ISCA and DGI are pleased to announce new themes and confirmed keynote speakers for the 2025 MOVE Congress, which will be held from 29 - 31 October in Copenhagen, Denmark. Recognised as the world’s premier forum for recreational sport and physical activity, this year’s conference promises to be the most comprehensive and varied to date. Early-bird registration is open until 30 June, so there’s still time to secure your place at a discounted rate. 

Organised jointly by ISCA and Denmark’s primary grassroots sports organisation DGI, the MOVE Congress 2025 will take place at the Tivoli Hotel & Congress Centre in the heart of the Danish capital. Under the principal concept of #activating, the congress will offer unrivalled access to a network of over 600 professionals representing the health, sport, education, urban planning, politics and environmental sustainability sectors. 

Three new conference themes - Fighting Violence in Sport, Active Cities and Investing in Physical Activity - have now been added to the original programme, and the diverse list of speakers continues to grow.  

- Camilla Mehlsen is a leading expert on digital youth culture and a keynote speaker at the MOVE Congress. She is the author of several books on digital technologies and education and is a member of the Danish Ministry of Culture’s Media Board (2022-2025). Her work explores themes such as the impact of influencers on young audiences and how technology is reshaping learning and development.

- Dr Tine Vertommen leads the Safeguarding Sport & Society team at Thomas More University in Belgium and advises the IOC’s Safe Sport Unit. Her keynote address will describe research-driven tools and policies designed to maintain safe, violence-free sporting environments worldwide.

- Valentina Petrillo is an Italian para-athlete and activist, known for being the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Paralympics. Beyond her athletic achievements, she is a vocal advocate for transgender rights and inclusion in sports and uses her platform to raise awareness about the experiences of transgender individuals.

- Dr Audrey Tang, who hosts the global TV show Mental Health Matters, is a chartered psychologist, TEDx speaker and award‑winning author. She delivers practical training on resilience, leadership and emotional fitness, and advocates for community confidence through her theatre group, CLICK Productions.

- Gillian Rosh combines climate advocacy with business insights in her role as Supply Chain Coordinator at Picture Organic Clothing. She uses data-led storytelling and empathetic partnerships to push brands, NGOs and policymakers towards sustainable supply chains and climate action in outdoor sport.

- Charlotte Bach Thomassen plays a central role in promoting physical activity and participation in her role as Chairperson of DGI. Under her leadership, DGI has grown into a dynamic, community-rooted organisation with a decentralised structure and a strong advocacy voice. Working closely with educational institutions, local municipalities, government and private-sector partners, she has extensive experience in how best to #activate people – and keep them moving.

- Mogens Kirkeby is no stranger to the MOVE Congress. He has been a driving force behind ISCA since 1998 and has held the position of President since 2007. He is a passionate advocate for policies that encourage #activation and is a regular speaker at conferences and meetings across the world. In addition to his active role within ISCA, he is the Vice Chair of the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) Consultative Committee.

The 2025 programme includes keynote sessions, interactive workshops, debates, networking opportunities and the prestigious ISCA Awards, which this year focus on refugee integration through sport and movement. All congress themes fall under the #activating umbrella – exploring how to best encourage people and communities to #activate and encourage participation. The full list of themes is:

• Mental Health and Well‑being
• Social Inclusion in and through Sport
• Active Living
• Volunteering in Sport Associations
• Physical and Health Literacy
• Physically Active Learning
• Youth Engagement and Participation
• Environmental Sustainability
• Sport & Physical Activity Advocacy
• Fighting Violence in Sport
• Active Cities
• Investing in Physical Activity

For more details and to register, please visit the official MOVE Congress website.