IAKS Nordic conference in Helsinki, Finland, 21–22 April 2026

Formal organised sport is strong, but everyday movement in our Nordic countries continues to decline.

  • How do we get more people moving? What drives people towards self-organised movement and spontaneous physical activity?
  • How can we better design and renovate facilities so that more people become more active?
  • How can we use nature and various business models to lower the threshold and create long-term sustainable movement?
  • Why does more organized sport not necessarily mean more movement and activity? What can we do to change this?


Meet Nordic colleagues; researchers, planners, architects, and operators from the Nordics and the UK. Listen to examples, reflect and discuss proposed solutions on how we can achieve the public health goals set by authorities, which we currently struggle to meet. 
Helsinki’s Deputy Mayor, Paavo Arhinmäki, will open the conference.

Julianaschool2014_children-playground_(c)Lappset

(c) Lappset

Register now

Speaker line-up:

  • Paavo Arhinmäki, Helsinki deputy mayor for culture and leisure
  • Tommi Vasankari, professor at UKK–institute and Minna Paajanen, Head of unit, Sports department at City of Helsinki
  • Peter Ahlström, Head of Sports Strategy in the Sports Department at City of Stockholm
  • Jens Høyer Kruse, Professor at University of Southern Denmark, SDU
  • Oliver Vanges, Danish Foundation for Sports and Culture Facilities
  • David Clow, FMG leisure and sports business planners and Mike Lawless, Director at LA Architects Ltd
  • Lisa-Mari Watson, Tverga
  • Stephen Dietz-Hodgson, JAJA Architects
  • Jonas Berglund, Kragh Berglund Landscape architecture and urban design
  • Barry Dempsey Sports Development Officer and Shane McAdle Sports Coordinator at Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Council, Ireland
  • Karolin Lundström, Chair of the Sports and Leisure Committee at City of Uppsala and Magnus Jansson, Head of Sports Department at City of Uppsala
  • Mari Pietilä, Youth worker at City of Helsinki
  • Steve Ward, Chief Executive at Newport Live and Lucy Donovan, Positive Futures Development Manager at Newport Live 
  • Teemu Heino, CEO at Tapanilan Urheilukeskus
  • Casper Lindemann, Consultant at National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF)
  • Petri Kontukoski, Kontukoski Architects

 

The programme will be available shortly.  

Early bird until 21 February 2026.

Tour of the Olympic Stadium

In connection with the conference, a tour of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium will be offered. The Olympic Stadium was built in the functionalist style and inaugurated in 1938 for the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were ultimately cancelled due to the Second World War. The first Olympics held at the arena was in 1952. During the 2000s, the arena underwent extensive renovation, which included the construction of an entirely new 20,000 m² underground section. 

Find out more in sb magazine 1/2021.

Olympic Stadium Helsinki (c) Helsinki Partners_Laura Dove

(c) Helsinki Partners_Laura Dove

Why join?
The conference ‘Getting people moving!’ offers a unique opportunity to engage in comprehensive discussions with Nordic colleagues. This conference is designed for attendees to participate in discussions and to take home concrete ideas, examples, and new contacts for the work back home.

Who will join?
The conference is particularly valuable for those working with sports issues, urban development, public health, as well as those responsible for sports facilities, who wish to reduce the gap between organised sport and declining everyday physical activity.

60.18699386846, 24.92725735

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Helsinki
Finland
Event language: English
Organizer: IAKS Nordic