previous editions
Take a look back at the past editions of the smartcities & sport summit, a wealth of resources aimed at inspiring your city!
Building on the legacy of the summits
Since the inception of the network in 2014, smartcities & sport has held nine annual summits – even during the COVID-19 pandemic!
Initially held only in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital and headquarters of the network, the summit soon expanded to include other host cities such as Montreal, Tokyo and Copenhagen.
Relive the previous editions of the summit!
paris - france
With just a few months to go before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, the smartcities & sport summit 2023 took place in Paris. This year, the focus was on sports events as catalysts for city transformation. The organization of sports events creates momentum and for host cities, is an opportunity to take stock of the existing facilities, to assess the short and long-term solutions, to evaluate economic, urban and societal challenges and to plan events that contribute to the transformation of the city. It was a unique opportunity to experience the Olympic Games before anyone else.
lausanne - switzerland
The smartcities & sport summit 2022 focused on the sportification of cities – or how cities can become playgrounds to bring people closer to sport. Over the two-day conference, we invited participants to step off the beaten track and explore all places, from the most traditional to the most inventive ones, where sport becomes a natural part of the lives of city dwellers and improves their well-being.
copenhagen - denmark
Hosted in Copenhagen, an inspiring, pioneer city in terms of sport, the 2021 smartcities & sport summit focused on strategies that encompass all policies in alignment with one vision: building cities together through sport. Copenhagen widened our field of possibilities, offering insights into a broad range of topics including urban development, health improvement, and social integration.
worldwide - vitual event
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the smartcities & sport summit still took place as planned and was exclusively virtual. The summit focused on how smart, forward-thinking cities can leverage inclusive sport, physical activity and sporting events to advance our common roadmap for transforming our communities and contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda.
tokyo - japan
For the first time in the history of the network, the smartcities & sport summit took place in Asia, in the Olympic city of Tokyo – one year before the Olympic Games. The overarching theme of the summit was how cities can become smarter through sport. Being in Tokyo, a concentration of innovation intertwined with sport, was the perfect location to experience innovation on the ground.
lausanne - switzerland
New ways of generating innovation in the heart of cities, whose structures can sometimes restrict development, was the main theme addressed at the 5th edition of the summit. More specifically, the potential of sports innovation hubs in cities, and the growing role of big data in the development of smart strategies to drive marketing and commercial growth were topics touched upon just to name a few.
montreal - canada
For the first time, the smartcities & sport summit was held outside of the Olympic Capital. It was a unique opportunity to reach out to a new region and meet new sports cities. The summit addressed a wide range of topics such as access to sport for all, fan engagement through digital media, the planning and financing of new sports facilities, the use of technology to encourage cities populations to be more active and the opportunity professional sports clubs represent for cities.
lausanne - switzerland
The third edition of the smartcities & sport summit served to consolidate the foundations for the future of the network; not only by building lasting connections with sports cities but also with international sports federations. A growing number of partners joined the adventure and delivered insightful knowledge on how to make the most of sport in cities.
lausanne - switzerland
To build on the success of its first year, the smartcities & sport summit strengthened its presence in Lausanne. This second edition established strong links with international federations, more than 55 of which have their headquarters in Lausanne. For the first time, sports cities were able to share their ambitions with international federations during the “Market Place” session.
lausanne - switzerland
The first edition of the smartcities & sport summit took place in Lausanne, Olympic capital. A new initiative of the World Union of Olympic Cities, the objective was to reach out to peers from around the world to share experience and best practices and learn from world-class experts in the wider sports industry.