The area’s premier gathering of sports activities leaders, the Sport Trade Discussion board, returns to Abu Dhabi on 1–2 October 2025 with its most formidable version but. Hosted on the newly renovated Yas Convention Centre, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi the Discussion board will as soon as once more deliver collectively decision-makers from authorities, sport, and enterprise to form the way forward for the business throughout the Center East. If you’re working in sport or wish to know extra about sport and funding within the area, that is one thing you shouldn’t miss!
Why attend Sport Trade Discussion board?
Based in 2014, the Sport Trade Discussion board was created to fill a vital hole: a devoted platform for leaders in sport throughout the Center East to attach, collaborate, and speed up the expansion of the game business.
“In 2014, there was no platform within the area the place decision-makers in sport may come collectively,” mentioned Sally Corander, founding father of the Discussion board. “We needed to create significant dialogue and develop proactive options that don’t simply talk about the way forward for sport right here, however actively form it.”
What started as a small UAE-focused gathering has since grown into a world occasion attracting greater than 450 senior leaders yearly. The Discussion board has turn into a trusted platform the place bulletins are made, insurance policies formed, and partnerships fashioned – cementing its fame because the must-attend occasion for the regional sports activities business.
Milestones and Memorable Moments
From the unique unveiling of the UAE Nationwide Sports activities Technique in 2023 to headline interviews with NBA executives Cynt Marshall and Ethan Casson that had audiences laughing one minute and in tears the following, the Discussion board has constructed a legacy of standout moments.
H.E. Aref Hamad Al Awani, Basic Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports activities Council, described an early version as having “exceeded expectations” – a press release that set the tone for the Discussion board’s trajectory.
Motion, Not Simply Dialog
In contrast to different gatherings, the Sport Trade Discussion board is constructed on motion. Attendees achieve unrivalled entry to the folks and concepts shaping sport throughout the Center East. Discussions have sparked collaborations starting from grassroots programmes and sponsorship offers to main funding methods.
“The Discussion board isn’t about idea – it’s the place relationships flip into partnerships and conversations flip into influence,” the organisers word.
2025 Version: International Voices, Regional Relevance
The 2025 version guarantees a dynamic mixture of views, with audio system together with:
- Alexis Ohanian, Co-Founding father of Reddit and Founding Proprietor of Angel Metropolis FC
- John Terry, Former Captain, Chelsea FC and England
- Robbie Fowler, Former Liverpool FC and England striker
- H.E. Ghanim Al Hajeri, Undersecretary, UAE Ministry of Sports activities
- Kelly Flatow, EVP International Occasions, NBA
- Danny Townsend, CEO, SURJ Sports activities Funding
- Andrew Thompson, Managing Director, SailGP
- Saif Rashid Al Noaimi, CEO, Ethara and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- Tad Brown, CEO, Harris Blitzer Sports activities & Leisure (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Jamaal Lesane, COO, Madison Sq. Backyard Sports activities (New York Knicks)
Periods will highlight the area’s most urgent alternatives, from Saudi Arabia’s sports activities funding technique to tech and fairness in girls’s sport, management classes from elite athletes, and case research from world properties such because the NBA, SailGP, and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Past the Stage
The Discussion board’s mum or dad organisation, Work together, ensures the influence extends past two days of debate. Insights from the occasion are carried ahead into neighborhood well being programmes, strategic partnerships, and long-term bodily exercise growth initiatives throughout the area—turning dialog into measurable change.
Networking with Objective
Along with world-class content material, attendees will take pleasure in unique networking alternatives, together with a Padel Networking Night on 30 September and a reception at Yas Marina Circuit.
Official Supporters and Companions
The 2025 Discussion board is as soon as once more supported by the Division of Tradition & Tourism – Abu Dhabi, alongside the Division of Group Improvement and the Abu Dhabi Sports activities Council. Official companions embrace Ethara and OVG Center East, with Yas Convention Centre offering a state-of-the-art house for this 12 months’s discussions.
