This year, ISCA and DGI are hosting MOVE Congress in Copenhagen. Anne Rask Vendelbjerg attended MOVE Congress in 2023, when the event took place in Madrid.

The experience inspired her to rethink the narrative around health and physical activity, shifting the focus from competition to joy. Anne looks back on the 2023 edition with great enthusiasm:

"It was incredibly exciting and a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and learn about developments in sport, physical activity, health, and organisations across different countries. Many of the talks focused on 'move for fun' rather than 'move for competition', and that reminded me that health begins with joy. We need to flip the narrative if we want more people to get moving."

Move for fun rather than competition
In her day-to-day work, Anne Rask Vendelbjerg is a project manager at the urban development company NREP. She attended MOVE Congress to gain inspiration for her professional practice - and she certainly found it.

Among the highlights were workshops on sport and placemaking, and a powerful talk from a former athlete who had faced challenges in a highly competitive environment.

Another particularly memorable session came from a Dutch care home, where residents experienced movement and joy through playful activities, like tossing beanbags into cupboards and playing ball games using hairdryers.

How do we talk about health?
Anne Rask Vendelbjerg is involved in urban development and community-building in the new Copenhagen neighbourhood of Jernbanebyen. After attending MOVE Congress, she began to reflect on how they speak about health:

"We talk a lot about Jernbanebyen as a healthy neighbourhood, but what does ‘health’ actually mean? How do we talk about health? It’s become very clear to me that when we focus on joy and community, health and wellbeing follow naturally."

Facts about MOVE Congress
MOVE Congress will take place at the Tivoli Congress Centre in Copenhagen from 29–31 October 2025, with ISCA and DGI as hosts. MOVE Congress is the world’s largest international conference dedicated to promoting recreational sport and health-enhancing physical activity.

This year’s theme is #Activating – People, Participation and Communities. Early Bird tickets are available until 31 May and save you €200.