CEV and clubs brainstorm, exchange views on how to further raise the profile of Beach Volleyball

With the second edition of the CEV Beach Volley European Cup up and running in Montpellier, next to the actual competitive action, representatives of the participating clubs came together with members of the CEV Beach Volleyball Department and other stakeholders for a workshop whose primary objective was to help establish a network among the parties and have a better understanding of the reality and challenges that Beach Volleyball clubs are confronted with. 

The workshop was also an opportunity to learn from one another. Stéphane Canet presented the local Montpellier Beach Volley Club and the plans he has developed in terms of both business practice and performance achievements. They count on some 500 members, and the club is open every day from 7am until 10pm. Canet emphasised it was especially important for them to host the Beach Volleyball European Cup 2024 to raise the profile and relevance of the work that clubs are doing to grow and promote Beach Volleyball. In terms of event delivery, Canet said the organisers of the European Cup have a core group of four people who have been working on this international event plus roughly 80 volunteers. 

Tomislav Šmuc, who is also the President of the European Beach Volleyball Commission (EBVC), presented his club, Ludus Ljubljana, and the business model he has developed. He runs four indoor and seven outdoor courts, plus facilities for padel and tennis as well. The concept is proving to be successful. He also shared his thoughts about the importance of a bigger club presence in Beach Volleyball – with the CEV Beach Volley European Cup introduced last year serving as major asset and incentive to this extent. 

Later in the session, Karim Levy – President of the Beach Volleyball Commission at the French Volleyball Federation – pitched in to highlight the importance of club Beach Volleyball from the perspective of a national governing body and sports enthusiast as well.
 
The workshop continued with a round table where representatives from the participating clubs had the chance to share their opinions on club structures, what works for them and what challenges they have. This was followed by a presentation on social media strategy for clubs in Volleyball from Alessandro Spigno, Digital Manager of Lega Pallavolo Serie A Femminile.
 
The workshop finished with additional dialogue opportunities around the Beach Volley European Cup. The clubs helped create a very nice and cooperative environment, in which many ideas were shared, and useful connections were made. The invitation was extended to them from CEV to continue fostering this kind of open dialogue to help raise the profile of Beach Volleyball to unprecedented heights!