A note, from me to you, before you join us at WFS Europe

Ever since the pandemic hit, collaborating remotely with colleagues and peers has grown increasingly necessary. At WFS we soon realised that connecting online could even be beneficial, and for the past year and a half we’ve organised multiple initiatives to continue doing what we do best, despite being unable to gather physically. It’s allowed us to keep bringing people together to share knowledge, opinions, and to generate great business opportunities.

But we know many of you feel that something major has been lacking. We’ve missed being surrounded by people who share our same passion for the football and sports industries. We’ve longed for the thrill of that serendipitous bump-in that could change the trajectory of our business, and no matter how good technology is today, even the best virtual meetings fail to convey who we truly are.

In short, we miss human connection. And that’s what we are bringing back to Madrid at WFS Europe from 22-23 September at the Wanda Metropolitano.

More than 1,200 in-person attendees from over 70 countries will be there, with representatives from around 150 clubs, leagues and federations coming together, and we at WFS could not be more excited to be hosting you all again!

But as event organisers, we have a huge responsibility to ensure the safety and comfort of everyone attending. That is why we have decided to be extra careful with our covid measures, requesting attendees to wear a face mask during the event, having ample open space at the venue, and setting up multiple hand sanitising stations located all around the venue.

We will also require mandatory proof of a negative result of either a PCR or COVID-19 antigen test, from an official laboratory, no more than 72 hours before the event. This is not a measure that’s obligatory in Spain to access venues but is one that we as an organisation have decided to implement.

Why? Because we believe it’s better to be safe than sorry, and we hope all of you can understand that.

To make life easier for anyone who might be arriving at the venue WITHOUT that NEGATIVE test, we will provide antigen tests on-site for 20€, that only require your saliva - making being tested more comfortable than other antigen procedures - and will give you a result after only 15 minutes. Not only does this ensure everyone feels comfortable attending and networking at WFS Europe, but it also gives you the peace of mind that you are in a safe environment to do so.

We’re really looking forward to seeing you at the Wanda Metropolitano and are very excited about meeting physically after a really hard time for everyone. If you have any additional questions please don’t hesitate to contact me or a member of the team.