Speakers and venue confirmed for EU seminar on sports governance

With two months to go, an intriguing list of speakers and EU projects on good governance in sport is now lined up for “The Challenge for Europe in the Governance of Sport” - a one day seminar at Hotel Silken Berlaymont in Brussels on 8 April from 09-00-16.00.

The seminar is arranged by Play the Game and the Danish Institute for Sports Studies to conclude its cooperation with six European universities and the European Journalism Centre gathered in the Action for Good Governance in International Sport (AGGIS).

So far the following speakers and panellists are confirmed (in order of appearance):

• Darren Bailey, Director of Football Governance and Regulation, the English FA, and co-chair of the EU Expert Group on Good Governance in Sport, United Kingdom

• Ingrid Beutler, Director, Integrity Unit, SportAccord, Switzerland

• Barrie Houlihan, Professor, Institute of Sport and Leisure Policy, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Loughborough, UK

• Hans Bruyninckx, Professor of Political Science and Director HIVA - Research Institute for Work and Society, University of Leuven, Belgium

• Morten Løkkegaard, MEP, Vice-chair of the European Parliament’s Commission on Education and Culture, Denmark/Belgium

• Folker Hellmund, Head of the EU Office of the European Olympic Committees, Belgium/Germany

• Mikkel Larsen, Governance Support Officer, Sport and Recreation Alliance, United Kingdom

• Sylvia Schenk, Senior Advisor for Sport, Transparency International Germany, and Saska B. Tomat, Project Coordinator, International Sport and Culture Association, Germany/Slovenia/Denmark

• Antonia Hagemann, Head of European Development, Supporters Direct, United Kingdom

• Arnout Geeraert, PhD Candidate, HIVA - Research Institute for Work and Society, University of Leuven, Belgium

• Michael Mrkonjic, PhD Candidate, IDHEAP (Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration), Lausanne, Switzerland

• Jens Sejer Andersen, International Director, Play the Game, Denmark

Additional speakers from the EU Commission, the European Parliament and external experts are invited, but not yet confirmed.

In total, five EU Projects on sports governance join the seminar and will use the occasion to present their final or preliminary project results.

Four projects will be presented by the European Olympic Committees (EOC), Supporters Direct, Sport & Recreation Alliance and the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA).   

Play the Game’s own project contribution is the presentation of the “Sports Governance Observer”, a tool to measure transparency, democracy and accountability in international sports organisations.

Free participation, but registration required

The seminar will take place on Monday 8 April 2013 at 

Hotel Silken Berlaymont 11-19, Boulevard Charlemagne 1000 BrusselsBelgium. 

The hotel is centrally located in the European District in Brussels; just steps away form the European Commission.

The seminar is free with lunch, coffee breaks and an afternoon cocktail included.

Note: Due to the practical arrangements, registration is mandatory and must be done by emailing your name, professional title and workplace to Conference Manager Maria Suurballe at maria@playthegame.org on Monday 1 April at the latest.

Please note that you are not registered for the seminar until you receive a confirmation email from Play the Game.