Organised by Sport Industry Group, the event was held on 27 January at Village Underground, Shoreditch. It saw 28 Sport Industry NextGen leaders celebrate with an evening of networking, education and inspirational talks.

The event involved discussions from guests including former Swansea City manager Gary Monk, Williams Martini Racing deputy team principal, Claire Williams, founder and CEO of Entrepreneur First, Matt Clifford, Women’s Rugby World Cup winner, Maggie Alphonsi, and writer, communicator and strategist Alastair Campbell. 

Professor James Skinner, Director of the Institute for Sport Business, was a member of the awards judging panel, which also included the CEO of London 2012, Sir Keith Mills, One Young World co-founder, Kate Robertson and consultant, writer and film-maker Leon Mann.

Following an afternoon of challenges and activities with the Sport Industry NextGen Judges, six leadership award recipients were selected to represent the group at the BT Sport Industry Awards 2016. These were UK Sport’s Clare Barrell, Liverpool FC’s Nikki Emerson, Sky Sports’ Yath Gangakumaran, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tom Gorringe, Arsenal FC’s James Murray and AELTC’s Alexandra Willis. 

Over the next 12 months, all 28 finalists will take part in a number of leadership development activities, one of which includes an Executive Leadership Workshop delivered by Professor James Skinner, Dr Steve Swanson and Mr Sam Whale from the Institute for Sport Business at Loughborough, London. 

The Executive Leadership Workshop, to be hosted on the Olympic Park, will provide the 28 Sport Industry NextGen Leaders with the opportunity to explore their own leadership philosophy whilst equipping them with strategies to make informed and ambitious choices throughout their careers.

They will be joined by existing and influential leaders throughout British sport who will work alongside them to explore both the challenges and opportunities facing sports leaders of the future.