European Association for Sport Management EASM

What European Association for Sport Management EASM does

The European Association for Sport Management (EASM) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1993 and registered in Germany (c/o Leipzig University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Jahnallee 59, 04109 Leipzig). EASM serves academics, researchers, students, and practitioners in sport management across nearly 40 countries, operating with a small office team of two staff (Office Manager and Office Assistant) alongside an 11-person volunteer board led by Secretary General Dr. Anton Behrens and President Aila Ahonen. Its stated membership is 222 and its annual conference attracts more than 500 delegates at rotating European venues, with the 34th edition scheduled for Thessaloniki, Greece in September 2026.

EASM's core product portfolio centers on (i) the annual European Sport Management Conference; (ii) the European Sport Management Quarterly (ESMQ), a peer-reviewed journal published through Taylor & Francis since 2000 and rated 3 in the Association of Business Schools' Academic Journal Guide 2021 (the highest rating in sport management); (iii) the EASM Book Series with Routledge; and (iv) a layered student and early-career development stack including Student Seminar, PhD Student Seminar, Summer School (with 6 ECTS credits), Mentorship Programme, and Student Sport Management Club. A structured awards and scholarships programme (Chelladurai Award, New Researcher Award with Routledge, Alberto Madella Scholarship, Early Career Scholarship, Sports Organisation Award, Best Paper / Reviewer Awards) reinforces the academic credentialing function. The association also participates in multiple EU-funded research projects under the Erasmus+ Sport programme, including Sustainable Sport Management (SSM), Developing Sport Managers & Leaders in Europe (DSML), and CHANGE (grassroots sport governance).

EASM's revenue model is diversified across three subscription and fee-based streams: membership subscriptions in three tiers (Student €20, Individual €48, Institutional €160 per year, August-to-July cycle with automatic renewal); annual conference registration fees; and the administration of awards and scholarships, supplemented by Erasmus+ project grants and partner contributions. Go-to-market is community-led, driven by academic networks, university partnerships, and international sport management education programs. Distribution is via the easm.net self-serve membership portal, direct conference sales, and Taylor & Francis for journal access.

Name

European Association for Sport Management EASM

Legal name

European Association for Sport Management

Website

https://easm.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EASM is a Germany-registered non-profit academic association founded in 1993 serving 222 sport management academics, students, and practitioners from nearly 40 countries through its annual 500+ delegate conference, the ESMQ peer-reviewed journal published with Taylor & Francis, and Erasmus+ funded research projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/School Sport Governing Bodies (Collegiate/Scholastic Associations) (MPAKAFAG)

Keywords

• Sport management association
• Academic conference hosting
• Peer-reviewed journal publishing
• Membership networking platform
• Sports research education

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions in three tiers: Student (€20), Individual (€48), and Institutional (€160). Membership year runs from August 1 to July 31 with automatic renewal.
2. Conference Registration: Revenue generated from annual EASM European Sport Management Conference attendance fees. Conferences attract over 500 delegates.
3. Awards and Scholarships Administration: EASM administers the Alberto Madella Scholarship (€500 per recipient), EASM Early Career Scholarship, and various conference awards. These are funded through member contributions and partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EASM is a non-profit professional association that brings together academics, students, and practitioners in the field of sport management. It organizes Europe's largest annual sport management conference (500+ delegates), publishes the European Sport Management Quarterly (ESMQ) peer-reviewed journal in partnership with Taylor & Francis, and runs student development programs including summer schools, seminars, and mentorship initiatives. The association offers tiered memberships (Student, Individual, Institutional), awards and scholarships, and participates in Erasmus+ funded research projects addressing sustainability, employability, and governance in sport.

Product overview

EASM is a professional association offering a unified platform for sport management education, research, and networking. The core portfolio includes annual conferences (Europe's largest sport management conference with 500+ delegates), the European Sport Management Quarterly (ESMQ) peer-reviewed journal published by Taylor & Francis, EASM Book Series with Routledge, and various student development programs (Student Seminar, PhD Student Seminar, Summer School offering 6 ECTS credits). The association provides multiple awards recognizing lifetime achievement (Chelladurai Award), distinguished service, sports organizations, conference papers, reviewers, and new researchers. EASM offers three membership tiers (Student at €20, Individual at €48, Institutional at €160) providing access to the journal, mentoring services, networking, and conference participation. Additionally, EASM conducts ERASMUS+ funded research projects including Sustainable Sport Management, DSML, and CHANGE focusing on sustainability, employability, and governance in sport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EASM Annual Conference Europe's largest sport management conference attracting over 500 delegates annually, featuring academic presentations, student seminars, workshops, and award ceremonies at rotating European venues.
• European Sport Management Quarterly (ESMQ) The official peer-reviewed journal of EASM, published by Taylor & Francis, rated 3 in the Association of Business Schools' Academic Journal Guide 2021 and listed in Clarivate Analytics' Journal Citation Reports.
• EASM Student Seminar

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• KU LeuvencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead institution for the Sustainable Sport Management (SSM) project. KU Leuven's Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics, Regulation and Integrity in Sport (iCERIS) serves as a breeding ground for the project. One of Europe's largest research universities with strong sport management research capabilities.
• JAMK University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish university providing research and development solutions in sport business and experience industry. Sport Business by JAMK is a leading R&D provider in Finland. Contributes to SSM project sustainability curricula development.
• Centre for the Law and Economics of Sport (CDES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench center created in 1978 specializing in sport law and economics. Contributes expertise in economic impact studies of sport and sustainability issues in sport industry consultations.
• Drexel UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprehensive research university in Philadelphia with strong research capabilities. Leading US university partner in the SSM project, bringing international perspective to sustainability research.
• World AthleticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal governing body for athletics representing over 1 billion people who run regularly. Has launched Sustainability Strategy with goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, divided into six pillars.
• Brunel University LondonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch-intensive university with world-class reputation for sport development and policy research. Has delivered projects for Sport England, FA, Street Games, IOC, WADA and others.
• Malmö University - Department of Sport SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish department conducting interdisciplinary research with focus on gender equality, socioeconomics, and cultural diversity in sports. Emphasizes sustainability in research and educational programs.
• ENGSOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Sport NGO representing National Sport Confederations and National Olympic Committees from 33 European countries. Promotes social role of sport, health-enhancing physical activity, education, and social inclusion.
• International Federation of Match Poker (IFMP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational sports federation established in 2009 with over 70 national federations across 6 continents. Plans to create a 'Sustainability Cup' linking sustainable businesses through digital competition.
• Taylor & FranciscoreTechnology or IntegrationPublisher of European Sport Management Quarterly (ESMQ), EASM's official peer-reviewed journal. ESMQ is listed in Clarivate Analytics' Journal Citation Reports and rated 3 in Association of Business Schools' Academic Journal Guide.
• Routledge JournalscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the New Researcher Award (€500 prize) and provider of complimentary one-year EASM membership for award winners. Routledge publishes ESMQ journal.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM): Direct counterpart for sport management academics in North America; publishes the Journal of Sport Management and runs an annual conference with the same academic-community, membership-fee model as EASM. Structurally and operationally the closest functional peer.
• World Association for Sport Management (WASM): Global umbrella organization connecting regional sport management associations including EASM, NASSM, and SMAANZ. Same academic-community positioning, with an explicit mission to bridge the same European/North American/Australasian sport management research communities that EASM serves.

Broad incumbents

• British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES): UK-based sport and exercise science membership body with conferences, journals, and accreditation. Overlaps with EASM on sport management-adjacent academic communities and competes for institutional memberships in the UK.
• European College of Sport Science (ECSS): Broader European sport science organization with overlapping academic audience and conference activities. Not sport-management-specific, but competes for the same university researchers and student attention within European sport academia.

Others

• World Athletics: Global athletics governing body and EASM partner on the Sustainable Sport Management project. Not a peer in the academic-association sense, but a key institutional counterpart in EASM's research and policy activity.
• Taylor & Francis (Routledge) Sport Journals: Publisher of EASM's flagship ESMQ journal and the EASM Book Series. Functions as both commercial partner and ecosystem enabler; comparable as a publishing-platform counterparty rather than a competing association.

Emerging players

• Sport Management Review: Peer-reviewed sport management journal published by Elsevier for SMAANZ. Competes with ESMQ for top sport management research submissions, making it an indirect academic-journal competitor that shapes EASM's author and member pipeline.
• European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation (ENGSO): European umbrella of National Sport Confederations and Olympic Committees from 33 countries. An actual EASM partner on the SSM project; operates as an adjacent policy/community platform rather than a direct academic society competitor.
• International Academy for Sport Science and Technology (AISTS): Lausanne-based sport management education and research organization offering a Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Administration. Competes for the same postgraduate sport management audience that EASM targets through its Summer School and PhD Seminar.

Regional players

• Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand (SMAANZ): Regional sport management academic association for Australia and New Zealand; runs annual conferences and supports sport management research. Mirrors EASM's membership-fee, conference-led model but in a distinct geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-association-for-sport-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about European Association for Sport Management EASM