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Plan Now: Leveraging the 2026 World Cup in the Pacific Northwest and Beyond
July 26, 2023 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Fun Fact: 30 years ago, Nike experienced their fastest growth in company history. What led to that phenomenon?
Well, two of the most significant events on the planet took place back-to-back on U.S. soil in 1994 and 1996 in the FIFA Men’s World Cup, followed directly by the Atlanta Summer Olympics. Both spurred unprecedented local and international interest in sport, soccer and lifestyle culture surrounding both.
And as it turns out, the next window with this rare combination is fast approaching exactly one generation later—and in our west coast backyard.
The FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Seattle, Vancouver, Canada, San Francisco and Los Angeles in the summer of 2026, among other North American cities, followed directly by the LA Summer Olympics in 2028.
You may not know that planning for this ‘perfect storm’ is well underway. And there are ample opportunities to get involved locally, regionally and nationally.
Guests:
Karl Keating, CEO and Founder of consultancy The Perfect Storm LAB, has led planning at Adidas in Portland and Nike in Europe and is now advising brands, agencies and host cities about how to win before the world is watching.
Lauren Anderson, Director of the Warsaw Sports Business Center at the University of Oregon.
In this LinkedIn Live session, you’ll learn strategies and tactics that:
⚽️ Help you understand your new fan heading into ’26 and ’28
⚽️ Think about getting involved and be relevant before the ocean becomes red with competitors jumping in
⚽️ Leverage this once-in-a-generation moment for growth whether you are involved in sports or not.
2026 is closer than you may think, and those prepared with a plan will reap the benefits—especially in the PNW.