March 11, 2021 – CSM Sport and Entertainment (CSM), the global integrated partnership, marketing and brand experience firm, has been named as an honoree on Fast Company’s 2021 Most Innovative Companies list under the live events category.
The Most Innovative Companies recognition reflects what was an outstanding response by CSM in helping redefine the fan and consumer experience across sport and entertainment in a year in which traditional live events were largely put on hold as a result of the pandemic.
CSM’s work ranged from helping create bio-secure environments for sporting events to shifting in-person events to virtual experiences for Fortune 500 product launches and for large not-for-profit organizations. It also included helping sports properties globally navigate their return-to-play strategies as well as helping launch a groundbreaking new professional sports league during the pandemic.
CSM North America President Christa Carone said of the efforts:
“We believe in the power of experiences to bring people together. When you’re in the business of large gatherings and live events, social distancing across the globe created unprecedented challenges. We had a choice to accept that fate or resist it. We chose to believe in our team’s ability – and our clients’ willingness – to pursue innovative solutions to all of these new challenges, redefine and reshape the consumer experience together, and continue creating memorable, meaningful moments regardless of circumstance.
“Of course, we are all more than ready to return to some semblance of pre-COVID normalcy,” added Carone. “Yet, 2020 taught us the benefits of agility, resilience, and looking around the corner for never-been-done-before solutions. We’ll carry those lessons forward in all the ways we build community and unite fans, audiences and consumers through innovative, extraordinary experiences.”