HSG students bring the international sports business scene to St. Gallen

“The global sports industry is undergoing a transformation. There are more ways than ever before to follow sport through various channels. As a result, the presentation of sport as entertainment is also on the rise,” says Carina Wartmann. The HSG student is president of the Impulse Network. The student association aims to introduce students to the sports industry and help them build contacts within the sector. Around 30 HSG students volunteer their time to support this cause.

“We’re all sports enthusiasts, and many of us would like to work in this sector later on,” says Wartmann, who runs ultramarathons in her spare time. Once a year, the society organises the Impulse Summit, a two-day conference on the sports business attracting around 200 participants. This year, it will take place on 29 and 30 October under the title ‘Redefining Boundaries’. The focus is on changes within the industry and the associated issues of fairness, economic impact and long-term sustainability. “We also tackle controversial topics relating to sport and business,” says Wartmann. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, for example, has once again demonstrated how closely sport, politics and economic interests are intertwined.

From AI to private equity in football

The programme covers various areas of the sports business. Topics for discussion include the impact of artificial intelligence on sports organisations, new business models and media rights, private equity in football, and the economic sustainability of major sporting events. The approximately 60 speakers include former FC Basel president Bernhard Heusler, the Swiss national ice hockey coach Jan Cadieux, and Wanja Greuel, under whose leadership as CEO of BSC Young Boys the club won several Swiss league titles. In previous years, Swiss Olympic triathlon champion Nicola Spirig was also a guest at the summit.

Alongside leading figures from the Swiss sporting world, representatives from international organisations will be in attendance, including the National Hockey League (NHL) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The breadth of the programme has been deliberately chosen. “In its early days, the Summit was more focused on football. For several years now, we have been trying to cover a wider range of sports,” says Wartmann.

International students meet FC St. Gallen

The aim is to promote exchange between students and the sports industry even beyond the Summit. To this end, the Impulse Network is inviting 60 students from universities in the HSG’s international exchange network to spend a week in St. Gallen. They will stay free of charge with HSG students and explore various aspects of the sports business during their stay. This includes a workshop at FC St. Gallen. In this way, the local football club becomes part of a programme that combines international perspectives with insights into the Swiss sporting landscape.

Another item on the programme is aimed at young companies: four start-ups – PIN Sport App, augo training, KlubBase and FITZELT – will present their business ideas at the end of the first day of the conference. A jury and the audience will jointly select the winner, who will receive tickets to the Sports Tech Nation sports innovation conference and the START Summit, Europe’s largest student-organised start-up conference.

Even before the summit itself, there will be a free, public event: on 27 October at 6.45 pm, FCSG sporting director Roger Stilz will speak at the SQUARE at the HSG about the long-term development of a team and the promotion of young players (more information and registration here).