At the “7th Sports Summit Tyrol – St. Anton am Arlberg” on March 20, 2025, sports stars and sports journalists, along with renowned experts from tourism, business and science, discussed the future of sporting events.
Discussions, live streams, and TV broadcasts were once again the focus of the "Sports Summit Tyrol – St. Anton am Arlberg," which took place on March 20, 2025. High-profile panels discussed the future of international sporting events, their sustainability, marketing opportunities, and new frameworks for sports reporting. High-profile panelists also discussed the opportunities and challenges of St. Anton am Arlberg's bid for the 2033 Alpine Ski World Championships, the potential impact of international sporting events on regional living spaces such as Tyrol, and the "psychology of success."
The event started with a panel that addressed the visibility of sports at the “periphery of perception.”Sport cannot exist without media", said Markus Prock, President of the Austrian Luge Association. "A lot has changed in recent years thanks to the internet and social media. You have to produce content at sporting events. If you deliver, you'll be there.“ Janine Flock, skeleton pilot and four-time European champion, said: “Associations absolutely need people who handle press relations. Of course, success is also a prerequisite for media coverage."
One talk addressed the question of how major events can be organized in the future. Martin Ebster, Director of the St. Anton am Arlberg Tourist Board, emphasized with regard to St. Anton am Arlberg's bid for the 2033 Ski World Championships: "The mountain and the infrastructure are there, and we are highly motivated to take on the challenge. It is particularly important to us that the local community supports the project and that sustainability aspects are taken into account.." Simone Larcher, head of the Sports Department at the Tyrolean State Government Office, addressed the budgets of events: "Sporting events can only succeed with public support. Unfortunately, we are also facing financial challenges. Therefore, it is important to utilize existing sports facilities for the long term. We currently lack the financial capacity for new ones."
In a sports TV talk, the opportunities and challenges of St. Anton's bid for the 2033 Ski World Championships were examined. Peter Mall, head of the organizing committee of the Arlberg Kandahar Races, explained: "We have the know-how and the necessary partners in the Austrian Ski Association, which we already demonstrated at the 2001 World Ski ChampionshipsSt. Anton has two trump cards up its sleeve to win the World Championships, said former ski racer Marco Büchel.On the one hand, St. Anton has already proven itself at the 2001 World Championships, and on the other hand, it is snow-sure."
The first item on the evening's program was a humorous excursion into the premier class of motorsport with Formula 1 ORF presenter Ernst Hausleitner and the former Austrian racing driver and F1 team boss of Scuderia Alpha Tauri, Franz Tost.These F1 drivers are innovative—they think about how to beat their opponents, identify their weaknesses, and exploit them. These drivers are selfish—and the worse they are, the more I like them.", emphasized Tost. In the second discussion round of the evening program, the impact of international sporting events from a Tyrolean perspective was examined. Barbara Plattner, Managing Director of Innsbruck Tourism, emphasized: "With the numerous sporting events we host, we not only present ourselves on an international stage, but also bring added value to the Innsbruck region. Furthermore, sporting events provide a great atmosphere for the local community and motivate people to participate in sports themselves.“ When asked which events Tyrol is best suited for, Patricio Hetfleisch, Marketing Director of Tirol Werbung, replied: “Of course, for those who associate themselves with the Tyrolean brand. The Ski World Championships in St. Anton would be such an event, once again bringing skiing and our skiing expertise to the forefront.." Hubert Siller, head of MCI Tourism, regretted that Tyrol had spoken out against possible 2026 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. "That does hurt, and I believe that we missed a great opportunity back then, which Cortina d'Ampezzo can now be happy about."
Things got particularly exciting at the end of the sports summit, where cult German commentator Béla Réthy spoke with sports psychologist Hans-Dieter Hermann, two-time hockey world champion Philipp Crone, and former Austrian ski racer Eva-Maria Brem about the "psychology of success." Hermann emphasized that setbacks should be embraced and not fought over. Crone said that fear had also helped him to be more focused and thus play better. Brem noted: "It's good that it's become easier today to get help and to stand up for it when you need it."