Aligning Strategies

Leading industry consultant Martin Sheppard, Managing Director of the Smart Connection Consultancy and founder of the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC) considers the development of the NSC and his wider aspirations. Sheppard explores his vision for the NSC to be seen as Australia and New Zealand’s leading vehicle for bringing the industry together to challenge the norms, to change the narratives and collectively lay the foundations for the future, with our industry collaborators. Longer term he would love to see the NSC owned and run by the community sport and recreation sector, themselves.

Australia’s largest community sport and recreation convention, the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention and Expo will be returning in July, supported by over 40 peak bodies and collaborators, delivering information on the latest trends and thinking from the globe with showcasing good practice from around Australia.

Created in 2013 with a focus on synthetic sports surfaces - where Sheppard is an internationally respected consultant - the NSC has grown pre-COVID to hosting 1,000 delegates and 500 at the Expo, with co-located conferences also aligned. NSC22 sees the bringing together of over 75 speakers, 70 exhibitors and an expected 600 industry delegates over two days in July, as the conference bounces back after the pandemic.

With Australia hosting numerous major sporting events in the next decade, which he sees as a “generational opportunity”, along with the post-COVID challenges of physical activity among the wider community, Sheppard looks at the NSC’s achievements and his aspirations for the event moving forward. Australasian Leisure Management: Given there is confidence that live events and conferences will be able to proceed this year, what do you hope for the 2022 NSC to achieve? Martin Sheppard: 2022 is the starting point for the next decade, during COVID so many alliances were established between peak bodies, sports, providers and academia. In my 25 years in Australia, I have never seen such camaraderie and desire to align the narratives, this is really exciting. This year’s NSC focuses are around how we can understand all the various approaches and collectives in a manner that can benefit the next decade. Kieren Perkins OAM (Chief Executive of the Australian Sports Commission), will share his vision for the next decade, followed by a global vision exploring other organisations visions for the next decade with Chief Executives and Chairs and leaders from Sport New Zealand, Sport Singapore, Sport England, International Play Association, The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities and the International Paralympic Association. These two sessions open the NSC as part of the NSC Oration, on the afternoon of Monday 11th July with delegates and industry VIPs.

ALM: How has the event evolved over recent years and what do you see as its greatest achievements? MS: The concept from 2016 was to challenge the narrative and approach that we were all embracing, as the saying goes “if you keep doing the same, you will get the same results”. With the growing number of peak bodies who now collaborate and partner with us, we feel that the NSC is really a true representation of the community sport and recreation sectors. They are themselves encouraging us to continue to challenge the ‘traditional approaches’ by showcasing different approaches. With some global announcements over the next few months, the NSC I think, has come of age and is now seen by the industry as the key knowledge sharing and networking event annually for community sport and recreation.

ALM: You have previously been involved in other ventures to unify industry sectors such as the Australian Leisure Facilities Association (ALFA) and, as of the end of 2021, the Active Australia Alliance, what do you see as the potential of greater unity in what you have recently referred to as the ‘community leisure industry’? MS: A collective approach is the way forward and this also means a common agenda - where this works is when egos and special interest agendas are left at the door. During COVID we saw more and more of this happening. We have one session at this year’s NSC where we have brought together eight of these alliances from the different sectors to prioritise what they believe the industry needs for the next decade. Interestingly, many of these collectives are influenced by women. Maybe that tells us something.

ALM: And what are the obstacles to this unity? MS: Obstacles are only opportunities, in a different coat. What we need is a common agenda, that has the outcomes that these collectives or alliances want to help achieve. I would like to think that there is someone within the Federal Government, Office of Sport or the Department of Health (responsible for the Preventative Health Strategy or the Obesity Strategy) that could see this amazing opportunity and embrace us as an industry that actually has the solution ready for them.

ALM: Not long after the creation of ALFA in 2010, the then National President of Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA), Bruce Fordham, slammed your concerns over a lack of proactivity by the PLA and other bodies in representing the industry. Do you feel the industry has better unity and representation today? MS: A lot has happened since 2010 for many organisations, and we can see the proactive and strategic organisations that have continued to put the industry first by joining these collectives and alliances, and now are planning to make a difference. For others that currently don’t have this opportunity, I hope we will collaborate in the future and be part of moving forward in a new world.

ALM: As part of your consultancy, the other area where you have specialised is in artificial sports surfaces, which in part led to the creation of the original National Synthetic Surfaces Conference and Expo in 2013, which has evolved into the NSC. With artificial surfaces being more in the news for community opposition, how do you see their future in Australia? MS: The reason I embraced synthetic sports surface technology is the same today as it was a dozen years ago. The natural turf capacity cannot cope with the demand in certain areas, where there aren’t enough natural turf fields. Councils have a number of choices: cap the number of children and adults playing sport, create more active parklands from either bushland settings or passive parks, or embrace technology to improve the carrying capacity of a limited number of fields.

The technology should include three elements. Firstly, technological advances to natural turf, including improved drainage, irrigation and nutrients to the growing medium; second the embracing of hybrid technology to reinforce natural turf options and third exploring how synthetic sports surfaces can be used to complement natural turf fields.

All governments should consider the options in this order and not automatically jump into the decision for synthetic turf as the only option. There are exceptions to this strategy, as some sports really don’t use natural grass to play their sport on, including hockey (hockey Turf), track and field athletics (rubber), community tennis (synthetic grass, synthetic clay or acrylic surfaces) and netball (acrylic hardcourts). Imagine what would happen to the health of children if surfaces aren’t available for sport and recreation. We constantly have to balance environmental sustainability and community sustainability and health.

There was some community concern recently, mainly due to the environmentalists who are concerned about climate and environmental issues. These people represent a very small but vocal part of the community and their voice should be heard and embraced. Their concerns are genuine, even though the information they have is inaccurate, such as community natural turf sports fields being able to accommodate 60 hours of intense usage per week. More than 95% of their concerns can be designed and managed to reduce the risks that they perceive.

Synthetic fields for the football codes will only ever be less than 5% of the total Australian fields. What their voices do is encourage us to improve our designs and management practices, which is relatively easy to do. Some of the environmentalist group’s agendas I would suggest, are less about the environmental issues than the impacts on their perceived ability to walk their dogs, or use the parks when they want to, on the level of traffic due to usage. All are valid concerns which local government are tested with every day. We need to be smarter and more inclusive in the way we plan, develop and manage our sports parks.

ALM: How do you see the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention evolving over the next five years? MS: We are currently developing a strategy with key global and Australasian peak bodies and industry alliances. Over the next five years I see that the NSC will continue to be the annual focal point for the sectors to get together. We will endeavour to bring global industry leaders to Australia annually, and align them with key alliances, peak bodies and influencers so that the Australian and New Zealand industry is aware of global best practice which it can embrace and then ‘Australasianise’ it.

NSC will align with other global conferences and bring them to Melbourne and we will be making some announcements over the next few months about what that means. We have also been asked by a number of peak bodies if they can locate their national conference with the NSC, so their members can benefit from hearing some global perspectives, networking and still having their own branded conference.

We see that as a perfect vehicle for everyone. The industry is the winner there. These co-located conferences will likely start in 2024 when our first global conference will also be co-located. It is exciting times for organisations who want to collaborate and have improved collective outcomes for the industry. NSC does, and we can’t wait to work with other like-minded people and organisations. The 2022 National Sports & Physical Activity Convention is being held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 11th to 13th July.