Sports Innovation Conference 2025: Innovation, Inclusion and the Future of Sport
The Sports Innovation Conference 2025 (#SIC2025), organised by Sport Vlaanderen in Antwerp, brought together approximately 1,350 participants on 1 December 2025 around the central theme "Ready for the Match". The conference explored how sports providers can better respond to the needs of diverse target groups and, in doing so, encourage more people to take part in sport and physical activity in a sustainable way.
The event brought together a broad range of sports federations, sports clubs, local authorities, policymakers, researchers, students and innovative companies. By bringing these different stakeholders together, the conference created a unique environment for knowledge sharing, collaboration and innovation within the sports sector.
The programme included inspiring keynotes on innovation, community building and the experience of sport, with contributions from Thomas Knights, Bert De Backer, Bavo Mortier and Lieven Scheire, among others. During the Beleefsafari, participants also had the opportunity to discover new sports technologies and innovative applications that are shaping the future of sport. In addition, hundreds of students actively contributed to a large-scale innovation camp, where solutions were developed for current challenges within the sports sector.
An important international component of the conference was the Sports4All Innovation Summit, a European initiative focusing on social sports innovation and inclusion. Innovators, researchers and policymakers from 26 European countries came together to exchange knowledge and share inspiring practices that make sport more accessible to everyone.
Throughout the conference, themes such as inclusion and accessibility, technology and data, community building, innovative sports experiences and better alignment between athletes and sports provision were central. Within this international context, DanceOrientation was selected as part of the Belgian delegation to present its inclusive approach through, among other things, its DanceTools. In doing so, we actively contributed to the dialogue on innovative and accessible forms of movement that bring people with and without visual impairments together and encourage sustainable participation in sport and physical activity.
Over the years, DanceOrientation, through the #danceisblind project, has evolved from an initiative primarily focused on raising awareness into an organisation that is increasingly active at policy level in the fields of inclusion, sport and participation.
Together with Georgia Venetakis, we presented our vision, methodology and policy approach during the Sports4All Innovation Summit. This gave us the opportunity to connect with international organisations, policymakers and social innovators working on similar societal challenges and objectives. The exchange of knowledge and experiences not only strengthened our international position, but also laid the foundation for new collaborations.
One concrete outcome was, among other things, the collaboration with non-profit organisation Publiq. During the Spo(r)tslight event, we had the opportunity to once again present our innovative DanceTools and the vision behind #danceisblind to more than 600 participants from the sports, culture and leisure sectors.
In addition, we integrated the #danceisblind training session into a practice-oriented session within the cross-disciplinary martial arts disciplines. During this workshop, around twenty participants were introduced to DanceOrientation's approach, methodologies and inclusive practices. The session provided concrete tools to strengthen accessibility and participation of people with visual impairments within their own sports practices.
These developments demonstrate that DanceOrientation is no longer only raising awareness, but is also actively contributing to structural changes within the sports and physical activity landscape, both nationally and internationally.
Image and video description
photo 1: From left to right: Michèle, Manuel and Georgia, with the beautiful Antwerp skyline in the background, bathed in the warm light of the setting sun. Georgia and Michèle are glowing in their elegant pink dresses, while Manuel looks stylish in a tuxedo with a pink bow tie. Completely ready for an atmospheric evening and full of enthusiasm to experience the Sports Innovation Conference!
photo 2: In the second photo, Michèle, Manuel and Georgia pose together with Philippe Paquay, CEO of Sport Vlaanderen. A beautiful moment during the Sports Innovation Conference, where innovation, sport and inspiring encounters took centre stage.
photo 3: "The Source of Change lies in the details of interactive movements in the living present." The origin of change does not lie in grand plans or distant visions of the future, but in the small interactions and movements that take place between people here and now, in the present moment.
The Stacey Matrix: Stacey argued that organisations do not function like machines that can be fully designed and controlled. Instead, strategy, innovation and change emerge from everyday conversations, conflicts, collaboration and unexpected events between people. From this perspective, uncertainty and unpredictability are not exceptions, but normal characteristics of organising.
photo 4: "The heart of social innovation in sport: relationships, participation, context, courage, values." The essence of social innovation in sport lies in strong relationships, active participation, attention to context, the courage to innovate and acting from shared values.
photo 5: Entrance to the beautiful Room with a Zoo venue in Antwerp, with the Sport Vlaanderen flags and logo. Many visitors are enthusiastically making their way inside.
photo 6: The DanceOrientation logo appears on the projector screen in the beautiful Room with a Zoo, with marble columns and empty chairs. Everything is ready for the pitch!
photo 7: Presentation of the Sports Innovation Conference with the introduction: Ready for the MATCH.
photo 8: Michèle and Georgia behind the lectern, presenting our #danceisblind project to the world. In front of an audience of 600 listeners from 26 different countries, we share our innovative approach to dance (and sport) for people who are blind or visually impaired. Photos are displayed on the projector screen behind us, including an image of Manuel dancing with Michèle on the stage of the Ghent Festivities.
photo 9: On the projector screen, Nadine demonstrates the magnetic board.
photo 10: Georgia, Michèle, Jens (Sport Vlaanderen and organiser of the event) and the inspiring Arnaud Raskin, founder of the Mobile School.
photo 11: The following day, a training session took place for the innovators. In this photo, we see a classroom where everyone is listening attentively.
photo 12: Group photo of the 26 sports innovators from the 26 participating countries.
photo 13: Georgia, Manuel and Michèle enjoy a delicious cocktail at the hotel bar after an inspiring and successful conference day.
