25.06.2024
Fruitful networking at the Hosts and Federation Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland
During the event, our delegation engaged with industry leaders, gaining insights into the latest trends and emerging opportunities in sports. This provided an excellent opportunity to tap into the vast potential of the sports market, exchange valuable insights, and develop lasting relationships with key stakeholders.
The busy schedule included numerous meetings with representatives from a variety of sports, fostering fruitful discussions around shared interests and goals, and significantly expanding our professional network.
“Although not all SEMF cities were represented at the Summit, the contacts and information we gathered will benefit each city. The Summit opened many new doors, offering opportunities to delve deeper into a broad spectrum of sports, ranging from traditional to urban and even military sports,” says Jani Backman, Project Director of SEMF.
The Summit also featured a series of seminars. Perttu Pesä, Major events Director of Major Events and the City of Tampere, delivered a talk on emerging ideas related to city aspirations, capabilities, and engagement with rights holders. He discussed how cities can utilise major events for better returns on investment, meet all parties’ expectations, and effectively plan, execute, and sustain a lasting legacy cost-effectively.
“Cities are keen to host major events, but in the future, we have to find common goals with international rights holders. Path to the event is not a waste of time, but it can bring a huge value for both actors,” Pesä states.
The insights and connections gained at this year’s Summit are expected to catalyse advancements in how cities and sports entities can better collaborate. Looking ahead, the SEMF is eager to continue the conversations that were started in Lausanne.