2023
#BusinessOfEmotion
The Impulse Summit’s 6th edition, themed #BusinessOfEmotion, was a significant event in the sports industry, gathering 200 experts and 60 talents over two days to explore the multifaceted nature of sports. Discussions ranged from niche sports to Formula 1 and sustainable stadium development, showcasing a commitment to addressing diverse challenges and innovations. Introducing a startup competition highlighted the summit’s dedication to fostering innovation. The theme emphasized the connection between emotions and the business side of sports, enriching discussions on athlete-fan-stakeholder dynamics. Reflecting on the summit’s success, it was more than a conference; it was a space for sharing knowledge, forging connections, and shaping the future of sports. Here’s to the future of sports, shaped by the invaluable insights and partnerships formed at the Impulse Summit 2023.
2022
#daretogether
Impulse Summit 2022 marked our 5th flagship event. We held the conference at the Square, closer to the university and received great feedback. Over 200 attendees from diverse backgrounds came together for networking opportunities, forming valuable connections and insights. The summit’s highlight was personalities from various sports sectors challenging by the next generation. This allowed everyone to rethink the status quo and create a unique platform for intergenerational and interdisciplinary dialogue. Controversial topics like diversity, athlete activism, and tech’s impact on sports were addressed by industry experts and young talents, bringing new perspectives. Our semester-based industry projects and “Lessons Learned” podcast series continued. The summit was a success, providing a valuable platform for meaningful discussions, networking, and innovation. We look forward to continuing this tradition with the 6th edition in 2023.
2021
#LessonsLearned
After switching to an all-digital version in 2020, we reverted back to our original format and held the Impulse Summit 2021 as a physical conference in St. Gallen. We welcomed 170 participants into the spacious and light-filled halls of the Würth Haus. Our unique spirit once again nurtured an open and dynamic environment, enabling the handpicked Global Talents from over 10 countries and the selected industry experts to discuss a a great variety of purposeful topics. Furthermore, we accomplished our industry projects on a semester basis with a diverse portfolio of accompanying partners following the three content platforms. Our newly introduced podcast series ‚Lessons learned‘ contributed with fresh insights to the overarching topic of the Summit. Lastly, we added a live-stream option to include part of the network in America, Asia and isolation.
Check out our podcast series Watch our TedTalk
2020
Impulse Week
Starting our third conference year, everything was set for another period of improvement and advancement, with a bigger team, bigger budget, and bigger goals. The year started with significant success, as we were able to onboard the Swiss Federal Institute for Sport (BASPO) as our co-organiser for 2020 and beyond. In addition, we achieved official non-profit organisation status from the Swiss tax authorities. However, in March the Covid-19 pandemic hit. We were forced to work from home and develop new visions for our Impulse Summit. As it became increasingly clear that no physical event would be possible in October, we overcame the challenges and were able to convert our efforts into a week of digital workshop sessions with a constant live viewership of over 100. Impulse Week 2020, under the motto ‘#changingperspectives’, was a success, but the Covid-19 pandemic showcased the fragility of both the sports industry and physical conferencing. Hence, we have set a content-based focus for our future efforts.
2019
First recruited team and move to Rorschach
In 2019, for the first time, we were able to recruit a team of 15 motivated students from different academic backgrounds and levels of study at the University of St. Gallen with the goal of surpassing our success of the first Summit. We opted for a new location outside of the city and held our second physical Impulse Summit with an increased budget and more international participants at the Würth Haus in Rorschach. From featuring a self-built bar on stage to testing unique formats that would come to be known as the Impulse Sessions, the year concentrated on professionalisation of the Impulse Summit.
2018
1st Impulse Summit
However, our vision was not complete with the connection of the next generation to major European stakeholders in single-day events — we wanted more, and thus set a new goal for 2018: the hosting of an international conference at the University of St. Gallen with students and experts from all over the world. By October 2018, a team of friends had realised the inaugural edition of the Impulse Summit in the Weiterbildungszentrum Holzweid, which focused on the topic ‘#shapingtheshift’. The year 2018 brought many challenges, from event management to partnership negotiations, but can be viewed as the starting point for our annual conference as well as many lasting professional relationships. By the end of 2018, we had established a reputation as a major association at the University, and one that had just shown genuine results for its efforts.
2017
Foundation
The Impulse Network goal to create impulses for change within the sports industry traces to our very beginning. In 2017, our founder Clemens Kürten started the Sports Business Club initiative with precisely this mission. Within one year of the club existing at the University, we were officially accredited by the student union and HSG authorities, enabling us to transform vision into a tangible output. We began our journey with exclusive workshops at existent major players within the industry, such as Allianz, the International Olympic Committee, and FIFA.