Exhibitors and delegates gathered in Manchester from around the footballing world, for three days from Monday, for the Soccerex’s Global Convention.
Of course, some of us were there from Sunday, to watch the FA WSL clash between Manchester City Women and Chelsea Ladies.
(Left: We made various folk stand in front of our stand – Leigh & Siobhan were the first victims…)
As part of She Kicks’ 20th anniversary (our SK20 logo was dotted everywhere), we were working with Soccerex to ensure representation and coverage of the women’s game – WSL sides were invited to send a representative – and we positioned the content and based our stand (as did Women in Football and the ace Street Child United who put on the Street Child World Cup) in the Love Football Zone. It meant we were also next to the mini footie pitch, so we got to watch and hang out with fab Football Freestyler Liv Cooke.
After a keynote address by new FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, the most powerful figure in world football (and a black, muslim, African, woman) to open the convention, Premier League Communities filled the Monday afternoon with examples of how they are impacting communities at home abroad, including their work with The FA and getting girls into football.
Tuesday’s emotive morning session conveyed the importance of the work that Street Child United has done and legacy of that in South Africa and Brazil and their plans for Russia 2018, where they hope to turf Red Square green for their games ahead of the men’s World Cup.
And then it was our turn for a women’s football takeover!
(She Kicks’ Jen O’Neill introduces the women’s football takeover.)
First up an expert panel, moderated by Leigh Moore (formerly of the FAWSL and BT Sport and now with his own company the Creative Player Agency), discussed the relationship between Social Media and the women’s game. Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool & England), Tim Pfeifer (FIFA Social Media) and Alex Trickett (Twitter) offered up info and insight.
(Shiv tells the boys how to make content that people like to watch. Left to right is Leigh Moore, Tim Pfiefer, Shiv and Alex Trickett.)
Then, an all-star and cosomopolitan line-up of current Frauen Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich’s Team Sports Manager Bianca Rech (former German international); Pedro Malabia who is Head of Women’s Football at LaLiga; Phil Rawlins who owns Orlando Pride of the NWSL (a team which fields US internationals like Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris and other global stars) and last but not least, Gavin Makel who is General Manager of Manchester City Women, the new champions of the FA WSL were steered through a discussion about ‘Why Invest in the Women’s Game’ (and some more wider angles) by BBC Sports Presenter Katie Gornall.
(Katie Gornall, left, leads the discussion with Phil Rawlins, Pedro Malabia, Bianca Rech and Gavin Makel.)
To round off the day, a special treat, as England and Manchester City Women’s captain Steph Houghton came along for a special one to one interview with SK Editor Jen O’Neill.
(Jen O’Neill leads into firing questions at Steph by whining on that Steph used to elbow her in training – when Steph was a promising, skinny, teenage striker at Sunderland, clearly with a very bright future.)
Gathering a diverse but passionate group of experienced people together led to lots of interesting conversation and debate not only in and around the organised sessions but afterwards and into the evening as some headed onto Australasia for a few drinks and nibbles…and further chat. It was all enjoyable and great food for thought.
We will be sharing with you some video footage from our specialised sessions in the coming days, so that a wider audience can enjoy what the panellists had to say.
(Here’s Man City’s Gav Makel & Steph being made to do the ‘stand next to the stand’ and look happy about it thing.)
The convention also comprises of a large exhibition hall in the main space in Manchester Central convention centre with many companies displaying their wares from stadium build components, fan engagement and merchandise products, to high tech analysis systems and then the big interviews and presentations in the Studio and Academy.
It’s a full-on, football packed few days and She Kicks was pleased to have played a part in bringing together the women’s football elements and ensuring the women’s game is not only played in the same arenas as the men’s game but also talked about on the same platforms off the field too.
It shows us that there is potential to do so much more and to bring together these experienced people with varying backgrounds and remits and then to share this knowledge productively with so many more people.
(Top image: Soccerex/Getty Images & all other images Catherine Etoe)
