The potential for sports conferences remains largely unused

On the whole, the Netherlands is an ideal country for sports conferences. We’re good at talking, there’s enough funds and we’re a real sports country. Unfortunately, the choice of quality sports-related conferences is poor. Frans Oosterwijk, Editor-in-Chief of Sport & Strategie, thinks that the Netherlands is a real sports conference country.

“It can’t be any other way. We love chewing the fat, and we’re good at sports. And people from a sector always want to come together to talk about matters.” He believes that there are enough subjects to organise conferences for years. “About what we have to do to bring the Olympic Games to a country, about how to get women’s sports in the media, and so many other themes.”

Worrying trend

[caption id="attachment_104029" align="alignleft" width="300"] Robert Maaskant: 'Organising conferences should receive a little more attention, given the worrying trend that fewer association sports are being played after the health crisis.'[/caption] Robert Maaskant, a former football trainer, sports media analyst and business coach, also thinks that there is a lot to choose from in the world of sports conferences. “Considering the number of inhabitants and performances, the Netherlands is a real top-class sports country.”

‘Considering the number of inhabitants and performances, the Netherlands is a real top-class sports country’

He believes that sharing knowledge comes with this status. “Organising conferences should receive a little more attention, given the worrying trend that fewer association sports are being played after the health crisis.” In his view, there are enough speakers to fill those conference days. “With a number of coaching greats and numerous former athletes, there’s a good choice of speakers.”

Clearly divided

Lion Blok, partner at ZPRESS Events, organises the annual Nationale Sport Vakbeurs in Gorinchem. He explains that the world of sports conferences and exhibitions is clearly divided in the Netherlands. The Dutch Olympic Committee*Dutch Sports Federation organises conferences to inform the affiliated unions, and in turn, the unions organise all kinds of events for their members to keep them informed. Furthermore, the Association of Sports and Municipalities organises all kinds of conferences to promote sports activities in cities.

Nationale Sport Vakbeurs

[caption id="attachment_104023" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lion Blok: 'The fact that it is more difficult to find board members in sports is also a hot topic.'[/caption] However, there aren’t as many commercial initiatives, like the upcoming 12th edition of the Nationale Sport Vakbeurs in November 2023. The event focuses on sharing knowledge, and there are always interesting speakers who generate extra attention. “Last year, we had a session where former sports presenter Kees Jansma interviewed Feyenoord coach Arne Slot, and that went very well.” He also believes that there are enough themes in sports that need to be discussed. Like Maaskant, he thinks that people participating less in organised sports is an important stepping stone for several conferences. The fact that it is more difficult to find board members in sports is also a hot topic. “Clubs and municipalities have to do something, which in turn leads to much innovation and reasons to talk about it. For example, apps with which you can easily manage a sports club as a trainer.”

Core target group

The core target group of the Nationale Sport Vakbeurs consists of people with board positions at amateur associations. “It’s not always easy to attract this target group to a conference. After all, it’s not their profession, so they sometimes skip a year. However, it’s about offering added value. Each year, six to seven thousand visitors come to the conference, and there are 200 exhibitors in a space the size of two football pitches.” Blok thinks that there is still a lot of potential in the world of sports conferences. “You don’t see that level of organisation anywhere else in the world, and we can use that for years to come. Isn’t it great that if you can’t afford to exercise, you can still do it with government help? We’re really a sports country, and we can be proud of that.”

The choices could be better

Bas Schnater, who works as an international consultant for the UEFA and has worked for AZ Alkmaar in the past, is a regular conference visitor at sports business events around the world. He thinks that the choices could be better. “In terms of conferences aimed at sports business, the choices are limited. For example, the football sector doesn’t organise much outside of the annual KNVB Expertise Conference, which is actually a fantastic conference.” A missed opportunity if you compare it to Belgium or Portugal, says Schnater. “Liga Portugal (the Portuguese Premier League) really tries to bring their own football clubs into contact with bigger clubs from abroad using various initiatives. Smaller football leagues, such as the Swedish league, organise a kind of closing or kick-off for the new season after every season.”

‘But it is precisely the medium-sized and small clubs with few resources that you see using a lot of creativity’

Last December, he was still at the Polish Ekstraklasa, where all football clubs from the whole country come together for a two-day conference. “Their programme contains presentations related to sports business as well as an evening programme to encourage social cohesion between club directors. Clubs from other sports are also invited. Unfortunately, we don’t have that in the Netherlands.” According to Schnater, the better Dutch sports business events come from the smaller sports marketing agencies, such as Yellow Jersey. “They regularly organise sport marketing meetups with the conviction that sharing knowledge helps the entire sector as well as the agency.”

Not known as a conference country

[caption id="attachment_104026" align="alignleft" width="300"] Bas Schnater: 'Great marketing initiatives are being developed in the Netherlands that deserve an international stage'[/caption] Schnater believes that the Netherlands is not known as a sports conference country. “When I worked at AZ Alkmaar, I was regularly asked to speak about our learnings at conferences abroad. How did they find me? I was quite active on Twitter and LinkedIn, profiled myself as an expert in my field and also showed how I applied those learnings. Yet, it wasn’t about giving presentations but about what I could learn from other clubs. In the audience at these conferences, you occasionally meet a Dutch person who works at a foreign club or union, but never someone from a Dutch football club.” And he feels that’s a shame. “They could learn so much from other clubs abroad, while Dutch football clubs have a lot of good ideas to share.” “As sports marketing connoisseurs, Dutch clubs could do a better job of marketing themselves. Ajax is not the only Dutch football club that’s good at sports marketing. Great marketing initiatives are being developed in the Netherlands that deserve an international stage.”

Small clubs are especially creative

“However, I fear that the Dutch are a bit too stubborn and not properly convinced that they can learn something from Swedish or Polish clubs. But it is precisely the medium-sized and small clubs with few resources that you see using a lot of creativity. During my time at AZ Alkmaar, I was inspired by what I could apply to the club.” He also has a tip on how to improve. “The Dutch sports sector could take the lead more often, or the larger sports marketing agencies should take up this responsibility. And not always invite the NFLs or Real Madrids of the sports world, but smaller clubs like SD Huesca, NK Maribor and Brøndby IF.”

Vocational schools and universities

“As mentioned before, the KNVB already organises an excellent annual Expertise Conference for all football clubs, while the Eredivisie CV organises specific smaller-scale events on a few occasions. However, I still miss having access to international best practices. Sharing good examples yourself at conferences abroad more often makes it easier to gain new knowledge. Ultimately, the value of attending a conference is in expanding your network.” He also sees opportunities for vocational schools and universities within the sports sector. “In Denmark, the University College of Northern Denmark organises an annual event that attracts quite a few Danish sports clubs. There, they emphasise matters such as interaction with the academic world. Even though the Netherlands has at least one college that is excellent at profiling itself on Twitter thanks to a number of professors, I think the country has a role to play.”

Much potential

In the end, you could say that the Netherlands has the potential to be an ideal country for sports conferences. There are enough funds in sports, we have many athletes and there are enough themes to discuss. However, companies should take much more initiative to come up with in-depth conferences. Then things will be fine.