CHALLENGES FACING FOOTBALL IN THE 21ST CENTURY

A CONFERENCE TO MARK THE 2008 EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Venue
15th – 17th May 2008, University of Berne, Switzerland.

Conference overview
Between 7th and 29th June 2008, the 14th UEFA European Championships will 
be co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland. To mark the tournament, the 
University of Berne in Switzerland will be staging a major conference at 
which the challenges facing football in the 21st Century will be 
discussed. The scope of the conference is intended to include fans, 
players, teams, clubs, leagues, competitions, tournaments, commercial 
partners, broadcasters and any other relevant organisations. Presenters 
are expected to include academics, researchers and those working in 
football.

You are therefore invited to submit abstracts that address issues 
pertaining to football in the 21st Century. Submissions falling within one 
or more of the following themes will be especially welcomed:

·	Fans and fan behaviour
·	Commercial development of football and football-related properties
·	Strategic, tactical and change management in football
·	Football marketing, sponsorship and naming rights
·	Broadcasting, media and technology in football
·	Managing football venues, events and competitions
·	Operations, risk and security management in football
·	Human resource management in football
·	Finance and accounting in football
·	Globalisation and international management in football
·	Ethics, corporate social responsibility and governance in football
·	Football and tourism
·	Economic, social and cultural impact of football
·	Football and the environment

Abstract submissions from people working in other disciplines will also be 
considered. This may include work undertaken by sociologists, historians, 
psychologists, et al.

Abstract submission
Abstracts can be based on research projects, case studies or thought-
leadership pieces. An abstract should be no less than 300 words and no 
more than 500 words. It should indicate the rationale for the study, 
methods used, key findings, conclusions and highlight where the author(s) 
think the study adds value to our understanding of 21st Century football. 
Footnotes and endnotes may be used but only where appropriate and as 
sparingly as possible. 

The Harvard system of referencing should be used, further details of which 
can be found at: http://library.curtin.edu.au/referencing/harvard.pdf. The 
accuracy of references used is the responsibility of the author(s). 

All submissions should adopt the following format:

Page 1 -title of the abstract; author(s) name(s), affiliation, postal 
address, e-mail address, telephone number, fax number; up to six keywords. 

Page 2 - title of the abstract;
NB Author(s) name(s), affiliation, postal address, e-mail address, 
telephone number or fax number must not appear on this page.

Page 3 - title of the abstract and beginning of main text

Abstracts should be sent by e-mail to Simon Chadwick (details of whom are 
given below) as Word documents (ideally version 2000 or later). For 
administrative purposes, authors should submit their abstract together 
with a short covering letter. Receipt of abstracts is no guarantee of 
acceptance. 

Key dates		
Date by which authors should submit abstracts: 31st January 2008
Date by which abstracts will be accepted/rejected: 31st March 2008 
Date conference will be held: 15-17th May 2008

Conference chairs
Professor Simon Chadwick, University of Coventry and University of London, 
UK
Professor Frank Go, Erasmus University, Netherlands
Professor Hansruedi Müller, University of Berne, Switzerland

Accommodation
Further information about accommodation will be available in due course. 
The conference organisers have been able to negotiate special rates at a 
range of hotels in Berne for the duration of the conference.

Proposed conference programme
Thursday, 15th May
19.00 Get together at the Stade de Suisse-Wankdorf (Football Stadium) - 
Apéro riche
 
Friday, 16th May
09.00    Opening speaches (OC EURO 2008 / UEFA etc.)
09.30    1st session presentation main papers (30' each in plenary room)
10.30    Coffee break
11.00    2nd session presentation main papers (30' each in plenary room)
12.30    Lunch (self service)
14.00    3rd session presentation main papers (30' each in plenary room)
16.00    Coffee break
16.30    4th session presentation main papers (30' each in plenary room)
 
Evening meal on the Gurten (small Excuursion)
 
Saturday, 17th May
09.00    Workshops with presentation of small papers (20' each in workshop 
rooms)
11.00    Coffee break
11.30    5th and final session main papers (30' each in plenary room)
13.00    Summary 
13.15    Good by apero

Key contacts
General enquiries about the conference should be directed to Professor Go: 
[log in to unmask] 

Enquiries about the conference venue, location, travel etc. should be 
directed to Professor Müller: [log in to unmask]

Abstract submissions should be sent to Professor Chadwick: 
[log in to unmask]

Further information
Conference papers that fall within the scope of the International Journal 
of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship will be considered for publication in 
this journal. For further information, please contact Professor Simon 
Chadwick.