Following last year’s successful return to the FIA World Rally Championship, the EKO Acropolis Rally was named Best Sports Event of the Year in Greece at the prestigious Boussias Sports Marketing Awards in Athens.
The Acropolis team, led by deputy sports minister and rally organising committee president Lefteris Avgenakis, also bagged six gold awards in categories including motorsports, sports and tourism and eSports.
The rally’s opening Cosmote 5G Athens Stage, around the streets surrounding Syntagma Square and the Greek Parliament in the centre of the Greek capital, also claimed a gold award for the best sponsorship platform for brand/sponsor engagement and activation.
The team also lifted silver awards for the best overall presence in social media and the best sponsorship programme, while the event’s official programme was honoured with a bronze award in the best special edition category.
Marketing manager George Papazafiropoulos and his Magic Bus company won the Sports Marketing Agency of the Year accolade.
Deputy sports minister, Lefteris Avgenakis, paid tribute to the Acropolis team after collecting the night’s top award.
“One year ago we announced the return of the Acropolis Rally to the World Rally Championship. Until then we had said very little but achieved a lot. A lot of people challenged us. The EKO Acropolis Rally, however, came to stay and the current recognition of our efforts and endeavours through these awards is the strongest confirmation of the bright future of our event.
I accept this award with great honour and I dedicate it to all those who worked quietly, methodically, as tireless soldiers before, during and after the event.”