Sign up for Play the Game 2013 and join unique debate on international sports politics

For the eighth time Play the Game invites you to engage in open, fact-based and constructive debates on a number of themes that are essential to the future of sport.

Registration for the conference is now open and a call for papers has been issued. More than 300 international stakeholders in world sport are expected to join this unique forum for independent thinking and dialogue on sport when Play the Game 2013 opens its doors in Aarhus, Denmark on 28-31 October 2013.

Here, you can experience top leaders from world sport’s most powerful organisations such as the IOC, FIFA and WADA engage in direct debate with some of their most competent critics among international media professionals, academics and practitioners.

Debates on current and essential issues in world sport
In recent years, a number of scandals concerning corruption, voting fraud, match-fixing and mismanagement in international sports organisations have hit the news.

Sport’s governing bodies struggle with bad reputations and current attempts to reform are widely discussed among sports officials and their critics.

At Play the Game 2013, governance experts from universities across Europe will give you a first glimpse of the governance index – a list of the best and worst governed international sports organisations. 

The index is created by the use of the “Sports Governance Observer”, a tool to measure transparency, democracy and accountability in international sports organisations created as a part of the project ‘Action for Good Governance in International Sports Organisations (AGGIS)’.

The EU funded project was undertaken by Play the Game, in cooperation with six European universities and the European Journalism Centre.

Doping and the way the anti-doping regulations affect the lives of the athletes will be a hot topic at Play the Game 2013.

This year’s conference takes place only two weeks before the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) conference in Johannesburg, where the World Anti-Doping Code will be reviewed and the next edition of the Code, which will take effect in January 2015, will be approved.

Are we saving sport by making stricter doping regulations or are we sacrificing the rights of the athletes by tightening the control?

Prominent speakers from both sides of the table will make this an interesting debate.

“International sport is facing massive challenges and in order to come up with constructive solutions for the future, sport needs to engage in an open dialogue with the surrounding society,” says Jens Sejer Andersen, founder and international director of Play the Game.

Play the Game is a platform for such a debate and provides journalists, researchers, sport leaders and other stakeholders in sport a unique opportunity to meet and have an open dialogue about essential issues in sport across geographical and professional borders.

Sign up for the conference for a chance to participate in this unique event.

Prices
Benefit from the early bird rate and get the full conference package for only 500 Euro when signing up before 15 August 2013. This package includes:

•    four days of interesting presentations and vivid debates
•    all conference  material 
•    participation at cultural and social events
•    3 x lunch
•    3 x dinner including the farewell dinner

After 15 August, the full conference package prize will be 700 Euro.

See the different packages and pricing here.

Packages do not include hotel.

Hotel rooms can be booked at favorable conference prices when you register for the conference.

Register here

Present your paper at Play the Game 2013
This year, Play the Game’s conference will be stepping up for democracy in sport, and we welcome you to join this unique forum for independent thinking and dialogue on sport and have your say in the debates by submitting an abstract/storyline.

• Match-fixing: Fair game for gangsters?
• Sports reforms: Fact or phantom?
• The anti-doping dilemma: Saving sport, sacrificing athletes?
• Recreational sport: A lost cause for sports organisations?
• Sports facilities: Who are we building for?
• From Russia to Rio: Power games or people’s games?

An open forum is also available to speakers who address issues that are not covered by the main themes.

See the Call for Papers

Submit an abstract

Visit the conference website for more information: 

www.playthegame.org/2013