The International Trotting Association was founded in 1969 and the first conference took place in Ohio, United States of America.
Organisations from 19 countries together with the European Trotting Union are members of the ITA.
Every second year the members of the International Trotting Association meet at the World Trotting Conference.
This years conference will take place in Stockholm, Sweden on May 27 – 31. The venue is the centrally located Clarion Hotel Sign.
The first World Driving Champion was Herve Filion of Canada in 1970. The 2019 Championship is hosted by Sweden and will take place at five different tracks on May 24 – 31.
The defending champion James MacDonald will meet eleven other drivers from eleven countries.
The Conference with 5 committees
At the World Trotting Conference the five standing committees have their meetings.
Each day of the conference there is also a plenary session where guest speakers have been invited. The theme of the conference is CHANGE.
At the General Assembly of the final day the recommendations of the committees are presented to the delegates for approval.
- Breeding Committee
- Constitution and Regulation Committee
- Equine Health and Integrity Committee
- Marketing and Business Development
- Racing and Wagering Committee
09:30 – 12:30 C8
The Constitution and Regulation Committee has its meeting.
Lunch 12:30 - 13:30
13:30 – 17:30 C12
The first plenary session will begin with conference opening ceremonies.
- Introduction
- Keynote Address
- Our first Guest Speaker is Martin Carlson-Wall whose lecture has the title “Meeting the future by leveraging the history“. The Sports world is currently changing with high levels of innovation and digitalization. Carlsson-Wall will discuss what this means for the arena experience and how it is important to go back and utilize historical events, symbols and memories. Examples will be taken from FC Barcelona, the Olympic Games, Svensk Travsport and other sport events around the world.
Carlson-Wall is the Director and Co-founder of the Center for Sports and Business at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE). SSE is the highest ranked business school in the Nordics region. As Director of the research center, Carlsson-Wall is involved in both research and executive education. For the past two years, the Center for Sports and Business has worked closely with Svensk Travsport and conducted Top Management Educational Programs for board members and high level managers.
- Martin Carlson-Wall, part two of lecture.
- Guest Speakers Geir Kamsvåg and Princess Märtha Louise from Hest360.
Hest360 have a message, we need to change and think in new ways in the horse sports. How can we unite the horse sports, get more attention and increase recruitment to the sports?Hest360 have experience from being a novice in the sport to being a professional and part of a national team.
The Hest360 message is spread through the YouTube Channel HEST360 and web page hest360.no.
- Question Time
19:00 – 23:00 C12
We will meet and get to know each other at an informal welcome function with a Swedish touch with Swedish buffet, snaps and snapsvisor/songs.
With the help of Alicia Vikander you can practise the snapsvisa Helan Går: Helan Går with Alicia Vikander
Dress Code: Casual
09:00 – 12:30 C12
The second plenary session of the conference begins with a recap and a report from the driving championship. Then we can look forward to an interesting morning with two very inspiring guest speakers.
- Recap from first day and report from World Driving Championship
- Guest Speaker Daniel Daboczy, will speak about the participatory revolution that is spreading across the world. With social networks and crowdfunding the masses can be engaged to support, fund or be ambassadors. The new black is participation. Daniel Daboczy and co-founder Arno Smit have built one of Europe’s fastest growing crowdfunding portals, FundedByMe which is now publicly traded.
- Guest Speaker Alexander Bard will speak about “Man, animal and entertainment in the digital era”.
Bard is cyberphilosopher, music producer, television star, highly sought-after international speaker and successful breeder of a Swedish Derby winner. Read more
- Question Time
Lunch 12:30 - 13:30
The Breeding Committee has its first meeting
13:30 – 16:30 C1
The Marketing and Business Development Committee has its first meeting
13:30 – 16:30 C2
17:00 – 18:30 Bus to Sundbyholm
18:30 – 21:30 BBQ at the race track
We travel to the Sundbyholm race track outside Eskilstuna. Here we will have a tent with BBQ at our disposal as we cheer for the drivers in the World Driving Championship.
Dress Code: Casual. Dress for the weather.
09:00 – 12:30 C12
This is the day when the plenary session focus on equine research and the all-over importance of healthy and prosperous horses.
- Recap from second day and report from World Driving Championship
- Guest Speaker Marie Rhodin, DVM, associate Professor in equine clinical biomechanics at the department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – SLU Presentation at SLU web
- Guest Speaker Sofia Mikko, PhD in Molecular Genetics, Researcher at Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics – SLU Presentation at SLU web
- Question Time
Lunch 12:30 - 13:30
The Breeding Committee has its second meeting
13:30 – 15:30 C1
The Marketing and Business Development Committee has its second meeting
13:30 – 15:30 C2
16:30 Bus to Menhammar
For those interested there will be a study tour to Swedens largest breeding farm Menhammar with the stallions Readly Express, Maharajah, Nuncio, Fourth Dimension, Chocolatier, From Above and Panne de Moteur at the farm.
09:00 – 12:30 C12
Today the focus is on the important funding of the horse racing industry and the change today and tomorrow of the race betting
- Recap from third day and report from World Driving Championship
- Guest Speaker Hans Lord Skarplöth was appointed as CEO at ATG in 2013. Prior to ATG he held several positions at Viasat Broadcasting, a company within Modern Times Group (now NENT Group), as Retail Sales Manager, Sales Director, CEO and Head of Viasat Nordics. He also worked as National Sales Manager for Philip Morris International. Hasse has a bachelor in economics from Mälardalen University and also studied at IHM Business School, Stockholm.
- Guest Speaker Aymeric Verlet, International Director PMU
- Guest Speaker Andrew Kelly, Chief Executive Harness Racing Australia
- Panel discussions with the guest speakers
Lunch 12:30 - 13:30
The Equine Health and Integrity Committee has its first meeting
13:30 – 16:30 C2
The Racing and Wagering Committee has its first meeting
13:30 – 16:30 C1
17:30 – 17:45 Bus to Djurgården
18:00 – 22:00ABBA the Museum and dinner
We will have two hours at ABBA the Museum
Dinner att Pop House were we will have the restaurant at our exclusive disposal.
Dress Code: Casual
09:00 – 11:00 C2
The Equine Health and Integrity Committee has its second meeting
09:00 – 11:00 C1
The Racing and Wagering Committee has its second meeting
Lunch 12:30 - 13:30
13:30 – 17:30 C12
At the final days General Assembly the recommendations of the committees will be presented to the delegates for approval.
- Recap from fourth day
- Speakers Corner
- Australia – World- first sperm extender. Read More
- Sweden – Breedly.com
- General Assembly with the recommendations of the committees
- World Driving Championship Report
- Media Awards Presentation
- Conference closing
19:30 – 19:45 Bus to Groupe Grenouille Banquet Hall
19:45 – 23:30 Gala Dinner at Groupe Grenouille Banquet Hall
The splendid Banquet Hall from the the late 19th century with its white and gold interior will be the perfect setting for our Grand Finale.
- Media Awards Prize Ceremony
- World Driving Championship Medal Ceremony
Dress Code: Business Casual
MEDIA POLICY of wtc2019
Those accredited representatives of media are welcome at the plenary sessions, but not other activities of the conference.
Media outlets that wish to make sound or image recording at the Conference must have prior consent of the individual speaker.
For accreditation the listed information should be sent to
- Name of person and country
- Publication / Outlet
- Email address to the person to be accredited
- Intent for attending WTC2019
- Which plenary sessions as to schedule above