THE PATHFINDER PROJECT

Patrick Nally may have created the blueprint for much of modern sports marketing but he is firmly focused on the future and not the past.

He is concerned that sport should not stand still and that the bodies which govern and fund it, together with the broadcasters who share it with the world and the governments which host major events, continue to evolve fresh thinking to ensure that sport remains a uniquely relevant and powerful force in the lives of people worldwide. That concern led to the creation of The Pathfinder Project a major global initiative which is designed to help develop a roadmap for the future of sport by creating the ultimate Big Conversation among all key stakeholders.

A global initiative

By linking a series of high-powered events held under the auspices of organisations such as UNESCO, Sport accord and world-leading academic institutions to a huge online community which includes students, sports sector professionals, the media, athletes and governments, Pathfinder will allow all parties to take part in the debate over the future of sport.

It is clear that in our fast-changing world sport has more to offer than ever before. Yet while we appreciate its massive potential there is significant confusion about the specific role it can play in education, as a driver of social projects and in the business world.

“Many of the models for the governance of sport, its relationship with sponsors and the world of business, for bidding for and hosting major events and its role in education and society in general were established many years ago and need to be tested and re-evaluated against the realities of a world which has been shrunk by technology but which continues to throw up new challenges in areas such as health and education. These are areas in which sport has a major role to play and the Pathfinder Project is designed to identify what can be achieved and to develop new models which can be followed by all stakeholders.”

The conferences

The discussions will be recorded in detail and the key findings provided to the committees. Each event’s outcome will be invaluable in stimulating a broader debate among leaders of specialist sport groups and making any subsequent initiatives more credible.

Pathfinder is designed to provide a platform for strong, well-founded opinion, great ideas and fresh thinking to be published widely and fed into a range of relevant discussions and decision making forums at all levels.