Advisory Group Established to Help Shape a Better 2025 World Table Tennis for Health Festival

The ITTF Foundation is excited to share an important step forward in the preparations for the 2025 World Table Tennis for Health Festival from 26–30 November in Helsingborg, Sweden. To ensure that the next edition of the Festival is even more inclusive, impactful, and enjoyable, we have established a Festival Advisory Group! This group will play a key role in shaping the 2025 event by offering lived experiences, constructive insights, and community-driven recommendations.

The initiative of the Advisory Group came from the feedback collected after the 2024 Festival. Participants, accompanying persons, coaches, and supporters shared invaluable thoughts through the post-event surveys, pointing out areas that need attention, crucial to the success of future Festivals. Inspired by these voices, we took action by forming an Advisory Group that reflects the diversity, passion, and needs of our growing table tennis for health community.

Setting up the Advisory Group

As we want to include a diverse and inclusive spectrum of voices and perspectives, we recruited and set up the Advisory Group includes players with Parkinson’s, accompanying persons of players with Parkinson’s / Alzheimer’s, and coaches of players with Alzheimer’s.

All members are actively involved in their local communities and have previously taken part in our Festivals and Championships. Representing a broad mix of countries and regions, their experiences are instrumental in helping us create an even more participant-centered event.

Kicking Off the First Meeting

The first Advisory Group meeting took place on 14 May 2025, focusing on key areas for improvement identified in 2024, including:

  • Online registration systems
  • Venues and accommodations
  • Transportation and scheduling
  • Playing systems and classifications
  • Ceremonies, Congress sessions, and social activities

In addition to reviewing feedback, the group also contributed new ideas and forward-thinking suggestions, such as:

  • Adjusting the schedule and playing formats
  • Enhancing celebrations and social experiences
  • Improving communication with participants
  • Training staff and volunteers to better support attendees
  • Ensuring comfort and accessibility for players and accompanying persons
  • Collaborating with the Local Organising Committee to resolve logistical issues

More to Look Forward To

Besides this progress, we’re also delighted to share that the European Para Table Tennis Championships 2025 will be hosted at the same venue just before our Festival. We’re currently exploring ways for Festival participants to attend the finals of the Championships.

With the support of our Advisory Group and the broader community, the 2025 WTT4HF is set to be our most inclusive and engaging edition yet. We look forward to sharing more updates in the coming months. Thank you for being part of this journey to advance health, connection, and joy through table tennis.

Click here to fill out the interest form to stay informed about the 2025 WTT4HF

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