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The 84th AIPS Congress will see more than 250 people – delegates, observers and guests – from over 100 countries will converge on Rome, the Italian capital, for three intense days of debates, discussions and decisions at the TH Roma - Carpegna Palace Hotel from October 3-6.
With the aim of tackling current issues in the sports journalism industry, a lot of engaging programmes have been outlined, starting with the AIPS Executive Committee meeting on Monday morning, which will set the tone for the official Congress proceedings. The Congress will reach its climax with elections on Wednesday as delegates choose their leaders for a new four-year term.
UEFA President headlines Day One - Following the EC Meeting on Monday, the last for the tenure that began in South Korea in 2017, AIPS President Gianni Merlo will share the stage with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin for an in depth conversation that will touch on the personal and professional life of the Slovenian lawyer as well as some of the hot topics in the world of football.
Young Reporters - The opening day of the Congress will also feature emotional presentations from AIPS Young Reporters Programme alumni, Vladyslav Dunaienko, who will share the story of how his life changed from being a young reporter to a soldier on Ukraine’s front lines, and Ritah Aliguma sharing how her Aliguma Foundation is using sports to transform the lives of kids in the slums of Uganda with great help from the UEFA Foundation for Children.
Continental Sessions - The morning of Tuesday, October 4 will see three of the four AIPS continental sessions go to the polls. Only AIPS Africa will not have their elections in Rome. The continental sessions will have almost three hours to choose their new leaders and also discuss other issues. Then after a coffee break, the AIPS Sport Media Awards will be given priority, alongside a special tribute to long-time AIPS supporter and lawyer Francois Carrard, who passed away on January 9, 2022.
Panels – The first of two panels scheduled for Day Two of the Congress will focus on “The Future of Sports Journalism in the Era of Robots”, a very crucial topic, especially in the post-Covid era. Then in the afternoon another set of panellists will take the stage for the important conversation on gender inequality in the sports media.
Presentations – AIPS partners have prepared enlightening presentations on a variety of subjects around media operations and tournament organisation which they will share with the Congress delegates on October 4. With the FIFA World Cup in Qatar just around the corner, Hans Hultman, FIFA Head of Media will talk about the Qatar 2022 Press Operations report and field questions from delegates. Lucia Montanarella, Associate Director Olympic Games Media Operations will be looking ahead to the Paris 2024 Olympics as well as talking about the IOC’s Young Reporters Project. Women’s football will then be the focus when Emma Sykes, UEFA Senior Women’s Football Development Manager takes the stage. Fiona Hynes, Director of Communications, Europe Eurasia will talk about the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 and Julie Lee will explain the Chungcheong Megacity 2027 World University Games Bid. The Congress participants will enjoy a guided tour of the Olympic Forum and a reception at the Olympic Stadium after the end of Day Two proceedings.
Reports and Elections – The activities of the last five years would be reported to the Congress on October 5. In the last two years especially, the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic tested the resolve of AIPS, but the association braved the odds to stay in touch with its member associations and continue to deliver its projects. The reports would be followed by the elections to the Executive Committee for the next four years.
The future – The progress made on the revision of the AIPS Statutes will be discussed during the Congress. Also, AIPS is approaching 100 years old in 2024 and is looking forward to celebrating this significant milestone in the best possible manner. A variety of topics on the future of the association in particular and sports journalism in general will be addressed at the Congress in Rome.
Relive 83rd AIPS Congress in Budapest The last AIPS Congress took place in Budapest from February 3 to 6. That was the last in-person gathering of the national associations before Covid lockdowns and restrictions swept across the world. It was a memorable time together and it has been over 900 days since then.
Here is a video to relive the memories of a packed three days: https://youtu.be/JngcZ1btGso
