The Erasmus+ Sport project “The Power of Public Relations in Sport (PPR)” was successfully concluded with a final partner meeting held in Istanbul, bringing together project partners from Croatia, Serbia, Türkiye, Denmark, and Belgium.
Over the course of the project, partners worked together to explore how sports organisations and athletes communicate with the public, media, sponsors, and local communities. The project addressed a key challenge in European sport: the lack of structured public relations knowledge and resources, especially at grassroots and semi-professional levels.
The PPR project followed a clear and evidence-based approach. It began with a transnational situation analysis, which identified major gaps in communication planning, media relations, sponsorship communication, and evaluation of PR activities in sports organisations. Based on these findings, partners developed educational guidelines on public relations in sport, designed to be practical, accessible, and easy to apply.
To ensure high-quality implementation, an international training for trainers was organised in Copenhagen in November 2024, followed by national training programmes delivered in partner countries in 2025. Around 160 sports professionals and athletes took part in the trainings, gaining practical skills in communication planning, branding, media relations, sponsorships, digital communication, and crisis management.
The final phase of the project focused on practical application and tracking progress. Participants applied the acquired knowledge within their own organisations, leading to concrete improvements such as the creation of basic PR plans, stronger digital presence, and more structured communication with stakeholders.
During the final meeting in Istanbul, partners reviewed the project results, discussed lessons learned, and agreed that the PPR project had achieved its objectives. The meeting also marked the beginning of discussions on future cooperation and potential follow-up initiatives, building on the strong foundation created by the project.
The PPR project demonstrates that effective communication is not a luxury in sport, but a strategic necessity. By strengthening PR capacities, the project contributes to more visible, transparent, and sustainable sports organisations across Europe.
