The Irish Sports Council and the Irish Presidency of the European Union has delivered a strong EU Sports Conference which could have far reaching implications in the growing prominence being given to sport across the Union.
Officials and Ministers from across Europe gathered in Dublin Castle on Thursday and heard a diverse collection of speakers on subjects ranging from participation to rights, community and volunteering to economic models and how professional and amateur sport can sometimes be uneasy partners.
Keynote speaker Professor Stefan Szymanski from the University of Michigan posed the question of whether the elite devotion to winning was actually damaging sport for the majority and whether in the main it was more important to focus on the positives even in regular defeat.
Throughout next week Sport for Business will carry detailed reports on the presentations given by the speakers from Ireland and abroad.  We will highlight areas that may run contrary to received wisdom, look at the potential €32 million per annum fresh funding for sporting programmes and analyse which of the themes we heard will have the greatest resonance come 2020.
The schedule of articles will include:
Monday: The State of Irish Sport from John Treacy of the Irish Sports Council and Minister Michael Ring, and the different approaches to financial modelling of Rugby, Cricket and Paralympic Sport.
Tuesday: The importance of a community project in Munster with Keith Wood of W2 Consulting and how Volunteers can be our greatest strength and our greatest weakness from Sarah Keane of Swim Ireland.
Wednesday: The Viewpoint of the elite athlete with Olive Loughnane and Eoin Reinisch.
Thursday: The Legal twists and turns of sports rights with Benoit Keane and how Public Service Broadcasting retains its vital importance with Ryle Nugent of RTE.
Friday: The value of sport in lifting spirits through great performance versus the deeper benefit of giving opportunities to play with Stefan Szymanski.
Discover more of our recent comment and analysis of Sports Governance including Munster Rugby’s new Commercial Board, Domestic Soccer getting back in the black and how GAA Revenues have continued to rise.