria) - SPORTENG 
• Annie Flamsteed (Queensland) - iNSPIRE Sport Online

The 2019 Innovation Award winners will be announced as part of the National Sports Convention conference plenary sessions on Wednesday 24th July and the overall Australian Sport, Recreation and Play Industry Innovation Award winner will be presented on the morning of Thursday 25th July at the Global Thought Leaders Session.

As part of the National Sports Convention Sport and Recreation Expo the final three short listed applicants will all be provided with an opportunity to display their innovation as part of the Sport and Recreation Expo so that the rest of the industry can appreciate their innovations.

The National Sports Convention 2019 has engaged more than a dozen collaborators and over 125 global and Australian organisations to come together to encourage the industry to be more innovative in the way it plans, funds, and provides active recreation and community opportunities. On target to achieve over 900 delegates the NSC is the largest community sport convention in the southern hemisphere.

The National Sports Convention is being held from 23rd to 25th July 2019 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

Click here to view details of the National Sports Convention in the Australasian Leisure Management Industry Calendar.

Images: ESSA's Exercise Right week (top) and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (below).