No 'Preaching to the Converted' at Play the Game 2017

(ATR) Play the Game Founder Jens Sejer Andersen tells Around the Rings the diversity of viewpoints of the biennial conference is its greatest strength.

"I think one of our main assets has always been we are multi-professional, multi-sectoral conference where no one can preach to the converted or speak to colleagues in the bubble of the everyday professional focus," Andersen says on the final day of the four-day program.

"You have to listen to people from other walks of life with other kinds of experiences."

Play the Game 2017 in Eindhoven, Netherlands tackled a bevy of the biggest challenges facing the international sports movement, including good governance, the fight against corruption, anti-doping reforms and sexual abuse, among others.

With 220 presentations from journalists, academics, sports officials and government representatives providing unique insights into these challenges and the path forward, Andersen says it’s important that the conference isn’t all talk.

"I would say that we hope the various main panels on governance reforms, fight against doping, the fight against crime, the financial crime, for us these are core issues and it is very important that we do not just add to the blah-blah," he says.

"We are not here just to spend time with the participants; we hope that we can push the debate a little bit forward so we can be cutting edge."

Andersen hopes the more than 300 delegates who attended the 10th edition of the conference bring the fresh ideas and viewpoints shared in Eindhoven to their respective organizations to move the needle forward in terms of sports reform.

"Now what’s most important is what will participants think, how will it affect their future work and how has this conference delivered in terms of new thinking and in terms of increased network?"

The feedback provided by attendees will help Andersen and colleagues shape the next edition of the conference set for 2019. In terms of his initial impression of this year’s event, Andersen says he is very pleased.

"I feel we have delivered a professional conference," he says. "The speakers have delivered what we had hoped both in terms of their presentations and their ability to engage with sharp and instructive statements in the debate. We could not have asked for more."

When asked what could be improved moving forward, Andersen says he hopes Play the Game can further increase the diversity of its panelists and topics.

"I think we should have definitely more women, a broader geographical scope for the conference and become less Euro-US-centric," he tells ATR. "And I think we must recognize that sexual abuse in sport, like it has turned out in the entertainment and culture sector over the past months, that this is an issue we should address more."

Despite the variety of viewpoints and backgrounds of the participants, Andersen says it is refreshing to see everyone working together for a common goal.

"It is extremely rewarding to experience a crowded hall with 300-350 people, panels with sharp intellectuals and all people deeply committed to improving the status quo in the various fields in sport."

Andersen could not yet provide details as to which cities have submitted interest and are being considered to host the 2019 edition of Play the Game, but tells ATR that a host city is expected to be chosen by the end of the first quarter of 2018.

Reported and written by Kevin Nutley in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

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