Following the success of spring business delegation trips to Spain, the Sport Finland network is heading to the World Football Summit in Seville this September with eight companies specializing in sports, health and wellbeing. This major football industry event offers Finnish startups excellent opportunities to network and find new partners.
The World Football Summit (WFS) is an annual international symposium and trade show held in Seville, Spain, September 18-19. It will bring together approximately 3,000-4,000 football industry professionals and key figures from around the world to discuss and develop the future of football. Since its inception in 2016, the event has also expanded to other continents.
"WFS offers excellent networking opportunities for companies and organisations already operating within the football industry or interested in entering the industry. Companies will have the chance to hear presentations from top experts and meet the most prominent professionals in the field," says Alisa Heikkinen, Project Manager of the Sport Finland project.
WFS was chosen as the destination inspired by the spring business delegation trips to Bilbao and Madrid. The trip allows companies to open new doors and continue discussions with previous partner candidates. Eight Finnish companies, some of which also participated in the spring trips, are joining the trip organised by Sport Finland. The companies include Kuitu Media, eWatt Smart Power Systems, Northern Sports Insight and Intelligence (ACT Head Impact Tracker), Awesome Crowd, Appis, Dribla, ONIT Sport and Nro.One.
Sport Finland is the base for companies
Sport Finland’s role is to support Finnish companies and serve as their base, ensuring smooth arrangements at the event so that companies can focus on building relationships. Preparation begins with a joint boot camp in Lahti before the trip.
"During the boot camp, participating companies will get to know each other and receive expert advice on how to make the most out of an international trade show, ensuring they gain maximum benefit from the trip," Heikkinen explains.
At the Seville event, Sport Finland will have its exhibition stand, where companies can arrange quick 1:1 meetings.
"The event will certainly offer unprecedented networking opportunities. Pre-planning, courage, and proactivity are key assets when meeting and scheduling important follow-up discussions with relevant parties for one’s business within such a tight timeframe," Heikkinen adds.
Finnish football research presented to an international audience
In addition to the innovative sports companies, the delegation will also scatter stardust from Finnish football research. Mihaly Szerovay, a Professor of Practice with the Football Association of Finland and the University of Jyväskylä, will hold a presentation at the event with a title Building bridges: The Football Association of Finland partners with the academic community to advance knowledge management.
"As this is a business event, the topic will also link to the growth and development of the football industry. Szerovay will discuss what kinds of sports innovations are needed to develop football further," Heikkinen says.
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A business delegation trip to Seville and the World Football Summit on 18-19 September 2024 will be organized by the Sport Finland network. The network is based on a joint project led by the cities of Jyväskylä, Lahti, and Kuopio, supported by the European Regional Development Fund, and implemented between April 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024.
