Leaders consider 'Our Sporting Future' on the Gold Coast

Key national sports leaders will gather on the Gold Coast this week to explore innovative and contemporary thinking about the business of sport in the 21st century.

The Australian Sports Commission and the Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport are jointly hosting the Our Sporting Future (OSF) 2010 conference from 28th to 30th July at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Leading international and national speakers taking part in OSF 2010 include Peter Holmes à Court and Steve Grainger, Chief Executive of Youth Sport Trust UK. The challenge of boosting the profile of womenâs sport will be tackled by the likes of Wendy Harmer and Layne Beachley, while ethics in

sport will be debated by an expert panel involving former Geelong premiership winning captain Tom Harley.

Key highlights will include:

Women and Sport Workshop: Removing the blinkers (28th July)
• MC Emcee Adam Spencer joined by Wendy Harmer, Greg Baum, Sam Lane, Layne Beachley, Simone Thurtell, Carrie Graf and others to progress a way forward on the issue of gender inequity of sports media coverage in Australia.

Why is sport important: to communities, kids, businesses and cities (29th July)
• Peter Holmes à Court sharing his very personal and unique insights surrounding business, community and the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Ethical reasoning and decision making: leadership in the most difficult hour (29th July)
• Howard Whitton, Director of The Ethicos Group looking at ethics and its flipside, corruption, followed by a panel discussion with Howard Whitton joined by ex Geelong captain Tom Harley, Newcastle Knights Chief Executive Steve Burraston; Commissioner of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, Dr Helen Szoke and Chief Executive Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, Aurora Andruska PSM.

From the playground to the playing field and the podium: growing school and community sport â the UK experience (30th July)
• Steve Grainger MBE, Chief Executive of Youth Sport Trust UK, providing an insiderâs view of the transformation of physical education and school sport in the United Kingdom and its legacy beyond the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The true value of sport: Frontier Economicsâ analysis of the impact of sport (30th July)
• Brian Parmenter from Frontier Economics dissecting the true economic value of sport and why governments should allocate funding to sport.

Li Cunxin: author of Mao's Last Dancer (30th July)
• An inspirational and motivational speaker, Li Cunxin telling his story: a beautiful account of his extraordinary journey, told with honesty, dignity and pride.

For more information go to www.ausport.gov.au/about/events/our_sporting_future_2010/forum_program

23rd June 2010 - OUR SPORTING FUTURE 2010 SET TO CHALLENGE AND INSPIRE

5th October 2009 - FORUM ASSESSES NEEDS OF WOMEN IN SURF RIDING