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May 04 2023

Sport Resolutions Annual Conference 2023

EVENT OF THE YEAR FOR LAW AND SPORT PROFESSIONALS

Sport Resolutions' 8th Annual Conference will take place on Thursday 4th May 2023 at the five-star Leonardo Royal London Hotel.

As in previous years, the event will bring together an esteemed panel of sports professionals and industry experts to discuss and debate the latest news and ideas in the areas of anti-doping, athlete welfare, good governance and integrity.

This year's event will be moderated by BBC journalist and presenter Jason Mohammad.

2023 SESSIONS

This year we will be covering the following topics:

  • Do women belong in sport? [panel discussion]
  • Trans athlete eligibility in sports: a snapshot in time [short session]
  • Latest developments and the future of safeguarding [panel discussion] 
  • Doping [short session] 
  • Impact of sports on the environment [panel discussion] 

The details of each session can be found via the 'Topics' tab on this page.

TICKETS

Earl Bird Tickets  are priced at £330.00 exc. of VAT and are available until 23:59 on Sunday 19 March 2023.

Standard Tickets are priced at £395.00 exc. of VAT.

Students in full-time education have the opportunity to attend the conference for the discounted price of £90.00 exc. of VAT with our Academic Ticket (student ID or email address required).

Our Group Ticket permits three tickets to be purchased for the price of two standard price tickets (which works out as £263.33 exc. of VAT per ticket). Please note that this offer is only applicable to standard ticket prices and all three attendees must be from the same organisation.

Further discounts are also available should an organisation wish to purchase tickets for 5 people or more. To find out more about our group bookings please email us at: resolve@sportresolutions.com

Please read our event T&C's before registering.

FAQs

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
No, there will be a registration desk on the day where you will need to sign in but this doesn't require your printed ticket.

What is the refund policy?
If cancellation is notified to Sport Resolutions more than 30 days before the date of an event or, seminar, a full refund will be given. If the booking is cancelled less than 30 days in advance no refunds will be made. Delegates can transfer their ticket to a colleague at no cost.

Will there be catering provided?
Yes. Arrival tea, coffee and pastries.Mid-morning tea, coffee, juice, cakes and biscuits. Hot buffet lunch. There will also be a drinks reception in the iconic Sports Bar at the close of the conference which is a great opportunity for networking and for further discussion. For special dietary requirements please let us know at the time of booking.

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?
Call the Sport Resolutions team on 020 7036 1966 or email us at resolve@sportresolutions.com

Topics

Do Women Belong In Sport?

There is exponential growth in women’s sport; as a sector, in relation to participation and commercially.  Girls and women are being inspired by the increasing visibility of world class performances and brands are diversifying their imagery and approach to promoting sport and fitness.

Broadly, however, the system remains finely tuned and optimised for men which does not cater for the physiology, anatomy and psychology of girls and women.

To enable women to optimise their health and performance, does there need to be a re-evaluation of this long-standing approach? If not, are we at risk of compromising the health and welfare of female athletes as well as their opportunity to fulfil their performance potential?

In this session Baz and Emma will explore female physiology and female-specific psychosocial factors with emphasis on injury surveillance, training and wellbeing monitoring, concussion prevention and rehabilitation and kit design.

The session will include discussion on:

•            What needs to be considered when creating systems where girls and women truly belong

•            Why females are up to 8 times more likely to have a non-contact ACL Injury

•            How the Menstrual Cycle effects a females injury risk

•            What the evidence is showing about rates of concussion and sub concussion in females

•            How training and well-being monitoring can be designed with the female body in mind

Trans Athlete Eligibility in Sports: A Snapshot in Time

Tokyo 2020 was the first Olympic Games at which openly trans athletes competed in the sports of weightlifting, skateboarding, cycling and football. While many consider this milestone to be a progressive step forward in the inclusion of trans athletes at major sporting events, others have raised concerns over safety and fairness in women’s competitions.

The debate around trans athletes in sport can be polarising. Should trans athletes be included in the sex category consistent with their acquired gender? What, if any, conditions should trans athletes have to meet? Is there a ‘one size fits all solution’ or is a sport-specific analysis necessary? Can it ever be justified to expect an athlete to medicate to be able to compete? Shouldn’t sport simply be inclusive for all?

These are some of the issues that sports bodies must grapple with when deciding their approach to trans athlete eligibility. Many sports have established rules in place, some are starting from scratch. And others are revising their approach in light of new evidence.

In this session we will look at the different approaches taken by national and international governing bodies to the participation of trans athletes and consider the factors that should be considered when regulating trans athlete eligibility.

Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

The importance of safeguarding has been brought into sharp focus with the publication of Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson’s Duty of Care in Sport Review, and more recently the Sheldon and Whyte Reviews.

Recent legislative changes in relation to Positions of Trust have extended the scope of protection in sport to treat coaches in a similar way to, for example, teachers and social workers.

The Sports Councils have also worked with stakeholders to introduce innovative programmes and systems to improve safeguarding processes, to provide confidential channels for concerns to be raised and to support those with safeguarding responsibilities.

This session will look at the current safeguarding landscape, will provide updates on recent initiatives and explore what further improvements may be required to enhance safeguarding in sport.

Impact of sports on the environment

Details to be announced soon

Doping

Details to be announced soon

Programme/Agenda
StartEndDescriptionSponsor
08:1508:55

WISLAW breakfast

Sport Resolutions Annual Conference 2023
09:0009:30

Registration / Breakfast

09:3009:45

Welcome by Richard Harry

09:4510:45

Do women belong in sport? (Panel discussion)

10:4511:15

Trans athlete eligibility in sports: a snapshot in time (stand-alone presentation)

11:1511:45

Coffee break & networking

11:4512:45

Impact of sports on the environment (panel discussion) 

12:4514:15

Lunch & Networking

14:1515:30

Latest developments and the future of safeguarding (panel discussion)

15:3016:00

Doping (stand-alone presentation)

16:0016:15

Closing remarks by Audley Sheppard KC

16:0018:00

Drinks reception

Jason Mohammad

Jason MohammadPresenter

BBC TV and radio presenter Jason Mohammad is one of the most sought-after hosts in the events world. Best known for his role on BBC One’s fast live football scores FINAL SCORE and flagship football show MATCH OF THE DAY and MOTD2 Jason’s professionalism, warmth and humour makes him a massive hit with live audiences. Jason is also a very proud member of the BBC Radio 2 family lining up alongside Zoe Ball, Claudia Winkleman and Dermot O’Leary as one of their famous voices.

Jason presents GOOD MORNING SUNDAY on Radio 2 between 6am and 9am every weekend. The Cardiff-born presenter has also fronted some of the BBC’s biggest television output including the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, FA Cup finals, World Cup finals and the Six Nations.

He’s made films for The One Show and co-presented BBC One’s Crimewatch with Sophie Raworth and Kirsty Young.

Jason works between London, Salford and Cardiff and is a fluent Welsh speaker - appearing regularly on Welsh language television station S4C. He even has time for his own show on BBC Radio Wales - where he fronts a phone in show in the English language.

Jason has travelled the world with the BBC fronting TV coverage from Brazil to the United States to Australia and is equally at home interviewing Hollywood A-listers and music stars as he is chatting to the world’s biggest football names.

Jason co-owns a TV production company and has recently created his own media academy. He’s also a keen filmmaker having made TV documentaries on his faith in Mecca, his upbringing in Wales and historic architecture in Egypt.

Given his unique ability to chair, present and interact, some of the world’s biggest brands have booked Jason for awards and events including HP, UEFA, Mercedes and Maserati.

Baz Moffat

Speaker - Do women belong in sport?

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Baz Moffat

Baz MoffatSpeaker - Do women belong in sport?

After achieving a first-class honours degree and a Masters, Baz Moffat jumped into the boat and rowed straight onto the Great Britain national team. Over an impressive career she won several medals, including a silver at the 2007 World Championships.

After Baz hung up her oars she launched a successful international coaching business. Specialising in pelvic health, Baz has helped hundreds of women – from pro athletes to new mums – tap greater health and happiness by understanding mind, body and the interplay of the two.

Baz looks back fondly at her sporting career but recognises a lack of female-specific coaching limited her potential. Now a prominent voice in the women’s health movement, Baz wants to highlight and address the institutional gaps that stop women reaching their potential in sport and beyond. 

Baz is the CEO and Co-Founder of The Well HQ.

Dr Emma Ross

Speaker - Do women belong in sport?

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Dr Emma Ross

Dr Emma RossSpeaker - Do women belong in sport?

Scientist, researcher and practitioner Dr Emma Ross is the former Head of Physiology at the English Institute of Sport. She led the UK High Performance System’s first ever strategic approach to Female Athlete Health with the SmartHER programme.

Emma is behind several breakthrough initiatives that ensure active women - and their support teams - understand and support the female part of the female athlete. In 2021 she received the Sunday Times Sports Women of the Year Changemaker Award in recognition of her work to improve sport for women.

Mhairi Maclennan

Speaker - Do women belong in sport?

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Mhairi Maclennan

Mhairi MaclennanSpeaker - Do women belong in sport?

Mhairi Maclennan is a Scottish long-distance runner from the Highlands of Scotland who’s represented Great Britain at European and World Championships over Cross-Country and Track running. She’s the current British Cross-Country Champion and 3 x Scottish Cross-Country Champion. Mhairi has been a part of gold-winning teams at the 2017 u23 European Cross-Country Championships, where she achieved a top 10 finish, and the 2019 European 10,000m Championships. After struggling with chronic illness over 2020 and 2021 she came back to retain her Scottish Cross-Country Championship title and win British Cross-Country Championships as well as running personal bests over 5k and 10k.

Off the track, Mhairi campaigns and advocates for a safe and equitable sporting world where athlete welfare is prioritised. Early in 2021 she launched Kyniska Advocacy, a non-profit that campaigns for progressive policies to better protect, respect and celebrate women and girls in sport. Along with Co-Founder and fellow athlete, Kate Seary, the duo have successfully campaigned for lifetime bans for abusive coaches in athletics, run workshops for several organisations, created successful online campaigns around female athlete health and published their report, ‘Stamping out Sexual Violence in Sport’. Mhairi’s passion for creating a sporting world where women have a seat at the table has brought her to sitting on the board for Scottish Women in Sport and the Safeguarding Advisory Panel at UK Athletics where she endeavours to bring the athlete voice to the fore and drive change.

Chris Lavey

Speaker - Trans athlete eligibility in sports: a snapshot in time

Read More
Chris Lavey

Chris LaveySpeaker - Trans athlete eligibility in sports: a snapshot in time

Chris is a solicitor advocate in Bird & Bird’s Sports Group in London. He advises clients - primarily international federations, governing bodies and event organisers - on a variety of sports regulatory matters. He has specialised expertise in anti-doping and in athlete eligibility for competition, including on the grounds of nationality, sex and gender, and the classification of para-athletes. In recent years, he has acted for clients in high-profile disputes before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and other sports disciplinary tribunals.

Chris has advised a number of national and international federations in relation to transgender athlete policies and regulations, and works closely with those federations to draft their rules. With Jonathan Taylor KC, he successfully defended World Athletics’ eligibility regulations for the female category before the CAS in the challenge brought by Caster Semenya.

Chris also advises clients in relation to commercial disputes and other regulatory and disciplinary issues, including regulatory investigations into possible rule breaches and unethical or improper conduct.

Paul Stewart

Speaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

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Paul Stewart

Paul StewartSpeaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

Paul Stewart is a former premiership footballer who played for Man City, Spurs and Liverpool, he was also capped 3 times for England.

In 2016 Paul waived his anonymity and spoke about the physical and sexual abuse he endured at the hands of a youth coach as a 10 year old growing up in Manchester. Paul has joined the EFL’s Life skills team to raise awareness about the importance of Safeguarding. He has worked with the FA SFA and Premiership clubs delivering workshops to Academy Coaches/Parents/Players and his delivery whilst hard hitting also gives an insight into Safeguarding from a survivors perspective.

Savita Sohal

Speaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

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Savita Sohal

Savita Sohal Speaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

Savita has extensive experience working in safeguarding, child protection and case management in sport having previously worked in two English national governing bodies (specifically tennis and most recently football) and a Premier League football club.  

Savita is a keen advocate for wellbeing and has previously acted as a Disciplinary Panel Member for a national governing body and Safeguarding Officer for London Youth Games. Savita most recently held the role of Lay Board Member for her Local Authority Safeguarding Adults Board and currently a Case Manager at Sport Resolutions specifically dealing with Safeguarding matters. 

Tara Dillon

Speaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

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Tara Dillon

Tara DillonSpeaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

Tara Dillon was appointed as CEO of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity in January 2015. Tara began her career in Sport and Physical Activity as a lifeguard in her local centre back in 1987, whilst studying. Having gained hands on experience within local authority leisure, various management positions followed until in March 2001, she was appointed as Contracts Manager at DC Leisure Management.    

After 6 years with DCLM, Tara accepted the role of Executive Director of IQL-UK Ltd where she remained until her CIMSPA appointment.

Tara has a passion for the Sport and Physical Activity sector which drives her to constantly aim for improvements across the industry. Tara is at the forefront of CIMSPA’s work, delivering initiatives that professionalise the workforce and enhance the career prospects of those working in sport, leisure and fitness.

Michelle North

Speaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

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Michelle North

Michelle North Speaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

Michelle joined the Child Protection in Sport Unit in April 2013 and was appointed as Head of CPSU in April 2020. Prior to this she worked for the NSPCC Safeguarding in Education Service.

Before joining the NSPCC, Michelle was an Education Welfare Officer with over 10 years' frontline experience and later a Senior Manager with responsibility for prosecutions and case management for a local authority.

She is responsible for managing CPSU staff across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. She also manages relationships with the respective Sports Councils and with our key partners in sport and drives the strategy for sport for the NSPCC.

John Donnelly CBE

Speaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

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John Donnelly CBE

John Donnelly CBE Speaker - Latest developments and the future of safeguarding

John is the Head of Integrity at UK Sport, with a wide remit for wellbeing and conduct in the High-Performance System.  Also worked with: the FA on grievance and conduct issues for players coaches and officials, and its ‘Inclusion Policy’; Ulster Rugby on organisational values and culture; the ECB on increasing diversity of match officials; and Sport Ireland on its Culture Enhancement Programme.

Previously 36 years of fun, travel and danger as a soldier.  Served all over the World including: the Middle East and Iraq, the Balkans, Germany, Cyprus, Afghanistan, the Falklands, Africa, Hong Kong, Canada, the USA and Argentina, retiring as a brigadier. 

Held a range of operational command and leadership appointments, picked up a few medals along the way.   Finished as the Director of Personal Services for the Army, responsible for: discipline and conduct, grievance, inquiries, welfare, health, pay and pensions and compulsory drugs testing.

A keen sportsman, but ability fails to match enthusiasm; achievements include setting up the Army Elite Sports Programme and running the adaptive sports programme for injured soldiers.  Serious two-wheeled ‘Lycra-lout’ and supporter of Irish Rugby.

Married, with two ‘young adults’, three bikes, a rebellious Border Terrier, and never enough time.

Ticket Information

Earl Bird Tickets  are priced at £330.00 exc. of VAT and are available until 23:59 on Sunday 19 March 2023.

Standard Tickets are priced at £395.00 exc. of VAT.

Students in full-time education have the opportunity to attend the conference for the discounted price of £90.00 exc. of VAT with our Academic Ticket (student ID or email address required).

Our Group Ticket permits three tickets to be purchased for the price of two standard price tickets (which works out as £263.33 exc. of VAT per ticket). Please note that this offer is only applicable to standard ticket prices and all three attendees must be from the same organisation.

Further discounts are also available should an organisation wish to purchase tickets for 5 people or more. To find out more about our group bookings please email us at: resolve@sportresolutions.com