The Advantage Ladies FE&MALE Sports Conference is a platform for diversity, equality and dialogue in sport. In cooperation with Sport Austria and the Reichel Business Group, it brings together people who shape sport - on and off the pitch.
FE&MALE consciously stands for female and male - and above all for the „&“ in between: for connection, responsibility and shared learning across roles, disciplines and systems. Diversity in sport arises from the interplay of different perspectives, roles and experiences - and it is precisely in this interaction that its potential lies.
Each year, the conference focuses on key levers for change in sport - from structures and leadership to media, science, culture and responsibility. The focus is on the question of how sport can be made fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable.
Embedded in the international women's tennis tournament Upper Austria Ladies Linz, the FE&MALE Sports Conference is unique in its combination of depth of content, international visibility and a high-performance sporting context. It brings together decision-makers from the worlds of sport, politics, media, business, science and education to learn from each other and make a joint impact.
Advantage Ladies, the FE&MALE Sports Conference, goes into her 2026 fourth edition and is a platform for diversity, justice and exchange in sport. In co-operation with Sport Austria and the RBG Reichel Business Group GmbH it brings together people who shape sport - on and off the pitch.
FE&MALE consciously stands for female and male - and above all for the & in between: Connection, responsibility and mutual learning. Diversity is more than a binary system - yet the focus in 2026 is on a central lever for change: male allyship.
Embedded in the international women's tennis tournament Upper Austria Ladies Linz the conference is unique in its visibility and open to all sports. Participants from sport, politics, media, business, science and education exchange experiences and learn from each other.
Design Center Linz
8 April 2026
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Normal price | 165,00€ |
| VIP | 399,00 € |
| Pupils & students | 50,00€ |
| Wheelchair users | 50,00 € |
Normal price
165,- €
VIP
399,- €
Pupils and students
50,- €
50,- €
The conference ticket includes:
As part of the conference, participants can also take advantage of a special hotel offer at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott Linz.
If you are interested, please contact bk@matchmaker.at (Note: Advantage Ladies participation). Please note that there is only a limited contingent and the offer is only valid while stocks last.
Cost single room: 175€
Cost double room: 200€
One ticket opens the door to a unique conference experience in the heart of Linz: an intensive morning with keynotes, dialogues and panels, practical workshops in the afternoon and the direct connection to the international WTA 500 tournament Upper Austria Ladies Linz.
The FE&MALE Sports Conference combines content, encounters and top-class sport - and creates spaces for exchange, new perspectives and genuine networking across sports, disciplines and roles.
One ticket opens the door to a unique conference experience in the heart of Linz: an intensive morning with keynotes, dialogues and panels, practical workshops in the afternoon and the direct connection to the international WTA 500 tournament Upper Austria Ladies Linz.
The FE&MALE Sports Conference combines content, encounters and top-class sport - and creates spaces for exchange, new perspectives and genuine networking across sports, disciplines and roles.
In the afternoon, the workshops
targeted spaces for deepening, exchange and
practice-orientated work. Building on the
impulses of the morning, they enable a
Intensive dialogue with central
Topics from different perspectives.
The focus is on reflection, dialogue and the transfer to one's own sporting practice. The formats combine expertise with interactive elements and promote concrete opportunities for action in everyday sport. In this way, insights are used to create joint impetus for sustainable change - particularly with regard to the promotion and visibility of women and girls in sport.
Based on the experience of the last three years and feedback from our participants, we are expanding Advantage Ladies, the FE&MALE Sports Conference, to include in-depth afternoon workshops for the first time in 2026.
The conference brings together people with very different roles and responsibilities in sport - from decision-makers to coaches, operational experts in the field of youth and sports development, media and communication managers to active and former competitive athletes - and many others who help shape sporting events from a wide variety of perspectives and bring enormous expertise to the table themselves.
In the workshops, we create targeted spaces for dialogue, specialist input and transfer into your own sports practice - beyond frontal lectures. The aim here is not just to take away content, but to reflect together, learn from each other and develop specific ideas for your own system.
Because real change happens where knowledge is shared, responsibility is thought through together and experience is brought together - United for Change.
Prof Dr Markus Hengstschläger
Dr Lara Vadlau, Olympic sailing champion
Fran Longstaff, PhD, Head of Research, More Than Equal
Yana Bokareva, Sports Marketing Manager at ASICS EMEA
Fran Longstaff, PhD, Head of Research, More Than Equal
Yana Bokareva, Sports Marketing Manager at ASICS EMEA
Barbara Schett-Eagle, former WTA No. 7 in singles, TV-
Expert
Bettina Baer, Client Service Director, Two Circles
David Pfarrhofer, Institute Director, MARKET
Nico Langmann, wheelchair tennis player
Marcel Meinert, TV commentator, Sky Germany,
Jürgen Irsigler, CEO, Admiral Sportwetten GmbH
Marc Philippe, PhD, Head of Competence Centre Science, Olympiazentrum Vorarlberg GmbH
Saman Soltani, IOC Refugee Olympic Team Paris 2024
Alexandra Tschacher, Teamlead External Communications and Social Media, Plan International
Lena Millonig, track and field athlete, sports ambassador for Plan International
Damir Djukic, former national handball player, coach and Plan International ambassador
Magdalena Lobnig, Rowing, Olympics
Bronze medallist2021
Isabella Frint, volleyball player, Oberbank Steelvolleys Linz-Steg
Ivonn Simeonova, Development Driver, More Than Equal
Yara Maria Kandlbinder, football referee
Charlize Mörz, gymnast of the year 2024
The event will once again be hosted by ORF journalist Alina Zellhofer, who has just been voted Sports Journalist of the Year in Austria.
