In the short time that IGNITX has been established, IGNITX has left its mark across the globe, delivering transformative solutions and fostering impactful collaborations in the world of sports. The map illustrates the extensive reach of IGNITX, showcasing the countries and regions where the company has been active, in many of them delivering hand-in-hand with their partners. 

As we end 2024 and draw closer to our fifth anniversary, the IGNITX founders sat down to reflect on the exciting journey and to get a snapshot of what the future looks like for their fiery creation, IGNITX.

Neo: IGNITX was established at the end of 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world—and the sports industry—to a halt. As a company specializing in sports event delivery and consultancy, our biggest challenge was navigating a landscape where all events were canceled.

However, what initially seemed like a setback became our greatest opportunity. We quickly pivoted to organizing online events, such as interviews and webinars, which allowed us to introduce IGNITX to the world and showcase our values and expertise. The pandemic also gave us time to reflect and refine our vision. As a new company, we revisited the core ideas the four founders had envisioned for IGNITX: bridging the knowledge gap between events, innovating for cost-effective and impactful solutions, and creating job opportunities for our community of IGNITERS. These principles not only guided us through the early days but also became the foundation of our mission and vision, shaping who we are as a company today.

Gustavo: One of the strong points of IGNITX is its ability to adapt to change but also promote change. The Igniters on the ground at events worldwide understand the current needs and challenges of the market, and together we propose new solutions and alternatives to longstanding practices that need updating.

Topics such as athlete well-being, sustainability, and safeguarding are now priorities in the sports industry. IGNITX advocates for these topics and integrates them into our day-to-day proposals for clients. This adaptability ensures we remain at the forefront of industry innovation.

Ilva: Partnerships and collaborations are at the heart of who we are at IGNITX. They aren’t just about working together—they’re about growing together, challenging each other to be better, and creating something meaningful as one united team. We deeply value every partnership we’ve had, as each one has shaped our journey and allowed us to make a bigger impact than we could have achieved alone.

Some collaborations stand out as particularly transformative. Our work with Wiz-Team has been a game-changer, allowing us to combine innovative technologies with our operational expertise. With Wiz-Team, we are currently delivering a registration and accreditation turnkey solution for the Andorra 2025 Games of the Small States of Europe.

Partnering with Spartner has reinforced our commitment to creating safer, more inclusive sports environments. And being part of the Building European Safe Sport Together (BESST) consortium has given us the chance to contribute to safeguarding and education on a European scale.

These partnerships haven’t just enhanced the projects we deliver—they’ve helped us innovate, learn, and grow as a company. Each collaboration is a testament to the power of shared vision and mutual trust.

Gustavo: The development of the sports movement is a central strategic approach for IGNITX. Transgressive behaviour is the generator of harassment and abuse in sport, as in other parts of society. To protect sport as we are all passionate about, the implementation of effective safeguarding measures is mandatory. IGNITX has made it clear that it is going to be a driving force to promote this much needed change for the industry, delivering products for all stages of safeguarding such as planning, education, reporting, case management, adjudication and sanction. Also with innovative products to all levels of organisations. Creating a safer environment for the practice of sport worldwide.

Ilva: IGNITERS are the very heart of our company. One of the main reasons we founded IGNITX was to create meaningful job opportunities for talented colleagues we’d worked with in the past—individuals whose expertise, passion, and dedication inspired us. Over the years, the Igniters have done much more than deliver outstanding results on projects—they’ve become catalysts for the company’s growth and evolution.

Many IGNITERS have gone above and beyond, introducing innovative ideas and even bringing valuable new projects to the company. To recognize and reward this incredible initiative, we launched the IGNITX Project Referral Incentive Program. This program is designed to foster collaboration and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit within our community. 

This program isn’t just about incentives—it’s about creating a mutually beneficial partnership between IGNITX and our IGNITERS, providing a sustainable source of revenue and growth for everyone involved. It reflects our belief that when we work together, we achieve more, and it’s another way we ensure that the Igniters are integral to our shared success.

The IGNITERS are more than colleagues—they’re our family, collaborators, and co-creators. With their continued support and participation, we look forward to reaching new milestones together.

Neo: The Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics was undoubtedly a defining chapter for IGNITX. Our journey began in late 2020 when DruidSport and Spartner invited us to join a consortium bidding for Paris 2024’s new Event Delivery Model. Initially, we aimed to deliver one venue—Yves-du-Manoir—but ended up managing accreditation operations for seven venues and delivering safeguarding training for five of them.

I still vividly recall IGNITX’s first event—the Longines Masters Season V in Paris in December 2019—delivered alongside our strategic partner, Wiz-Team. This collaboration showcased our reliability and expertise, paving the way for future projects like the Boxing Road to Tokyo Qualifying Events, the Northern Marianas 2022 Pacific Mini Games. Wiz-Team remains one of our most valued allies to this day.

Another milestone was delivering a fully remote turnkey solution for Sport Entries and Qualifications for the Krakow-Malopolska 2023 European Games. Our team, spread across three time zones, provided seamless support to European National Olympic Committees and International Federations, earning praise from the Local Organising Committee and the European Olympic Committees. This success reaffirmed our belief in the power of remote solutions to drive efficiency and cost-effectiveness in sports events.

Safeguarding has also become a cornerstone of IGNITX’s mission. Through the BESST project, funded by the European Union, we’ve helped shape safeguarding frameworks in sport. This Safeguarding in Sport journey began with our inaugural IGNITX Summit, where we invited Trinea Gonczar, a survivor and advocate, to spotlight the importance of safeguarding. We also included the topic of Safeguarding into our Sport Events Management online course and subsequently co-organised with GAISF on behalf of the IOC, the Athletes’ Safeguarding Workshop for International Federations.

Each of these milestones reflects our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and creating safe, impactful environments for sport event organisation. They are the building blocks of IGNITX’s mission to drive positive change in the sports industry.

Gustavo: My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to keep moving forward. This is a unique and exciting market where the final delivery represents one of the most important social phenomena worldwide. Sports promote equality, respect, excellence, and friendship—values that are much needed in today’s world. Embrace the opportunity to contribute to these values through your work.