Media release courtesy of National Sports & Physical Activity Convention

The National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC) has announced the finalists for the Sport, Recreation and Play Industry Innovation Award Finalists for 2022.

Embracing the challenges of the last couple of years as an industry sector, we all acknowledge that there is a need to encourage more people to be active and provide them with opportunities to play, recreate, exercise, and participate at all levels. Over the past few years, we have seen the growth of new programs, events and more accessible facilities but little growth in formal participation numbers in physical activity in Australia.

The Australian Sport, Recreation and Play Industry Innovation Awards have finalised and announced the Category Finalists. These Innovation Awards aim at recognising and celebrating Innovation that has promoted and encouraged more people to play, recreate and participate in sport in a sustainable manner.

Expanding to 10 awards this year reflects the interest in the Awards and the breadth of the industry. The 2022 Innovation Award winners will be announced as part of the NSC Oration on Monday 11th July in Melbourne, with each winner being recognised by their peers on the evening.

NSC Managing Director, Martin Sheppard said of this year’s awards: “The Innovation awards, which are made possible through the support of FIELDTURF, are the opportunity for our diverse and inclusive industry to showcase good practice and celebrate how they have embraced innovation and are making a difference to more people exercising, playing, recreating and participating in community sport.”

The 10 Awards categories are:

  1. PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES – Innovative programs, activities and events that have been developed to encourage the community to be more active.
  2. SPORT AND INCLUSION – How sport can make a difference to an inclusive society and how inclusion can grow participation in play, recreation and community sport.
  3. SOCIAL VALUE OF PARTICIPATION – Measuring the impact that participation has on the health, economic and community value of a community.
  4. MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS – The communication messages that innovatively activates the community for more people to be active, play, recreate and participate in community sport.
  5. MAJOR EVENT PROMOTION – Providing community opportunities to grow participation by aligning a mass participation or a major spectator event.
  6. TECHNOLOGY – Innovations in technology that support Business to Business (B2B) improvements for the industry or Business to Consumer (B2C) experiences.
  7. SPORT AND LEISURE FACILITY DESIGN – Innovative design and management that creates an environment where more people are active (built and natural environments), whilst embracing the principles of sustainability.
  8. SPORTS SURFACES – Innovative solutions that allow greater intensity and durability of natural, hybrid, synthetic or hard sports surfaces that allow for greater usage, whilst embracing the principles of sustainability.
  9. SPORT AND CLIMATE CHANGE – Innovations that organisations have embraced that recognise the impact that sport can have on climate change and how they have focused on reducing their carbon footprint.
  10. PLAYGROUND DESIGN -Designs and developments that allow and encourage more children to play, have fun and be active.
  11. THE OVERALL SPORT, RECREATION AND PLAY INDUSTRY AWARD FOR INNOVATION – This award will provide the prize for the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention Sport, Recreation and Play Innovation Award. The winner will be chosen from one of the above ten category winners.

Our finalists include:
• Scenic Rim Regional Council – EmpowHER Hiking Program
• Litivity – The Early Learning (AEL) Program
• Coogee Surf Lifesaving Club – Project Libertas
• City of Casey – #CaseyGirlsCan: Badminton Program
• Logan City Council – Active Logan Value Statement
• Badminton Australia – Branding, Launch and Promotion Strategy
• Brett Sharples – Your Virtual Caddie
• AusCycling – Brisbane Cycling Festival
• National Rugby League – A holistic learning management experience for the NRL
• Etrainu – Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) AssessApp
• NBRS/ Donovan Payne Architects – Bay Pavilion Arts + Aquatic
• PCYC & AJ + C Architects – PCYC Walgett
• iDwala – Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve
• South Australian Cricket Association – Adelaide Oval Favell Dansie Indoor Centre Refurbishment
• Belgravia Health and Leisure Group – Ascot Vale Leisure Centre’s journey towards carbon neutral
• SportEng – Recycled Glass Sand for Natural Turf Fields of Play
• Touched By Olivia Foundation – Livvi’s Place Albert Park, Cootamundra