Driving Innovation in Mass Participation: The GSIC MPW Innovation Challenge 2025

Driving Innovation in Mass Participation: The GSIC MPW Innovation Challenge 2025

Empowering Collaboration Between Sports and Technology
Mass Participation World (MPW) and the Global Sports Innovation Center (GSIC) powered by Microsoft are once again joining forces to launch the GSIC MPW Innovation Challenge 2025 — a global call to action for innovators, startups, and solution providers across the sports technology ecosystem.

The Challenge continues a partnership that began in 2018 between both parties on a mission to help the mass participation industry evolve through innovation, collaboration, and digital transformation.

About the Challenge
The GSIC MPW Innovation Challenge aims to bring together event organizers, sponsors, and tech providers to solve real-world challenges faced by the mass participation industry — from operational complexities and participant engagement to sustainability and data analytics.

This year’s challenge invites startups and companies from around the world to propose solutions to five curated problem statements submitted by industry stakeholders. The goal is to identify and accelerate technologies that can make events more efficient, inclusive, and impactful.

Finalists will have the opportunity to present their solutions live at the 10th edition of the Mass Participation World Conference (MPW25), taking place from 4–5 December 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in front of a global audience of event directors, investors, and industry leaders.

Challenge Categories
This year’s problem statements are:

• Fan Engagement. In mass participation, the fans are largely the supporters of participants – family, friends, work colleagues. How can we engage these fans during the participant’s training journey and as event day spectators to get more people active, and create more touch points for sponsors and other commercial opportunities?
• Fan Engagement. Spectators at mass participation events can range from hundreds to millions depending on event size, but in most cases organizers have no idea who they are and exactly why they are there – supporting a loved one or friend, sport fan, curious passer-by etc. How can we capture their details and engage with them to create commercial opportunities?
• Participant Engagement. The mass participation ecosystem includes many thousands of small to medium events. How could technology be created and offered in a cost-effective manner to make quality participant engagement accessible to all sizes of events? This can include personalized communication to athletes in the lead up to events, using their performance and results to create engagement, and other immersive ways post-event. This can be applicable for both at the venue and in the digital space, which could in turn generate more exposure for sponsors and more revenue for organizers/rights holders.
• Event Operations. How can we use technology and/or AI to simplify event operations by providing centralized access to critical event information ultimately improving the overall event experience for organizers, participants, and attendees? For example, site and route plans, traffic management, volunteers, equipment and other assets, medical, baggage storage and allocation.
• Smart Venues. How can we use technology to enhance spectator, participant, volunteer and staff experiences across all areas of the event including expo/packet pick up, arrival, start, transition, course, finish, baggage collection, post event celebrations and departure?

Why It Matters
From city marathons and cycling races to triathlons and community fun runs, mass participation events unite millions of people globally. But as the industry grows, so do the challenges — sustainability, digital integration, and operational complexity among them.

By bridging sports and technology, the GSIC MPW Innovation Challenge aims to turn these challenges into opportunities, fostering new solutions that elevate both the participant and organizer experience.

What’s in It for Participants

• Global Exposure: Present live at the MPW25 Conference in Vietnam
• Networking Opportunities: Connect directly with event owners, investors, and sponsors
• Expert Visibility: Be featured across GSIC and MPW’s global channels
• Exclusive Benefits: All finalists receive exclusive GSIC membership perks
• Prizes & Potential Pilots: Each of the five finalists will receive a USD 1,000 cash prize to pitch live at the event

Key Dates

🗓️ 10 November 2025 – Application deadline
🗓️ 17 November 2025 – Finalists announced
🗓️ 4 December 2025 – Final presentations at MPW25 (Ho Chi Minh City)

How to Get Involved
Submit your solution here.

Have other questions or would like to get involved in other ways? Email sean@massparticipationworld.com.