TEAMS Europe Highlights Industry Trends

TEAMS Europe has announced its speaker roster, which includes leading experts from global organizations including the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, Volleyball World, World Athletics, World Rugby and the legal firm of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

TEAMS Europe — the world’s leading conference and expo for the sports-event industry — unites sport event organizers with destinations, venues and suppliers interested in hosting or supporting their events. The conference is being held this year in partnership with the International Sports Convention at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London this week.

TEAMS Europe debuted in 2022 following the model of the TEAMS Conference & Expo in the United States. TEAMS Europe unites European and North American sport organizations with destination representatives from around the world.

“TEAMS Europe has already established itself as a driver of business development and networking in the increasingly more global world of sports events,” said Jason Gewirtz, managing director for the Sports Division at Northstar Meetings Group, the organizers of TEAMS Europe and publisher of SportsTravel. “This year, we have nearly 100 sports event organizers with us ready to do business with destinations, venues and suppliers across the industry. And in our education sessions, we will be diving into issues that will affect organizers and destinations of all sizes in the years to come.”

Programming Highlights

In addition to business development through a marketplace with pre-arranged appointments, the conference will feature educational sessions focused on some of the most significant events and issues in the industry today, as well as networking opportunities. Attendees at TEAMS Europe this year will be able to hear from leaders across the industry on a variety of topics.

• With the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games a year away in Milan-Cortino and the 2028 Games in Los Angeles on the horizon, how international federations are able to use the spotlight of the Games to leverage future opportunities for growth will be detailed in a session that will also offer insights from On Location, the official hospitality provider for the Games. The panel features Sarah Fussek, sports integrity director at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation; Lorenzo Cavallari, senior manager, business strategy and hosting at Volleyball World and Thomas Willdridge, vice president, global head of pricing strategy/Olympic & Paralympic Games at On Location.
• Mass participation sports don’t just drive large amounts of participants for running, triathlon, cycling events and the like. They also drive large amounts of tourism. Industry leaders and event organizers will discuss the latest trends and statistics in these sports and how they are using these events as more than just lifestyle and fitness opportunities. The panel will include Greek Athletics Federation CEO Sotiris Kyranakos, World Athletics Head of Product Research and Development Jakob Larsen, Triton World Series Founder Paolo Leite and Running Industry Alliance CEO and Co-Founder Rebecca Richardson.
• The past year saw an inflection point when it comes to the power and impact of women’s sports at all levels. Leagues around the world are experiencing record attendance, television/streaming ratings and facility investment. In this session, we’ll dive into the economic forces behind this surge and where the opportunities lie in the future. Speaking will be Sarah Massey, managing director for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025; Theresa McCann, commercial director at the Ladies European Tour; Fiona Morgan, chief purpose officer with SailGP; and Tammy Parlour, co-founder for the Women’s Sport Trust.
• As the world of sport becomes increasingly international, sport organizations at all levels and the destinations and venues hosting their events need to be up to speed on the latest legal trends and diplomatic challenges that impact the ability to bring players and spectators across the globe to events. In a session with legal and diplomatic experts, we dive into some of these issues, including visa requirements, and answer questions you have about your own events. The panelists will be Managing Partner Steve Smith and Partner Marc Trottier of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLC and Travis Murphy, the founder of Jetr Global Sports & Entertainment.