This article follows our involvement on a panel discussing the topic of “Creating entertainment hubs and cultural meccas” at the Host City conference and exhibition in November 2017.
The debate at the conference emphasised the importance of location integrity and matching strategic local cultural goals to event goals in the creation of successful “go to” events, wherever they are located in the world.
Our experience in all we do proves these conclusions. First up, Cirque was formed from within the long-established Montreal creative street entertainment community. This gave us artistic credibility and sector integrity from day one for our Circus inspired shows. This allegiance to Montreal and the strong “alternative street-scene” there has been core to our offer as we expanded and grew.
Our Head Office is still based in Montreal. As an Englishman when visiting this HQ, it also helps when immigration officials ask, “reason for your visit”. When replying I always mention, “work with Cirque”, which causes the officials to visibly swell with pride and wave me through!
Cirque has definitely added to Montreal’s cultural reputation. It often appears on lists of ‘the World’s most reputable cities’, vying for top 10 positions with cities that are far larger.
All Canadians, (not just those handling immigration,) now see the city as what Forbes magazine has termed the “cultural epicentre of the country.”
This claim for culture may not be so easy to extend to our other important entertainment hub– Las Vegas!
We have over 3,000 staff located there, running up to eight shows more suited to the unique “local cultural goals” that only Vegas can deliver. Our ‘Michael Jackson One’ musical plays to packed houses twice a day at the Mandalay Resort & Casino.
In the decade we have been in Vegas, Cirque has definitely contributed to the city’s long established “Big Show” entertainment reputation, even if this may seem at odds with the more bohemian Montreal hub.
Another core part of the Cirque offer is our touring shows. We have between six and eight shows on the road, at any time, performing shows all over the globe.
According to our twitter feed today (January 2018) we have shows in Rio, Beijing, London, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Dubai and Panama City. They will remain in a city for between one week and six months and continually tour the globe for up to eight years.
These are a mixture of arena-based shows, such as the Albert Hall when in London, and performances under the big top. We have recently added ice skating arenas to this roster with our newest show based on ice, “Crystal”.
Every show is a self-contained mini village – a mobile entertainment hub, if you will.
Most recently Cirque has added a new provision to our offer – one that builds on our ability to create, stage and sell entertainment that is relevant to today’s media savvy and entertainment hungry consumers.
We are developing partnerships with locations, entertainment organisations or rights holders who wish to develop their own experiences, whether branded or not.
The NFL X on Times Square in New York is our most recent example of this offer. We have developed, in close co-operation with the NFL a four story, 40,000sq foot, interactive and immersive series of exhibits. Check out https://www.nflexperience.com
NFL X confirms those panel discussion conclusions. Firstly, the importance of location integrity and secondly, matching strategic local cultural goals to event goals.
The NFL X adds to the Times Square integrity by adding to its status as a “must-see” destination within one of the World’s most famous cities. It also fits within New York’s unique cultural offer – being brash, loud and original.
Nick Prichard is part of the Cirque du Soleil Global Alliances team. He is currently developing the new Experiential provision with a number of Host Cities, Sports Rights Holders and Brands. To find out more please contact him on nick.prichard@cirquedusoleil.com
Blog
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Creating entertainment hubs and cultural meccas with Cirque du Soleil
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Scotland’s events portfolio continues to thrive with funding awarded to 12 events
Twelve events from across 10 local authorities are to benefit from nearly £100,000 of funding from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate
Among them are five events receiving funding for the first time, including Cream o’ the Croft in Comrie Croft, Perthshire, and The Eliminator Mountain Bike Festival in Newburgh, Fife
The National Programme Fund plays an integral role in developing domestic tourism across Scotland by help grow the country’s diverse events portfolioNearly £100,000 of funding has been awarded to 12 events and festivals across Scotland from the latest round of EventScotland’s National Programme Fund.
Among them are Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator Mountain Bike Festival, two of five events and festivals receiving funding for the first time from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
Taking place in June and August respectively, and organised by Muckmedden Ltd, the two family-friendly mountain bike events offer more than just your average mountain bike festival. With something for everyone, including mountain bike racing, live music, gourmet food and drink, and wild camping, the two events are the perfect book ends to the summer.
Both events have been awarded £5,000 each to enhance the PR and marketing support and activity around the event, including video production and online advertising.
Aaron Gray, Events Director at Muckmedden Ltd, said: “We would like to sincerely thank EventScotland for their invaluable support with Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator. The generous funding we have been awarded will allow us to promote both of our family-friendly festivals to all of the UK. The investment also gives us the freedom to significantly improve the quality of infrastructure and entertainment at both venues as we seek to attract not only mountain bikers, but young families and music festival-goers to Highland Perthshire and Fife.”
Also receiving funding is Bonfest, the three-day rock music festival that celebrates the life and music of the AC/DC legend Bon Scott. Held in his home town of Kirriemuir, and organised by Scottish charity DD8 Music, this is the third year the festival has received funding from EventScotland. Over that time the funding has helped the festival expand its offer and increase its attendance, with a record attendance of 6,000 from 27 countries turning out across the three days for last year’s festival. This year the festival has been awarded £9,332 towards increasing the capacity and quality of the campsite as well as for staging in Bellies Brae car park, next to the Bon Scott Statue, that will showcase young bands as part of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018.
Graham Galloway, DD8 Music Chairperson, said: “DD8 Music are delighted that Bonfest is being supported for the third year by the National Programme Fund. The fund has enabled the festival to grow significantly over the past few years, and we would have found this very difficult to achieve without the help and support of EventScotland. As a youth music charity, we are very excited to be one of the many amazing Year of Young People events happening all over Scotland, which are celebrating the talent and ambition of our upcoming generation.”
The National Programme Fund supports the strategic development of events which occur outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow, with the aim of driving tourism, delivering economic impact for local communities and generating media profile for Scotland. Since 2008, EventScotland has invested more than £3.9m into 363 events across the country. Building on existing event activities, extending marketing reach and enhancing the on-site food and drink offer are just some of the ways funding is put to use by events and festivals.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted to be funding these 12 amazing events and festivals from the latest round of EventScotland’s National Programme Fund. Taking place across 10 local authorities between May and October, these events and festivals will bring real impact by attracting visitors and driving economic impact in their local area.
“The National Programme Fund plays a vital role in maintaining Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events and it is through events like these that we can ensure we continue to have a dynamic events portfolio that benefits everyone.”
The full list of events receiving support from Round 37 of EventScotland’s National Programme Fund are:Event
Date
Funding
Local Authority
Website
Bonfest
4 – 6 May
£9,332
Angus Council
www.bonfest.com/
Highlands and Islands Music and Dance Festival
4 – 6 May
£6,680
Argyll and Bute Council
www.obanfestival.org/
Etape Caledonia
19 – 20 May
£8,500
Perth and Kinross Council
etapecaledonia.co.uk/
Oban Live
8 – 9 June
£11,250
Argyll and Bute Council
obanlive.com/
BEMBA British Enduro Mountain Bike Championships
9 – 10 June
£10,000
Scottish Borders
tweedlove.com/2018-event-info/british-enduro-champs
St Kilda Challenge & Festival
14 – 16 June
£5,750
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
www.calmac.co.uk/stkilda/challenge
Cream O’ the Croft
15 – 17 June
£5,000
Perth and Kinross Council
www.creamothecroft.co.uk/
North Atlantic Fiddle Convention
11 – 15 July
£10,500
Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council
www.abdn.ac.uk/nafco/
Run the Blades
20 – 21 July
£4,000
East Renfrewshire Council
www.breakingstrain.co.uk/run-the-blades/
Dundee Summer Streets Festival
21 – 22 July
£7,400
Dundee City Council
www.dundee.com/event/dundee-summer-streets-festival
Eliminator Mountain Bike Festival
31 August – 2 September
£5,000
Fife Council
www.muckmedden.co.uk/our-events/the-eliminator/
Findhorn Bay Festival
26 September – 1 October
£15,760
Moray Council
findhornbayfestival.com/
TOTAL FUNDING AWARDED
£99,172
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UNESCO and UCI reveal how international federations can prioritise relationships ‘between events’ at CityAccord
[Source: SportAccord Convention] During the session ‘Between Events’, delegates who register for SportAccord will hear about ground-breaking initiatives from UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and the tremendous impact these initiatives are having at both governmental and grassroots levels.
With non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now accounting for the majority of health-related deaths in Asia and the Pacific, especially among youth[1], interventions to increase or improve the quality of spaces in urban planning, can have a transformative effect on the lives of individuals and the community.
Caroline Baxter Tresise, International Consultant for Sport, Social and Human Sciences Sector, UNESCO Paris, will reveal how they are working with IFMA (International Federation of Muaythai Amateur) in Thailand as part of the initiatives, Sport is Your Gang and The New Urban Agenda. Together, these programmes are helping to combat the rise of NCDs as a result of the increase in dedicated urban green public spaces for sport and physical activity such as Muaythai.
“Parks and celebrated public spaces for sport are rapidly disappearing across the world in favour of shopping malls and highways. Sport federations can play an important role at the local level to reverse this trend through dynamic, multi-stakeholder partnerships involving Governments. Join us at CityAccord to find out how!”
Jérôme Lacroix, Business Development Manager, Union Cycliste Internationale will reveal the latest insights from its global initiative UCI Bike City label, including the work they are undertaking in Bangkok. The programme rewards cities and regions that invest in everyday cycling and related infrastructures, as well as elite cycling events. Its long-term vision is to develop a network of UCI Bike Cities enabling them to maximise the impact of sport regardless of age, level of fitness or cycling activity.
“IFs have a fantastic opportunity to not only grow sport followers, but also encourage active and healthy individuals of all ages. This can be done in partnership with cities and regions hosting their events. In return these same hosts can also greatly benefit from such events to showcase and develop areas, including outside of the sports sphere. Lacroix went on to say:
“The UCI Bike City label recognises cities and regions that act as inspiring examples of how elite and everyday cycling can contribute to creating better, safer, healthier and more sustainable communities. We look forward to sharing examples from this programme with the audience at CityAccord.”
SportAccord is also delighted to confirm the Co-chairs for this year’s CityAccord and City-to-City: Melanie Duparc, Co-ordinator of Smart Cities & Sport Network and an Official Supporter of SportAccord; and David Simon, President of the Los Angeles Sports Council.
Organisations looking for opportunities to connect and increase their visibility at this prestigious global gathering and take advantage of the opportunities associated with becoming an Exhibitor or Partner, should contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 (0)79 126 08 42.
As part of the Official Schedule, SportAccord will host well over 20 networking events, a 3-day Exhibition as well as an extensive Conference programme to include: the Summit (Plenary), CityAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord and HealthAccord.
Other key features include: Speakers’ Corner, the Thai Pavilion, the Opening Ceremony and Closing Event. Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #sportaccord, as well as LinkedIn and on Facebook.
[1] WHO 2016
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Broadcasting in Asia: A Market to Reckon With
Host City: What are the hot topics on the agenda at SPORTELAsia this year?
Laurent Puons: It appears that the industry is very concerned about their media rights and current developments in OTT. We have received many requests on these topics and have worked out a very good selection of panels that will shed some light on these issues, especially concerning the Asian territories.
Host City: From your perspective, how does the sport marketing and media industry in Asia compare with that in the rest of the world, in terms of technology use and market demographics?
Laurent Puons: Asia is the home of many exciting emerging markets and leading technology providers. Sports fans across Asia have a diverse variety of platforms to consume sports content, and the fact that the majority of the world’s population lives in Asia provides international stakeholders in sport with an opportunity like no other. The challenge of unlocking the potential of Asia is knowing which specific technology is the best for each sport, in each country and its respective culture.
Host City: Some are concerned that the audience for traditional sports is ageing; what kind of sports content will become more dominant in the future?
Laurent Puons: That is a good question and difficult to answer. It all depends on the available broadcast platforms. Sports television or media is dominated by traditional sports, led by European football and of course the networks must provide content their audiences want to see and their advertisers want to invest in. As these dominated slots are becoming rare, other sport suffers and lacks visibility. Due to new technologies and OTT platforms, new and dedicated channels can be built and offer fans the opportunity to see their sports on different platforms. I believe that MMA is on the rise and eSports is returning because of these new opportunities.
Host City: Why is it so important for event rightsholders to attend major conferences in Asia?
Laurent Puons: As mentioned before, more and more Asian nations are developing more media opportunities and in result of that it is important to be present in Asia to deal and control rights directly. For this reason SPORTEL helps the industry with this spring convention, enabling the elite rights owners to deal direct with different Asian territories and build their business. SPORTEL will always be upfront and centre when it comes to building business opportunities for the sports marketing and media industry. That is what SPORTEL is historically known for. -
500-plus Peruvian and international companies attend Lima 2019 procurement seminar
Lima: The Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games Organising Committee today hosted an information seminar for over 500 Peruvian and international companies interested in participating in tenders for Games-time technology, broadcasting, commercial and marketing services.
The event was held at the Lima Chamber of Commerce, and was led by Lima 2019 President Carlos Neuhaus alongside senior members of the Lima 2019 Organising Committee.
President Neuhaus provided potential contractors with an update on preparations for the Games. Lima 2019 Head of Legal Amalia Moreno then explained the legal framework behind the procurement process for companies interested in working with Lima 2019.
The procurement process will be handled by the UK government, according to the terms of the government-to-government agreement signed with Peru in April 2017. The procurement process follows the UK’s New Engineering Contract (NEC) model and has allowed Lima 2019 to significantly speed-up its infrastructure projects. The NEC model’s transparent, efficient approach has generated great interest from potential contractors.
Speaking after the event, President Neuhaus said: “Today marks an important step in the delivery of a memorable Games in 2019. Every multi-sport event needs a diverse pool of expertise so we are delighted by the number of companies that have participated today.
“Our objective is to deliver a high-calibre event for athletes and fans whilst leaving a meaningful legacy for Lima and Peru. That is why we look forward to reviewing proposals and incorporating new talent and experience into the team to help us achieve our goal.”
About the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games
The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will see approximately 6,700 athletes from 41 countries compete in 39 sports and 62 disciplines. The Games will take place between 26 July and 11 August 2019. The Lima 2019 Parapan American Games will see 1,890 athletes compete in 17 sports and 18 disciplines between 23 August and 01 September 2019.
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Zhang Jiandong: hosting the Olympic Games twice accelerates Beijing’s development
In 2015, Beijing and Zhangjiakou jointly won the bid for 2022 Winter Olympic Games and Beijing therefore became the first city that will hold both the summer and winter Olympic Games.
As the biggest, most influential and comprehensive sports event in the world, the Olympic Games has great importance for development. The Olympic legacies have provided resources and momentum for the city’s development.
In order to continue the success after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, we specifically established Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA) and a specific fund to develop of the city and our facilities.
Physical Games legacies
The broadcasting centre from the 2008 Olympic Games was converted into the China National Convention Centre after the Olympic Games, hosting more than 7,000 conferences including the Belt and Road Forum and the APEC summit. This conference centre is one of the Olympic Games legacies.
Other facilities like the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube have become landmarks of Beijing; these places are also hosting other major events. Eight facilities in Beijing will serve as venues for the Winter Olympic Games.
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games also brought forward the construction of our metro system. Carrying more than 10 million people every day, it is the city’s biggest transportation system. During the organising of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games we did a lot to control pollution and traffic; we have made this a long-term effort in Beijing.
We continue to work on the sustainability of our facilities. We plan to use 25 facilities [in Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou] for the Winter Olympic Games and are working with other organisations to comprehensively utilise these facilities, both for the Games and for future functions.
Our design and construction teams are all engaged in this process of making plans for legacy. For example, the Wukesong Arena can be transformed into the venue for ice hockey from basketball within six hours.
We will also promote the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei area. The Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and Zhangjiakou will become very important drivers for economic development in the region. The coordinated development in this region will be closely related to the Olympic Games and they will be mutually beneficial. They will have better transportation and industries will also be boosted.
We will also work on environmental protection; public services will also be further enhanced and this will be a pilot project for the coordination of this region. More benefit to welfare will be brought to this region and its people.
The Olympic spirit
The Olympic Games influence people to participate in sports activities as part of the daily routine. In Beijing, people benefited greatly from the spirit of the Olympic Games. More than half of our citizens are frequent participants in sports activities. Our people are constantly improving their health.
We’ve also got the legacy of talent from the Olympic Games. Beijing 2008 cultivated a large number of high quality organisers of sporting events who have gone one to work on, for example, the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games; and in 2019 we are hosting the Military World Games and other major international events, all reflecting the talent.
More than half of our staff for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games will be from the 2008 summer Olympic Games organising committee.
We place great importance on legacy, making a very inclusive model for our organising work so that all people can engage in the Olympic Games and share its benefits.
We will also continue to work on education, volunteering and spreading the Olympic spirit, so that the general public will be more active and healthy in their lifestyle.
With the leadership of the Chinese government we want to conduct a wonderful and excellent winter Olympic games and fully implement green ideas and cost reduction.
We pay special attention to winter sports in China. In China, winter sports are mainly concentrated in the northern area. With the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, we hope to ignite the torch of winter sports in China and we try to engage more than 300 million people to participate in winter sports, at the same time trying to cultivate a high professional level and give us a good legacy of winter sports talent.
We will also endeavour to promote equipment manufacturing in winter sport and create great momentum in this global industry.
We will also work hard on the cultural legacy. The world will witness the Olympic Games, which will be held during China’s Spring Festival, a very important traditional festival in China. With this integration of Chinese culture and the Olympic Games, we can provide a unique cultural experience for Chinese and global audiences.
*This article, based on a presentation by Mr Zhang Jiandong at World Winter Sports Expo (WWSE) in Beijing in September 2017, first appeared in the Winter 2017 Issue of Host City magazine. Host City was the only foreign media reporting from WWSE -
SPORTELAsia Conferences Programme
SPORTELAsia is the world’s leading sports media and marketing convention, which brings together the international sports business community and will be held in Singapore from 13 to 15 March 2018. We are pleased to present the programme of conferences:
TUESDAY 13 March
· YUTANG SPORTS PANEL – 14:00-14:30 – “The Media Rights and Sports Media Landscape in Chinese Sports Industry”
The roles of Chinese media in driving the growth of Chinese media rights market. How to achieve the best results working with them? Is there growing space for the Chinese sports media and media rights market? What are the main problems with the media rights market in China? What are the developing trends/directions in Chinese sports media? How to deal with the balance between traditional media like TV and new digital media? Advices for rights holders regarding working with Chinese sports media. Advices for Chinese sports media.
Moderator: Tingting Zhang, International Business Manager, Yutang Sports Speakers: Celine Shi, Vice President, Alisports – Arthur Wei, SVP, General Manager, Sina Sports
· ONE CHAMPIONSHIP KEYNOTE – 15:00-15:30 – “The Power of Martial Arts in Igniting Hope and Changing lives”
ONE Championship Chairman and CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, details how he escaped the clutches of extreme poverty growing up as a young boy in Thailand, to graduating from one of the most prestigious schools in the world at Harvard, and eventually building the largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship. The talk centers on the specific role martial arts has played in his life and how it powered him through the most difficult times. Sityodtong is a highly-successful entrepreneur with vast experience in various businesses. His wealth of knowledge and expertise, as well as the values which he holds dear, provides a sensational combination of business-savvy and determination. Listen to the story of how Sityodtong survived extreme poverty, changed his life, and is now helping others to change their lives for the better through martial arts.
Speaker: Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, ONE Championship
· SPORTELEXPERT PANEL – 16:00-16:45 in association with TV Sports Markets – “Success of European Football Rights in Asia”
In some Asian territories, the European leagues can realistically compete with domestic leagues, and it is important to establish why this is and for how long this can continue. The TV Sports Markets panel will look into what has created the interest in European football in Asia up to this point and will address issues each competition faces in competing for continued growth in the continent. This year will explain plenty about the current position of European football properties in Asia, with the English Premier League, Spanish LaLiga and Italian Serie A rights to be sold across the region between now and the start of the 2018-19 season. Can we expect to see increases in value for any or all of the leagues? China and India have often stood out as particular Asian markets where growth in interest in football is expected in the coming years. With the Chinese government supporting Chinese investment in football, it is important to ask whether China holds the key to Asian growth for all major football properties. Which other markets will be key for rightsholders in the coming years?
Moderator: David Cook, Reporter, Asia-Pacific – TV Sports Markets Speakers: TBC
WEDNESDAY 14 March
· ASN PANEL – 10:30-11:00 “Brands Want More than Audience Ratings”
Having a blue chip sports platform with a huge content footprint is, arguably, now hygiene for a large scale brand investor in sports. But it’s not the only defining quality that will swing a sponsorship. ASN – the utterly independent go-to sponsorship intelligence provider for Asia – will ask some of Asia’s challenger brands about their needs from a sports sponsorship and where sports promoters often go wrong with their platforms. Building on the topic in hand, the panel will also dive into the other metrics and insights that they need today, which in turn enable them to put together compelling renewal business cases for their C-suite.
Moderator: Ben Heyhoe Flint, CEO, ASN Speakers: Kate Geraghty: Director, Group Corporate Communications & Events, Fwd Insurance Group – Sean Davidson: Head of Marketing & Communications, Asia Pacific – Tata Consultancy Services, Ajay Mohan, Head of Marketing, APJ – Intel Corporation Singapore
· BRIGHTCOVE PRESENTATION – 11:30-12:15 “From Eyeballs to Value and ROI”
Why every viewer engagement on mobile is crucial for ROI. Viewers in Asia are just as likely to view live sports content on mobile as on a TV set. For sports rights owners, delivering content on digital platforms not only opens up new revenue streams from ads or subscriptions, but also unleashes a different set of challenges. Consumer choice and recommendation is driving video content discovery. Loyalty to channels or specific content can be easily disintermediated by social recommendation. In this context as linear TV channels negotiate away their exclusive rights, maintaining a direct relationship with the viewing audience is critical. Brightcove streams billions of videos every month for the biggest names in the sports, media and entertainment sector. Working with major media companies in Asia, Brightcove facilitates the ability for media companies to promote and interact with video content encouraging viewers to register. Registration and content consumption data provide insights for future promotional campaigns, as well as contribute to quantifying advertising and sponsorship value. Brightcove will share best practices on realising audience value from their experience serving more TV organisations in Asia than any other video platform.
Speaker: Greg Armshaw, Head of Media, Asia, Brightcove, inc.
· SPORTELTECH PANEL – 13:30-14:30 in collaboration with Sports Video Group “OTT & Piracy in Asia an indepth look at what to expect”
This highlight panel discussion tackles the challenges and opportunities related to OTT services in Asia and also piracy and content protection. The sports marketplace in Asia will be driven dramatically by the use of smartphones and tablets that are often more important than a TV set. That reliance on digital devices requires new ways of content creation, distribution and marketing and we will discuss how to develop a strategy best suited for the diversity of cultures in Asia. Apart of social media strategies, pricing models and more, the session will also take a look at recent developments in content protection technologies and services. More than ever, the digital landscape requires a disciplined and focused approach to content protection and anti-piracy activities. It is a complex area that requires constant attention and our goal to showcase the most effective solutions to protect content and revenues.
Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director, Sports Video Group Speakers: Maurizio Barbieri, Head of Sports Partnerships, Sea, Twitter Chris Wagner, EVP, Marketplace Strategy, Neulion – Bastien Casalta, CTO, TMG
· LALIGA PRESENTATION” -16:00-17:00 “How New Media impacts Football”
Join LaLiga President Javier Tebas for an onstage interview on how the changing media landscape is impacting one of the world’s most-watched entertainment products: football. Not only has the Internet drastically increased the number of channels, it has also changed how people consume it. Learn about the impact on rights holders such as LaLiga and also hear about the opportunities that new media provide.
Speaker: Javier Tebas, President, LaLiga
THURSDAY 15 March
· SVG SINGAPORE OTT WORKSHOP -13:30 -16:30 in collaboration with Sports Video Group SVG and SPORTEL are pleased to announce its first ever event in Southeast Asia: the SVG Singapore OTT Workshop.
The Southeast Asia marketplace is embracing OTT services at a very high rate thanks to the proliferation of digital devices and the internet. The event will be held on the afternoon of 15 March and is open to qualified end users and sponsors of the event. The event is free to all registered Sportel attendees and will provide deeper insights into getting the most out of your OTT offering and creating a more compelling OTT experience.
13:30-14:00: Developing Your OTT Strategy – What steps should you take to make sure your OTT plans align with the needs of your viewers and audience? Moderator: Chris Wagner, Neulion, EVP, Marketplace Strategy and Co-Founder Panelists: Tim Martin, Founder & CEO, Rugby Pass
14:00-14:25: Global Trends in OTT – What is going on outside of the Southeast Asia region with respect to OTT offerings? Chris Wagner, Neulion EVP, Marketplace Strategy and Co-Founder interviewed by Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director
14:25-14:40: Case Study
14:40-15:00 : Networking Break
15:00-15:30: Next-Generation Technologies: What’s Next in Audio and Video Experiences Understand new technologies that can make a difference for your viewers and help set your service apart from the competition.
Pankaj Kedia, Managing Director, Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories, inc. 15:30-15:45: Case Study 15:45-16:30: Stop Thief! Content Protection Strategies OTT services are under constant attack from those looking to illegally monetize the streams or to simply steal it and watch it for free. What steps can you take to protect yourWarning: Cannot modify header information – headers already sent by (output started at /home/dev/public_html/includes/common.inc:2755) in /home/dev/public_html/includes/bootstrap.inc on line 1232
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Legal and City Experts Connect the Dots at LawAccord
LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Delegates attending this year’s LawAccord conference will hear from leading experts on the legal risks and business implications for hosting major global sports events.
LawAccord will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 18 April during SportAccord at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre and is particularly suited to GAISF International Federation members and registered delegates from cities, legal teams, and sports stakeholders.
The opening session will examine how rights are awarded to host major events and will recommend the legal steps to undertake for contract negotiation.
Delegates will hear from Catherine Ordway, Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne who will discuss how inter-agency collaboration is increasingly needed to be organised by bidding cities to support traditional sports integrity efforts.
A special joint panel session will follow with CityAccord on the most important commercial considerations when preparing to bid for an international event to void disputes and conflict, supported by case histories.
Legal and city panel experts include:
· Craig McLatchey OAM, Lagardère Sports/EKS
· Dr. Robert Kaspar, Assistant Professor for Sports Management, Seeburg Castle University
· David Simon, President, Los Angeles Sports Council
A scene setter outlining the Dos and Don’ts in contract drafting will follow by Jeff Benz, CEDS, JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator and former General Counsel of the United States Olympic Committee. This will run alongside commentary from Francisco Lima, Director Governance & Institutional Affairs from the International Equestrian Federation, on special issues arising from the movement of horses. A panel session will follow and seek to identify the ten most important issues for any hosting agreement, including risk allocation between the event owner and host city. Commenting on his involvement in major event bids Benz said:
“I am pleased to participate in the LawAccord and CityAccord joint session at SportAccord on Host City Agreements. Since my days as USOC general counsel through multiple event bids and hosting through today I have had the tremendous pleasure to work with a variety of parties in putting together the legal arrangements to conduct events in a variety of contexts. I am looking forward to sharing what I know about this subject and to deepening my knowledge learning from my fellow speakers and the audience. Putting together a solid event framework built on the basics business terms and legal agreements is the key to success in running events.”
This year’s LawAccord Keynote by Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), provides the essential annual update, a must attend for lawyers and sports administrators, where Reeb will share the most recent CAS cases and their impact on planning and decisions.
LawAccord Co-Chairs Stephen Townley, Active Rights Management (ARM) and Michael Lenard, ICAS, Vice President will announce the launch of the LawAccord global pro bono sports law firm of the year award 2019. This is supported by leading international academics Hayden Opie and Matthew Mitten as independent administrators for the award.
Host cities, as well as organisations and legal practices looking to attend LawAccord should register for SportAccord 2018 giving them access to the entire conference programme. As part of the Official Schedule, SportAccord will host well over 20 networking events, a 3-day Exhibition, and an extensive Conference programme to include: the Summit (Plenary), CityAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord, HealthAccord; as well as workshops delivered by Sportcal and Yutang Sports.
Organisations looking for opportunities to increase their visibility at the World Sport & Business Summit can become an Exhibitor or Partner by contacting the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 (0)79 126 08 42. -
Product Showcase to Debut at SportAccord 2018
LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Making its debut at SportAccord 2018, smart clothing and body sensor brands will hit the runway in front of a global audience with a daily Product Showcase to ignite the senses at this year’s World Sport & Business Summit.
With more and more players entering this market, a growing variety of products are arriving on the scene. Sports apparel and footwear continue to lead the way with garments that provide more in-depth physiological and biometric data than has previously been available for wristbands and watches.
On top of this, professional sports teams continue to adopt the technology with the body sensor market set to achieve 92.1 million1 units in 2022.
The SportAccord 2018 Product Showcase provides a unique opportunity for a limited number of brands to get in front of their target audience – the international sports federations – and steal a march. Fitness wearables market growth is being driven by professional athletes, teams and consumers looking to gain performance advantage. Athletes and teams were identified as one of the biggest drivers at the International Federation (IF) Forum in 2014.
Compression technology for quicker athlete recovery, moisture management, smart footwear, wearable patches, connected sports and fitness apparel, all have the opportunity to be on stage at SportAccord 2018. Interested brands should contact sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 601 27 64.
With an average audience of around 700 delegates during each Product Showcase, brands will have the opportunity to reveal new products and apparel in front of the global sports community – including media.
Taking place in the heart of the exhibition close to the SportAccord Café, there are multiple packages available to suit all budgets starting at CHF 3,000 – a steal when the current rate per delegate is CHF 2,500. This package includes One Showcase, two delegate passes, and an advert in ‘The Daily’ SportAccord newspaper (digital and print). Brands will also benefit from exclusive ‘promo’ shots to raise visibility for use in media and marketing campaigns.
Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said: “The Product Showcase is an exciting opportunity for sports apparel, smart clothing and wearables brands to gain exposure on a world stage.
“Years ago, professional teams had straightforward competition and training kits. Now, we’re starting to see devices integrated into their athletic wear for performance analysis. On top of this, smart sports apparel is being designed with superior comfort and performance in mind, for both consumers and professional athletes.
“Of course, ‘branding and sponsorship’ is also an important aspect for sportswear too – both on and off the field of play, and is part of the theme for this year’s conference programme. The SportAccord Product Showcase is a golden opportunity for a few brands to take part and engage with their target audience.”
Brands who are interested in taking part in the SportAccord Product Showcase set to take place from Tuesday 17 April to Thursday 19 April throughout the day, should contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 601 27 64.
Brands will also have access to the SportAccord Official Schedule including well over 20 key networking events, a full conference programme, and a popular 3-day Exhibition, as part of the delegate experience. SportAccord is also host to the Annual General Assemblies of its GAISF members.
Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #sportaccord, as well as LinkedIn and on Facebook. -
Scotland’s 2020 Vision for Event Hosting
Scotland’s 2020 vision for event hosting
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, shares his strategic vision of the next two years
Host City: Scotland has a great programme of major events coming up over the next two years – what are your expectations of these events?
Paul Bush OBE: There are a lot of great events taking place in Scotland in the next couple of years, and it comes off the back of a very successful 10-15 years where we’ve hosted some of the biggest and the finest events in the world, including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, The Ryder Cup, the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Champions, and the 2017 World Badminton Championships.
Over the coming years we will continue this trend with the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, The 2019 Solheim Cup, the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships, the LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships 2019 and UEFA EURO 2020.
With events playing a significant role in our visitor economy, this supply of events will ensure we continue to sustain and grow the sector while also delivering a positive impact both economically and socially for Scotland.
Host City: What kind of national assets will be used and developed over the next two years?
Paul Bush OBE: Through our national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, we try to maximise our assets for events, whether it’s our natural environment, our people or our built facilities. The events we have coming up over the next two years will really take advantage of these and ensure they continue to deliver a legacy for Scotland. For instance, the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and the European Athletics Indoor Championships will make use of a facilities built for 2014 Commonwealth Games including Emirates Arena and the SSE Hydro, while at Hampden Park we’ve seen the installation of new LED screens in the East and West Stands as part of the development work being done in preparation for EURO 2020.
We’ll also see the addition of new assets like the Olympic standard BMX track being built at Knightswood Park for the European Championships as well as the opening of the new V&A Dundee this summer. Both of these new facilities will be a fantastic addition to our existing facilities and present great opportunities for future events in Scotland.
Host City: What does the events and festivals sector bring to Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018?
Paul Bush OBE: The Year of Young People 2018 is putting Scotland’s young people in the spotlight, celebrating their talents, contributions and creating new opportunities for them to express themselves through a wide range of activity.
As part of the year, we’ve developed a nation-wide programme which, for the first time, is entirely co-designed by young people and the events and festivals sector. The programme includes both new events and new programme strands for annual events – all of which reinforce Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events.
Collaboration and co-production with young people is at the heart of the year, and the events and festivals sector are playing a crucial role in providing a wealth of opportunities and valuable experiences for young people to express themselves through culture, sport and a range of other activities. From music festivals to science takeovers, film festivals to touring theatre productions, the sector is putting young people in the driving seat – putting the power into their hands and giving them a wonderful opportunity to bring different generations together as well as showing the world what they are made of throughout 2018.
Host City: How does hosting important conferences such as Host City and your own National Events Conference help EventScotland to achieve its objectives?
Paul Bush OBE: Hosting conferences like Host City and our own National Events conference are extremely important to us as it is an opportunity to bring the industry together to share best practice and look at the challenges and opportunities we’re facing, both on a local and global scale. Doing this helps us achieve our aim of developing a strong and dynamic events industry that is producing a portfolio of events and festivals that delivers sustainable impact and international profile for Scotland.Warning: Cannot modify header information – headers already sent by (output started at /home/dev/public_html/includes/common.inc:2755) in /home/dev/public_html/includes/bootstrap.inc on line 1232