The 33rd edition of the EASM conference held in Budapest ended with an eventful programme featuring award ceremonies, speeches, and a traditional folk dance performance. The host of the event, Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUSS), is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025.
It’s no exaggeration to say that for a few days in September 2025, Budapest—more precisely, TF—was the international hub of sport management science. The European Association for Sport Management (EASM) held its annual conference, titled “Sustainability in Sport Management,” at HUSS, marking the 33rd edition in the organization’s history.
The conference was one of the flagship events of HUSS’s centenary celebrations and, notably, marked the return of a major scientific event to the Hungarian capital after 30 years.
The main theme of the conference was particularly timely, with the majority of lectures, presentations, and panel discussions focusing on how sustainability can be integrated into sport management practices. Sustainability is becoming an increasingly defining element of sports events—just think of the Paris Olympics.
The conference was preceded by a student seminar hosted at HUSS’s Water Sports and Recreation Centre in Velence. The week-long event welcomed over 500 researchers, educators, and sport professionals from around the world. The programme included nearly 60 sessions across 15 thematic areas, along with a poster section.
A new regional thematic initiative focusing on Eastern Europe was also launched during the conference, aiming to integrate researchers and professionals from the region more deeply in the EASM network.
In addition to the academic programme, a number of community building events were organized, including sightseeing tours, yoga sessions, jogging, a Danube boat cruise, and outdoor dinner. Even during these side events, organizers placed a strong emphasis on sustainability.
The conference also served as the occasion for EASM’s leadership election: following the departure of Bulgarian President Vassil Girginov, Finland’s Aila Ahonen was appointed as the organization’s new President.
The spectacular and atmospheric closing ceremony was held at the university’s impressive new sports complex, the Dr. Jenő Koltai Sports Center on Friday evening, which opened in 2023. The evening’s host, Karin Brook, expressed gratitude to the organizers for their dedicated work and emphasized that the success of the event was greatly enhanced by its location in Europe’s most beautiful city—Budapest.
Professor Gábor Géczi, the Scientific Director of the conference, then addressed the audience. In his speech, he highlighted that the EASM conference was one of the key milestones of HUSS’s centennial celebrations. He thanked the students and speakers for their active participation, and expressed his appreciation to the members of the local organizing committee for their tireless efforts.
A highlight of the official programme was the captivating performance by the folk dancers of the Hungarian Dance University, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The performance was met with unanimous enthusiasm from the audience.
As tradition dictates, several awards were presented in various categories, including Best Conference Presentation, New Researcher Award, and Best Review Paper.
At the end of the event, outgoing EASM President Vassil Girginov welcomed the Hungarian members of the local organizing committee on stage, followed by an introduction of the representatives of the next EASM conference to be held in Thessaloniki in 2026.
Thank you for joining us in Budapest, and see you in Thessaloniki in 2026!
