Several Awards for Bayreuth's Spökos at the 34th Conference of the European Association for Sport Management

Four days of international exchange, cutting-edge research, and several awards with ties to Bayreuth: The 34th Conference of the European Association for Sport Management (EASM), held September 15–18th 2026, in Thessaloniki, offered some special moments from the perspective of Bayreuth’s sports economics community. Under the theme “Sport Management and Social Welfare,” scholars from the field of sports came together to discuss current developments in international sports management.

Bayreuth's Research on the International Stage

Bayreuth’s sports economics community was well represented in Thessaloniki with numerous presentations. Researchers from the teams led by Prof. Dr. Tim Ströbel (Marketing & Sports Management) and Prof. Dr. Markus Kurscheidt (Sports Governance & Event Management), together with UBT Emeritus of Honor Prof. Dr. Herbert Woratschek (formerly Marketing & Service Management) and former research associates, presented current research to the conference program. The range of topics spanned from sports marketing and sponsorship to sports governance and sustainability and sports management. The conference thus offered not only the opportunity to present research findings to an international audience of experts but also to strengthen existing connections and bring new ideas for research and teaching back to Bayreuth.

However, Bayreuth’s close ties to the international sports management community over many years were evident in Thessaloniki not only through the academic presentations. Several EASM awards this year led, directly or indirectly, to Bayreuth.

Prof. T. Bettina Cornwell (University of Oregon) received one of the EASM’s highest honors. The former visiting professor at the University of Bayreuth was presented with the 2026 Chelladurai Award following a laudatory speech by Prof. Ströbel in his capacity as EASM Vice President. The award recognizes outstanding and long-standing contributions to the development of sports management in research, teaching, and knowledge transfer. Cornwell, a professor at the University of Oregon, is internationally renowned in particular for her research in the fields of sports marketing and sponsorship. This award thus honored a scholar who also has close ties to the field of sports economics at the University of Bayreuth.

There was another connection to Bayreuth at the EASM Distinguished Service Award ceremony: Prof. Dr. Chris Horbel (Norwegian School of Sport Sciences), an alumna of the University of Bayreuth, received the award for her many years of dedication to the European Association for Sport Management, particularly in the area of supporting early-career researchers. With this award, the EASM honors members who have made exceptional contributions to the work and further development of the international professional association.

Up-and-coming researchers also make their mark

The EASM Student Seminar demonstrated that Bayreuth’s presence was not limited to established researchers. Simon Reif, a sports economics student at the University of Bayreuth, worked alongside seven other international students on the challenge “Designing Memorable Participant Experiences: The Olympus Marathon Challenge.” The group’s task was to develop innovative approaches for a unique participant experience centered on the Olympus Marathon and to provide a scientifically sound rationale for them. The international team’s concept proved compelling, and they were ultimately awarded the Student Award. The seminar was led by Sirka Eckhoff (research assistant in Marketing & Sports Management). For the Bayreuth Sports Economics program, this marked another special moment at the conference: alongside long-time colleagues and alumni, the current generation of Bayreuth students was also represented among the award recipients.

Thus, the 2026 EASM Conference in Thessaloniki became more than just a venue for presenting current research for the Bayreuth Sports Economics program. The numerous presentations, personal encounters, and awards highlighted how the international connections that have grown over many years continue to this day among the current generation of students. At the same time, keynote speeches, workshops, and seminars provided numerous new insights into the question of what contribution sports management research can make to academia.