Contact with the future: insights into careers and practice

The Kontakt in die Zukunft (Contact with the Future) event series entered a new round on January 14, 2026, bringing together students with experienced personalities from the fields of sports, culture, and event management. The focus was on an interactive panel discussion in which four invited speakers openly reported on their everyday professional lives, shared personal experiences, and highlighted current developments in the industry.

The event was once again organized by students from the part-time Master's program in Sports, Culture & Event Management (bbM24), who took on the planning, implementation, and supervision independently. A raffle with attractive prizes - including day spa vouchers from DAS SIEBEN, VIP tickets for WSG Tirol, trips on the Nordkettenbahnen Innsbruck cable cars, and tickets to Kufstein Fortress - added to the excitement. During the networking session that followed, guests were able to round off the evening with free snacks and drinks.

FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCES

What do career paths in sports, culture, and event management actually look like? Experienced personalities provided candid insights into their professional careers and highlighted the opportunities and obstacles that characterize the various fields of activity. It became clear how important courage, networking, and continuous personal development are for a successful career in the industry. The participants - mostly students from the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol - benefited greatly from the speakers' individual experiences and perspectives:

• Thomas Thaler: former FIS ski racer, SKVM graduate, and former employee at FC Bayern – reported on his transition from competitive sports to business and emphasized the importance of discipline and perseverance.
• Patrizia Obrist: CEO of Social Era and former team manager of the ÖFB – described her experiences in professional soccer and her path to managing a social media agency.
• Samuel Geissler: founder and managing director of Peak World and Soda Zitron – explained the basics of entrepreneurial thinking, brand building, and the opportunities offered by self-employment.
• Karla Hirsch: freelance consultant for fundraising and communication in the cultural sector – provided insights into career paths in cultural institutions and emphasized the importance of attitude, responsibility, and passion.

The personal stories made it clear that career paths do not always have to be linear and that detours can provide valuable experiences.

EXCHANGE ON AN EQUAL LEVEL

After the panel discussion, the students took the opportunity to talk directly with the speakers during an open networking session. The focus was on informal exchanges in a pleasant atmosphere. This brought an informative and inspiring evening to a close, one that not only gave the students insights but also opened up direct perspectives for their own future.

Links:

• Kontakt in die Zukunft | Instagram
• Sports, Culture & Event Management | pt

This article was written by students of the part-time Master's program in Sports, Culture & Event Management as part of their practical project.