Event banner for the Scottish Women in Sport conference 2026. The background is a dark purple. Text is on the left side that says, Innovation in Sport: The Future is Now Conference 2026. The S.W.I.S logo is below this. An image of a female basketball player is on the right side. The image is futuristic.

Innovation in Sport: The Future is Now
Tuesday 18 August 2026 | 9:15am – 3:30pm
UWS Hamilton

The future is now — a fitting theme that reflects the remarkable pace of change across the sporting sector. Join us once again at the impressive UWS Innovation Centre for our annual conference, where we will explore a range of innovations that are helping to advance opportunities and experiences for women in sport.

This year’s programme features a diverse line-up of presenters, each sharing insight into their own area of innovation. We begin the morning session with “A Bitesize Introduction to Innovation”, exploring how technology is being used to support teachers, clubs, and athletes in a variety of ways. Speakers include Hayley Donnelly from SportConnected and Erin Gillen from Scottish Athletics.

In the afternoon, we will hear from Vicky Tolfrey, a sport scientist specialising in disability and Para sport, with more than three decades of experience across applied practice, research, and leadership. Vicky is Professor of Applied Disability and Para Sport, Director of Sporting Excellence and Opportunity (SSEHS), and Director of the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport.

Our final speaker of the day is Leanne Norman, Professor of Women in Sport and Academic Lead for the Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub.  Internationally recognised as a leading scholar in women’s sport, Leanne joined the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences in January 2026. Her work focuses on advancing understanding of gender equity, diversity, and inclusion within sport workforces, and how these issues connect with organisational processes and cultures.

To conclude the conference, our three afternoon speakers will return to the stage for a final Q&A session with the audience.

A huge thank you to sportscotland for their support of this event, and to UWS for hosting us in their outstanding facility.

Please note that our agenda may change, prior to the event.

Register for tickets by scanning the QR code below or via the Event Pal link – https://weareeventpal.com/SWIS2026

QR code to buy tickets for the Scottish Women in Sport 2026 Conference