Join us for our "Farewell to 2023" gathering!

Can you believe how quickly this year has flown? The past 12 months are filled with fond memories - the 5^th edition of our flagship event, THE SPOT, many thrilling challenges, new ventures and collaborations, as well as fresh ideas and insights - we are reluctant to kiss 2023 goodbye without a proper celebration.

So join us for a special evening next month where friends and colleagues from our unique sports ecosystem in Lausanne and beyond will come together to bid farewell to the year in style and draw inspiration for the adventures that await us in 2024!

On the menu:

• Starter: a keynote speech from Ralph Stöckli, Director of the Olympic Games Department at Swiss Olympic
• Main course: final pitches of the Sport Innovation Challenge 2023. Six teams from six Swiss universities will present their innovative ideas for the potential hosting of the Olympic Winter Games in Switzerland in 2030.
• Side-dishes: cocktail dinner.
• Dessert: engage in networking, indulge in great conversations, and make new connections.

When?            Thursday, 14 December, 17h30 – 21h00 (doors open at 17h00)

Where?           Gotham, next to Lausanne Gare

Participation is free but requires registration via this link by 12 December at the latest. Please note that space is limited.

Background information on the Challenge
The annual Sport Innovation Challenge invites and engages young academics in the development of innovative solutions to current and future challenges of the sport industry.

The student teams of four to six participants are each assigned a mentor to help guide them throughout the Challenge. These professionals from the sport industry contribute years of experience and knowledge to the Challenge, helping students develop feasible and impactful ideas.

This year’s edition has seen a record participation of 48 teams and more than 40 mentors, with the students coming from six different schools in the field of sport management (FFHS, HES-SO, HSLU, AISTS, SMS and UNIL), located across Switzerland.

The 2023 Challenge is organised jointly by ThinkSport and Swiss University Sports, in partnership with Swiss Olympic.

Background on the Challenge themes
The 2023 Sport Innovation Challenge, which kicked off in October, tackles the potential organisation of the Olympic Winter Games in Switzerland. The student teams are currently working on solutions addressing the following pressing questions:

• How can the Olympic Winter Games help create a new generation of leaders and talents?
• How can the Olympic Winter Games generate long-term benefits for the tourism industry in Switzerland?
• How can Switzerland help repositioning the Olympic Winter Games and be a Game Changer?
• How to manage such complex and decentralised project and major event in a diverse environment like Switzerland?

Curious to know more? Come and join us on 14 December in Lausanne!