MANCHESTER 2025
CONFERENCE TOPICS
This year’s Everything in Sport Women’s Edition conference in Manchester will dive deep into the critical issues shaping the future of women’s sports. From tailored strategies designed specifically to empower women athletes to harnessing the potential of innovative training techniques, our panels will examine how to elevate both physical and mental wellbeing, prioritise health, and address unique gender-specific needs within sport.
With Manchester’s vibrant sporting culture and its steadfast commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, the conference provides an ideal backdrop for conversations around creating inclusive environments, amplifying women’s visibility in esports and gaming, and exploring how emerging tech and AI can transform women’s sports. Discussions will also include unlocking commercial opportunities, highlighting the economic value of women’s sports, and identifying how to leverage growing audiences, sponsorships, and new media platforms to drive future growth.
By gathering industry leaders, advocates, and athletes, the EIS Women’s Edition conference aims not just to discuss but to drive meaningful change, creating an equitable, sustainable, and thriving ecosystem where women in sport can flourish.
#SportForSocialChange
Adopting a Tailored Approach to Empower Women in Sports
Why This Panel Matters
Exploring the need for tailored approaches to empower women in sports, as one-size-fits-all solutions often fall short. Part of the discussion will be the role of male allies, gender-specific coaching, and psychological barriers like self-doubt. Additionally, we will highlight best practices for inclusion, from recruitment to accountability and lessons from sports that have closed the gender gap.
Key Topics:
The Role of Male Allies in Sports: Exploring how male allies can actively help close the gender gap in sports and why their support is crucial for empowering women athletes.
Tailored Approaches to Coaching Women Athletes: Recognising gender-specific differences in coaching and training ensures athletes receive tailored support, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach that can overlook key factors affecting performance and development.
Overcoming Barriers and Building Psychological Safety: Female athletes often face psychological barriers like fear of judgement and self-doubt, making it vital for sports organisations to foster psychological safety to support their growth and success.
Implementing Best Practices and Learning from Successes: This panel will explore best practices for closing the gender gap in sports, including inclusive hiring, gender-neutral language, and shared accountability, while highlighting lessons from leaders in women’s inclusion.
Panel Sponsors
Creating Safe Spaces: Amplifying Women’s Visibility and Representation in Gaming and Esports
Why This Panel Matters
Examining the gender gap in esports, the lack of representation, and how it fuels exclusion. We will discuss the impact of role models, the need for safe, inclusive spaces, and strategies to reduce discrimination. Additionally, we will explore how better media coverage and visibility can help close the gap.
Key Topics:
Understanding the Gender Gap in Esports: Current statistics reveal significant underrepresentation of women in gaming and esports, driven by factors such as bias, lack of access, and unwelcoming environments.
The Impact of Role Models: The presence or absence of female role models in esports directly influences young women’s participation, highlighting the need to increase visible representation at the top levels.
Creating Inclusive and Safe Gaming Communities: The gaming and esports industry can foster safer, more inclusive spaces for women through thoughtful game design, proactive community management, and strong anti-harassment measures.
Elevating Women’s Esports in the Media: Media coverage greatly affects women’s visibility in esports, and improved representation could help inspire more women to participate and thrive in competitive gaming.
Unlocking Growth and Commercial Opportunities in Women’s Sports
Why This Panel Matters
This discussion explores the unique value of women-only sponsorships and how they can complement existing commercial deals. We will highlight the rapid growth of women’s sports audiences and how increased visibility drives financial success. Additionally, we will examine the impact of diverse leadership in attracting investment and how greater female representation on boards enhances commercial outcomes for women’s sports.
Key Topics:
Women-Only Sponsorships: Media coverage greatly affects women’s visibility in esports, and improved representation could help inspire more women to participate and thrive in competitive gaming.
From Visibility to Commercial Success: Media coverage greatly affects women’s visibility in esports, and improved representation could help inspire more women to participate and thrive in competitive gaming.
The Power of Diverse Leadership: Greater female representation in leadership roles, such as on sports organisation boards, can drive investment and improve commercial outcomes.
Expanding Revenue Streams: Beyond traditional sponsorships, emerging opportunities like merchandising, digital engagement, and new media platforms could fuel the next stage of commercial growth in women’s sports.
Reflecting Diversity: Building a Representative Ecosystem in Women’s Sports
Why This Panel Matters
Representation in women’s sports is crucial for athletes, fans, and the industry. This panel will explore the barriers faced by underrepresented groups, how to overcome them, and the role of sports organisations in fostering diversity and inclusion through policies and initiatives.
Key Topics:
The Benefits of Representation: Greater representation and diversity in women’s sports benefits athletes, fans, and the entire sports industry by fostering inclusion, inspiration, and broader engagement.
Barriers to Inclusivity: Underrepresented groups, such as racial minorities and LGBTQ+ athletes, face significant barriers when trying to participate or advance in women’s sports.
Driving Organisational Change: Sports organisations play a crucial role in promoting representation and can implement policies and initiatives to foster greater diversity and inclusion.
Successful Models of Inclusion: Some sports and programmes have successfully built more inclusive, representative ecosystems, offering valuable lessons through their approaches.
Future Forward: Harnessing Tech and AI to Transform Women’s Sports
Why This Panel Matters
Exploring AI’s role in sports, from personalised training and injury prevention to game analysis and real-time coaching. We will also discuss ethical concerns like data privacy and bias, as well as how emerging tech, wearables, VR, and analytics are making sports more inclusive for women.
Key Topics:
Demystifying AI in Sports: Artificial Intelligence in sports involves data-driven tools and systems, and addressing common misconceptions is key to unlocking its potential for women’s sports.
AI-Enhanced Training and Performance: AI can improve training and performance for female athletes through personalised programmes, injury prevention, and strategic game analysis.
Ethics and Fairness in Sports Technology: Using AI in sports raises ethical concerns like data privacy, bias, and transparency, which must be addressed to ensure fair outcomes for female athletes.
Engaging Fans Through Technology: Emerging tech such as wearables, data analytics, and virtual reality is transforming the fan experience and marketing of women’s sports, helping attract new audiences and close the gender gap.
Gendered Health in Sport: Prioritising Physical and Mental Wellbeing
Why This Panel Matters
A discussion on physical and mental health in sports, focusing on issues affecting women and LGBTQ+ athletes. Topics include pregnancy, motherhood, menopause, fertility challenges, and the importance of normalising mental health conversations. The panel will explore how sports can better support well-being for all.
Key Topics:
Supporting Athletes through Pregnancy and Motherhood: This panel will explore the challenges that women in sports face when it comes to pregnancy and motherhood, and how can sports organisations can better support athletes during these life stages.
Addressing Menopause in Sport: We will delve into discussion points such as how menopause affects women in sports, and what can be done to accommodate and support female athletes going through this natural stage of life.
Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Health Needs: We will discuss the unique health or wellbeing challenges LGBTQ+ individuals encounter in the sports world (for instance, related to fertility or gender-affirming care), and how can the sports community address these needs.
Normalising Mental Health Conversations: Mental health affects athletes and staff of all genders – we will discuss the ways in how can we normalise conversations about mental wellbeing in sports and ensure support systems are in place.
Opportunities and Trends: What Does the Future of Gamification Look Like in Women’s Sports
Why This Panel Matters
Esports and traditional sports share many parallels, and gamification can help boost participation in women’s sports. This panel will explore trends in sports gamification, the role of licensing, and how emerging technologies can enhance audience engagement and expand opportunities for female athletes.
Key Topics:
Gamification and Participation: This panel will explore ways that gamification and the crossover between esports and traditional sports help increase participation and interest in women’s sports.
Trends Shaping Sports Gamification: With esports on the rise, we will explore the current trends in sports gamification and examine how these developments are changing the way fans engage with women’s sports.
Monetising Sports Through Gaming: We will discuss the value of linking women’s sports with gaming—such as through licensing deals or sports-themed video games—and how organisations can capitalise on these opportunities to benefit female athletes and leagues.
VR and the Future of Sports Engagement: This session will also highlight how emerging technologies like virtual reality are transforming the way audiences experience and engage with women’s sports, shaping the future of gamification.
Innovative Approaches: Training Techniques in Women’s Sports
Why This Panel Matters
This panel will explore specialised training techniques designed to meet the unique needs of female athletes, including injury prevention strategies for issues like ACL tears. It will also examine how factors such as hormonal cycles, mental conditioning, and nutrition can contribute to more effective, personalised coaching and overall athlete well-being.
Key Topics:
Preventing ACL Injuries: We will address the higher prevalence of ACL injuries in women’s sports and present innovative training techniques aimed at preventing these injuries and protecting female athletes.
Training with the Menstrual Cycle: The topic will also examine how understanding the menstrual cycle and hormonal fluctuations can lead to more effective training and performance strategies for female athletes.
Personalising Training Programmes for Women: Here, we’ll delve into how training programmes for female athletes should be tailored differently from those for male athletes, supported by new research and innovations in gender-specific approaches.
Holistic Coaching Approaches: This discussion will also cover innovative coaching methods beyond physical training, including mental skills development and nutritional strategies, to enhance performance and wellbeing in women’s sports.
Revolutionising the Spotlight: Innovation in Broadcasting and Media for Women’s Sports
Why This Panel Matters
Evolving media and broadcasting technologies offer a chance to boost the visibility of women’s sports, changing how audiences discover and follow female athletes. This panel will explore innovative broadcasting strategies, including athlete-led content and interactive fan experiences, and discuss how better media coverage can attract larger audiences and investment to elevate women’s sports.
Key Topics:
Innovations in Broadcasting: We will explore how new broadcasting technologies and platforms—such as streaming services and dedicated channels—are transforming visibility and reach for women’s sports.
Creative Storytelling and Content: This session will highlight innovative content strategies, including documentaries, athlete vlogs, and social media campaigns, that are helping to promote women’s sports and engage fans in new ways.
Balancing Coverage Equality: We will examine the ongoing disparity in media coverage between men’s and women’s sports, and discuss the changes in media approach or policy needed to ensure more equal representation on screen.
Media Impact on Growth: Our discussions will focus on how the quantity and quality of media coverage influence the growth of women’s sports, and how improved storytelling and visibility can attract sponsors and expand audiences.
Shaping the Future: Navigating the Intersection of Identity and Competition in Women’s Sports
Why This Panel Matters
This panel will explore the evolution of policies in women’s sports to include transgender athletes, focusing on balancing fair competition with respecting their rights. We will also discuss the legal aspects of transgender participation and how future regulations can evolve to promote both inclusivity and fairness.
Key Topics:
Evolving Inclusion Policies: We will look at how policies in women’s sports have evolved to accommodate transgender athletes, and analyse the impact these changes have had on inclusivity across different levels of sport.
Inclusivity vs Fairness: This session will explore the key considerations involved in balancing inclusive participation with fair competition, particularly in relation to transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Legal and Ethical Dimensions: We will address the legal challenges and ethical questions surrounding transgender participation in women’s sports, and how governing bodies and sports organisations are responding.
The Future of Regulation: Looking ahead, we will consider how regulations may continue to evolve in order to uphold both inclusivity and fairness in women’s sports competitions.
Adopting a Tailored Approach to Empower Women in Sports
Panel Sponsor
Why This Panel Matters
Exploring the need for tailored approaches to empower women in sports, as one-size-fits-all solutions often fall short. Part of the discussion will be the role of male allies, gender-specific coaching, and psychological barriers like self-doubt. Additionally, we will highlight best practices for inclusion, from recruitment to accountability and lessons from sports that have closed the gender gap.
Key Topics:
The Role of Male Allies in Sports: Exploring how male allies can actively help close the gender gap in sports and why their support is crucial for empowering women athletes.
Tailored Approaches to Coaching Women Athletes: Recognising gender-specific differences in coaching and training ensures athletes receive tailored support, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach that can overlook key factors affecting performance and development.
Overcoming Barriers and Building Psychological Safety: Female athletes often face psychological barriers like fear of judgement and self-doubt, making it vital for sports organisations to foster psychological safety to support their growth and success.
Implementing Best Practices and Learning from Successes: This panel will explore best practices for closing the gender gap in sports, including inclusive hiring, gender-neutral language, and shared accountability, while highlighting lessons from leaders in women’s inclusion.
Why This Panel Matters
Examining the gender gap in esports, the lack of representation, and how it fuels exclusion. We will discuss the impact of role models, the need for safe, inclusive spaces, and strategies to reduce discrimination. Additionally, we will explore how better media coverage and visibility can help close the gap.
Key Topics:
Understanding the Gender Gap in Esports: Current statistics reveal significant underrepresentation of women in gaming and esports, driven by factors such as bias, lack of access, and unwelcoming environments.
The Impact of Role Models: The presence or absence of female role models in esports directly influences young women’s participation, highlighting the need to increase visible representation at the top levels.
Creating Inclusive and Safe Gaming Communities: The gaming and esports industry can foster safer, more inclusive spaces for women through thoughtful game design, proactive community management, and strong anti-harassment measures.
Elevating Women’s Esports in the Media: Media coverage greatly affects women’s visibility in esports, and improved representation could help inspire more women to participate and thrive in competitive gaming.
Why This Panel Matters
This discussion explores the unique value of women-only sponsorships and how they can complement existing commercial deals. We will highlight the rapid growth of women’s sports audiences and how increased visibility drives financial success. Additionally, we will examine the impact of diverse leadership in attracting investment and how greater female representation on boards enhances commercial outcomes for women’s sports.
Key Topics:
Women-Only Sponsorships: Media coverage greatly affects women’s visibility in esports, and improved representation could help inspire more women to participate and thrive in competitive gaming.
From Visibility to Commercial Success: Media coverage greatly affects women’s visibility in esports, and improved representation could help inspire more women to participate and thrive in competitive gaming.
The Power of Diverse Leadership: Greater female representation in leadership roles, such as on sports organisation boards, can drive investment and improve commercial outcomes.
Expanding Revenue Streams: Beyond traditional sponsorships, emerging opportunities like merchandising, digital engagement, and new media platforms could fuel the next stage of commercial growth in women’s sports.
Why This Panel Matters
Exploring AI’s role in sports, from personalised training and injury prevention to game analysis and real-time coaching. We will also discuss ethical concerns like data privacy and bias, as well as how emerging tech, wearables, VR, and analytics are making sports more inclusive for women.
Key Topics:
Demystifying AI in Sports: Artificial Intelligence in sports involves data-driven tools and systems, and addressing common misconceptions is key to unlocking its potential for women’s sports.
AI-Enhanced Training and Performance: AI can improve training and performance for female athletes through personalised programmes, injury prevention, and strategic game analysis.
Ethics and Fairness in Sports Technology: Using AI in sports raises ethical concerns like data privacy, bias, and transparency, which must be addressed to ensure fair outcomes for female athletes.
Engaging Fans Through Technology: Emerging tech such as wearables, data analytics, and virtual reality is transforming the fan experience and marketing of women’s sports, helping attract new audiences and close the gender gap.
Why This Panel Matters
Representation in women’s sports is crucial for athletes, fans, and the industry. This panel will explore the barriers faced by underrepresented groups, how to overcome them, and the role of sports organisations in fostering diversity and inclusion through policies and initiatives.
Key Topics:
The Benefits of Representation: Greater representation and diversity in women’s sports benefits athletes, fans, and the entire sports industry by fostering inclusion, inspiration, and broader engagement.
Barriers to Inclusivity: Underrepresented groups, such as racial minorities and LGBTQ+ athletes, face significant barriers when trying to participate or advance in women’s sports.
Driving Organisational Change: Sports organisations play a crucial role in promoting representation and can implement policies and initiatives to foster greater diversity and inclusion.
Successful Models of Inclusion: Some sports and programmes have successfully built more inclusive, representative ecosystems, offering valuable lessons through their approaches.
Why This Panel Matters
A discussion on physical and mental health in sports, focusing on issues affecting women and LGBTQ+ athletes. Topics include pregnancy, motherhood, menopause, fertility challenges, and the importance of normalising mental health conversations. The panel will explore how sports can better support well-being for all.
Key Topics:
Supporting Athletes through Pregnancy and Motherhood: This panel will explore the challenges that women in sports face when it comes to pregnancy and motherhood, and how can sports organisations can better support athletes during these life stages.
Addressing Menopause in Sport: We will delve into discussion points such as how menopause affects women in sports, and what can be done to accommodate and support female athletes going through this natural stage of life.
Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Health Needs: We will discuss the unique health or wellbeing challenges LGBTQ+ individuals encounter in the sports world (for instance, related to fertility or gender-affirming care), and how can the sports community address these needs.
Normalising Mental Health Conversations: Mental health affects athletes and staff of all genders – we will discuss the ways in how can we normalise conversations about mental wellbeing in sports and ensure support systems are in place.
Why This Panel Matters
Esports and traditional sports share many parallels, and gamification can help boost participation in women’s sports. This panel will explore trends in sports gamification, the role of licensing, and how emerging technologies can enhance audience engagement and expand opportunities for female athletes.
Key Topics:
Gamification and Participation: This panel will explore ways that gamification and the crossover between esports and traditional sports help increase participation and interest in women’s sports.
Trends Shaping Sports Gamification: With esports on the rise, we will explore the current trends in sports gamification and examine how these developments are changing the way fans engage with women’s sports.
Monetising Sports Through Gaming: We will discuss the value of linking women’s sports with gaming—such as through licensing deals or sports-themed video games—and how organisations can capitalise on these opportunities to benefit female athletes and leagues.
VR and the Future of Sports Engagement: This session will also highlight how emerging technologies like virtual reality are transforming the way audiences experience and engage with women’s sports, shaping the future of gamification.
Why This Panel Matters
This panel will explore specialised training techniques designed to meet the unique needs of female athletes, including injury prevention strategies for issues like ACL tears. It will also examine how factors such as hormonal cycles, mental conditioning, and nutrition can contribute to more effective, personalised coaching and overall athlete well-being.
Key Topics:
Preventing ACL Injuries: We will address the higher prevalence of ACL injuries in women’s sports and present innovative training techniques aimed at preventing these injuries and protecting female athletes.
Training with the Menstrual Cycle: The topic will also examine how understanding the menstrual cycle and hormonal fluctuations can lead to more effective training and performance strategies for female athletes.
Personalising Training Programmes for Women: Here, we’ll delve into how training programmes for female athletes should be tailored differently from those for male athletes, supported by new research and innovations in gender-specific approaches.
Holistic Coaching Approaches: This discussion will also cover innovative coaching methods beyond physical training, including mental skills development and nutritional strategies, to enhance performance and wellbeing in women’s sports.
Why This Panel Matters
Evolving media and broadcasting technologies offer a chance to boost the visibility of women’s sports, changing how audiences discover and follow female athletes. This panel will explore innovative broadcasting strategies, including athlete-led content and interactive fan experiences, and discuss how better media coverage can attract larger audiences and investment to elevate women’s sports.
Key Topics:
Innovations in Broadcasting: We will explore how new broadcasting technologies and platforms—such as streaming services and dedicated channels—are transforming visibility and reach for women’s sports.
Creative Storytelling and Content: This session will highlight innovative content strategies, including documentaries, athlete vlogs, and social media campaigns, that are helping to promote women’s sports and engage fans in new ways.
Balancing Coverage Equality: We will examine the ongoing disparity in media coverage between men’s and women’s sports, and discuss the changes in media approach or policy needed to ensure more equal representation on screen.
Media Impact on Growth: Our discussions will focus on how the quantity and quality of media coverage influence the growth of women’s sports, and how improved storytelling and visibility can attract sponsors and expand audiences.
Shaping the Future: Navigating the Intersection of Identity and Competition in Women’s Sports
Panel Sponsor
Why This Panel Matters
This panel will explore the evolution of policies in women’s sports to include transgender athletes, focusing on balancing fair competition with respecting their rights. We will also discuss the legal aspects of transgender participation and how future regulations can evolve to promote both inclusivity and fairness.
Key Topics:
Evolving Inclusion Policies: We will look at how policies in women’s sports have evolved to accommodate transgender athletes, and analyse the impact these changes have had on inclusivity across different levels of sport.
Inclusivity vs Fairness: This session will explore the key considerations involved in balancing inclusive participation with fair competition, particularly in relation to transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Legal and Ethical Dimensions: We will address the legal challenges and ethical questions surrounding transgender participation in women’s sports, and how governing bodies and sports organisations are responding.
The Future of Regulation: Looking ahead, we will consider how regulations may continue to evolve in order to uphold both inclusivity and fairness in women’s sports competitions.