UEFA announces key partnership with Leaders Generation XX Series

This new series will provide a year-round platform for the discussion around stimulating growth in women’s sport ─ bringing the right stakeholders together from across sport to develop the conversation and accelerate the pace of change.

The series kicks off with a ‘think tank’ on 20 June, during Women’s Sport Week. Two further Generation XX events will take place before the end of the year. These will be supported by regular monthly intelligence pieces, culminating in an inspirational red-carpet evening to kick off Leaders Week 2017 in October.

UEFA launched its first ever pan-European women’s campaign, Together #WePlayStrong on 1 June, around the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. Together #WePlayStrong is an integral part of UEFA’s five-year strategic plan to make football the number one sport for women across Europe. Beyond the campaign itself, UEFA has invested heavily in resources, creating a dedicated team that is providing support to each of its 55 national associations.

UEFA’s ambition for women’s football focuses on four key aspects that are essential if the game is to become commercially sustainable; addressing the profile and image of the game; increasing visibility and engagement; driving participation at grassroots level; and increasing investment in the game.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, Director of Marketing at UEFA, commented, “Our ultimate responsibility is to grow the game, and women obviously play a huge part in this. We are very excited with the immediate impact of Together #WePlayStrong, which has reached over 10 million girls already. Together #WePlayStrong will play a significant role in helping us to change the image of women’s football and give impetus to our strategy. Our support of the series allows us to share our knowledge and listen to a host of important stakeholders across sport. Through this series, we hope to help energise the discussion and accelerate change at all levels.”

James Worrall, CEO & Founder of Leaders, commented: "Following the overwhelming feedback we’ve had for our ‘Meet The Game Changers’ event, which has championed the growth of women’s sport over the past two years, we’ve decided that one event a year just isn’t enough. With that in mind, I’m delighted to announce Leaders’ launch of The Generation XX Series.”

“UEFA is the perfect partner for the series, given its genuine ambition to transform women’s football across Europe over the coming years. Together, I’m confident we’ll be able to make great strides in developing women’s sport.”