Host City: It’s great to be here in Birmingham for SportAccord. How important was hosting the Commonwealth Games for the city and the West Midlands region?
Joel Lavery: We hit the high note with the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The city came alive with sport, and we recognised the power and the impact of an event like the Commonwealth Games. That led us to think about what comes after the Commonwealth Games. We wanted to see if we could attract more events that have purpose, and to know what impact they’re going to have.
Host City: How is hosting SportAccord helping to attract more events?
Joel Lavery: SportAccord is one of the events that sits as part of that portfolio that is being paid for by the underspend of £70 million from the Commonwealth Games and the £6 million invested into the major events fund. What better audience could we have than 1,500 world leaders of sport? And so this week it’s about meeting people and starting off some of those conversations that we hope will lead to us landing a pipeline of opportunities.
Host City: What activities have you got in the pipeline?
Joel Lavery: We’ve talked about the Golden Decade of Sport from the Commonwealth Games. In 2026 we’ll have the European Athletics Championships and alongside that, we’ll have the IWG Women in Sport Global Conference that’s happening in this very same venue in two years. We’ve also got events like the Kabaddi World Cup, the Urban Sports World Championships, Esports and Judo happening.
Tom Wagner made the announcement here that they’ve purchased a large piece of land in the east of Birmingham where there’s going to be a new development, a new Birmingham City stadium and sports quarter. I think that’s an exciting announcement, when we’re talking about the power of sport to transform cities and showcasing the West Midlands’ place at the heart of sport in the UK.
For more information on the West Midlands’ sporting offer, please go to: www.meetbirmingham.com/sportingevents #HeartofSport
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Transforming cities at the heart of sport
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ISSA plays for peace in the Islamic world
At this precarious moment geopolitically around the world, and particularly in the Middle East, sport might just help.
“Sports is a beautiful tool for common understanding,” says Nasser Majali, Secretary General of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association.
“We view sports as an integration tool – as a peacebuilding tool, and one to build integration between countries and between people. It makes changes in culture, in gender equity and opens up a lot of doors for dialogue and travel.
“Sports is a language. In our membership there are three official languages, Arabic, English and French, and a lot of unofficial languages. But the one thing that brings them together, and they all can talk, is one single language of sports. Everybody knows who wins and loses, and what that person in front of me went through to get there. So it is a unifying language.”
Asked if sports is contributing to the westernisation of the Islamic world, Majali pointed to the power of sports for development in all cultures.
“Sports is a very important tool for development, whether it’s in education and health, in economics. Ask any child today in the world about sports and 90% of the time they’ll talk about sports as something very important in their life. Then when people grow up you will find that a lot of their memories and character development was built around that.”
Transformation phase
The Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) was established about 40 years ago, with a membership based on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the umbrella organisation for Muslim countries – not just predominantly Muslim countries but also countries with sizeable Muslim populations like Guyana Uganda, Cameroon.
“The vision and mission of the organisation has been transformed,” says Majali. “It’s going through a transformation phase for us to become to scale more and to go into development of sustainable sports ecosystems within the 57 countries.”
ISSA has five focus areas, starting with sports development. “So that’s developmental programmes and also prioritising sports as a sector in the 57 countries. That goes also to the economic part of sports and the startups and companies’ growth. So it’s a discussion that we have with our National Olympic Committees and then with the governments and leading bodies within the countries to try to push for the sports sector, which sadly, it’s not prioritised in all countries.”
Another major focus area is multi-sports games and events. ISSA has its own Games – the Islamic Solidarity Games – and aims to help members to host other events between Games.
Research and academia is another area. “There are a lot of statistics missing from the 57 countries regarding the sports sector,” says Majali. “We believe it’s our role to become the kind of the Wikipedia of the world of Islam and sports. The whole philosophy behind sports and Islam requires a lot of research.”
The fourth focus area is the integration of Islamic culture and tradition within the global sports movement. “So that’s kind of explaining a lot of things. What happens in Ramadan with athletes – why we shouldn’t have mega sports events happening right in the middle of Ramadan and how would that affect performance? Also, topics related to the right of female athletes to be wearing the hijab in all sports sporting events. Somebody needs to be a voice, so we are taking on that responsibility.”
The last focus area is emergency assistance. Many of ISSA’s member countries are experiencing crises, from the conflicts in Sudan, Palestine to the recent earthquake in Turkey and floods in Libya and many others. “What is very important for us is to be able to mobilise, assist with programming, and lobbying for the sports sector in those countries so that it does not lose its priority when the rebuild starts.”
Working with partners
One of the main ways that ISSA is looking to implement its aims is by working with partners. “We don’t want to reinvent the game. So when we come to talk about gender equity, we’d like to integrate with partners who have worked on that for a long time.
“If we wanted to talk about IFs, we’d like to find a partner or somebody like SportAccord to work with. If the International Olympic Committee is working on Olympic solidarity, we’d like to integrate into that, and with potential partners such as the UN or Save the Children for example.
“Our implementation methodology is to find the partner and scale with them rather than do something from scratch. I hope that that in the next couple of years is reflected in the programmes that we implement.” -
Birmingham’s SportAccord 2024 hailed as “best ever”
[Source: SportAccord] The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2024 wrapped up yesterday after an inspirational week that will shape the future of sport and leave a transformative legacy in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
More than 1,700 attendees from 65 different countries travelled to the UK from across the globe for a packed agenda of high-level meetings, conferences, exhibitions, networking, and social events at the International Convention Centre.
Against the backdrop of what many described as the busiest SportAccord exhibition ever, high-calibre participants in the conference programme included Olympic champions and leading industry figures such as Epic Games Vice President and Co-Founder Mark Rein; UK Sport Chair Dame Katherine Grainger; Olympic Broadcasting Services CEO Yannis Exarchos; Rob Alberino, Vice-President of Content and Production, Kansas City Chiefs; Wayne Barnes, Former Rugby World Cup referee and many more. Topics of discussion and debate ranged from sustainability, innovative technology, fan engagement and new event models to governance, esports and athlete wellbeing.
Important items during the official meetings included the election of the next Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) President Ingmar De Vos, and presentations from the Organising Committees for Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026.
“On behalf of SportAccord, I would like to express our sincere thanks to our hosts for delivering a superb event bringing the international sports family back together in the heart of their vibrant and diverse city,” SportAccord President Prof Dr U?ur Erdener said.
“An engaging agenda of networking events, supported by the passion of the local volunteers in a state-of-the-art venue in a region steeped in sporting heritage, provided a perfect platform for forging connections, strengthening relationships and exploring new ideas.
“Birmingham and the West Midlands have given sport an ideal platform for gathering International Federations, the International Olympic Committee, rights holders, businesses, cities, and regions – the whole sporting family.”
SportAccord has been supported by the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund (CWGLEF), administered by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). In addition to the WMCA, SportAccord’s regional delivery partners include Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Growth Company.
Neil Rami, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, said: “SportAccord has been a triumph for the West Midlands – this is about return on influence for us, as well as return on investment. This was the natural next step from the success of the Commonwealth Games, as we brought world leaders of sport together in Birmingham at SportAccord to enhance our reputation across the global sports industry and forge crucial relationships with sporting federations.
“Significant announcements made at SportAccord included the release of the government’s official report of £1.2 billion economic impact of the Commonwealth Games, to Tom Wagner’s investment in Birmingham City Football Club and the purchase of Bordesley Park, as well as the creation of the Sports Quarter which is expected to generate 3,000 local jobs.
“There’s been no better endorsement than when SportAccord President Prof Dr U?ur Erdener has congratulated us and hailed Birmingham as the best SportAccord ever.” -
“Festivalisation” divides opinions at SportAccord
In this age of constant access to entertainment, sports events are under pressure to become ever more entertaining and offer more activities within the schedule. But is this phenomenon of festivalisation – part of the DNA of mega events – a good thing for smaller events?
“It’s definitely a good thing for promoting and reaching out to new target groups and bringing communities together and entertaining them,” says Georg Spazier, who brought several events to the Region of Tirol following heading up marketing and communications at the 2012 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee Company. He is now running his own agency, ITS GR8, with which he organises Europe’s biggest mountain bike festival.
“But for organising committees it’s additional work, additional budget, additional staff and coordination and so on. You probably need an extra team running it. If it’s the one organising committee, doing everything can be overwhelming in many ways.
“There is a threat that sport moves out of the spotlight. We have to look at it more from a holistic entertainment perspective.”
The 2023 Olympic and Paralympic Games will incorporate a number of different cities beyond Brisbane, the nominal host. “I think it’s great thing because I think it just gives more cities more opportunity,” says Alana Vought, Program Manager, City of Gold Coast’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Brisbane 2032.”
Involving wider regions can help to involve more diverse communities and in events, especially those communities that lack sports infrastructure, Vought says. “The Pacific islands have no training infrastructure at all. So to be able to bring some training camps into the country, to Australia, into the Gold Coast and have them train – it’s a great opportunity for them and it’s also a fantastic opportunity for our athletes to share.”
Birmingham, in the UK’s West Midlands, hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2022. “Festivalisation was good for Birmingham because it suited what we wanted to do with the Games, and that was could we involve more communities and different types of audiences,” says Nicola Turner MBE, CEO, United By 2022, who was Director of Legacy for the Games.
Birmingham 2022 wrapped a cultural and festival event around the Games for six months. “We eventually sold more tickets for the cultural and arts festival than we did for the Commonwealth Games itself, and actually then the community decided to put on Festival 23 the next year because they liked it so much.”
Triathlon is a sport which has seen huge rise in in popularity, and the events are getting bigger and bigger. This brings challenges as well as commercial opportunities, according to Kris Gemmell, Head of Marketing and Commercial, World Triathlon.
“There was an opportunity to give sponsors more bang for their buck, and they had more time to activate, but it was taxing for them to be in one place for a greater length of time,” he said.
“The question is, how big is too big?” -
FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final 2024 host city selected
[Source: FIBA] The FIBA 3×3 World Tour 2024 season grand finale will be held in Hong Kong for the first time ever on November 23-24. The world’s best 3×3 men’s teams will battle it out for the World Tour title.
A regular host of major basketball events, the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final in Hong Kong will culminate an action-packed World Tour season and showcase the world’s best 3×3 players. The FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final is the ultimate World Tour stop as it features the best teams, and serves as the last stop of the season. The top 11 teams in the season standings will automatically qualify for the Hong Kong Final. Meanwhile, the 12th-ranked team, the host team (Hong Kong), and the team with the most combined Challenger and World Tour wins (excluding those already qualified) will battle for the remaining spot in a play-in event.
“The 13th edition of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final in Hong Kong is a testament to the city’s growing importance in the 3×3 community and its ability to host world-class sporting events,” said Alex Sanchez, Managing Director of FIBA 3×3. “After the success of our World Tour events here in the past two years and the recent FIBA 3×3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament, it was a natural step to bring our biggest pro tour event to this vibrant city.”
Mr. Kenny Wong, CEO of the Organizing Committee for the World Tour Final, highlighted the city’s readiness and enthusiasm for hosting the event. “Hong Kong is thrilled to welcome the world’s best 3×3 teams and their fans to our city. With its iconic backdrop and passionate basketball community, we are set to provide a spectacular setting for the pinnacle of the 3×3 season.”
This year’s World Tour features 17 stops around the globe, with Ub Huishan NE (SRB) aiming to defend their title as the two-time reigning champions. As teams prepare for the intense competition, all eyes will be on Hong Kong, where the world of 3×3 will converge for an unforgettable finale.
Updated 2024 season:
Utsunomiya Opener (April 27-28)
Marseille (May 31 – June 1)
Ulaanbaatar?(June 8-9)
Chengdu?(June 22-23)
Edmonton (July 6-7)
Almaty (July 13-14)
Lausanne (August 16-17)
Debrecen (August 31 – September 1)
Shanghai (September 21-22)
Wuxi (October 6-7)
Amsterdam (October 12-13)
Macau (October 19-20)
Abu Dhabi (October 26-27)
Manama (November 1-2)
Neom (November 7-9)
Shenzhen (November 16-17)
Hong Kong Final (November 23-24)
For a list of World Tour qualifiers, please click here -
Dates, New Venue and Awards announced for Host City 2024
The annual Host City Conference & Exhibition, the largest international meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, will take place at the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow on 3-4 December, and include presentation of the inaugural Host City Awards, celebrating the best event hosting achievements, at an evening reception on 3 December.
The move to a larger capacity venue and launch of the Host City Awards reflects the event’s growth, following a decade of increasingly successful events.
Host City 2024 will bring together hundreds of major event owners, organisers and hosts from all over the world for two days of insightful discussion and debate across plenary sessions, presentations and keynote addresses. The 11th Host City will also feature a hosted buyer programme for the growing community of international event owners and organising committees.
Participants in Host City include International Federation leaders and IOC Members alongside the owners and organisers of major congresses and entertainment events.
Host City 2024 takes place with the support of Global Presenting Partners and Hosts: Glasgow Life, EventScotland and the Scottish Event Campus.
Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life said: “Glasgow has a reputation for world-class cultural, sports and business occasions so we’ll look forward to welcoming delegates to the city once again for the Host City Conference and Exhibition in December.
“The breadth of expertise and wealth of knowledge that is shared at Host City is invaluable for continuing to push the boundaries of successful event organisation.
“We look forward to adding our own distinctive host voice to the proceedings, sharing our experience of delivering engaging and diverse events like the World Athletics Indoor Championships held here in March, and hearing how others create a genuine legacy for local communities.”
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland, said: “EventScotland is delighted to continue its partnership with Host City having been a long-standing supporter since its inception. Fostering the spirit of collaboration and innovation, the conference continues to provide a dynamic environment for networking, knowledge sharing, and also celebration with the introduction of this year’s inaugural Host City Awards.
“The opportunity to attract and bring together key global partners and stakeholders to discuss a range of immediate and emerging trends within our sector is incredibly valuable. We are delighted to see the event’s ambition to grow in scope and scale, and look forward to welcoming both new and returning speakers and delegates from across the sport, culture and business events landscape to Glasgow, and indeed Scotland later this year.”
Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales, Scottish Event Campus said: “We are delighted to support Host City. This event plays an important role in positioning Glasgow and Scotland as the natural location for major events and conferences, are we are delighted to be providing a platform for growth for the event.”
Host City 2024 is also supported by Glasgow Convention Bureau.
The full agenda for Host City 2024 and details for the inaugural Host City Awards will be announced soon.
For more information visit www.hostcity.com or email ben.avison@hostcity.com
Commercial Opportunities: adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk -
EOC plans to be “on top of” AI developments by Istanbul 2027
On the day of signing an MoU with the hosts of the Istanbul 2027 European Games, Spyros Capralos, President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) highlighted AI as a “useful tool” for delivery of the mega event in Europe’s largest city.
He also highlighted the economic success of the previous edition of the Games, with talks with prospective hosts for 2031 set to begin soon.
“We know that artificial intelligence is an area which brings exciting opportunities and, in line with the Olympic artificial intelligence agenda, we’ll explore how it can help us to optimise plans for the 2027 European Games,” said Capralos.
“AI is something that’s new in our world and I think that there are many developments in sport, but also developments in other in other areas,” he told Host City during a press conference.
“Every Games has its challenges, and AI could be an extremely useful tool to help ensure efficient logistical planning in areas such as accommodation, transportation.”
The innovations that AI can bring to sport will be high on the agenda of the EOC General Assembly in Bucharest in June, he said.
“I think that going forward in the next three years, there are going to be lots of developments and we’ll be on top of that.”
Bids for 2031 European Olympic Games
Following the General Assembly, the EOC will enter into discussions with prospective hosts for the 2031 European Olympic Games.
“We’ve had some cities that have expressed an interest” said Caparalos, referring to parties who were “not ready” to bid for 2027 but are now looking at 2031 instead.
“I think it’s what is a very positive on this front is that, before we’re looking for a host, we have concluded and agreed with our Turkish friends more than three years before the Games.
“So I think this is very good and it shows the success of the Games”
He cited a Deloitte report evaluating the previous Games in Kraków-Ma?opolska in 2023, which demonstrated that the benefits far outweighed the costs that associated with the Games.
“In today’s world every government and every municipality is afraid of what the taxpayers will say, and from the report of Deloitte, we realised that the positive financial aspect of the Games was such that by sharing this with other cities, that will increase the interest.”
Caparalos also confirmed that Istanbul was building no new permanent venues for 2027 Games, “in line with IOC Agenda 20+5”, and focusing on upgrading existing venues.
“An event of this size relies on people having the expertise to ensure a successful event. Istanbul has proven itself in this respect throughout its hosting of several events; it has the people with the skills, the experience and the passion to host fantastic events.
“The EOC looks forward to working together to deliver a memorable Games, and a Games with innovation at the forefront.”
Capralos’ comments were made in a press conference in Rome marking the occasion of the European Olympic Committees, the Turkish Olympic Committee and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the 2027 European Games.
The Games are likely to take place in the last 10 days of June in 2027, he said, with qualifying opportunities to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 available in a number of sports. -
Scotland launches refreshed national events strategy
[Source: EventScotland] Scotland has today (28 May) launched its refreshed national events strategy designed to provide strategic focus for all involved in the planning, securing and delivery of events across Scotland.
Scotland the Perfect Stage 2024-2035 aims to build on the event industry’s many achievements to date, as well as respond to the ongoing challenges faced by the sector. It also focuses on a range of national priority outcomes and critical success factors for the sector as it looks towards the next ten years.
An extensive consultation was undertaken across 2023 to shape the strategy. This involved an online consultation, a programme of industry engagement workshops delivered in partnership with Local Authorities across the country and a series of online webinars with additional stakeholder groups. More than 300 organisations and individuals engaged and their responses informed the strategy’s key themes and priorities.
Building on this approach, and in order to ensure a strong, shared ambition, the development and approval was a collaborative effort involving Scottish Government, VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, Scotland’s Event Industry Advisory Group (EIAG), Local Authorities, COSLA and Trade Union representatives.
At the strategy’s core is the need to sustain and develop a dynamic, resilient, and responsible events sector that is recognised as a global leader and valued for its contribution to Scotland’s wellbeing economy.
Delivery of the strategy’s vision is centred on three critical interconnecting focus areas: Developing Events, Developing the Industry and Developing Scotland.
A range of aligned priority themes are also identified and form a key strategic focus. These include:
• Inclusive & Responsible Events
• Investment and Support
• Measuring, Monitoring and Reporting Impact
• Portfolio Approach enabling a variety of events and a balanced programme
• Attracting, Retaining and Developing a diverse talent pool
• Quality Planning and Delivery
• Infrastructure and Services
• Reputation and Profile
• Visitor Economy
A detailed action plan will be created, building on the set of suggested ‘next steps’ for each priority theme. The Event Industry Advisory Group (EIAG), together with partners, will help develop and oversee this action plan.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The launch of our refreshed national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage 2024-2035 marks a significant milestone for Scotland’s events sector.
“This strategy is a testament to our collaborative efforts and shared ambition, designed to build on our achievements and address the challenges ahead.
“With a focus on inclusive and responsible events, investment and support, and a dynamic portfolio approach, we’re committed to developing a sustainable events industry that contributes to Scotland’s economy. The new strategy will ensure Scotland remains a global leader in the events industry.”
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland said: “Since the development of the first national strategic approach to events in 2008, which was updated in 2015, Scotland has achieved an enviable global reputation as a major events powerhouse, hosting a scale and breadth of major international sporting championships, cultural festivals and much-loved regional events.”
“Events are ideally placed to continue to deliver tangible results against a range of national priorities. They serve as catalysts for innovation, bring people together, and span a range of socio-economic impacts that propel society forward.
“The impact of this consistent and sustained focus on developing Scotland’s events industry over the last twenty years has been transformative. The refreshed strategy not only emphasises the hugely valuable importance of the sector, but it sets out a shared ambition for the next decade which is critical for ensuring Scotland maintains its world-leading events destination status.”
Peter Duthie, Chair of Scotland’s Event Industry Advisory Group (EIAG) said: “Scotland’s events industry is an established global leader, delivering world-class events and experiences that contribute vital social, economic and cultural value for Scotland.
“The refreshed strategy provides the focus necessary to retain our global status as we look to the future. It will require us all to work collaboratively, innovatively and responsibly with confidence, determination and purpose, whilst also recognising the part we each play in the continued success of our sector. It also emphasises the need for continued support and investment to drive continued growth.
“On behalf of the Advisory Group, I welcome this strategy as we continue to move forward producing an enviable portfolio of business, sporting, and cultural events.” -
Host of Games of the Future 2025 confirmed
[Source: Phygital International] Following a hugely competitive bidding process, featuring expressions of interest from nine prospective bidders, the UAE was declared as the official host and destination of the Games of the Future 2025 during the inaugural World Phygital Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.
The United Arab Emirates proved itself a natural destination of choice during the bidding process to host the Games of the Future 2025 by clearly showcasing its credibility as a global hub with first-rate infrastructure and extensive experience in organising and delivering world-leading international events. This vast experience, combined with a strong commitment throughout all stages of the bidding process from the highest levels of the nation’s leadership, lead to a unanimous decision by Phygital International’s expert bidding coordinators to award the honour of hosting the Games of the Future 2025 to the UAE.
The Games of the Future 2025 is the pinnacle event in phygital sport. It is an international tournament that brings together the next generation of dynamic sporting heroes from all over the world: thousands of well-balanced athletes who demonstrate superior skills across both physical and digital competition. Over 300 international teams are expected to participate in the multi-sport event which will feature a number challenges over wide range of disciplines including phygital football, phygital hockey, phygital skateboarding, phygital MMA and many more.
Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, commented: “We are delighted to announce the UAE as the host of the Games of the Future 2025. The global popularity of phygital sports grows by the day, and we’re expecting a sell-out tournament again next year. We’re thrilled to pass the phygital flame over to UAE whose top notch winning bid, and clear long-term commitment to developing a healthy, active population, has me in no doubt that the event will be a huge success. Bring on Games of the Future 2025!”
His Excellency Ghanim Al Hajeri, Director General, General Authority of Sport, UAE: “Bringing the Games of the Future 2025 to the United Arab Emirates represents an exciting moment in redefining international sports for the modern world. We are proud to be hosting this innovative and unique tournament that merges cutting-edge technology, popular video gaming, and traditional sport. We’re confident that hosting the 2025 Games will not only cement us as leaders in the sporting world, but also incentivise our national digital community towards an active lifestyle and help us reach our national sporting goal of 75% active population by 2031.”
The Games of the Future places no restrictions on its participants and welcomes everyone, regardless of their age, gender and nationality. Phygital International expects Games of the Future 2025 in the UAE to welcome thousands of world-class athletes and esports persons from as many as 100 countries, as part of national and multinational teams. It’s so popular in fact, that the host nation bid process for Games of the Future 2026 and 2027 is already underway from countries globally. -
EY Report highlights sustainability of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships
To mark World Environment Day (5 June), the organisers of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships have today published the event’s Sustainability Report, bringing together the various activities and impacts achieved by the inaugural event which took place in Glasgow and across Scotland from 3-13 August.
[Source: EventScotland] As a purpose-led event, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships were committed to embedding sustainability into the organisation, collaborating with partners and supporting the value chain to drive progress to create a greener and more sustainable future for both cycling events as well as for Scotland.
The report builds on the independent Ernst & Young socio-economic impact evaluation report published on 7 February 2024.
Sustainability was a core objective in delivering an innovative, world-class event that would provide a model for the future. The Championship’s Sustainability Framework and its ten high-level commitments were put in place, outlining core values and guiding principles mapped against the pillars of ‘People, Place and Planet’ in alignment with and to drive progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships also signed the United Nations Sport for Climate Action Framework and was one of the founding signatories of the UCI’s Climate Action Charter, further cementing its ambitions to reduce cycling’s environmental impacts.
As part of its commitment to sustainability, the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds undertook a voluntary Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) assessment mapped against the UN SDGs and using the UCI’s new Sustainability Impact Tracker. The report showed the Championships contributed to 14 out of 17 UN SDGs, demonstrating the wide range of sustainable activities undertaken, highlighting the commitment to a sustainable approach to event delivery.
The Championships were also the first event to use the UCI’s Sustainability Impact Tracker to measure its carbon emissions, with the report showing the total carbon footprint of the event calculated as 61.1ktCO2e. Most of these emissions fall within Scope 3 “Other indirect emissions” with the biggest contributing factors being in the ‘travel’ category. This benchmark data will benefit future combined UCI Cycling World Championships and other major sporting events in Scotland and the UK.
Other achievements highlighted in the report include:86% of stakeholders felt the Championships were delivered in an environmentally responsible way.
Appointment of EDP (Event Delivery Partners) Sustainability Champions to implement and drive sustainability measures within each individual event.
Development of a ‘Good Food Charter’ and the establishment of the Event Delivery Partners Sustainability Champions network, with learning and best practice captured to provide a blueprint for future events.
the creation of a Sustainable Procurement Code, which provided a link across the Championship’s Hub and Spoke delivery model, raising awareness of the minimum standards expected to support sustainability, EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) and low carbon emissions ambitions.The Championships’ commitment to sustainability also included social responsibility, with the report highlighted:
97% of people who attended the event felt it was inclusive.
93% of spectators with a disability found the event to be accessible.
Over 90% of attendance at events were non-ticketed, facilitating greater access to watch and take part.The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships’ ambition to drive awareness and highlight the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion have been recognised, winning the Diversity in Sport Award and Diversity by Design Award at the Herald & Gen Analytics Diversity Awards and the Access All Areas Diversity and Inclusion Awards.
The Sustainability Report, along with other reports produced by the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds Championships, will provide a baseline and a blueprint for future events. Read the full report.
David Lappartient, UCI President, said: “Tackling climate change is one of the priorities of the UCI’s Agenda 2030, with one of our aims being to make our UCI World Championships carbon neutral or negative. To do this, we need a base to work from, and I am delighted that we have a solid Sustainability Report from the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. The local organisers of last year’s inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships made great headway when it comes to sustainability and social responsibility, and I look forward to this momentum being continued at future UCI events.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships were a truly memorable event and an excellent platform to showcase Scotland’s commitment to building a sustainable future.
“This report shows that large international sporting events can successfully embed environmental and social responsibility as a core principle, benefitting the wider community as well as athletes and fans.
“It’s further evidence that the powerful legacy of the Championships extends beyond simply winning medals – in addition to boosting Scotland’s economy and inspiring healthier lifestyles, they have also set the standard for innovative, world-class events.”
Paul Bush OBE, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Chairman, said: “The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships aimed to champion sustainability in the world of sport, and we are proud of the effort we have made to drive meaningful change.
“The Sustainability Report provides useful insight, learnings and recommendations that will help deliver sustainable events and encourage innovation in the future.
“Collaboration and partnership working were vital to achieving our sustainability objectives and I thank everyone, from our funding partners, event delivery partners and local authority hosts to the athletes and spectators, for all their help in delivering on our ambitions.”
The inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships brought together 13 individual UCI Cycling World Championships, welcoming more than 7,000 elite and amateur cyclists from 131 countries, with around 1 million spectators attending over the 11 days of the event.
The Championships delivered significant social, economic and environmental benefits for Glasgow, Scotland and the UK, including £344m of incremental spend resulting in £205m Gross Value Added (GVA) economic impact for Scotland, and generated £220m Total Visitor Spend in Scotland.
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships had a TV audience of 537 million. It was broadcast in 130 countries, totalling around 14,000 hours of programming, and around 200 million hours were watched live on television globally over 11 days.