Leaders Week Retrospective - Tom Bracegirdle

Just reflecting an epic few days last week at Leaders week Conference with AFL Architects at Twickenham! It was great to speak to such a wide array of professionals within the sports sector and at the very least I made a few connections over a shared love of snacks during breaks. Despite living in Twickenham for several months when I first moved to London, it was very cool to finally get to experience the stadium view for the first time - next time for a game!

From the keynote on sports leadership to panels on digital transformation and fan engagement, there was no shortage of inspiration. It was particularly interesting to attend the event as both an architect specialising in sports and venue design, and a GB Athlete beginning an Olympic Journey. Whilst there is a lot of crossover, I found myself being pulled across different areas of the event, eager to listen to several of the discussions during the two days. Below are my key takeaways.

The new Olympic format of lacrosse (‘Sixes lacrosse’) is an example of this trend, reducing the pitch size, squad sizes and establishing new rules to develop a format that is firstly exciting but also puts the fan experience as the primary objective. The opening talk by @Gerad Piq Gerard Piqué introducing the ‘Kings League’ as an alternative football league is a modern example of the way innovation can take place within the existing sport landscape. The sport leans into these principles being played on a shorter pitch with free, flowing substitutes etc, but also merges the sport with the gaming and streaming communities offering ‘gaming familiar’ elements to advantage your team or disadvantage your opponents - Mario Kart meets football.  The success of the ‘Kings League’ shows the desire for innovation in sport that’s more entertainment and highlight and social driven. It will be interesting to see if these leagues develop loyal fan bases comparable to the main leagues.

From a GB lacrosse athlete perspective, it was fascinating to hear the thoughts and ideas especially regarding sponsorship. With lacrosse gearing up for its inclusion in the LA 2028 Games, the sport is about to navigate the often-challenging waters of sponsorship. What stood out to me was Simon Rowe’s concept of “the activation paradox”— where the true value of sponsorship is often lost in the pursuit of flashy activations rather than meaningful engagement. This aligns with the growing sentiment that collaboration, rather than traditional sponsorship or partnerships, offers more value. By working together to create shared value, both brands and sports can build stronger, more authentic relationships that benefit everyone involved. Lacrosse, on the global stage, can embrace this more sustainable, mutually beneficial approach as it grows toward LA 2028. Watch this space…

Thank you, Leaders Week! I met some amazing people, and I can’t wait to see where these new connections and discussions take us next!