Speaking recently at the second European Gymnastics Young Leaders Forum in Zagreb (Croatia), ISU Director General Colin Smith outlined the ISU’s transformative approach to the live experience of skating as entertainment, highlighting how the organization is increasing value for stakeholders across the skating community by focusing on audience engagement and stronger athlete storytelling.

On this occasion, Smith was joined by European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Sport Executive Director Glen Killane and European Gymnastics General Director Lisa Worthmann for a panel on “Sports Events as an Entertainment Model”.

Held on the sidelines of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics European Championships, the Young Leaders Forum brought together young professionals from across Europe for discussions, workshops, and exchanges focused on the future of sports management and leadership.

“Our ambition is to deliver a memorable experience for people - one that stays with them, brings them back, and leaves them wanting more,” Director General Smith told the young leaders.

At the heart of that experience are the athletes themselves. “They are the stars of the show,” added Smith, highlighting the importance of working closely with skaters to put them in the spotlight, tell their stories, and help build their profiles across broadcast and digital platforms.

The strategy has already delivered significant results. During the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, ISU’s “Showtime” campaign generated a 37-fold increase in views compared with Beijing 2022 (read more here), while the campaign was shortlisted for Best Sports Marketing Campaign at the 2026 Sports Business Awards.

The ISU’s innovation also extends to the sporting formats themselves. Enhanced competition structures, include the expansion of the Figure Skating Grand Prix series to include semi-finals, the development of the Short Track World Tour, and the introduction of Synchro9.

“It’s rare in sport to launch whole new formats, and that reflects the exciting and innovative period we are going through at the ISU.”

He also stressed that this transformation requires close cooperation across the sporting ecosystem, particularly with broadcasters, Member Federations and commercial partners. 

“We know that we have real momentum in driving entertainment through skating,” he said. “We are now in control to convert that momentum into tangible value for everyone involved.”