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RAISE is set to host the inaugural Global Raising Women's Sport and Leadership conference on 18–19 September 2024 with Women in Football's support as an official media partner.

RAISE is hosted by Google and owned by Interact, a female-founded social impact and marketing agency. RAISE has been launched to help drive women’s sport in multiple areas. The conference aims to advance opportunities for girls and women playing sport, while also offering support to women in sport leadership positions. With shared values around gender equality in sport, Women in Football announced their partnership involvement with RAISE in July this year.

Interact has an 80% female workforce, with seasoned experience of organising conferences in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, but their upcoming conference is particularly special for women who work in sport. Sally Corander, Founding Partner and Director at Interact, says: "RAISE is more than just another sports conference; it’s a movement to drive real change in women’s sports. As a female business owner in this industry, I’m incredibly proud to launch this global event, hosted by Google and sponsored by YouTube. We’re bringing together senior leaders from around the world, of all genders, to collaboratively shape the future of women’s sports and create lasting impact."

The conference will feature in-depth discussion, case studies, interviews and panels from a host of big names in sport, including Women in Football members Victoire Cogevina Reynal, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Mercury 13, and Charlotte O'Neill, Managing Director at Manchester City Women. Open and honest debate is encouraged during the event to drive real action, with sessions delving into:

• the power and potential of women’s football
• the unique opportunity to do things differently
• growing media coverage and visibility
• increasing investment and brand sponsorship
• what new investment funds are opening up and what’s next
• changing the stereotype of leadership
• a pathway for future generations
• and hear from brands including VISA, Adobe, Royal London, Charlotte Tilbury and Barclays

You can find out the full line-up and the latest conference agenda on the RAISE website.

 

The challenge

Women’s sport has made remarkable progress, but there is still a long way to go. Figures from the recent Women in Football 2024 survey show that a mere 64% of their female members believe the football sector is one where they can excel. Stats from RAISE reflect the same disappointing story when it comes to female participation in sport. They found that 45% of men play sport at least once a week compared to 37% of women, while even more worrying is the discovery that 84% of adolescent girls globally don't get enough physical activity. Looking at professional sport, they also found 10 out of 35 sports that attribute prize money do not pay the same amount to sportswomen and sportsmen. 

These stats highlight the need for RAISE's mission, which calls for real talk and real change for women in sport. Yvonne Harrison, CEO of Women in Football, says: "WIF are proud to be supporting this vital new conference. We want to see more girls participating in sport from a young age – and recognise how important this can be linked to seeing a potential future career in sport. Once girls see that sport can be for them, it opens up so many opportunities and we are driven to ensure pathways exist from playing, to working in the game, from entry to the executive, ensuring safe environments where women and girls can thrive."

 

Register your interest

When: 18–19 September 2024

Where: Google London, 6 Pancras Square, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AG

RAISE is an exclusive event for senior sport business professionals with a passion to advance women’s sport and sport leadership. You can register your interest on the RAISE registration page, by entering a few details and including why you would like to attend.

Please note places are reserved for senior executives (founders, CEOs, MDs, and C suite attendees). For RAISE 2024 the guest list is almost at capacity. If you are unable to secure a pass for this conference, there will be other events you can attend in the coming months.

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