Past Congresses / MC 2021

Move Congress 2021:
Reconnect. Rebuild. Restart.

After two years of meeting via computer and mobile screens across countries and continents, 250 physical activity promoters from 40 countries reconnected in person from 17-19 November 2021 at the MOVE Congress in Brussels. The opening of the MOVE Congress at Tour & Taxis’ Maison de la Poste venue kicked off two days of active networking and expert-led presentations, panels and workshops.

Here are a few of the many highlights.

NowWeJuggle!

Will Borrell from Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles led a mini-workshop for the audience at the opening, throwing one, two, three… SEVEN juggling balls into the air! Then a cricket bat, football and tennis racquet??! Everything is possible, he said – and if you drop one, you just RESTART.

Nothing about us without us

The Day 2 plenary featured a discussion panel of experts voicing the points of view of people who are typically – and often systemically – excluded from sport and physical activity. We put inclusion in the “sportlight” and asked why sport has failed to provide safe and inclusive spaces for girls and women, refugees and migrants, people with disabilities and LGBTQI+ participants.

How to restart friendlier

“Part of the theme here is Restart – but how?” Lars AP, the founder of the Danish F***ing Friendly movement asked the audience. “When you use your playfulness, your sport and your interest for it, you bring people together and you move people. And when [you’re] moving people, they don’t only move physically, but they get moved emotionally and that’s just spectacular.”

Conference themes

Health and Wellbeing

It’s also your ticket to a network of 400 professionals from the NGO, health, sport, education, urban planning, environment and political sectors.

Placemaking

To ensure quality in the public realm, cities need great streets supported by places that intuitively captivate users to want to stay longer, human-scale inspired by interaction between buildings and streets.

Innovation

It’s also your ticket to a network of 400 professionals from the NGO, health, sport, education, urban planning, environment and political sectors.

Grassroots sports

It’s also your ticket to a network of 400 professionals from the NGO, health, sport, education, urban planning, environment and political sectors.

Physical Literacy

Literacy is embedded in our understanding of education as developing the ability to read and write – so what does it mean to be “physically literate”?

Better access to sport and physical activity

It’s also your ticket to a network of 400 professionals from the NGO, health, sport, education, urban planning, environment and political sectors.

Re-live all the highlights

Read recaps of all MOVE Congress 2021 sessions at the official website and watch selected presentations and interviews on your YouTube channel. We hope you’ll be inspired to join us at the MOVE Congress 2025!

Video Highlights of the Opening

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Video Highlights of Day 1

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Video Highlights of Day 2

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