A world-class sustainability conference

The 100-year-old Lahti Ski Games is much more than just races and fun. In order to guarantee the continuity of the Games for the next hundred years, the necessary actions must be taken now.

The conference entitled Sustainable Future of Winter Sports – The Next Hundred Years will be held just before the grand weekend, on Thursday, March 23. It will discuss the responsibility of sports events and the future of winter sports. A world-class conference event will be built in the Lahti Sports and Fair Centre, in cooperation with the city of Lahti, the Ministry of Education and Culture and SMASH.

Lahti Ski Games plays an important role in promoting sustainability and sustainable development. Without snow, there is no winter sports. Climate change threatens to reduce the snow cover or even leave part of Finland completely without it. However, climate change can still be curbed and taking it into account is especially important in winter sports events.

- The international sports world has finally woken up to sustainability. It has been understood that sport has no future without sustainable development. Lahti is Finland’s leading environmental city and just the right place for this conference, says Pekka Timonen, Mayor of Lahti.

Speakers from Microsoft to UEFA

The top experts offer a wide and versatile coverage of the importance of responsibility in sports and sports events, the climate effects of winter sports, the digital transformation of sports and how our choices affect the future of winter sports in particular. We will also hear case-by-case examples of practical action from UEFA, the International Biathlon Union IBU, and Utah’s sports and Olympic heritage as well as presentations by Microsoft’s Sports Industry Managing Director Sebastian Lancestremere, State Secretary to the Minister of Science and Culture Tuomo Puumala and FIS President Johan Eliasch.

- The event is unique and a similar line-up of speakers cannot be found anywhere else. For those companies who are interested in the sustainability angle, or who feel it is important, the conference is an absolute place to be and hear how things are at the moment and where they are going, emphasizes Tomi-Pekka Kolu, general secretary of Lahti Ski Games and the CEO of Salppuri Oy.

Doors open at 8 a.m., opening remarks are heard at 9 a.m. and the day ends after 3 p.m. The ticket includes the seminar program, coffee, lunch, parking and cloak room. The possibility of free transportation from Aleksanterinkatu to the Lahti Sports and Fair Centre and back has also been arranged for those arriving at the conference.

The hosts of the seminar day are Visit Lahti’s Head of Sports Tourism and Klue founding member Mikko Saarinen and Riikka Rakic, who is IBU’s Head of Sustainability.

The entire event will be held in English.

Read more here.
Buy your tickets here.

Text: Lahti Ski Games