[Source: INTERKULTUR] Thousands of spectators witnessed the unique atmosphere that characterizes the so-called “Olympic Games for Choirs!” digitally and live on site. The more than 300 choirs participating both virtually and live closed the World Choir Games solemnly on Sunday, November 7, during the Closing Ceremony at the Expo in Antwerp.
The Flemish edition stood out in particular for its inclusive character and innovative approach. In 2022, the 12th World Choir Games will be held in Gangneung, South Korea.
At the Closing Ceremony of the World Choir Games 2018 in South Africa, Flanders was announced as the next host region. These World Choir Games were to be the “most inclusive games ever” – a great challenge. For the past three years, the organization had been working on a large festival involving people from a wide range of backgrounds, with a focus on togetherness and solidarity.
Director Koenraad De Meulder looks back on the past edition with great pride: “What seemed almost impossible, we made possible with the 11th edition of the World Choir Games. To be able to sing again, to be on stage and to enjoy it together: that was a godsend. With the momentum of the 11th edition, we will now give even more people the chance to sing together.”
Inclusion and Innovation
The World Choir Games have excelled in more than just inclusion. Covid-19 forced the organizers to drastically rethink the concept of the World Choir Games. For the first time in their history, the World Choir Games were held in a hybrid format. Thanks to the Virtual Village, choirs from all over the world were able to witness and even actively participate in the event.
In addition, the World Choir Games collaborated with IMEC to develop the Music Box. With this state-of-the-art technology, choirs from all over the world can sing together without delays and in optimal sound quality. Most meeting software is still inadequate for this purpose due to the delay in transmission.
“Due to Covid, these World Choir Games were of course the most unusual event the Choir Olympic movement has ever experienced,” said INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch.
“The Virtual Village and the virtual competitions were an excellent stopgap to allow all those to participate who could not travel themselves to see and enjoy the Games live here in Flanders. I am happy that so many international choirs took the opportunity to participate virtually, but I am especially proud of all the choirs who enchanted us with their beautiful music in the many fantastic concerts last week.”
Musical Flanders
The World Choir Games were also a great success in musical terms. Despite Corona restrictions, more than 300 choirs participated live and digitally in the 11th edition of the event. The free-of-charge Friendship Concerts that took place outside the competitions also attracted hundreds or thousands of spectators.
“An unexpected success! What an atmosphere, what an emotion! With the singers at the shows and their competitions, but at least as much with the entire team, which has done an incredible job to make such a great international singing event possible in the current conditions. Warm-heartedness, togetherness and smiling faces – this is what I remember from the World Choir Games 2021 Flanders,” said Sophie Detremmerie, COO of the World Choir Games 2021 Flanders.
“We have all experienced a unique and heart-warming event over the past 9 days. The World Choir Games have shown us the importance of this amateur art,” said Luc Delrue, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture. “We have once again given a stage to the many thousands of singers and choral enthusiasts. We have seen again the passion and the pure joy of making music together, of singing. And that was visibly good!”
Choral flame moves on to South Korea
After this 11th edition of the World Choir Games, Flanders will be on the list of former host regions together with cities like Bremen (Germany), Cincinnati (USA) and Sochi (Russia). INTERKULTUR organizes the World Choir Games every two years.
Due to the Corona crisis and the related restrictions, the Flemish edition of the singing festival was postponed for more than a year. Therefore, the next games will be held again as early as 2022. The South Korean coastal city of Gangneung takes over the choir flame from Antwerp and Ghent.
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World Choir Games 2021 close with great success
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World event leaders line up for “even bigger and better” Host City 2021
Taking place on an AI-enabled digital platform, this free-to-register conference is a fantastic opportunity for the major events sector to “Refresh, Regenerate and Reconnect”.
Following welcome addresses from Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland, Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life and Sir Craig Reedie KBE, Honorary Member, International Olympic Committee (IOC), delegates will be treated to an enticing programme of speakers and discussion.
Lord Sebastian Coe KBE, President, World Athletics and IOC Member gives a Keynote Address on the successful hosting of Tokyo 2020 and future trends in major events.
Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games brings a Keynote Presentation on “Paris 2024 Games: a new model bringing people around sustainable Games with creativity”.
His counterpart at Milano Cortina 2026, Chief Executive Vincenzo Novari also gives a keynote update on preparations for the Winter Olympic Games.
Looking further ahead, Octavian Morariu, IOC Member, Chair, Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, IOC and President, Rugby Europe gives an exclusive insight into the process of engaging with future Olympic hosts.
Katie Sadleir, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Federation also gives a Keynote Address on Birmingham 2022 and beyond.
Host City 2021 also features Q&A sessions: IOC Executive Board Member Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski speaks to Host City on engaging with next generation audiences; IOC Member Anita DeFrantz and LA28 Board Member talks about the Games coming to her city and the power of sports and events to break barriers; and Jamaican swimming champion Michael Gunning shares his own experiences of “Turning the tide of prejudice”.
Panel discussions at Host City 2021 feature extremely engaging speakers and topics. Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, Member, IOC, Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF, Paul J. Foster, CEO, Global Esports Federation and Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, Rugby League World Cup 2021 consider “How has the pandemic changed the events sector?”.
Sam Ramsamy, Vice President, FINA – and close friend of Nelson Mandela – joins the IPC’s Rita van Driel, the CGF’s Brendan Williams and David Grevemberg CBE to discuss “Diversity and integrity in leadership”.
Trudy Lindblade, Chief Executive Officer, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and Martin Green CBE, Chief Creative Officer, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK join on “Partnership approaches to event hosting”.
The question of “Broader casting – who owns the rights?” is taken on by Jamie Hindhaugh, Chief Operating Officer, BT Sport, Peter Hutton, Director of Sports Partnerships, Meta, Facebook and Jeff Foulser, Chairman, Sunset+Vine.
It’s not just about sports events either. Geoff Ellis CEO, DF Concerts, Francesca Hegyi OBE, Executive Director, Edinburgh International Festival and Susan Sawbridge, Manager, New Zealand Major Events share outlooks on “The return of live audiences, travel and tourism”.
Laura Lopez, Director, Conference Affairs, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions, Glasgow Convention Bureau speak on “The meetings industry in the post-pandemic world”.
Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive, Culture, Creativity, Place chairs a workshop on “Cities of Culture – changing places forever” with Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Prof. Jonothan Neelands, Academic Director for Cultural Partnerships, University of Warwick and Angus Farquhar, Creative Director, Dandelion.
Iain Edmondson, Director, Legacy Delivery chairs a workshop of event hosts and rights holders on “Defining event impacts and promoting positive outcomes” in relation to ASOIF’s “Common Indicators for Measuring the Impact of Events”.
Other great speakers at Host City 2021 include: Shiny Fang, Secretary General, UIPM; Clare Briegal, Chief Executive Officer, World Netball; Jason Ferguson, Chairman, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association; Sarah Lewis OBE OLY, Global Sports Leader; Billy Garrett, Director of Sport and Events, Glasgow Life; David de Behr, Head of Sales Aggreko Event Services, Aggreko plc; Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers; Katie Traxton, Board Director, European Sponsorship Association; Daniel Cordey, Chair, Association of Global Event Suppliers and more to be announced.
Host City 2020 welcomed 1,000 registrants from 60 countries and, with such a stellar speaker line-up, Host City 2021 is set to exceed expectations.
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland, said: “EventScotland has a strong partnership with Host City, having been a supporter of the conference since its inception in 2014, and we are delighted to be welcoming it back to Scotland and Glasgow for the 7th consecutive year.
“As we continue to navigate the return of events in this new normal, the conference is great opportunity for the global events industry to come together and learn from one another while also looking ahead to what the future holds for major events under the theme of refresh, regenerate and reconnect.
“We look forward to working with the Host City team to deliver a conference that ensures a bright future for all events.”
Dr Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, said: “As a proud supporter of Host City, we’re delighted to welcome the event back to Glasgow for the seventh year in a row.
“As one of the world’s leading host cities for festivals and major events, Glasgow has keenly felt the impact of Covid-19. As we begin to recover and rebuild from the pandemic, we know this event will be a key milestone for many of our colleagues across the world, and seeing how well last year’s Host City event was delivered on a digital platform was hugely encouraging and the global feedback was fantastic.
“We look forward to working with the Host City team once again in just a few weeks’ time to ensure that 2021’s event is even bigger and better than previous iterations, and to share best practice with our colleagues across the world as we all work to create the best possible future for events.”
Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games said: “I am very pleased to be invited to speak once again at the Host City conference, to share with inspiring personalities my experience of organising the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the biggest sporting event on the planet. In a world of rapid changes and high expectations from citizens, we must succeed in organising an event that is both spectacular and sustainable, that monitor its impact while leaving a positive legacy on society. To achieve this, at Paris 2024, we have one watchword: creativity.”
Host City 2021 is delivered with supporting partners EventScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.
Event supporters include Headline Sponsor, Aggreko; Gold Sponsor, Sport Event Denmark; Silver Sponsors, the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), DB Schenker and Sunset+Vine; Strategic Partners, The Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) and Global Esports Federation.
For more information visit www.hostcity.com or email ben.avison@hostcity.com -
Aggreko trials hydrogen generator and fuel cell battery hybrid
[Source: Aggreko] Aggreko is accelerating its investments in hydrogen technology. This step is part of its Net Zero programme and will enhance the company’s capability to provide emission-free temporary power worldwide. At present, the global leader in mobile and modular energy solutions is focusing on two different technologies.
Together with cleantech partner CMB.TECH, a 50 kVA hydrogen combustion genset demonstrator has been developed. After successful testing, Aggreko is now investing in 10 additional units to support hydrogen readiness, working with lead customers and partners to test and validate hydrogen as an energy carrier in temporary power. The solution will be ready for customer installations in Europe in H2/2021.This solution is Tier 4f/Stage V compliant without aftertreatment and results in near to no NOx emissions.
In addition, Aggreko has partnered with Nedstack for building a fuel cell demonstration unit that will integrate zero-emission hydrogen technology into Aggreko’s canopy storage battery solution. The hydrogen hybrid consists of a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell and a lithium-ion storage system. The zero-emissions solution will be piloted in Aggreko’s hub in Moerdijk, Netherlands.
Aggreko is exploring hydrogen technologies and fuel supply logistics to better understand long-term feasibility and usage in temporary power generation. The engine and fuel cell hybrids will be available as field-trial and demonstrator units at customer’s sites in the second half of 2021. This will help businesses around the world – from events to construction – to reduce their own emissions and bridge the gap to net zero.
Carsten Reincke-Collon, Director of Future Technologies at Aggreko, said:?“At Aggreko we like to think of hydrogen as having its own superpowers, given the electricity it can produce without emitting any emissions. However, businesses around the world are only at the start of the hydrogen journey and therefore need to be supported to find?the best ways of?integrating it into their operations. This means better knowledge of and increased investment in storage and transport infrastructure, which is why we’re testing different technologies in order to fully understand the role hydrogen can play in transitioning temporary power to net zero.”
Last year, Aggreko committed to operating as a Net?Zero business across all services it provides by?2050. The company will also reduce the amount of fossil diesel fuel used in customer solutions by at least 50%, reduce local air quality emissions of its solutions by 50% and achieve Net Zero across all its own business operations by 2030. To achieve these goals, Aggreko is?increasingly offering clean technologies like?battery storage and?solar power, as well as prioritising the use of?alternative?fuels. -
The European Championship in Your City: Become a host of the European Choir Games!
[Source: Interkultur] Since 2013 the European Choir Games, the European Championships of Choral Singing has brought together choirs from across Europe and the world. During an 8-day festival of singing cities like Graz (Austria), Magdeburg (Germany), Riga (Latvia), and Gothenburg (Sweden) were already transformed in a big stage of international singing in recent years.
The success of the WCG is built on the expertise of the German-based organization INTERKULTUR, the world’s largest organizer of international choir competitions. INTERKULTUR´s biggest success to date was to bring the antique Olympic idea to the choral community. The World Choir Games 2000 in Linz, Austria was the beginning of a Choir Olympic movement and has developed into the world’s largest international choir competition in the world. The 11th edition of the event has just closed in Flanders, Belgium on November 7. With the European Choir Games INTERKULTUR has transferred the idea to the European continent.
The event regularly brings together around 200 choirs and 8,000 participants from roughly 50 Europan nations and beyond – a unique opportunity to showcase the own city to the world!
There are still hosting opportunities for 2023 and 2025! If you’re interested to receive further information please contact host@europeanchoirgames.com and visit http://host.europeanchoirgames.com
WACH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttYMndSr7lM -
Istanbul to host second Global Esports Games
[Source: Global Esports Federation] The Global Esports Federation celebrates the final months of 2021 with a host of activities, charting numerous firsts for the organization. Excitement among the world’s esports community for the inaugural Global Esports Games kicking off in Singapore on December 17 is at a fever pitch. The inaugural host city prepares to welcome athletes from over 40 countries and territories to compete in person at the historic event in the heart of vibrant Singapore.
Istanbul will host the second edition of the GEF’s flagship event in December 2022. Last week, Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF, led a delegation to Istanbul, Turkey to meet with the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamo?lu, as well as leaders from Spor Istanbul, the Turkish Esports Federation, and members of the gaming, esports, education, business, and cultural community. The delegations discussed preparatory work, visited venue options, and explored the limitless opportunities for esports in the country.
The Global Esports Federation presenting a Certificate of Designation to the Mayor of Istanbul, naming Istanbul as the Host City for the Global Esports Games 2022. From L-R: Renay Onur, General Manager, Spor Istanbul; Alper Afsin Ozdemir, Founding President, Turkish Esports Federation (TESFED); Ekrem Imamo?lu, Mayor of Istanbul; Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF; Ali Kiremitcio?lu, GEF Commission Member; Ramil Aliyev, GEF Board Member; and Rustam Aghasiyev, GEF Director of Global Events.
“For years it has been said that Istanbul stands at the crossroads between Asia and Europe, but it also stands at the very heart of a thriving inclusive youth culture. You literally feel the energy vibrate from within this breathtaking city presenting great opportunities to showcase the future of esports, as we continue to expand our #worldconnected community, said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF. “With a month until the inaugural Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games, we have already started our detailed work with our partners in Turkey. We are proud to welcome Istanbul as host city for the Global Esports Games 2022 as we convene the world’s athletes and players here in a little over a year.”
Interest from the world’s leading cities to host the GEF’s robust event portfolio continues to expand. The GEF Board’s recent decision to call for expressions of interest to host future editions of the Global Esports Games, from 2024 through 2027, has seen unprecedented interest, with nine global cities indicating interest. The GEF’s technical teams are currently assessing the applications, candidacy files, and the GEF Board will select the host cities at the upcoming Board Meeting in Singapore on December 17, 2021.
A delegation from the GEF recently jetted from Los Angeles in September for the first ever Global Esports Tour, to its first live-audience esports tournament in Riyadh in October. The team will continue their journey to Dubai next week for the last stop of the GET this year. Then, the team will lock-focus on the final phase of preparations for the Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games. -
“Excitement and buzz” surrounds great event content – Jeff Foulser, Sunset+Vine
Host City: Sunset+Vine is the Host Broadcaster for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games – what are the key aspects of the service you will offer?
Jeff Foulser: We are providing the broadcast coverage (Host Feed) for all 19 sports plus ceremonies as well as running the International Broadcast Centre which rights holders can book space and facilities in. We also provide a Games Channel which is essentially a channel showcasing the best live sport at any given time and a multi-channel service if broadcasters want to take just one sport.
Host City: What led to Sunset+Vine winning the host broadcasting contracts for the 2012 Paralympics and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games for Sunset+Vine, and how transformative were these projects for the company?
Jeff Foulser: For the 2012 Paralympics we were approached by Channel 4 along with IMG for a joint production of the Games. This was the first time a UK broadcaster had committed so much airtime to a Paralympic Games and led to us running the Rio Games in 2016 on our own. The biggest challenge was to integrate talent with disability into the coverage as well as to find ways to educate the viewing audience. It transformed our company’s perceptions of disability and we’ve trained and employed a number of those who are still with the company today.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games were even more transformative for the company because they signalled our arrival as a truly global player in the world of Host Broadcasting. There was historically a small number of ‘specialist’ companies who were the ‘go to’ people for major events, and Glasgow proved to ourselves and the wider industry that we could deliver outstanding coverage of multi-sports events. This led to a number of major contract wins including ICC cricket and World Rugby Sevens.
Host City: Sunset+Vine also produced numerous live sporting events over the past 18 months. It must be quite a challenge working through times like these – what were the qualities that have enabled your team to navigate this turbulent time?
Jeff Foulser: It has certainly been the toughest time any of us can remember working in the industry but what impressed me was just how adaptable our staff have been to working in completely different ways. We pride ourselves on the culture of our business and the willingness of our people to just knuckle down and handle whatever was thrown at them was incredible. They constantly went the extra mile to keep on delivering top quality productions.
Host City: How do you think the pandemic changed the business of host broadcasting on an ongoing basis?
Jeff Foulser: The pandemic accelerated the move to remote production by a number of years and it has been a transformational way of working. Instead of all staff going to a football/rugby/cricket stadium and working together, we now have significantly fewer people on site as the programmes are predominantly delivered for remote hubs. This way of working is not universal because remote production only works if there is good connectivity at the event but as that improves, the move towards more remote working will continue to evolve.
The danger though is we have to make sure the teams stay personally connected to each other and the on-screen talent and they only get that if they can share ideas over a coffee and reflect on how well the show went afterwards over a beer in the pub. It’s also vital that the more junior members in the team have mentors to help them develop their skills.
Host City: How would you describe the impact of OTT streaming services on the sports broadcasting industry – who are the winners and losers from this media disruption?
Jeff Foulser: Massive, as we are starting to see in many different territories. Companies like Amazon have very deep pockets and at the moment are testing out which rights work in different countries. We’ve just seen their presence in the North American market drive up the price for Premier League football, forcing NBC to pay £2 billion for a new rights cycle versus £740 million last time. As always in the sports rights market, those with the biggest cheque books will be the winners and it will be impossible for the free to air broadcasters to compete.
Host City: Content is also being generated by fans and athletes themselves – how do you believe this impacts the broadcasting industry (and rights holders)?
Jeff Foulser: This is absolutely complementary to the live rights and really helps to promote the events. As long as the live experience is protected from piracy the value to the rights holder is huge. Content generated by fans and athletes creates excitement and a buzz that feeds interest in the sport and draws even more people to it.
Host City: Thank you very much Jeff, we really look forward to finding out more from you at Host City 2021 on the panel “Broader casting – who owns the rights?”. Readers, check out Jeff’s speaker profile here: and don’t forget in all the excitement and buzz to REGISTER HERE NOW – and enjoy the show! -
Glasgow awarded 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships
[Source: UK Athletics] The Emirates Arena will stage the biggest Indoor athletics championships in the world, five years on from holding the hugely successful European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2019.
News of the award has delighted the bid partners EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Athletics and UK Sport who received the outcome of the World Athletics Council vote earlier this afternoon.
Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, said: “I’m delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the prestigious World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2024. This will underline Scotland’s global reputation as the Perfect Stage for events and is welcome news as we look to recover from the pandemic.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that Glasgow and Scotland have been chosen to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Scotland is the perfect stage for events and securing the Championships reinforces our reputation as a global leader in the delivery of innovative and world class events.
“We look forward to working closely with World Athletics and our partners to deliver the truly memorable Championships, and to welcoming athletes and fans from around the world to Glasgow and Scotland in 2024.”
Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Today’s announcement by Word Athletics recognises Glasgow’s global reputation as a first choice host for major sporting events and as a city with a track record of delivering world-class event experiences. It’s a privilege to be bringing the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to the Emirates Arena, which is widely regarded as one of the best athletics venues in the world.
“Glasgow is committed to using major international events to encourage participation in sport and physical activity, and to ensuring the positive impact of events benefits local communities. Together with our partners, we’re looking forward to continuing that important work and to delivering an outstanding Championships which helps to inspire Scotland’s next generation of talented athletes.”
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said: “I am delighted that with our event hosting partners, we have secured another world class event to take place in Scotland. As part of our new strategy to reach, inspire and unite communities across the UK, ensuring a wide geographical reach is of utmost importance to us. The National Lottery investment into this event will help ensure a truly inspirational event, both on and off the field of play.”
Ian Beattie, Chair of UK Athletics said: “We are delighted to be awarded the opportunity to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. World Athletics have demonstrated their confidence in the UK to host global athletics championships once again, and history has shown time and time again our ability to deliver amazing events.
“We’re thrilled with the outcome and look forward to a successful Championships working alongside our partners that will truly give all athletes a fantastic stage upon which to perform.”
The dates of the event have yet to be finalised, but are expected to be in March 2024.
Peru to host first World Athletics Series event in 2024
[Source: World Athletics] Lima will become the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event when it welcomes the world’s best junior athletes in mid-2024.
The President of the Peruvian Athletics Federation, Javier Chirinos Hoyos, said this was a big moment for athletics in Peru.
“We are very happy and proud to have been chosen for the first time ever, to host the 2024 World U20 Championships,” he said. “Rest assured that we will organise the best event of this category in history. We have the experience and a great team to give the best in Lima in 2024. Thanks all and we will be waiting with open arms for all of you in Lima.”
The general director of the Local Organising Committee, Luis Condeso Ocampo, added: “We are very happy and grateful to World Athletics for trusting us to host the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2024. We assume this designation with great responsibility, and be sure that the Peruvian Athletics Federation, with all the support of the Peruvian Sports Institute, the Municipality of Lima, and all sportspeople in Peru, we will make the World U20 Championships in Lima an unforgettable experience for all participants.” agreed on the host cities of two future World Athletics Series events at their meeting in Monaco. -
Diverse events complete Host City 2021’s “incredible speaker programme”
Host City 2021 takes place on 7-8 December, hosted online from Glasgow, Scotland. Register here now for free.
The quality, quantity and diversity of the incredible speaker programme for Host City 2021 continues to grow.
Over the last three weeks, major event organisers joining the programme include: Bodour Al Meer, Sustainability Director, Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy; Georgina Grenon, Director of Sustainability, Paris 2024; Argyris Caridakis, Director of Games Services, Paris 2024; Russell Scott, Broadcast Lead, Rugby World Cup 2021, Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships, The R&A and Nadja Burkhardt, Event Supervisor, Eurovision Song Contest.
Additional rights holders added to the agenda include: Ivo Ferriani, Executive Board Member, IOC and President of GAISF, IBSF and AIOWF; Densign White MBE, CEO, IMMAF and Chair, Sporting Equals; Thomas Lund OLY, Secretary General, Badminton World Federation; Beng Choo Low, Secretary General, World Baseball Softball Confederation; Mark Chay, Secretariat, Global Esports Federation; Michael Dhulst, Co-Founder & CEO, Super League Triathlon; Kris Gemmell, Head of Commercial and Marketing, World Triathlon; Kate Miller, Chief Diversity and Communications Officer, The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB); Jennifer Arnold, Associate Vice President, U.S. Soccer Foundation; Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA – International Congress and Convention Association; Marco Mazzi, Vice-President, International Sports Travel Agencies Association (ISTAA); Zhanna Kovalchuk, Executive Director and Jenny Ennis, Congress and Events Manager, European Society of Sports Traumatology Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) and Martin Boyle, CEO, The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO).
Host destinations joining the line-up include: Robbie Clyde, Head of EventScotland, VisitScotland; François Croquette, Head of Climate Department & Chief Resilience Officer, City of Paris; Grant MacDonald, Chief Operating Officer, Sport Tourism Canada; Peter Duthie, CEO, Scottish Event Campus; Claire McColgan MBE, Director of Culture, Liverpool City Council and Vice Chair, UK City of Culture; and Élise Smith, Senior Program Officer, Major Sport Event Coordination, Sport Canada.
Expert service providers added to the Host City programme include: Kevin Li, Head of International Sports Industry Department, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence; Kristian Gotsch, EMEA Director, Two Circles; and Sean Parry, Commercial Strategy Director, Zwift.
They complete an incredible array of speakers, including: Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland; Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life; Sir Craig Reedie KBE, Honorary Member, International Olympic Committee (IOC); Lord Sebastian Coe KBE, President, World Athletics and IOC Member; Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games; Vincenzo Novari, CEO, Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games; Octavian Morariu, IOC Member, Chair, Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, IOC and President, Rugby Europe; Katie Sadleir, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Federation; Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski, Executive Board Member, IOC; Anita DeFrantz, IOC Member and LA28 Board Member; Michael Gunning, Jamaican swimming champion; Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, IOC Member; Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF, Paul J. Foster, CEO, Global Esports Federation; Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, Rugby League World Cup 2021; Sam Ramsamy, Vice President, FINA; Trudy Lindblade, Chief Executive Officer, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships; Jeff Foulser, Chairman, Sunset+Vine; Laura Lopez, Director, Conference Affairs, UNFCCC; Billy Garrett, Director of Sport and Events, Glasgow Life; David de Behr, Head of Sales, Aggreko Event Services; Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers; and many more.
Host City 2020 welcomed 1,000 registrants from 60 countries and, with such an amazing agenda, Host City 2021 is set to exceed expectations.
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland, said: “EventScotland has a strong partnership with Host City, having been a supporter of the conference since its inception in 2014, and we are delighted to be welcoming it back to Scotland and Glasgow for the 7th consecutive year.
“As we continue to navigate the return of events in this new normal, the conference is great opportunity for the global events industry to come together and learn from one another while also looking ahead to what the future holds for major events under the theme of refresh, regenerate and reconnect.
“The addition of these world-leading event organisers, rights holders and destinations to the incredible speaker programme already assembled will ensure an exciting and informative two days of discussion and debate.”
Dr Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, said: “As a proud supporter of Host City, we’re delighted to welcome the event back to Glasgow for the seventh year in a row.
“As one of the world’s leading host cities for festivals and major events, Glasgow has keenly felt the impact of Covid-19. As we begin to recover and rebuild from the pandemic, we know this event will be a key milestone for many of our colleagues across the world, and seeing how well last year’s Host City event was delivered on a digital platform was hugely encouraging and the global feedback was fantastic.
“We look forward to working with the Host City team once again in just a few weeks’ time to ensure that 2021’s event is even bigger and better than previous iterations, and to share best practice with our colleagues across the world as we all work to create the best possible future for events.”
Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games said: “I am very pleased to be invited to speak once again at the Host City conference, to share with inspiring personalities my experience of organising the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the biggest sporting event on the planet. In a world of rapid changes and high expectations from citizens, we must succeed in organising an event that is both spectacular and sustainable, that monitor its impact while leaving a positive legacy on society. To achieve this, at Paris 2024, we have one watchword: creativity.”
Host City 2021 is delivered with supporting partners EventScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.
Host City 2021 takes place on an AI-enabled digital platform under the banner of “Refresh, Regenerate and Reconnect”.
Event supporters include: Headline Sponsor, Aggreko; Gold Sponsors, Alibaba Cloud and West Midland Growth Company; Silver Sponsors, International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH); Super League Triathlon and Sunset+Vine; Branding Partners, Sport Event Denmark and FOAMHAND; Federation Partner, the International Sports Travel Agencies Association (ISTAA); and Strategic Partners, the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) and Global Esports Federation.
About Host City
Host City is the event and media brand that connects the owners, hosts and organisers of major events.
Through its conference, exhibition and online publishing platforms, Host City shares best practice within the international community of international sports, business and cultural events.
Launched in 2014. Host City events are renowned for the highest level of speakers, content and networking
For more information visit www.hostcity.com or email ben.avison@hostcity.com -
World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon launch esports World Championship Series
[Source: World Triathlon] World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon have announced a partnership to grow a global esports series that will crown the official triathlon esport World Champions. The partnership will see the formation of the Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, a series of events giving opportunities to ranked athletes and national federations to participate and pursue the official World Championship title.
The partnership between World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon is the next step in growing the innovative concept of esports into a new and officially recognised discipline for triathlon. Fully in line with the International Olympic Committee’s aspirations to develop esports with its Olympic Virtual Series, it also taps into the strong growth of virtual participation that emerged during the pandemic.
The Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, developed by Super League, is a unique format that marries real life and virtual racing and realises triathlon’s potential as an esport. Off the back of winning the prestigious Sports Industry Awards title for Cutting Edge Events and the Sports Business Award for Most Innovative Business Response to COVID 19, the Arena Games Triathlon will see both organisations working together to grow a global series that crowns an official World Champion.
Investing in cutting edge technologies, audiovisual content and incredible race scenarios that will generate wide engagement and awareness, World Triathlon and Super League will together help take the Arena Games Triathlon to the next level for the benefit of fans, athletes, national federations and all stakeholders.
The Arena Games Triathlon series builds on the existing MOU between Super League and World Triathlon and will continue to celebrate gender equality, clean sport and fair competition, providing new race opportunities to athletes with the aim of taking the format to the very pinnacle of the sport.
Marisol Casado, World Triathlon President and IOC member, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this partnership. Both organisations have been working hard and investing significant resources to evolve our sport, growing audiences, and giving the athletes the best stages on which to perform at their best. So it is only natural for both World Triathlon and Super League to invest and work together. I am absolutely convinced that the Arena Games Triathlon will be a fantastic event for athletes, broadcasters, sponsors and fans alike.”
Super League Triathlon CEO, Michael D’hulst, said: “This is a very exciting day for the sport. By partnering together, Super League Triathlon and World Triathlon are taking the next step in what has already been a very steep growth curve for the Arena Games. With this partnership, the sky’s the limit. This could well be the next Olympic triathlon discipline.”
“The Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift has already proved to be an award winning disruptor, recognised by athletes and the wider sports community, and with a growing appetite at the very top levels of sport to bring esport to a much wider audience, this is perfectly timed for the benefit of everyone in triathlon and to help deliver an even more exciting future.”
Super League Triathlon co-founder and Chairman, Leonid Boguslavsky, added: “When I was a kid I had a dream to create a new sport discipline. This is why I am very proud that we have created the Arena Games Triathlon format using innovative tech from Zwift. It will inspire many athletes as well as organisers to roll out this format to many countries and cities since it does not depend on weather or venue restrictions, and triathlon as a sport will grow much faster both for athletes and media.”
World Triathlon and Super League will collaborate on all aspects of Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, including scheduling, participating athletes, involvement of national federations, promotion, broadcasters, host venues and amplifying the reach of the events. The first series will be announced shortly, with the first official World Champions set to be crowned in 2022.
To find out more, listen to Super League Triathlon CEO Michael Dhulst and World Triathlon’s Kris Gemmel’s “Case Study Presentation: Working in partnership to create an esport world series for triathlon” at Host City 2021 – register here now: https://www.hostcity.com/events/host-city-2021/register -
Thrills, hope and the metaverse
Host City: Hi Paul, we’re really looking forward to hearing you speak at Host City 2021. You’ve recently announced the host cities for the next 3 Global Esports Games – what do you think the Games will bring to these cities?
Paul J. Foster: Firstly, thank you for inviting me back to this year’s Host City edition. So much has happened over the last year around the world and for the Global Esports Federation. Our inaugural Global Esports Games is just around the corner and kicks off in Singapore on December 17.
Beyond the obvious thrills of a live esports tournament featuring some of the world’s top teams and players, I hope that the Games will offer a message of hope and optimism in these trying times; that live events are returning and communities can come together again and have fun.
This will be one of the first flagship, international events to be held in Singapore in the last 2 years and I wish for the Global Esports Games to become the benchmark on how a global event can be safely and successfully staged; paving the way for other international events to be held in Singapore come 2022.
We are grateful to Singapore for hosting this first Games. Istanbul 2022 and Riyadh 2023 will also have delegations in Singapore – learning and sharing from the teams.
Host City: We’re really looking forward to hearing you speak at Host City 2021 on 7-8 December. What are you most looking forward to hearing and seeing there?
Paul J. Foster: Thank you and I am excited to be given this opportunity to share my thoughts and learnings over the past year with your audience and communities around the world.
I am really looking forward to tuning in to various panels as they share their thoughts on how we can all move forward successfully.
I am also keen to hear perspectives around the development of the metaverse and how communities are successfully embracing the co-existence of the real and virtual world in the planning and staging of events and viewership
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