Forum 2025 Concludes with Strategic Partnerships and Development Tools for the Future
Bucharest, Romania – 14 June 2025 – As the 2025 WDSF Forum drew to a close, the final sessions delivered a strong message of forward momentum. With presentations by strategic partners and internal teams, WDSF outlined tools designed to elevate fan experiences, streamline operations, and support the next generation of athletes.
Fan Experience in the Digital Era: ATOS and the Engagement Cycle
“Fans don’t just watch. They follow, react, share — and expect to be part of the story.”
Using the Blackpool 2024 campaign as a case study, ATOS illustrated the full Fan Engagement Cycle:
- Creating an emotional moment
- Triggering a reaction
- Encouraging community participation
- Enabling monetization
- Reinforcing the experience through reinvestment in production and innovation
Digital activations surrounding Blackpool led to strong conversion results:
- 79% of ticket sales came via internet-driven channels
- Campaign peaks aligned with pre-event digital pushes
- Engagement remained consistent throughout the promotional cycle
The next steps focus on:
- Registering the WDSF ecosystem — athletes, fans, relatives
- Setting goals (ticketing, exposure, growth)
- Automating digital campaigns
- Building unified fan profiles through Single Sign-On
- Scaling toward e-commerce, and loyalty platforms
ATOS positioned this model as a sustainable ecosystem that benefits the entire DanceSport community — from National Member Bodies to athletes and fans.
SportsXpert: Accommodation Made Simple and Professional
WDSF also unveiled its new partnership with SportsXpert, aimed at elevating the accommodation experience at DanceSport events.
This platform offers:
- Premium hotel options for athletes, officials, and fans
- Full integration with WDSF registration platforms, calendar, and event websites
- A professional, branded interface that enhances the look and feel of events
- Proven reliability from years in sports event management
This service simplifies logistics for organizers while improving the travel experience for all participants. It also opens new monetization streams and strengthens event branding — helping DanceSport events reach a higher operational standard.
Sports Updates and Judging Innovations
The WDSF Sports Department introduced key motions for approval at the AGM, focused on modernizing competition structure and improving the judging process:
- Absolute Judging System (AJS) to be implemented as a complement to the Relative Judging System (RJS), with plans for future expansion
- New competition management document to standardize formats and avoid inconsistencies
- Motion to limit rounds to 4 dances when more than 60 couples are registered — reducing event duration while maintaining quality
- Updates to Dress Code regulations, clarifying uniform standards, modernizing terminology, and removing outdated limitations for Juvenile athletes
These improvements reflect WDSF’s effort to balance tradition with evolution — ensuring fair, efficient, and visually consistent competitions.
The WDSF Proficiency Test: Early Engagement for Lifelong Growth
Guided by WDSF President Shawn Tay, the WDSF Academy introduced the WDSF Proficiency Test, a long-awaited system designed to bring recognition and structure to non-competitive and social dancers.
Piloted in Asia and now expanding globally, the certification covers Latin and Standard disciplines across 11 levels — from Bronze to the President Star Award. The system provides:
- Official WDSF certification for beginners of all ages
- A clear training path and skill recognition
- Financial opportunities for coaches and studios
- A scalable model that NMBs can adopt or integrate into existing systems
“The Proficiency Test creates an early connection with future athletes,” noted the Academy. “It strengthens grassroots participation while building long-term engagement with the WDSF system.”
Closing Remarks and Forward Vision
In his concluding words, WDSF President Shawn Tay reflected on the power of the Forum:
“What we do today shapes the future of DanceSport. With the tools, partners, and vision shared in Bucharest, we are better prepared than ever to serve athletes, grow our community, and lead the way forward.”
As the Forum closed, delegates and guests left inspired — equipped with new ideas, new connections, and renewed energy to guide DanceSport into its next chapter.
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