Tyrol Sports Summit: “Sports Cannot Exist Without The Media”
At the “7th Sports Summit Tyrol – St. Anton am Arlberg” 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 began with a panel addressing the visibility of sports on the "periphery of perception." " Sports wouldn't function without the media ," Markus Prock, President of the Austrian Luge Federation, succinctly stated. " 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 this and that sustainability aspects are taken into account ." Simone Larcher, Head of the Sports Department at the Tyrolean Provincial Government Office, addressed the budgets for events: " Sports events can only function if they receive public support. Unfortunately, however, we are also facing financial challenges. Therefore, it is important to utilize existing sports facilities for the long term. We currently have no financial capacity for new sports facilities. "
A sports TV talk show examined the opportunities and challenges of St. Anton's bid for the 2033 Ski World Championships. Peter Mall, head of the organizing committee for the Arlberg Kandahar Races, explained: " We have the know-how and the necessary partners in the Austrian Ski Association; we already demonstrated this at the 2001 Ski World Championships ." St. Anton has two aces up its sleeve to win the World Championships, said former ski racer Marco Büchel. " First, St. Anton has already proven itself at the 2001 World Championships, and second, it has reliable snow. "
The evening's program began with a humorous excursion into the premier league of motorsports, featuring Formula 1 ORF presenter Ernst Hausleitner and 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 egoists – and the worse they are, the more I like them, " Tost emphasized. The second panel discussion of the evening's program examined the impact of international sporting events from a Tyrolean perspective. Barbara Plattner, Managing Director of Innsbruck Tourism, emphasized: " With the numerous sporting events we organize, we are, on the one hand, putting ourselves on an international stage, and on the other, the events bring added value to the Innsbruck region. Furthermore, sporting events offer a great atmosphere for the local population and motivate people to participate in sports themselves. "
When asked which events Tyrol would be best suited for, Patricio Hetfleisch, Marketing Director of Tirol Werbung, replied: " Of course, those that are associated with the Tyrol brand. The Ski World Championships in St. Anton would be such an event, once again bringing skiing and our skiing expertise to the fore ." Hubert Siller, Head of MCI Tourism, expressed regret that Tyrol had spoken out against a possible 2026 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. " That is painful, and I believe that we missed a great opportunity back then, one that Cortina d'Ampezzo can now rejoice in. "
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 these days to get help and stand up for it when you need it. "
