The third edition of SDE Bisutti Talks brought together business owners, executives and sports leaders on Tuesday in São Paulo to discuss the economic impact generated by surfing. Among the figures presented, the World Surf League (WSL) event in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, draws more than 400,000 people and moves approximately R$ 188 million.
The guest was Ivan Martinho, CEO of the WSL in Latin America. During the meeting held by Instituto Sou do Esporte (SDE) in partnership with Bisutti, the executive presented the transformation of the sport into a platform that spans competition, tourism, entertainment, content and business.
Saquarema was one of the main examples presented. Beyond an audience of more than 400,000 people, the event has an impact on different economic activities in the city and combines racing in the water with music, entertainment and experiences for the public.
"Our job was to do work out of the water that is as good as what the athletes do in it. That means governance, organisation, attention to detail and, above all, concern with economic impact. When an event moves a city, creates jobs and makes people want it to come back, we create a virtuous cycle. That strengthens the sport, sparks the interest of new brands, attracts investment and makes the whole industry grow," said Ivan Martinho.
The figures presented are not limited to a single stop on the circuit. Today, 45.3 million Brazilians follow surfing, the equivalent of 41% of the connected population. In the water, the country has won eight world titles in the last eleven seasons.
The combination of audience, sporting performance and economic impact was used at the meeting to discuss how sports can structure their products to generate revenue, attract companies and build long-term relationships with cities and the public.
"The work of Sou do Esporte is an inspiration and a benchmark, a bar that has been raised and serves as a reference for every sport, including ours. We work with economic impact and that is a way of measuring the size of the investment governments and cities make, but the most important thing is showing society how much sport is capable of moving. When we manage to demonstrate that, sport starts to occupy leading roles rather than secondary positions," added Ivan Martinho.
Economic impact is also one of the areas studied by Instituto Sou do Esporte. The Sports GDP study, developed in partnership with EY, indicates that the sector accounts for 1.69% of Brazilian GDP and moves more than R$ 180 billion a year. That means more than 3 million jobs and more than 20 economic segments affected.
"After the Sports GDP study, it became even clearer that the sector affects more than 20 segments of the economy, creates more than 3 million jobs and moves more than R$ 180 billion in Brazil. It is legitimate and necessary to show business owners that sport is a strategic asset for the country," said Fabiana Bentes, president of Instituto Sou do Esporte.
This was the third edition of SDE Bisutti Talks. The project has already hosted Mauro Silva, vice-president of the São Paulo Football Federation and a four-time world champion with the Brazilian national team, and Eduardo Galetti and Daniel Mourão, vice-presidents of UFC Latin America.
The next edition takes place on 14 September, with multiple Paralympic champion Daniel Dias.
SDE Bisutti Talks is an initiative of Instituto Sou do Esporte in partnership with Bisutti, presented by Foco Radical and MovNow.
About Instituto Sou do Esporte
Instituto Sou do Esporte is an independent, non-partisan organisation founded in 2015 by journalist Fabiana Bentes to strengthen Brazilian sport through good governance, transparency and social responsibility.
Over a decade of activity, it has established itself as one of the leading national references in improving sports management and in developing initiatives that connect sport, the economy, innovation, communication and social impact.
Its projects include the Sou do Esporte Award, the Sports GDP study, SDE Bisutti Talks and Sou do Esporte Gastronomia Nutritiv.
By: Redação Mundo Mar
Photo: Flávio Perez | On 360
