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Esade Sports Talks analyzes the main challenges that will define the future of sports

The first episode of the podcast features José Hidalgo, president of ADESP and the Spanish Triathlon Federation, in a conversation with Pepe Cano, president of the Esade Alumni Sport Business Club
Esade Sports Talks

Listen to the complete episode of Esade Sports Talks here

The first episode of Esade Sports Talks, the new series of strategic conversations promoted by the Esade Alumni Sport Business Club, reflects on the main challenges that Spanish sports are facing in a context of transformation. This time, José Hidalgo, president of the Spanish Sports Association (ADESP) and the Spanish Triathlon Federation, talks with Pepe Cano (EMBA 24), the club’s president, on leadership, innovation, governance, financial sustainability, and the social impact of sports.

Key issues in understanding how the sector will evolve in the upcoming years are addressed throughout the episode, an essential conversation for executives, sports managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals interested in understanding how sports can become a platform of social, economic, and local transformation.

Esade Sports Talks

Main ideas you'll discover

• The transformation of federal sports: José Hidalgo surveys the evolution of the triathlon from its beginning as a minority sport until now, when it has become a popular, inclusive and accessible discipline. This journey shows how innovation, equality, and the ability to adapt can promote the growth of a sport and expand its social impact.

• Federations as agents of social value: Beyond organizing competitions, sports federations have the potential to become tools serving health, wellbeing, tourism, and local development. Hidalgo upholds the need to make better use of a structure that mobilizes millions of people through clubs, athletes, technicians, and sports organizations.

• The challenge of financial sustainability: The conversation analyzes the dependence on public subsidies and the need to create new tools that will allow the sector to improve its financial autonomy. The main ideas include a sponsorship law adapted to the needs of sports, tax incentives, and new funding mechanisms for federations.

• Leadership, innovation, and digital transformation: The episode showcases the importance of promoting more modern organizations that are open to change and prepared for future challenges. Digitalization, training in new skills, artificial intelligence, and the development of female leadership are some of the strategic priorities for the upcoming yeas.

• New opportunities for the growth of sports: Hidalgo highlights the potential of emerging disciplines and new sports formats to attract practitioners, build community, and connect with new audiences. He also reflects on how sports should continue to evolve to meet new social demands and solidify their economic and cultural importance.

Listen to the complete episode of Esade Sports Talks here