Bridging Academia, Policy and Practice Virtual Conference

Monday 28 June – Thursday 1 July 2021

Conference: Bridging Academia, Policy and Practice (bridgemindsport.org)

All aspects of bridge – the good, the bad, and the ground-breaking – are on the table at a four-day virtual conference organised by Bridge: A MindSport for All (BAMSA). By showcasing research and innovation, the conference aims to inspire and enable the bridge community to promote bridge more widely in society. The conference opens on Monday 28 June.

More than 60 presenters and panelists from 20 countries are contributing to the programme. The keynote address, Bridge and Wellbeing, will be delivered by Professor Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology and author of more than 30 books on learning and motivation.

The conference is an open forum for academics, bridge players, organisers and policymakers from across the bridge spectrum (local, national and international). The aim is to provide a relaxed online environment in which to share ideas, review good practice and focus on solutions.

Conference sessions will consider key challenges facing the bridge sector: the collapse of face-to-face bridge in 2020 and the knock-on effect on bridge clubs; the scandal of online cheating; and the hybrid future of the game after covid-19. The bridge world is in a state of flux, but the huge take-up of online bridge and pioneering approaches to teaching, recruitment and marketing give cause for optimism.

Theoretical sessions will provide insights into current academic thinking and conceptual frameworks for understanding bridge. Tabled for discussion are definitions of sport, mindsport, serious leisure; and the light the game throws on gender, ageing, and interaction between people of different ages and generations.

The conference programme has eight sessions across four days, and each day has its own theme. Participants can book any number of sessions from just one to all eight. In addition, there are two practical hands-on-line bridge sessions: a conference pairs tournament and a bridge taster for first-timers – the perfect introduction for anyone looking to try out the game. All are welcome to participate – attendance at other sessions is not a condition of registering for either of the practical sessions.

For more information and to book a place at any of the sessions: Conference: Bridging Academia, Policy and Practice (bridgemindsport.org)