Annual Conference 2024 - Advantage Governance

Grab a coffee and breakfast bites, meet your fellow delegates and make new connections.

An introduction to the day's sessions, key themes and navigating the conference app and portal.

• Craig Beeston - Sports Governance Academy, The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland

We kick off the conference with a summary of the first SGA impact assessment, designed to understand our take-up in the sector, how we are meeting the needs of the SGA community and how we helping to improve governance in sport and physical activity at an individual, organisational and sectoral level.

• Guy Branston - Partner, Sport AI Consultants
• Samantha Livesey - Partner & Head of Commercial, Pinsent Masons 
• Sam Green-Armytage - Operations Officer, Sports Governance Academy

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an evermore prominent part in our lives and we need to be prepared to adapt to the changes it brings. Join us for this interactive session where we will take a look at how AI can currently be used to improve the running of your organisation, the pitfalls to look out for, and where it may take us in the sport and sports governance space.

• Craig Anthony - Chief Executive, British Wrestling
• Darren Bernstein - Lecturer in Football Business, UCFB

In this session, we take a case study to explore how an NGB used a review of its regional structure to surface governance issues which were negatively impacting effectiveness. We will explore how British Wrestling undertook the exercise, engaged with key stakeholders and tackled the emerging themes of structure, democracy & representation, and trust & transparency.

Working closely with the reviewer, Darren Bernstein, British Wrestling were able to endorse all 25 resulting recommendations, as well as shed light on the 'black hole of effectiveness' where three themes overlapped. This session will share lessons applicable to organisations of all types. 

• Gurpreet Dulay - Partner, BDO
• Max Armstrong - Internal Audit Manager, BDO

In this session, Gurpreet and Max will share their observations from working closely with organisations in the sector, identifying principal risk areas that appear on the radars of sport organisations and offering tips for their mitigation. 

Casting an eye forward, they will suggest potential future areas that organisations might want to begin planning for in order keep on top of their risk management strategy.

We have provided plenty of time for networking and opportunities to continue discussions from the morning's sessions.

Please also use the time to visit our exhibitors.

Jonathan Bannister - Founder, Strategist & Executive Coach, Make Happy Ltd

In this session, we’ll take a fast-paced journey through the core elements of building innovation in individuals and teams. From the science of deliberate creativity and insights from evolutionary biology, to the importance of psychological safety, this session will be thought-provoking and packed with practical takeaways.

Expect fresh perspectives and actionable strategies to spark innovation, improve collaboration and build resilience.

Following the success of last year's inaugural SGA Awards, we have added another category this time. We want to celebrate the fantastic work being done in sports governance and showcase the dedication, talent and achievements of the SGA community.

We invited nominations for three categories:

• Outstanding Governance Contribution
• One to Watch
• Sports Governance Project of the Year

Find out more about the categories and check out our shortlisted nominations here.

• Tom Clarke-Forrest - Founder & CEO, Sport4Life
• Adrian Ledbury - Strategic Lead: Transformation, Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership 
• Craig Beeston, SGA Programme Manager, The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (moderator)

Sport and physical activity organisations are rooted in communities and society at large. Through this connection, the activities they undertake and the platform that the sector has, sport can be uniquely placed to effect change in society.

In this session, we will look at some examples of how the sector can use this influence and hear about actions that can be taken internally and externally to bring about positive change.

• Sarah Jones - Team GB Hockey player, athlete advisor
• Jennifer Tong - Sports Governance and Sustainability Consultant, I Trust Sport; NED and Chair of the Athletes’ Committee, British Weightlifting
• Craig Beeston, SGA Programme Manager, The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (moderator)

Participants, players and athletes are the lifeblood of any sport. As such they are one of the key stakeholders that an organisation can have. In this session, we explore how their voice can be heard when it comes to decision making, strategy setting and the organisation's activities and direction.

We look at this in terms of formal structures, from athlete directors on boards to athlete committees and other mechanisms for gathering viewpoints, as well as exploring the benefits to both the organisation and the community of athletes and participants with which it engages.