After the success of its inaugural edition, which gathered 158 speakers and over 3,400 professionals, WFS LIVE returns, bringing the football industry’s most influential community together once again to share experiences and lessons learned during the restart of competitions after the hiatus imposed by the coronavirus, pool strategies for the crucial times to come and explore new paths for the industry to continue moving forward in the so-called new normal.
Building football’s roadmap for the future will be the motto of this virtual gathering to take place from November 23-27. Industry leaders will share strategies developed to cushion the multiple effects of the pandemic on their businesses, new opportunities they have encountered along the way, and their future prospects in light of the knowledge and experience gained in recent months.
WFS LIVE will also stress the need to take this opportunity to evolve towards a more modern, more digital and more interactive industry, as well as one that is fairer, more inclusive and more supportive. The event will continue contributing to the fight against the effects of coronavirus on vulnerable communities, and 10% of the ticketing revenues will be donated to Common Goal’s Covid-19 Response Fund.
“Resuming competitions and finishing them successfully has been the biggest challenge the sports industry has ever met. The experience and knowledge gained by the different stakeholders during the process is huge and it should provide invaluable guidance for the industry in the crucial times ahead of us. It’s therefore essential that leaders share their experiences, learnings and vision for the future, and together build a roadmap that will allow the industry to move forward with a firm step in this new and still uncertain normality,” said Jan Alessie, Director of World Football Summit.
As in the inaugural edition, the WFS LIVE platform will allow attendees to engage with speakers by submitting questions during the sessions and to interact with other attendees via group discussions or scheduling one-on-one meetings and video calls. In addition, new features will be added to improve the user experience and provide more networking opportunities.
Covid-19 has marked 2020 in every sector, but the pandemic has not been the only significant event. The year will also be remembered as one in which sport firmly stood up to racism. The actions taken both individually by athletes of all sports, and collectively by organisations and companies across the industry undoubtedly signal a turning point in the need to eradicate racial discrimination.
There were also significant statements of intent to bring greater parity between the men’s and women’s games, with the decision taken by the Football Associations of England and Brazil to pay their international female teams the same as their male counterparts, following the steps of Australia, Norway and New Zealand.
These events are also featured in the comprehensive WFS LIVE Conference Concept, available on the event website, which pivots around five main themes:
1. Explore: The ‘new normal’ in football
2. Bridge the gap: Partnerships, investments & more
3. Discover the next step: Sports technology & OTT
4. Inclusivity: This game is for everyone
5. Breaching boundaries: New global possibilities in sport
The WFS LIVE Programme, which will be released in the coming weeks, will also feature the final of the WFS StartCup by GSIC and the WFS Industry Awards, issued annually to recognise outstanding works done by professionals of the different fields within the football business. This year the awards will be handed virtually.
