IF Seminars

How best can IFs distribute and monitor development resources to their members?

International Federations are responsible for supporting the development of their National Federations in several ways, including the provision of funding and a range of other important engagement programmes and services.

But with such development initiatives naturally costing resources, IFs must ensure that their distribution is carefully thought-through. If they are not delivered in an efficient and effective manner, the National Federation – and thus the sport – cannot truly develop.

So how best can IFs ensure the distribution of their development resources is well-grounded? What are types of support that IFs should be offering? How can IFs create an effective formula to dictate the level of support different members should get? And how can IFs ensure that such funding and services are being used appropriately?

This Seminar will look at some of the approaches IFs should consider when distributing and monitoring support to their members, hearing from speakers with different experiences of working alongside a group of members.

Speakers at this Seminar:

• Yassine Yousfi, Olympic Solidarity

• Pere Miro, FINA

• Mike Joyce, Andre Oliveira & Yoshiro Hirawawa, FIH

The Esports Phenomenon: What’s in it for IFs?

The growth of the esports industry to date has been remarkable, with recent estimates now valuing the industry at more than $1 billion, with more than 450 million viewers worldwide. Moreover, the rapid growth is showing no signs of slowing down. Esports, it appears, are here to stay.

With such incredible growth, especially among young people, it can be a natural concern for more traditional sports that focus and attention could be driven away from them – both in terms of participation and audience.

So how should IFs approach the esports phenomenon? Should it be treated as a threat, or should IFs look for new ways to incorporate esports in their provision of services? And, crucially, how can they look to do this?

This Seminar will look at the growth of the esports industry and the approaches IFs should consider in response to it, hearing from a variety of speakers with experience of working both in esports and the more traditional sports arena.

Speakers at this Seminar will include:

• Ronnie Hanson, Burson Cohn & Wolfe

• Susanne Schodel, FAI

Protecting the health of athletes – What is the role of IFs?

No matter what the sport, athletes are at the heart of its success. Ultimately, it is athletes that attract so many followers to the sport, be it commercial partners, broadcasters or spectators.

However, throughout their career, athletes might be confronted to a sporting culture which may perpetuate situations of risk related to harassment and abuse, and which may have a negative impact on athletes’ mental health.

Nowadays, we are experiencing a time where both athletes and society at large are further empowered to speak out about these serious issues which were previously taboo or uncomfortable to address.

So how can IFs best prevent abuse and harassment and make sure to the mental health of their competing athletes is protected? What are some of the priorities and tools they should be looking for? This seminar will look at how best IFs can protect the health of their athletes, hearing from a variety of experts in the field, and discussions about the tools available to IFs in this regard.

Speakers at this Seminar included:

• Dr Paul Wylleman, Professor, Brussels University

• Kirsty Burrows, Managing Director, Sports Rights Solutions