Six clubs recognized for off-field achievements in 2024; Cavalry FC takes home top honours

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Premier League (CPL) today announced the winners of the league’s 2024 CPL Business Awards, which honour outstanding achievements at both the team and the executive level in areas such as ticketing, partnerships, merchandise, fan and community engagement, and more.

Cavalry FC took home top honours during the second annual awards ceremony, a virtual event which was hosted by Adam Jenkins and Jordan Wilson of OneSoccer on Tuesday afternoon. The league’s 2024 Playoff Champions were recognized as Club of the Year, while Cavalry President and Chief Operating Officer Ian Allison was named Business Executive of the Year, among other honours.

In total, six of the CPL’s eight clubs were recognized, with Cavalry leading the way with six awards. Atlético Ottawa, Forge FC, Halifax Wanderers FC, Pacific FC and York United FC were also honoured.

The CPL Business Awards this year include six subjective categories, the winners of which were determined by a selection committee composed of league executives. There were also 11 financial objective categories, the winners of which were determined by metrics from the club’s regular season results.

Forge earned this year’s Fan Engagement Award, Atlético Ottawa was awarded the Partnership Activation of the Year and Pacific FC and York United FC shared the Community Impact Award honours.

“The competition for the 2024 CPL Business Awards only got fiercer in our second year handing out these honours,” said Glen Johnson, Executive Vice President, Canadian Premier League. “It was a thrill to see the way the prospect of earning a Business Award at year’s end incentivized our clubs to work that little bit harder to set new standards off the field. We congratulate those who succeeded this year, and we look forward to even more friendly rivalries between our clubs as they continue to push each other to be the best they can be, for the betterment of our league.”

See below for the full list of 2024 CPL Business Award honourees: 

Club of the Year

Awarded to the club that best represented the CPL in 2024 by fostering a strong internal culture, making a difference in the community, establishing meaningful relationships with fans and partners, generating revenue, interest, and engagement, encouraging innovation, demonstrating a long-term vision for sustainable business growth and contributing to the growth of soccer in Canada.

Winner: Cavalry FC

Cavalry continued to set the standard for success during the 2024 CPL season, leading all clubs among several business metrics and showing consistent growth in a variety of areas. The club positioned itself as best-in-class in terms of partnership servicing and execution, as well as community engagement. And it continued to show its commitment to building a soccer industry in Calgary and in Canada through its Sunrise, Sunset program, which helps players transition to off-field roles once their time on the pitch has ended.

Business Executive of the Year

Awarded to the business executive who best represented the CPL in 2024 by leading a club that had success in all areas of its business and contributed to the continued growth of the league and soccer in Canada, while setting the example for what it means to be a valued and respected colleague throughout the CPL.

Winner: Ian Allison, President & COO, Cavalry FC

Through his consistent and engaged leadership, Allison has developed Cavalry into a premier club in the CPL. A perennial contender on the field, Cavalry is also an example for all CPL clubs off the field thanks in large part to Allison’s influence. His dedication to the organization has been instrumental to the club’s growth in all areas of business development.

Community Impact Award

Awarded to the club that best demonstrated a desire and commitment to engaging with, and understanding, its local community through innovative, consistent, and relevant outreach that resonated with supporters and community members.

Winner: Pacific FC – Ollie Conway Signing; York United FC – The Kids Are All Right

Pacific developed a meaningful relationship with the Island Kids Cancer Association through Ollie Conway, a Tridents fan with whom the club first connected with while he was undergoing treatment for a cancerous brain tumour at BC Children’s Hospital in 2023. Inspired by Ollie’s story, Pacific connected with Island Kids Cancer Association to raise awareness, drive fundraising and deepen its commitment to supporting local families who are facing similar challenges to Ollie’s.

York United’s “The Kids Are All Right” campaign saw the club deepen its connection with local families and raise awareness for causes that matter to its community. Seven-year-old Joseph Denkha and nine-year-old Damon Farbod were among those young people whose stories were amplified through the campaign, which shone a light on the important work done by both the North York General Hospital and the PKD Foundation of Canada, in particular.

Fan Engagement Award

Awarded to the club that produced the best fan experiences on match day through partnership execution, and/or new and innovative ticketing campaigns.

Winner: Forge FC – School Day Match

Forge FC hosted the league’s first School Day Match, which saw the club post its second largest attendance in club history at 14,923. The crowd included more than 12,400 students and educators from 100 schools from Hamilton and surrounding areas, highlighting Forge’s commitment to not only engaging with, but creating memorable experiences for, fans of all ages.

Partnership Activation of the Year

Awarded to the club that produced the most impactful and engaging partnership activation.

Winner: Atlético Ottawa – Community First Kit

Atlético Ottawa partnered with front of shirt sponsor Maple Lodge Farms to tackle the city’s ongoing food insecurity crisis. For each Community First Kit sold by Atlético Ottawa, Maple Lodge Farms donated a case of chicken products to serve the club’s community food centre partners. More than 15,000 meals were served to the Ottawa community through the impactful partnership activation.

Social Media Activation of the Year

Awarded to the club that produced the most impactful and engaging social media campaign and/or activation.

Winner: Cavalry FC – Marvel Matchday Content

Cavalry’s Marvel Super Hero Matchday was supported by a robust social media campaign that leveraged the widespread appeal of Marvel characters to excite fans and enhance the club’s matchday theme. The club’s highly innovative content plan included dynamic graphics, engaging polls, fan interaction, and exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses of the event, seamlessly integrating Marvel’s iconic themes into the Cavalry brand narrative and drawing significant attention to the match and its associated activations.

2024 Canadian Premier League Business Award Winners

Top Group Sales Tickets (Tickets Sold) – Atlético Ottawa

Top Group Sales Tickets (Revenue) – Forge FC

Top Single Match Sale Promotion (Tickets Sold) – Atlético Ottawa

Top Single Match Sale Promotion (Revenue) – Halifax Wanderers FC

Top Season Seat Member Growth (Tickets Sold) – Halifax Wanderers FC

Top Season Seat Member Growth (Revenue) – Pacific FC

Top Season Seat Member Retention – Pacific FC

Top Partnership Sales Team – Halifax Wanderers FC

Top Jersey Sales – Cavalry FC

Top Merchandise Revenue Growth (Revenue) – Cavalry FC

Top Merchandise Revenue Growth (Percentage) – Cavalry FC

Fan Engagement Award – Forge FC (School Day Match)

Partnership Activation of the Year – Atlético Ottawa (Community First Kit)

Social Media Activation of the Year – Cavalry FC (Marvel Matchday Content)

Community Impact Award – Pacific FC (Ollie Conway Signing); York United FC (The Kids Are All Right Campaign)

Business Executive of the Year – Ian Allison, President & COO, Cavalry FC

Club of the Year – Cavalry FC