[Source: SportAccord] The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 is set to benefit from outstanding media coverage, with a series of Russia’s top media organisations having committed to Partnerships for the event in Ekaterinburg.
More than 50 members of the Russian media have already been accredited to attend next year’s edition of sport’s most important global gathering, from 15-20 May 2022 at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo.
Russia Today will serve as one of SportAccord 2022’s Principal Media Partners, while RIA Novosti Sport, Sports Business Consulting (S-BC) and TASS Russian News Agency will be Media Partners in Ekaterinburg. The leading Russian media organisations will provide in-depth coverage before, during and after the event.
“Russia’s most recognised media groups will help to shine a spotlight on SportAccord 2022,” said John Hewitt, Event Operations Manager, Communications, SportAccord. “Their coverage will play a vital role in taking the essential insights, news and messages from the gathering in Ekaterinburg to an audience across Russia and beyond. There has been significant interest in next year’s edition from media organisations based in Russia and internationally.”
Alexey Galanov, Media Manager of the SportAccord 2022 Organising Committee said: “The involvement of Russia’s leading media groups illustrates the importance of this event for the host city, region and country. The standing and reach of these organisations in Russia and beyond are unparalleled and will enable us to further engage with key decision-makers on a global basis.”
The role of the media, and how International Sport Federations (IFs) can work positively in partnership with media organisations, will be explored in detail during MediaAccord, which will take place during SportAccord on Thursday, 19 May 2022. In addition, MediaAccord will also feature an inside look into the Russian media landscape.
As the only global sports industry event attended by all IFs and their stakeholders, SportAccord brings together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.
Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg, the 19th edition of SportAccord’s flagship annual event. Organisations interested in becoming an official partner or exhibitor can contact SportAccord to discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport, with SportAccord also offering an interactive exhibition floorplan and 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2022 exhibition space.
You can follow SportAccord’s portfolio of events via Twitter @sportaccord or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, VK, and Instagram.
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Top Russian media organisations to shine a spotlight on SportAccord 2022 in Ekaterinburg
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SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in Ekaterinburg Rescheduled for May 2022
SportAccord in full coordination and agreement with the Russian Federation has announced that the World Sport & Business Summit in Ekaterinburg has been rescheduled to 15-20 May 2022.
The next edition of sport’s most important global gathering has been rescheduled to its traditional spot in the sport event calendar to maximise participation from the international sporting community, with expectations that travel restrictions worldwide will have eased significantly by then.
“The Russian Federation will host a momentous edition of SportAccord in Ekaterinburg, so it is important that as many friends and colleagues as possible can gather in person from across the sporting world,” SportAccord President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli said.
“The safety and wellbeing of our delegates has always been our top priority, and the measures developed by the Organising Committee in Ekaterinburg will still be as relevant and applicable when SportAccord takes place next year.
“However, with further vaccination roll-outs over the coming months, we are confident that global travel restrictions will have been relaxed by then to enable as many delegates as possible to travel to Ekaterinburg, ensuring the ultimate success of the event for the Russian Federation and SportAccord.”
The event has already attracted significant interest from the global sports movement, with the host destination providing a bridge between Europe in the West and Asia in the East. The IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo is an outstanding venue, providing numerous meeting and conference rooms within easy reach of the main hub of SportAccord, the exhibition floor.
Individuals and organisations who have delegate passes for SportAccord in Ekaterinburg will be contacted in due course about their options.
The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. As the only global sports industry event attended by all International Sport Federations and their stakeholders, SportAccord also brings together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors. -
Sport is key driver of Orlando’s tourism recovery
[Orlando, Florida] Al Kidd, President & CEO of Sports ETA, the international association for the sports events and tourism industry, is one of a several influential voices hailing Orlando’s rapidly recovering tourism industry and identifying sport as a key driver.
“As we emerge from the restrictions and challenges of the pandemic and return to business, great cities like Orlando are poised to recover faster than others. Sports events and sports tourism in Orlando have shown to be the re-entry catalyst, generating new and much needed business”, he said.
Jesse Martinez, General Manager at The Alfond Inn, Chairman of the Central Florida Lodging Association Board of Directors, and Board Member at Visit Florida, agrees. “In my opinion, Central Florida has a tremendous head start on all other major city travel destinations. After seeing a huge influx of travelers this past spring break, we have not slowed down since.”
“Sports tourism was an early bright spot when Orlando began to reopen in the summer of 2020 as we hosted the NBA bubble, the MLS is Back Tournament and youth events such as the AAU’s Jr. National Volleyball Championship,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, who echoed the sentiments of Jesse Martinez by saying that “Orlando has a one-year head start”.
To underline this, the 2021 edition of the same AAU Youth Volleyball event – hosted just a few weeks ago – drew over 130,000 participants and visitors. Mark Tester, Executive Director at the Orange County Convention Center said: “The event drove one of our highest food and beverage totals in the Center’s history.”
Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International, added: “All eyes were on Orlando during the pandemic as the NBA and MLS restarted their seasons. It was impressive to watch their collaborative community come together to host in the most trying of circumstances.”
Orlando believes its emphasis on encouraging sports-related travel and welcoming teams and players has been a game-changing factor in keeping its infrastructure ticking over.
“When business travel collapsed, some cities were saved by their youth and amateur sport travel business” said Jason Siegel, CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “There is no doubt in my mind that sports tourism is a viable pathway for generating visitor spending and promoting a destination – which is why Orlando puts such a high priority on it”.
In normal times, Orlando has the largest tourism industry in the USA, producing $26 billion a year, exceeding Las Vegas with $19 million. One in five workers in Orlando (21%) worked directly in hospitality and leisure in 2019. When COVID-19 struck, the unemployment rate skyrocketed. “Our neighbors at Port Canaveral, who derive significant revenue from the cruise industry, lost 43% of their workforce,” said Siegel.
But as life normalizes, the recovery is swift, much more so than many anticipated. Hotels are taking bookings; forward occupancy is very promising and optimism abounds.
According to a study authored by Adam Sacks of Tourism Economics, hotel room demand overall has reached 89% of 2019 figures and air passengers are at 71% (June 2021). Leisure trips will be nearly back to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, although business will take longer. He has said: “Overall, sports are outperforming the market as youth sports have returned well before other business-related events. In fact, we are hearing from clients that sports have been the star performer in what has been an otherwise dismal market”
Orlando, one of 17 US candidate host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, is hoping to be selected for the final 10. “I believe our reputation as a collaborative tourism community and reliable partner to sport – and our popularity as a destination – suggest we surely deserve a place” Siegel summed up. -
Unprecedented broadcast coverage and digital innovation to connect fans around the world to the magic of Tokyo 2020
[Source: IOC] Tokyo 2020 will be broadcast globally to a potential audience of over 5 billion people, with more coverage by broadcast partners than any previous Olympic Games across both linear TV and digital:
In Japan, TV coverage of Tokyo 2020 is expected to be around double that of Rio 2016.
In the USA, NBCUniversal will air more than 7,000 hours of coverage across TV and digital platforms – a US Olympic record.
Across Europe, Discovery Eurosport will air up to 4,000 hours of coverage on its TV and digital platform. This unprecedented level of content will be available in 48 territories.The IOC and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), working with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Olympic broadcast partners (RHBs), have also created a suite of digital tools as part of the “Share the Passion” project. It will allow athletes to engage with friends and family in the venues and allow fans all over the world to be actively involved in supporting their sporting heroes.
Fan Video Matrix: Allows fans to be a genuine part of the Games experience by sharing their reactions to the sporting action in five-second video selfies, which will be displayed as a video matrix inside the venue.
Cheer Map: A virtual “cheer” button will be embedded on several broadcasters’ digital platforms. Fans can watch the broadcast feed of an Olympic event and virtually clap or cheer by clicking the button. The system collects all the cheers and renders a global map of “cheer activity”. The map is sent as a video stream to broadcasters and showcased on venue video boards.
Athlete Moment – Family & Friends: At selected venues, Olympians will be able to interact live, straight after their competition with their family and friends back home through dedicated “Athlete Moment” stations.“Our ambition is to bring the magic of the athletes’ achievements to the world on an unprecedented scale. Technology is going to play a critical role and allow us to bring fans ‘inside the venue’ virtually. This is an important ambition, not just for the fans, but also for the athletes as they compete on the world’s biggest stage. The IOC and OBS have been able to benefit from the great partnerships we have with the world’s leading media companies and sponsors and with Tokyo 2020. We also believe these new digital innovations will leave a legacy which we will build on at future editions of the Olympic Games,” says OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos.
For Tokyo 2020, OBS will again push the boundaries of Olympic broadcasting by producing more than 9,000 hours content, 30 per cent more content than for Rio in 2016, in more formats, to assist the world’s broadcasters in bringing the Games to the world. The full live coverage will, for the first time in Olympic history, be in Ultra High Definition (4K) HDR with Immersive Audio (5.1.4). Audiences around the world will be introduced to never-seen-before camera angles, 360-degree replays, multi-camera live Virtual Reality (VR) coverage and more analytical data processed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) than at any previous Olympic Games, including:Intel’s True View cameras, which offer, for the first time, immersive replays for all basketball matches. True View builds three-dimensional, 360° video through an array of cameras installed high in a stadium or arena.
3D athlete-tracking technology developed in collaboration with Worldwide TOP Partners Intel and Alibaba. This first-of-its-kind broadcast enhancement technology uses AI and computer vision to enhance the viewing experience with near real-time insights and overlay visualisations during the athletics sprint events (100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay, as well as decathlon/heptathlon). Viewers will be able to understand at what exact moment each sprinter reaches their peak speed and analyse the different phases of the race in detail through a full set of race statistics.
In another breakthrough, the coverage of the archery competition will provide biometric data from miniature sensors worn by the archers. The monitor’s receptors will detect the heart rate and transmit the data wirelessly to generate the on-screen television graphics. Audiences will be able to witness the heartbeat variations and adrenaline rush experienced by the archers as they shoot their arrow.In addition, the IOC has developed additional ways to enhance the way worldwide audiences will experience the Olympic Games, including:
olympics.com – launched by the IOC in May 2021, the new platform provides a single, people-centric digital presence that utilises Olympic digital and social media channels to drive engagement and deliver content and communications. Offering a comprehensive source for Olympic information, news and original content, olympics.com creates one destination for all Olympic online properties – including the Olympic Channel, Tokyo 2020 and all future Games – allowing for improved, streamlined digital engagement during and between each Games.
The Tokyo 2020 FanZone – an interactive gamification experience on olympics.com and the official Tokyo 2020 website and mobile app that will engage and unite fans around the world leading up to and throughout the Olympic Games:Pre-Games: Fan can take part in regular trivia competitions to win prizes or enjoy thrilling sporting action from past Olympic Games via Magic Moments and vote on their favourite highlights.
During the Games, the Fantasy Challenge will allow fans to create a team by selecting their 10 favourite athletes from individual sports. Fans can start a league with friends or join an existing one to compete against other teams.
And in the Bracket Challenge, fans can attempt to select the winning bracket in each team sport while competing with friends and other fans around the world.To celebrate the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the IOC, in partnership with Worldwide Olympic Partner Airbnb and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), will give people the chance to experience the Games like they’ve never done before, with a new collection of Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences on Airbnb. Under the banner of “Tokyo Together”, the Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences will bring the magic of the Games to the homes of fans around the world, from watching and commenting on the Games live with Olympians, to experiencing behind-the-scenes action live from Tokyo.
In addition, Coca-Cola’s PLAYNATION hub provides group experiences and games that can be played anywhere, whether through the Virtual Torch Relay, or gamification experiences. Coca-Cola will offer exclusive video content through unlockable rewards based on user engagement across the platform released throughout the Games.
Samsung will continue its legacy of supporting athletes by providing them with exclusive Galaxy S21 5G Tokyo 2020 Athlete Phones to help maintain real-time connections, keep up with information, and capture and share memories of the Games with their friends and family back home.Worldwide Olympic Partner Intel will stage the Intel World Open esports tournament, ahead of the Olympic Games, engaging fans around the world.
Yiannis Exarchos spoke about the changing media landscape at Host City Americas on 29-30 June. Register to watch for free here. -
Host city application process launches for SportAccord’s industry-leading events
[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord has launched the host city application processes for future editions of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit from 2023 and the Regional SportAccord from 2022.
Cities interested in hosting the global sports industry’s most influential annual gathering have been invited to submit a Bid City Application Form for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit. The next edition of the event will take place from 15-20 May 2022 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
The inaugural edition of Regional SportAccord Pan America took place in December 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, USA, and those interested in hosting future editions can complete a Bid City Application Form. Applications will be considered to host a dedicated Regional SportAccord for Europe, Asia, Africa or Oceania, as well as Pan America.
Information about who attends both events, as well as hotel accommodation requirements, short- and long-term hosting benefits, the financial commitments and hosting terms, and the bidding and selection processes can be found by accessing the City Application Information Packages for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit here and Regional SportAccord here.
The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit, first held in 2003, is the only global sports business gathering attended by all international sport federations and their affiliated umbrella organisations, as well as organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, plus experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.
With more than 1,500 key decision-makers representing over 1,000 different organisations and over 150 cities and regions in attendance, the six-day event in March, April or May each year features high-level meetings, a conference programme split into multiple sector-specific ‘streams’, an exhibition and numerous social events.
Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord, says: “We have been greatly encouraged by the significant number of destinations that have expressed an interest in hosting future editions of our industry-leading events as the global industry continues its recovery from the pandemic. We look forward to receiving formal applications in the coming weeks and months for these events, which will take place after the highly anticipated SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg marks a milestone in the global sports movement’s resurgence.”
Regional SportAccord was launched in order to bring together international sport federations and organisations involved in the business of sport for a specific region, with the 2019 Regional SportAccord Pan America event attended by international sport federations, cities and ministries, rights-holders and industry experts. Designed to welcome more than 500 delegates from over 50 countries representing well over 200 different organisations, Regional SportAccord, held over three days, also showcases a two-day conference programme and an extensive sports industry exhibition.
Click here to check out the City Application Information Package and here to access the Bid City Application Form for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit. For Regional SportAccord, the City Application Information Package can be accessed here and the Bid City Application Form can be found here.
Each Bid City Application Form should be submitted along with a formal Letter of Commitment that has been signed on behalf of the prospective host city.
For any questions regarding the Bid City Application Process, please contact SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt by email at nis.hatt@sportaccord.sport or by phone at +41 79 126 62 28. Every Bid City Application will be presented to the SportAccord Executive Committee for review, and each city will receive feedback in due course.
Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg, the 19th edition of SportAccord’s flagship annual event. Organisations interested in becoming an official partner or exhibitor can contact SportAccord to discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport, with SportAccord also offering an interactive exhibition floorplan and 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2022 exhibition space. -
World Choir Council fuses real and virtual events across regions
[Source: Interkultur] Three regional meetings of the World Choir Council took place on August 25 and 26, 2021, where its members came together online to discuss current topics from the international choral scene.
The Regional Meetings were organized as a hybrid event for the first time. More than 100 participants from all over the world in total attended the meetings, including members of the World Choir Council and invited guests. The three conferences happened online with several additional events taking place at the same time in the City of Chengdu, China.
Hoping that this pilot project will lead to many other editions in the future, Mr. Günter Titsch, President of INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council said:
“The ’International Music Capital’ Chengdu played an elementary role, as a large part of the World Choir Council events took place live there. Participants from all over the world were digitally connected to the choral music workshops, master classes and a special symposium. The conference brought us a big step closer to our common goal of seeing choirs live on the stages of the world again. Special thanks to the City of Chengdu and the Chengdu Musical Fun Management Committee for the opportunity and to the China Chorus Association as well as “Chorus China” of Chinese Musicians Association for the opportunity”,
The focus of the regional meetings in August 2021 was mainly on mutual exchange and discussion rounds to hear the manifold voices and opinions of all World Choir Council Members. New ideas were born together and the participants learned from the broad expertise represented in the World Choir Council.
The topics of the three regional meetings varied for the different regions with the meeting for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and China focusing mainly on the role of choral music in boys’ education and on problems and challenges especially composers and arrangers are facing during the pandemic.
In the regional meetings with council members from North, Central and South America questions of Environmental Sustainability were discussed and the participants tried to find solutions on how to use their voices for a positive change. Also, they tried to find answers to the question on how children and youth choirs can be encouraged to sing again.
The last of the three regional meetings took place on August 26 with members from Europe and Africa. They addressed one of the biggest challenges of our times, namely to affect positive change in communities or countries where different ideologies are at odds within the population, and exchanged ideas around the use of choirs and choral singing as a vehicle to reach this goal. Further they discussed the different learnings from the Covid pandemic: What lessons can be learnt from the past 1.5 years and which rehearsal methods will live on?
All members of the World Choir Council who participated in the meeting were happy about the possibility of exchange with other choir experts, especially with regard to cultural differences, different measures and approaches in relation to the pandemic and the work with choir singers.
First Vice President of INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council, Ms Qin Wang was pleased about the wonderful opportunity to come together with the World Choir Council live and virtually through this pilot project:
“In the pandemic, our goal is to unite together, support each other and to help and motivate our choirs to return to the stage as soon as possible. Our hybrid event was a great start to reach this goal and I’m sure we will continue on this path in our future global and regional projects.”
INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council hopes to continue the exchange in the future and to use the results to tailor future projects even better to the needs of the choral scene. For this purpose there will be an additional survey.
The next General Conference of the World Choir Council which traditionally gathers all council members at one place, is already being planned to take place on November 3, 2021 in Flanders, Belgium during the 11th World Choir Games.
For more information on Interkultur visit www.interkultur.com – and to find out how and why to host the European Choir Games visit https://worldofchoirs.com/ecg/ -
Urbanisation is a ‘dizzying’ global challenge – Le Havre Mayor
The pace of urbanisation, especially in China, is a “sensitive and significant” challenge facing humanity today, according to former French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and Mayor of Le Havre.
“The world changes all the time, but the challenges that we face now are literally dizzying,” Philippe said in a keynote address to the Annual Conference of the Fondation Prospective et Innovation.
The hybrid conference took place at Convention Center of Futuroscope with the theme of Finding Balance in an Unstable World.
He identified demographics, the environment and China as “three elements that are sensitive and significant”.
“Urbanisation is dizzying in its pace around the world,” he said, pointing out that since the outset of the industrial revolution in the early 19th century it took until 1931 for the urban population to exceed 50%, and another 50 years to reach 80%.
This contrasts greatly with the much faster speed of urbanisation in China in recent years.
“The transformation of China is like a city as big as Rome being built every 2 weeks,” said Philippe, pointing out that China has experienced in 30 years what took 250 years in Europe, and has used more concrete since 2013 than the US did in the whole of the 20th century.
“This transformation of infrastructures is incredibly dizzying.”
He also highlighted the contrast between demographic changes in Europe and other developing countries, as global population growth continues to soar. Europe’s median age is 43 and its net population of around 5m fell in 2020, whereas Africa’s median age is 20, with a population of 1.3bn set to double by mid-century.
Philippe also identified the environment as another dizzying change, with the effects of global warming already palpable everywhere. Climate change is causing terrible fires in Siberia, famine in Madagascar, and also affecting his city.
“The problems that we see in Le Havre due to rising sea levels are making it very difficult to build in the lower part of the city, because of the flood risk.”
We should all be worried about these changes, he said. “Those who are not feeling dizzy are a worry to me!”
As for solutions: “We must underscore the role of leaders in this dynamic. Thought, insight and debate can contribute to understanding the situation.”
Cultural codes
As French Prime Minister in 2018, Phillipe met Chinese President Xi Jinping who told him that other nations had shouldered the universe for a long time, but now China has the power to carry the whole weight of the universe.
European nations have a key role in counterbalancing risk of polarisation between the global economic superpowers, US and China.
“We can work within our means to be a European power, to try to be a strong France within Europe,” he said.
“We need intelligence and multilateralism – we need to be very careful how we understand our US and Chinese counterparts.
“We share some cultural codes with the US, but that doesn’t make us natural allies.
“We have different language and culture to China; it’s crucial that we create links with a country that remains difficult for Westerners to understand.”
The Fondation Prospective et Innovation , chaired by former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, is also co-organising RAID2021 (Regulation of AI, Internet & Data) online on 12 Oct. Register for free here: http://www.raid.tech/register -
GAISF opens host city selection process for various world multi-sport games
[Source: SportAccord] GAISF has launched the host city selection process for future editions of various world multi-sport events, including the World Urban Games, World Combat Games and World Mind Games.
The world multi-sport events bring the best of sport to host cities, driving global exposure and creating the perfect bridge between elite sport and local communities.
GAISF and SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli said:
“We are delighted to open the host city selection process for future multi-sport Games. All of these events bring the best of sport to the heart of a city, while engaging with youth communities through inspiring initiatives to encourage greater participation in physical activity.
“We are also excited to be working with SportAccord from an operational perspective on the delivery of these various events. SportAccord has extensive experience in the organisation of world-class events and a thorough understanding of the global sports community and multi-sport event landscape.”
Following the successful inaugural 2019 edition of the GAISF World Urban Games in Budapest, GAISF has scheduled a second edition for 2023. The initial version included BMX freestyle, inline roller freestyle, parkour, breaking, 3×3 basketball and freestyle flying disc, together with laser run and indoor rowing. The World Urban Games places sport at the heart of a family-friendly city-centre festival that also includes music and art.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia was recently selected as the next host of the World Combat Games with Riyadh set to become the beating heart of martial arts combat sports in 2023. Finally, the World Mind Games are a multi-sport event centred on the gymnasium of the mind and highlighting the great value of the mind sports.
City representatives who want to learn more should not hesitate to contact GAISF Director and SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt at nis.hatt@sportaccord.com. -
Birmingham 2022 appoints Aggreko as Official Modular Energy Solutions Supporter for the Commonwealth Games
[Source: Birmingham 2022] Aggreko, the global leader in mobile and modular energy solutions, has been named the Official Modular Energy Solutions Supporter for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Games will see athletes compete in 19 sports at 14 locations, including the brand-new Aquatics Centre in Sandwell, all powered by Aggreko’s innovative temporary power solutions.
Aggreko will be applying relevant experience from previous international sporting events, including 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Recognised for its values-led approach to business operations, Aggreko’s appointment demonstrates its commitment to meeting the Birmingham 2022 Social Values Charter, which puts community at the heart of the Games.
Aggreko will be providing a modular energy solution that has sustainability and legacy at its core, with the launch of a number of community projects aimed to educate and leave a long-lasting legacy of the Games, improving opportunities and skills for those living and working in the area.
This support includes running educational events on sustainability, enhancing understanding of sustainable technology and the energy transition, as well as nurturing STEM skills in local schools and not for profit organisations. These events will run before, during and after the Games, with the first set offering local school children the chance of winning Birmingham 2022 tickets to attend the biggest sporting and culture event to happen in the UK for a decade.
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete from 28 July until 8 August 2022. As the biggest event ever to be held in the West Midlands, it is expected to attract more than one million spectators to the city and have a global TV audience of 1.5 billion.
Robert Wells, Managing Director of Event Solutions at Aggreko said: “On behalf of everyone at Aggreko, we are delighted to be partnering with Birmingham 2022, and look forward to helping to deliver a truly outstanding Games, embracing the key objectives, within the Games-Social Values Charter, as well as delivering world class energy solutions.
“Not only will we deliver reliable, efficient and renewable temporary power solutions, but we will also help educate the wider community on the energy transition and the skills and technology needed for this to succeed, helping us all to understand and become excited about the new horizons for sustainability.”
James Eade, Head of Energy at Birmingham 2022, said: “We are delighted to have Aggreko on board as they join us as our Official Modular Energy Solutions Supporter for Birmingham 2022. Aggreko are well-known for their experience in temporary power solutions and they have an enviable pedigree when it comes to multi-games events; they are the ideal partner to help deliver a safe and sustainable Games.
In selecting a delivery partner, we saw that Aggreko’s low-carbon corporate roadmap dovetails neatly with our pioneering zero-carbon games initiative. We are looking forward to using some of Aggreko’s new power generation and storage technologies as well as developing innovative approaches to powering the Games, whilst still maintaining the highest levels of reliability.
“In addition to their work on competition venues, Aggreko are committed to working with us on our community engagement activities, in particular focusing on nurturing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills within the local community. It is really important that we use exciting and engaging opportunities such as the Games to foster new talent in STEM subjects for the future benefit of our environment and well-being.”
Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Director Martin Reynolds said: “Having supported the previous two Commonwealth Games at Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018, we are delighted that Aggreko’s commitment and expertise will once again power world-class competition at Birmingham 2022. We are proud that the Commonwealth Sport brand continues to attract world leading organisations like Aggreko who share our vision.” -
Commonwealth Games Federation appoints Katie Sadleir as CEO
[Source: Commonwealth Games Federation] The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) are delighted to announce that Katie Sadleir has been appointed as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The New Zealander will take up the position from her current role at World Rugby, where she is the General Manager of Women’s Rugby.
A Commonwealth Games medallist and an Olympian, Katie has a wealth of experience as both an athlete and sports administrator.
Born in Scotland and raised in Canada, Katie made New Zealand her home and represented her adopted country at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games in synchronised swimming, before competing at the Edinburgh 1986 Commonwealth Games two years later where she won the bronze medal in the women’s solo. She also served as the Assistant Chef de Mission New Zealand at the Victoria 1994 Commonwealth Games and has attended six editions of the multi-sport competition in various capacities.
Katie led the establishment of the New Zealand Academy of Sport network in the late 1990s before becoming General Manager of Sport and Recreation New Zealand (now Sport New Zealand) from 2000-2006.
She has held directorships with both Sport New Zealand and High-Performance Sport New Zealand while she has been a director with the International Association of Elite Sport Training Centres, a board member of the New Zealand Swimming Federation and a member of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) Athletes’ Commission.
Katie has been General Manager of Women’s Rugby at World Rugby since 2016, where she has been responsible for spearheading the global development of the women’s game.
Amongst a number of key achievements at World Rugby, Katie successfully developed and implemented the transformational 2017-25 women’s strategic plan to promote, grow and commercialise the women’s game.
She will formally take up the CGF CEO position in November 2021.
CGF President Dame Louise Martin said: “Following an extensive global search, the CGF are excited to be welcoming Katie Sadleir as our new Chief Executive Officer.
“As a former athlete and experienced administrator across multiple sports, Katie was the outstanding candidate for the position in what was a high-quality field.
“She will play a leading role in driving the future strategic direction of our organisation through Birmingham 2022 and beyond.
“We look forward to Katie joining us later in the year.”
New CGF CEO Katie Sadleir said: “I am delighted to be taking up the CGF Chief Executive Officer role at what is very exciting time for the Commonwealth Sport Movement.
“With Birmingham 2022 fast approaching and the Games nearing its centenary in 2030, there is a fantastic opportunity to enhance our global sporting movement as one that is fully focused on community legacy, benefit and impact through sport.
“I look forward to working with my new colleagues at the CGF, CGF Partnerships and Commonwealth Sport Foundation.
“I am also excited to closely collaborate with our Commonwealth Games Associations, International Federations, Games Organising Committees, Host City Partners and Commonwealth institutions to help achieve our collective goals.”
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “World Rugby would like to wish Katie every success in her exciting appointment as Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, a close partner of rugby. Katie leaves an impressive lasting legacy having successfully devised a transformational strategy to normalise, promote, grow and commercialise the women’s game.
“As we approach the halfway mark of the women’s strategic plan, a solid platform is in place for the sport to continue to press on and make impactful change that will continue to accelerate the development of women’s rugby and women in rugby globally, cementing its place as a leader in this priority area.
“Katie, supported by all our unions and regions, has created an unstoppable movement and momentum that the rugby family will continue to harness and push forward to ensure the phenomenal advancement of women’s rugby and women in rugby continues to flourish.”
The recruitment process for the CGF CEO process was supported by leading global executive search and talent consulting firm SRI.