GOAL Invitational & Medals Ceremony
An annual gathering of the GOAL Member community bringing leaders across sports and live entertainment together for connection, collaboration, learning, and recognition.
The GOAL Invitational creates space for Members to step away from the day-to-day, exchange ideas, explore challenges, and learn directly from peers across the industry.
Past Event Example
2026 GOAL Invitational & Medals Ceremony
Climate Week NYC
Event at a Glance
The 2026 GOAL Invitational & Medals Ceremony brought the GOAL community together across New York City during Climate Week NYC for two days of learning, candid conversation, venue experiences, connection, and celebration.
Members explored climate resilience along the Manhattan waterfront, learned about the vision behind one of New York’s largest proposed entertainment developments, and gathered at UBS Arena for a day of member-led conversations and behind-the-scenes learning.
The experience concluded in Midtown Manhattan with the third annual GOAL Medals Ceremony, celebrating measurable progress across the GOAL network alongside leaders from sports, entertainment, climate, and sustainability.
The 2026 GOAL Invitational
Hosted at UBS Arena, the GOAL Invitational brought Members together for a day centered on peer learning, honest dialogue, and shared problem-solving.
The program combined a behind-the-scenes look at arena operations with conversations around partnerships, community engagement, and the opportunities and challenges sustainability leaders are navigating across sports and live entertainment.
More than a traditional conference, the Invitational is designed around the strength of the GOAL network: creating space for Members to learn directly from one another and leave with ideas they can put into practice.
Exploring Climate Resilience: A guided tour of Battery Park City offered a firsthand look at evolving approaches to waterfront resilience, landscape design, and climate adaptation.
Behind the Scenes at UBS arena: GOAL Members explored UBS Arena, including its Zero Waste Room, and heard directly from the team about operations, partnerships, community engagement, and lessons learned.
The 2026 GOAL Medals Ceremony
The GOAL community continued to Midtown Manhattan for an evening celebrating sustainability leadership and measurable progress across sports and live entertainment.
Held during Deloitte’s HORIZONS Climate Week programming, the third annual GOAL Medals Ceremony recognized 23 organizations for actions across the GOAL Medals framework, spanning environmental performance, social impact, governance, engagement, and partnerships.
The evening brought together the GOAL community and special guests from across sport and sustainability for the Green Carpet, the presentation of GOAL Medals and Tiers, special awards, and conversations exploring the influence the industry can have beyond the walls of its venues.
Celebrating Progress: The GOAL Medals Ceremony recognized organizations demonstrating verified action and continued progress across the GOAL sustainability framework.
Connecting Across the GOAL Community: Members came together ahead of the Invitational to reconnect with peers, welcome new faces, and continue conversations beyond the formal program.
Learning from One Another: Member-only conversations created space to share challenges, successes, and practical ideas that can be carried back to venues across the network.
Bringing Sustainable Style to the Green Carpet: Guests showed how rewearing, renting, thrifting, upcycling, and thoughtfully produced fashion can make sustainability part of the celebration itself.
Special Guests
Meet Your Host: David Garrido
Sports broadcaster and sustainability advocate David Garrido served as host of the 2026 GOAL Medals Ceremony, guiding the GOAL community through an evening of conversation, recognition, and celebration.
Legacy of Impact Award: Jasmyne Spencer
Professional soccer veteran and Jas It Up founder Jasmyne Spencer received the 2026 Legacy of Impact Award, recognizing the impact she continues to make through sport, advocacy, education, and sustainable fashion. Jasmyne also joined Katharine Hayhoe and Lucas Leiva for an on-stage conversation about using the influence of sport to inspire action.
Special Guest: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe
Atmospheric scientist, Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, and author Dr. Katharine Hayhoe joined the GOAL Medals Ceremony to moderate a conversation exploring sport, sustainability, influence, and the ability of individual platforms to create meaningful change.
Special Guest: Lucas Leiva
Liverpool FC legend Lucas Leiva joined the GOAL community to share his perspective on the influence of sport and the role athletes and organizations can play in advancing sustainability.
Special Awards presented by:
The GOAL Green Carpet
Sustainable Style, Celebrated
The GOAL Green Carpet invited attendees to bring sustainability into the celebration through personal style.
Across the evening, guests arrived in re-worn favorites, rented and thrifted pieces, responsibly produced garments, and creative examples of repair and upcycling.
The Green Carpet demonstrated that there is no single definition of sustainable fashion. Instead, it offered a playful way to show how creativity and thoughtful choices can extend the life of clothing and materials while still dressing for the occasion.
Check out past Invitationals & Medals Ceremonies
Behind-the-scenes guided tour of venues and facilities
Providing platform for leaders from a variety of roles to share their experiences and insight
Recognizing member achievements across GOAL’s 10 sustainable medals categories
An evening celebrating sustainability efforts across the network in unique venues