Yesterday I had to announce that I would need to go the rest of the way to, and through, Indoor Skydiving 2020 | First Global Summit on my own, after the co-hosting FAI Parachuting Commission (IPC) opted to withdraw at 100 days out. Only one day later, things are starting to look up.
As everyone was able to gather from the respective statements (IPC; Roland Hilfiker), the disagreement between the hosts was over the choice of ISGS topics and the lineup of panelists. Both matters are at the very core of something of this nature – be it a congress, conference or summit – but they are also subject to personal perceptions and interpretations.
The only way to look at the ISGS project from this point is in a spirit of reconciliation. My company will host this summit with the topics of six sessions on 2 February as outlined. Here are the topics of the three morning sessions of 3 February - this time as bullet p
Achilles Heel: indoor skydiving is too expensive, some of the costs can be reduced – for the operators as well as for the clients; the carbon footprint of indoor skydiving is big, it can be reduced – there are choices to be made.
Synergy Plus: synergies between skydiving indoors and outdoors have been developed from day one to reach the current levels – much more can still be done; the closer the relationship between indoors and outdoors, the more mutually beneficial it becomes.
THE LAST ROUND: to the best of my knowledge there never was a public discussion involving a considerable number of tunnel manufacturers (6!); the techies behind the sport know what the future brings earlier than anyone else, we should let them discuss it in front of us.
After making some minor adjustments to the ISGS format since 24 October, the approximately ten workshops initially planned for the afternoon of 3 February become structured breakout sessions held in two separate auditoriums.
I am certain that all athletes, coaches, instructors, manufacturers, operators, professionals associated with the sport will be able to find topics in the ISGS program that interest them. I am convinced that the totally independent discussions between the panelists (and the audiences) on a wide range of different topics will produce plenty of consent as well as a summit outcome in the form of a vision statement or similar.
More tomorrow!
Roland Hilfiker, ISGS Organizer and Moderator
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