The city of Lausanne, celebrating 30 years as the ‘Olympic Capital‘, will host the IF Forum 2024, an exclusive, annual face-to-face event organized by and for international sports federations (IFs). From October 21-23, the Forum will be held at the iconic Olympic Museum, which houses the largest collection of Olympic heritage in the world. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva and set against the backdrop of the Alps, the event promises to be a key venue for reflection and planning for the future of global sport.
This year, the staging of the IF Forum 2024 has a special significance, as Sébastien Griesmar, director of the Lausanne Olympic Capital Foundation, emphasized: “As Lausanne celebrates 30 years as Olympic Capital, hosting the IF Forum 2024 takes on a special meaning.” Since 1915, the city has been home to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and has established itself as a hub for international sports federations, academic institutions and innovative sports companies. “Hosting this event is a testament to our commitment to the future of sport alongside the 60 international federations now based here,” added Griesmar.
THE IF FORUM 2024’S THEME
The IF Forum 2024’s theme, ‘Ensuring your federation is fit and ready for the future’, reflects the growing importance of topics such as artificial intelligence, complex stakeholder demands and athlete health. More than 300 attendees from international sports federations, high-profile speakers and exclusive event partners will participate in sessions over the three days. Featured speakers include Roy Baker, president of WAKO; Kirsty Burrows, head of the IOC’s Safe Sport Unit; Vincent Gaillard, executive director of World Rowing; Nicole Hoevertsz, IOC vice president; and Emma Zwiebler, CEO of WFSGI.
“The theme of the forum is extremely timely”
The event will be opened on Monday, October 21 by Christelle Luisier Brodard, president of the State of Vaud, who will welcome attendees. The preliminary schedule, available on the IF Forum 2024 website, includes a wide variety of sessions led by experts in their respective fields, with more speakers expected to join as the forum date approaches. “The theme of this year’s forum is extremely timely in an environment that is changing faster and more disruptively than ever before,” explained Griesmar.
Martin Gibbs, CEO of SportAccord, highlighted the importance of the collaboration between his organization and Lausanne: “Over the years, our partnership with SportAccord has created numerous opportunities for sports federations to connect and discuss the future of sport.” Gibbs expressed his team’s enthusiasm for the opportunity to bring the international federation community together in Lausanne, a city that global sport calls “home”.
