The institutional opening featured Inmaculada Benito, Director of the Tourism, Culture and Sport Department at CEOE; Alberto Tomé, Director General of Sports for the Community of Madrid; Gregorio Ramírez, Director of Sports for the Madrid City Council; Pepe Ortiz, Director General of MADCUP and SPORTS SUMMIT MADRID; and Gonzalo Cabrera, Director of Culture and Education at IFEMA Madrid.
The institutional closing remarks were delivered by José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, President of the Consejo Superior de Deportes.
Madrid, April 30, 2026 – SPORTS SUMMIT MADRID SSM hosted a key gathering of the sports industry alongside CEOE, bringing together leading institutional representatives, senior sports executives and experts from across the sports ecosystem.
Held at CEOE headquarters, the event was hosted by Luis Villarejo, Director of Sports at Agencia EFE, who welcomed attendees by highlighting the growing weight and relevance of the sports industry.
The institutional welcome included contributions from Inmaculada Benito CEOE; Alberto Tomé Community of Madrid; Gregorio Ramírez Madrid City Council; Pepe Ortiz MADCUP and SSM; and Gonzalo Cabrera IFEMA Madrid, all of whom emphasized the growth of SSM and the increasing relevance of the sports industry.
The opening remarks highlighted how sport has evolved from a complementary activity into a driver of activation and prosperity, while underlining how SSM has consolidated itself as a key meeting point in only its second edition. Its transversal role in reinforcing Madrid as a leading sports hub, as well as its educational and values-based dimension, was also emphasized. The growth since the first edition reflects the endorsement and validation of those supporting this space for the sports industry.
Rafael González, Commercial Director of SPORTS SUMMIT MADRID, presented the main new features of the upcoming edition, noting a 55 growth that has prompted the move to Hall 8 at IFEMA Madrid, alongside its increasing international projection. He thanked all organizations that have committed to the event and outlined the structure of the exhibition area, which will feature a strong 25 international presence, as well as the SSM Arena, where multiple activations will take place.
He also detailed the strategic pillars of this second edition, focused on: sports tourism as a driver of territorial development; fitness, health and wellbeing as an investment in quality of life; technology and artificial intelligence applied to sport as drivers of innovation and performance; infrastructure and equipment as tools for social transformation; the role of federations and clubs as the institutional backbone; and investment, financing and sports rights as levers for professionalization.
The congress area — the heart of the event — was also highlighted, comprising three auditoriums where current and future industry dynamics will be addressed. As noted during the presentation, SSM aspires to become the “Davos of sport”, a space created by and for the industry.
The day continued with the panel “Sport as an Economic and Public Policy Lever”, moderated by Álvaro Pérez-Alberca, Head of Business Expansion and Sports at Expansión. Participants included Daniel Fernández Rodríguez FEMP, Cristina García Torres Government of Aragón, Carlos Yuste Castilla-La Mancha and Belén Lara Consejo Iberoamericano del Deporte.
Speakers stressed that without grassroots sport there is no elite sport, and highlighted SSM as a key space for the sector. They also emphasized that greater public administration involvement, more efficient public procurement, and collaboration with private companies in facility management are essential to optimize resources. Without adequate infrastructure, progress and territorial visibility — particularly in rural areas — will be limited.
In the marketing and sponsorship segment, Beatriz Navarro, CMO of Renault and President of AMKT, delivered a keynote on Marketing and Sponsorship in the Sports Industry. She analyzed new ways brands connect with audiences in sport, emphasizing that sponsorship is no longer only about visibility, but about delivering more meaningful and comprehensive consumer experiences. Aligning experiences with products, building loyalty, and generating new revenue streams through more consumer-centric strategies were key themes.
This was followed by the panel “The New Sports Consumer: Engagement, Audiences and Business Models”, moderated by Estela Santos, Head of Communications amp; PR at DAZN Spain. Speakers included Alberto García FNEID, Vicente Martínez ADESP, Lidia Sánchez DAZN Spain and Guillermo Garrido NO.MAD.
The discussion highlighted how sports consumption has changed: it is no longer only about following the event, but about capturing user attention in a context of evolving habits. While measurement, consumption and distribution evolve, passion remains intact. Fans are shifting from spectators to active participants, demanding more immersive and personalized experiences enabled by technology.
In the final segment of the day, Fernando Carpena, President of the Real Federación Española de Natación, addressed the transformation challenges facing aquatic sports. Representing 70,000 registered athletes, he stressed the importance of connecting grassroots development with high performance and adapting to new realities. He also highlighted Spain’s recent sporting successes and presented a strategic vision focused on building a lasting legacy.
The institutional closing remarks were delivered by José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, President of the Consejo Superior de Deportes, who emphasized the international dimension of sports news and its positive impact on the global prestige and reputation of Spanish sport. He also underlined sport as a citizen’s right and reaffirmed the CSD’s commitment to high-performance sport and the strengthening of high-performance centers. He concluded by noting the significant future challenges facing the sports industry.
The day concluded with a networking session among attendees, reinforcing this gathering as a key connection point for the sports ecosystem ahead of SPORTS SUMMIT MADRID 2026.
