When the Swim Safe Europe Conference 2026 opens its doors in Paris next month it will bring together one of the most diverse groups of experts ever assembled by European Aquatics to discuss water safety, aquatic education and drowning prevention.
Held alongside the European Aquatics Championships Paris 2026, the conference -from August 7 to 8 – has established itself as a meeting point where coaches, researchers, federation leaders, teachers and policymakers come together to exchange ideas that extend well beyond competitive sport.
This year’s programme reflects the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of aquatic education. Scientific research, coach education, national policy, athlete development and public health will all feature prominently, reinforcing European Aquatics’ belief that improving water safety requires collaboration across multiple sectors.
The conference will begin with a keynote unlike any other. Slovenian actor and reserve military officer Lotos Vincenc Šparovec will recount his powerful real-life survival experience in Aquatic Survival: Man Overboard. More than simply an inspirational story, the session sets the tone for the conference by illustrating how preparation, decision-making and aquatic competence can become life-saving skills.
From there, the programme shifts towards the strategic future of aquatic education. Aisling McKeever, Head of Clubs and Education at Swim Ireland, will present the future direction of the Swim Safe Europe strategy, outlining how European Aquatics aims to strengthen Learn to Swim programmes, improve aquatic literacy and support Member Federations in delivering sustainable national initiatives.
Scientific expertise will underpin many of the discussions. Professor Boro Štrumbelj, one of Europe’s leading researchers in swimming performance and coaching science, joins Professor Aldo Costa, President of the Portuguese Swimming Coaches Association, to explore how research can support better teaching methodologies, coach education and athlete development.
Delegates will also hear from Laurent Ciubini, General Director of the French Swimming Federation, and European Aquatics Bureau Member Rókur í Jákupsstovu, whose experience as both a federation leader and certified coach provides an important bridge between governance and practical implementation.
The programme demonstrates how the challenges facing aquatic education today can no longer be solved by one organisation or one country alone. Instead, the conference creates an environment where knowledge flows between researchers, educators, coaches, governing bodies and industry partners.
That collaborative approach has become one of the defining characteristics of the Swim Safe Europe initiative.
Rather than focusing solely on theory, the conference encourages participants to return home with practical ideas that can strengthen Learn to Swim programmes, improve coach education and ultimately increase water safety throughout Europe.
The registration link via the European Aquatics – Official Learning Centre is: https://www.eaacademy.eu/lms/courses/swim-safe-europe-conference-2026
Deadline for entries is July 30.
Full details are available on the event’s information bulletin here; https://europeanaquatics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Info_Bulletin-SSE_Annual_Conference_2026F-1.pdf
