The third and final day of the IF Forum 2025 at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne gathered leaders from International Federations and other organisations for discussions based on putting innovation into practice, inviting guests to consider how they can build the next chapter of sport.
This continued the IF Forum 2025’s theme of The New Global Reality in Sport: IFs in a world that refuses to stand still, and featured contributions from expert guest speakers who shared their perspectives from across the sporting landscape.
Master of Ceremonies and moderator David Eades introduced the day, which featured panel discussions and insightful remarks from Payne Sports Media Strategies Chairman and CEO Michael Payne.
The first session was dedicated to how IFs can stay relevant all year round, in a world where they face increasing competition for audience engagement in a crowded entertainment space. IFs can no longer simply rely on the spikes of interest that come when hosting major events. International Canoe Federation Secretary General Richard Pettit and International Skating Union Director General Colin Smith provided a perspective from the IFs on how they are competing for year-round attention, building meaningful brand relevance and unlocking stronger commercial partnerships. Brisbane 2032 Chief Sports Officer Kit McConnell and Redtorch CEO Jonny Murch added to a diverse range of ideas presented by the panel, which highlighted the importance of effective marketing and cultural connection with audiences.
The second panel discussion on day three emphasised innovation and foresight for IFs, exploring how they can prepare for the future in a rapidly changing world faced by global disruption. IFs have already demonstrated resilience in the face of global challenges, including pandemics, political unrest, economic shifts and rapid technological change. World Curling President Beau Welling, IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey and IOC Esports Associate Director Zeynep Dechelotte engaged in a fascinating discussion on a range of topics connected to this, including the impact of climate change on winter sport, the growth of esports and digital platforms, and the importance of foresight frameworks to detect early warning signals.
Day three also featured an IF Forum partner presentation from Signify, the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers, led by Director of Sports and Arenas Niels Geven.
Overall, the IF Forum 2025 proved a huge success in bringing together more than 500 leaders from 120 International Federations and other guests from the world of sport to exchange best practice, discuss new ideas and share their expertise.
