[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to confirm this year’s LawAccord conference programme: Key Opportunities, Challenges and Threats to Institutional Sport – From Within and Without, supported by a stellar line-up of speakers and panelists. LawAccord is set to take place on Monday 6 May 2019 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia.
Running for a full-day for the first time, Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said:
“Hosting SportAccord in Gold Coast has presented a wide variety of conference opportunities for the LawAccord programme this year. With so many influencers and stakeholders in the region, it was felt that a full-day’s conference followed by a networking cocktail, would give delegates more news and current thinking, and provide the perfect platform to discuss the day’s business and insights in welcoming surroundings.”
LawAccord is of particular interest to sport lawyers and administrators, international federations, cities and regions, as well as event hosts. Organisations and legal experts can register for SportAccord here and benefit from all the networking opportunities on offer.
Francesco Ricci Bitti, Acting-President of SportAccord and President of ASOIF will provide the welcome introduction and opening for LawAccord.
The Morning Keynote: Why Good Governance is Crucial to Sport Organisations will be presented by Malcolm Speed AO, former CEO of Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council. Speed is the Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University and Senior Fellow in the Faculty of Law at Melbourne University. A panel session discussing good governance will follow, led and moderated by Michael Lenard, Vice President, ICAS.
Other conference and panel sessions will cover: the fight against match-fixing; how to manage the emergence of rival leagues/competitions and other legal considerations supported by case studies; the annual CAS Update. A Fireside Chat with Sir Craig Reedie will also take place followed by an anti-doping panel session.
Commenting on the significance of this year’s LawAccord programme, Ross Wenzel, Partner, Kellerhals Carrard, and a LawAccord Steering Committee member commented:
“Kellerhals Carrard is delighted to be involved in putting together this year’s edition of LawAccord taking place at SportAccord 2019 in Gold Coast. The program addresses some of the most topical and significant issues that are affecting international sport today including the practical aspects of governance reforms, how to deal with the emergence of rival leagues and the changing landscape of the fight against doping in sport.
“We have been fortunate enough to line up world-class speakers, both from Australia and abroad, with hands-on experience of the regulation and administration of sport. These include the lawyers that led the FIFA and IAAF governance reforms, Sir Craig Reedie, President of WADA, Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the newly-formed International Testing Agency and Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“In view of the quality of the program and speakers, the Steering Committee took the decision to extend LawAccord to a full day with a networking cocktail to follow, giving attendees further opportunities to make the most of their time at SportAccord. We are looking forward to a lively, frank and multi-faceted debate around some of the key challenges facing sport.
As part of the Official Schedule, delegates will be able to take part in over 20 networking events, the popular 3-day Exhibition, and access 50+ conference sessions, become involved in the Sports Festival and many other social occasions taking place in Gold Coast, with plenty of opportunities to explore this beautiful region further.
To become an Exhibitor or Partner contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 612 3070. To register as a delegate and watch past SportAccord footage visit www.sportaccord.sport.
Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook.
For media enquiries, email the Media Relations Officer: jenny.edmondson@sportaccord.com
SportAccord
SportAccord brings together international sports federations and organisations involved in the business of sport. The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. It engages international sports federations, athletes, industry, rights holders, organising committees, cities, government, agencies, media, technology, legal teams, medical professionals, inventors, and subject matter experts – represented at the highest levels.
SportAccord is the only global sports business event attended by all the international sports federations and their stakeholders, who host their Annual General Assemblies during SportAccord.
These stakeholders include: ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations), AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations), AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) and Associate Members. SportAccord receives the full support of the International Olympic Committee.
Follow #SA2019 and #SA2020 on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr
LawAccord
The Steering Committee for this year’s LawAccord conference programme are:
David Casserly, Barrister, Attorney-at-law, Partner, Kellerhals Carrard
John Hewitt, Event Operations Manager, Communications, SportAccord
Michael Lenard, Vice President, ICAS
Stephen Townley, Founder, Active Rights Management Limited
Ross Wenzel, Partner, Solicitor of Senior Courts of England & Wales, Kellerhals Carrard
With the Enlarged Steering Committee consisting of:
Hayden Opie AM, Senior Fellow (Melbourne Law Masters), University of Melbourne
Malcolm Speed AO, former CEO of Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council, Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, Senior Fellow in the Faculty of Law at Melbourne University
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LawAccord conference ramped up for SportAccord Gold Coast edition
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Minsk 2019 European Games targets 120 broadcast deals
International Sports Broadcasting (ISB), the host broadcaster for the Minsk 2019 European Games, said it had reached agreements in more than 106 territories on 28th January, with 150 days to go to the Games.
The organisers of the multisport megaevent say the agreements with top broadcasters in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and New Zealand will enable them to reach more than 500 million viewers.
“This is excellent news not only for the success and longevity of the European Games, but especially for the athletes, who deserve to have the biggest possible viewership while competing at Europe’s premier multi-sport event,” said European Olympic Committees (EOC) President Janez Kocijan?i?.
“We look forward to welcoming the world to Minsk this summer, be it in person or via our strong network of broadcasters.”
The second edition of the European Games runs from 21-30 June in the capital city of Belarus.
More than 4,000 athletes will participate in 15 sports: 3×3 basketball, archery, athletics, badminton, beach soccer, boxing, canoe sprint, cycling, gymnastics, judo, karate, sambo, shooting, table tennis and wrestling. Eight of these will act as qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, while four sports will also count the Games as their official European championships.
ISB is set to produce an estimated 500 hours of live coverage and daily highlights over ten days of competitions plus Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
The company was established in 1996 by Manolo Romero, former Managing Director of the IOC’s host broadcaster, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and has served as the host broadcaster for seven Olympic Games, six Paralympic Games, numerous World Championships, World Cups and continental Games.
“We are very pleased with the agreements reached so far and expect to announce a number of other key deals soon,” Romero said. “Our ultimate target is more than 120 rights holding broadcasters and we are confident that we will achieve it.” -
Scotland to host first UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023
[Source: EventScotland] Scotland’s position as a world-leading host for major events has been reaffirmed with the announcement on 8th February that it has been awarded the inaugural Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Cycling World Championships in 2023.
The Championships, which will take place at venues in Glasgow and across Scotland over two weeks in August 2023, has been awarded in recognition of the country’s proven expertise in delivering world-class and ground-breaking events.
The vision of UCI President, David Lappartient, this historic and innovative event will bring together 13 existing individual World Championships cycling disciplines into one mega event for the first time. The Championships will bring together thousands of the world’s best cyclists all vying to win the iconic rainbow jersey, in what will become the world’s biggest cycling event, broadcast to a global audience.
Speaking at today’s announcement at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, UCI President David Lappartient, said: I am delighted that the UCI has today awarded the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to Glasgow and Scotland. The creation and the implementation of this event was one of the commitments I had made during my campaign for UCI presidency and I am proud to have fulfilled it. I wish to thank EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling for their enthusiastic involvement in the very first edition of this historic event, which will uniquely showcase our sport and its different disciplines on an international stage. Glasgow and Scotland has a great deal of experience in the organisation of major sporting events, notably multi-sports, such as the first edition of the European Sports Championships that it organised in 2018. I am convinced that the UCI Cycling World Championships will be a great success, and I look forward enormously to preparing them with our Scottish partners.”
Both Glasgow and Scotland’s records are self-evident when it comes to delivering mega events, having hosted some of the world’s biggest sporting events in recent years; including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and Glasgow 2018 European Championships, with the 2019 Solheim Cup and UEFA EURO 2020 to come over the next 18 months.
It is this unrivalled events experience, which also includes such cycling events as the annual Mercedes Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Fort William, the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, OVO Energy Tour of Britain and the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup in recent years, which made Scotland the UCI’s destination to host the maiden edition of what is destined to become every four years an outstanding fixture of the international cycling competition calendar.
Combined with Glasgow’s existing investment in world-class cycling infrastructure such as the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the Glasgow BMX Centre in Knightswood, this ensures that Scotland will be able to host this event without having to build any new venues.
The opportunity to be the first-ever hosts of the UCI Cycling World Championships will also provide a visible focus to support the acceleration of a range of local and national policy initiatives across the areas of health, transport, sport and tourism, and which would see Scotland aspire to become one of Europe’s top cycling nations.
Reacting to the news, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: “As the first ever host of this event, Scotland will cement its position as a leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events. It builds upon the successes of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and last year’s European Championships.
“Our overall aim is for Scotland to become one of Europe’s top cycling nations with cycling firmly embedded across Scotland as the favoured way to travel to school and work, as an enjoyable leisure activity and an efficient way to improve health.”
Sir Chris Hoy, six-times Olympic gold medallist, said: “To see Glasgow build on the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 – and more recently the European Championships – to become the first city to host a combined cycling world championships is a real coup for the city and Scotland. I’m looking forward to witnessing first-hand what I know will be another fantastic event not only on the velodrome track in 2023, but across all disciplines of our great sport.”
Katie Archibald, Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion, said: “I’ve competed in a few major events in Scotland, and they are amongst some of my career highlights thanks to the amazing support myself and my team mates get from the home crowd. The UCI World Championships 2023 sounds really exciting, it’ll be the year before the Paris Olympics, meaning all the nations will be ramping up their preparations so the racing will be great to watch. I also like the idea of being able to support my team mates from other disciplines in their world championships.”
Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “This is a huge announcement and achievement for the city. Being the first ever hosts of this event – which will become the pinnacle of the international cycling competition calendar – will cement Glasgow and Scotland’s position as a worldwide leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events.
“Our city is one of the top five sporting cities in the world, and events like the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will help us continue to climb these rankings and realise our big aspirations. This event will be the biggest event staged in the city, and indeed the country, in the coming years – and we cannot wait to welcome athletes, officials, and spectators from around the world to Glasgow.”
Today’s announcement follows months of work by EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling to secure the event after the UCI announced its ambition to create this brand new cycling concept back in 2018.
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said: “UK Sport is delighted to see that Scotland has been chosen as the first ever host of the exciting new concept that is the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
“The decision from the UCI demonstrates once again that the UK remains a world leading innovator when it comes to hosting global sporting events as well as an open and welcoming place for athletes, coaches and fans across the globe.
“This move provides real confidence as we look to deliver our ambitious event hosting strategy and I would like to thank National Lottery players for their support because it is their backing that will allow us to bring more of the world’s top sporting competition to the UK.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that Scotland has been chosen to host the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. I’d like to thank President Lappartient and the UCI for awarding the event to Glasgow and Scotland and for trusting us to bring the vision of this exciting and historical new event to fruition. Securing a competition of this global magnitude reinforces Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events and one of the world’s leading sporting destinations.
“The competition will once again provide another significant opportunity for both visitors and locals to celebrate some of the world’s elite cycling talent across a range of events. We look forward to working closely with UCI and wider partners to deliver this landmark event for Scotland.”
It will also provide opportunities including volunteering and workforce development, as well as supporting British athletes in their preparation and qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Frank Slevin, Chair of British Cycling, said: “At British Cycling, we do not judge the success of major events only by the medals won, but by the numbers of people inspired to get active by getting on their bikes. Hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships reflects the pioneering success of Scotland’s national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, and also represents an amazing opportunity to transform a whole nation’s relationship with the bicycle. We look forward to working with our colleagues at Scottish Cycling to ensure the benefits of this event will be felt in Scotland long after the final race has been won.”
Today’s announcement highlights the continued success of Scotland’s national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, in ensuring a solid pipeline of events which deliver sustainable impact and international profile for the country. The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will join a portfolio of major events in the coming years, including The 2019 Solheim Cup and UEFA EURO 2020 and will continue Scotland’s journey to being the perfect stage for events.
The UCI currently stages annual World Championships in each of its disciplines across the year in different host cities around the world. The newly proposed UCI Cycling World Championships will, in a single region, bring 13 disciplines together every four years starting from 2023. These are:UCI Road World Championships
UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships
UCI Track Cycling World Championships presented by Tissot
UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships
UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country Eliminator World Championships
UCI Trials World Championships
UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Championships
UCI BMX World Championships
UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
UCI Gran Fondo World Championships -
Merits of SportAccord exhibition sees quick uptake for Gold Coast
[Source: SportAccord] Exhibitor uptake for the Gold Coast edition of SportAccord has risen quickly, just a few months after SportAccord officially opened its doors, inviting participation from organisations involved in the business of sport.
Taking part in the SportAccord exhibition provides unique experiences for the sporting community and this view is shared by Susan Sawbridge, Manager, New Zealand Major Events:
“SportAccord is the greatest annual opportunity for New Zealand to showcase its strengths, as an events destination, allowing us to connect with International Federations, other host cities and suppliers.”
The SportAccord exhibition is considered to be an important aspect of the World Sport & Business Summit and its attributes can be viewed via the Bangkok exhibition video tour. Its prime location together with the buzzing SportAccord Café, provides the ideal setting to have business conversations, as well as enjoy the many networking events on offer throughout the week.
Organisations looking to exhibit at SportAccord 2019 can review their options in the interactive floor plan and register for the Gold Coast edition of SportAccord ahead of the next price rise early March.
Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord commented: “The exhibition provides a dynamic platform and advantage for industry, cities and regions, as well as sporting bodies, to showcase their organisation – whether it’s to kick-start a new initiative or share latest developments.
“Each year we look at ways to improve and ‘localise’ the SportAccord exhibition, and this year is no exception. With the support of Host City Gold Coast, we will be revealing some new additions for SportAccord 2019.”
Exhibitors and delegates alike will be able to enjoy a host of benefits at this year’s stunning Gold Coast and Exhibition Centre including:Enhanced exhibition stands as a standard offering
Comfortable meeting areas
The lively and larger than ever SportAccord Café with lunch served daily to all delegates
Exhibition cocktails and ‘get-togethers’ offering myriad networking opportunities
Press opportunities
Close proximity to the conference areas accessed via the exhibition hallWith cities, regions and industry evenly matched with international sports federations this year, the exhibition will have much to offer everyone.
To take advantage of all these opportunities and much more, organisations can register and exhibit for SportAccord 2019. The Official Schedule enables attendees to enjoy multiple networking events the popular 3-day Exhibition, access 50+ conference sessions, visit the Sports Festival and take part in cultural activities in Gold Coast.
Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook. -
Denmark wins bid to host 2021 Tour de France Grand Départ
Denmark will host the Grand Départ of the 2021 Tour de France, starting on 2nd July in capital city Copenhagen, followed by a second stage on 3rd July running from Roskilde to Nyborg on the island of Funen, and the third stage on July 4th starting in Vejle and finishing in Sønderborg.
A Deloitte report on the 2017 Grand Départ found that Düsseldorf benefited economically by EUR 64m, with the total marketing value to the host estimated at EUR 443m. Other cities and regions to have benefited from hosting the Grand Départ include Utrecht (2015), Yorkshire (2014), and Rotterdam (2010).
Denmark’s bid to host a Tour de France Grand Départ officially began on June 20th 2016 in Paris, where the bid was presented to Christian Prudhomme by the former Danish Minister for Business and Growth, Troels Lund Poulsen, and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen.
Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France Race Director at the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said: “Of course the Tour de France, with the best professional sports cyclists in the world, had to visit Denmark and Copenhagen – the best country and the best city in the world for everyday cycling. The Grand Départ Copenhague – Danemark 2021 is the ‘rendez-vous’ to celebrate the mutual inspiration between every day cycling and professional cycling.”
With 198 top athletes and more than 900,000 spectators expected to attend the three stages, this will be one of the biggest sports events ever held in Denmark.
The Tour de France is broadcast in 190 countries and has about 3.5 billion TV viewers during the race.
Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, said: “Denmark made it! It is fantastic! A dream born many years ago has come true. The world’s greatest cycling race starts in Denmark in 2021. It doesn’t get much bigger. It is the perfect match for the proud Danish tradition for hosting major cycling events where the massive interest for cycling and the stars of cycling are the driving forces.”
Other major international cycling events hosted by Denmark include the UCI Road World Championships in 2011, the UCI BMX World Championships in 2011, the start of the Giro d’Italia in 2012, the UCI Amateur World Championships in 2015, the UCI European Championships in 2017 and the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in 2019.
The hosts of the three stages
The opening stage, a 13-kilometre time trial in central Copenhagen, starts off on H.C. Andersens Boulevard and finishes on City Hall Square after having passed through the heart of Copenhagen including landmarks such as the Royal Palace of Amalienborg, the historic harbour of Nyhavn and the parliament at Christiansborg.
The second stage runs for 190 kilometres, starting in the heart of the historic city of Roskilde and finishing in Nyborg on the island of Funen after crossing the majestic Great Belt Bridge with possible side winds and a chance of breakaway.
The third and final stage starts off in Vejle, passing sights such as UNESCO world heritage Jelling Monuments and riding through 170 kilometres of stunning countryside scenery before finishing in Sønderborg, with an airport five kilometres from the finishing line.
The city of Odense was included in the original bid as the destination of the second stage but was replaced by the municipality of Nyborg, due to a desire from the ASO to let the Great Belt Bridge play a bigger role in the second stage of the Tour.
Bidding and delivery teams
The bid team consisted of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, the municipalities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg, Sport Event Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen, the Capital region of Denmark and the regions of Zealand and Southern Denmark.
The event will be organised by a partnership consisting of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs and the municipalities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg as stakeholders. The capital region of Denmark and the regions of Zealand and Southern Denmark are contributing to the partnership financially.
An administrative office with responsibility for the day-to-day operation of this partnership will be set up to implement the Grand Départ in Denmark. The temporary director of the administrative office Alex Pedersen was vice president of media company Jysk Fynske Medier and a professional cyclist who took part in organising the Giro d’Italia in Herning and Horsens in 2012.
“The best cycling city in the world”
The slogan of the Danish Grand Départ is “The greatest cycling race in the world meets the best cycling city in the world”, with the latter title conferred by the Copenhagenize Index.
There are 5.6 times as many bikes as there are cars in Copenhagen, with almost half of the locals cycling to work and school on 379 kilometres of designated cycling paths.
In 2015 Denmark was named the most bike-friendly country in Europe by the European Cyclist Federation. Cycling accounts for 26 per cent of all trips less than 5 kilometres in Denmark and 16 per cent of all trips. The average Dane cycles 1.6 km per day. The country has 12,000 km of marked cycling paths.
Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen said: “Biking is a vital part of the lifestyle in Copenhagen where bikes actually outnumber cars. Copenhagen is a true bike and a top event city – ranking number 8 at Sportcal’s Global Sports Cities Index. Copenhagen is therefore the perfect place for a Grand Départ, and we are looking forward to welcoming the world of existing and going-to-be bike enthusiasts to our city.” -
DB Schenker named Official Logistics Provider for SportAccord 2019
[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to welcome the return of DB Schenker as Official Logistics Provider for the 17th edition of SportAccord taking place from 5 – 10 May 2019 in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
As one of the leading supply chain management and logistics solutions providers worldwide,
DB Schenker has been a long-standing Delivery Partner for SportAccord. With dedicated multi-lingual teams located worldwide for the sport event industry, this puts DB Schenker in a strong position when it comes to supporting the needs of delegates.
Commenting on the longevity of the partnership, Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord said: “We are delighted DB Schenker has come on-board once more as the Official Logistics Provider for SportAccord 2019. Working closely with DB Schenker for many years has contributed to the smooth-running of our event operations.
“To have their loyalty, expertise and know-how is invaluable to our event, and as in previous years, SportAccord delegates will be offered preferential rates for Gold Coast. It goes without saying that it makes sense to use DB Schenker for the Gold Coast edition of SportAccord.”
To register as a SportAccord delegate, exhibitor or partner and take advantage of the Official Schedule, attendees will be able to enjoy over 20 networking events and the popular 3-day Exhibition, have access to 50+ conference sessions and the Sports Festival, taking place at the Gold Coast Conference and Exhibition Centre situated alongside the shores of Queensland’s stunning coastline.
Commenting on their involvement in global events including the Asian Games 2018, Christian Schultz, SVP Product Management Sports Events at DB Schenker said:
“DB Schenker is one of the world’s leading global logistics provider, also when it comes to sports. We are not only part of the biggest sport events worldwide, but we make them possible in the first place.”
Delegates will also be able to meet the DB Schenker team during SportAccord 2019 at Booth No. 9 to discuss their future business needs and requirements.
With an ever-growing list of organisations becoming involved in SportAccord 2019, exhibitors, partners and delegates can contact the dedicated DB Schenker team at au.dl.tme.sportaccord2019@dbschenker.com to discuss the delivery of booths, exhibits and promotional material.
To become an Exhibitor or Partner contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 612 3070.
Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook.
For media enquiries, email the Media Relations Officer: jenny.edmondson@sportaccord.com
SportAccord
SportAccord brings together international sports federations and organisations involved in the business of sport. The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. It engages international sports federations, athletes, industry, rights holders, organising committees, cities, government, agencies, media, technology, legal teams, medical professionals, inventors, and subject matter experts – represented at the highest levels.
SportAccord is the only global sports business event attended by all the international sports federations and their stakeholders, who host their Annual General Assemblies during SportAccord.
These stakeholders include: ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations), AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations), AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) and Associate Members. SportAccord receives the full support of the International Olympic Committee.
Follow #SA2019 and #SA2020 on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr
DB Schenker
DB Schenker is committed to providing innovative supply chain solutions that challenge the status quo. As a global industry leader with more than 140 years of logistics experience, DB Schenker is proud to support industry and trade in the global exchange of goods.
For further information visit www.dbschenker.com, dbschenker (LinkedIn)
For press enquiries, contact Mirko-A Kahre, mirko-alexander.kahre@dbschenker.com
+49 1523 75 79 468 (M), +49 201 8781 8726 (P) -
OTT, digital and esports top the agenda at SPORTELAsia 2019
Host City: What can delegates expect at the upcoming SPORTELAsia conference – what are the big topics on the agenda?
Laurent Puons: I am definitely interested to learn more about the latest opportunities for each of Asia’s key sports business markets. Each market is unique and making their own path, which is fascinating. Some key themes across these markets will be understanding how local markets are adapting to the growth of OTT, how rights holders are unlocking value through digital and understanding the latest developments in esports.
Host City: Why are you hosting the event in Macau – what will the visitor experience be like there?
Laurent Puons: SPORTELAsia has not been back to the Far East since SPORTELAsia 2014 in Shanghai and a lot has happened in the industry since then. We need to be in the Far East this year and Macau is strategically located for our community to come together and do business in Asia.
Host City: How does this event compare to SPORTELMonaco?
Laurent Puons: SPORTELMonaco is our global convention, which has over 3,000 sports media and technology executives from across the world. It has been held in Monaco for over 30 years and is a fantastic representation of the state of the global industry.
SPORTEL Spring Conventions on the other hand are unique opportunities in strategic sports business markets, which provide our community with the opportunity to do business in new territories.
Host City: How and why is SPORTEL changing its event formats to serve the demands of the market?
Laurent Puons: I am looking forward to seeing some of our new initiatives come to fruition. As requested by our community, we have developed new tailor-made exhibitor packages and organised a number of esports conference programme events with some of the leaders of the industry, which I am really looking forward to. -
ESPN builds and dedicates multifunctional sports space in Sydney, Australia
[Source: ESPN] Community leaders, local residents, and youth gathered in Mount Druitt, Sydney on February 28 to participate in the opening of a new, multifunctional sports space dedicated to the local community and its residents. Built to Play is a global project, led by ESPN. This is the first Built to Play project undertaken by ESPN in Sydney and the eighth globally.
The courts and surrounding area, refurbished with the help of community residents and ESPN and Disney employees, will provide a safe place to play for the surrounding community, as well as offer ongoing programming using the power of sports to educate young people on key local issues. Sport for development organizations, Coaches Across Continents and Police Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) NSW will deliver programs on the new space.
Hosted by ESPN sports reporter and commentator, Stephanie Brantz, the event was attended by Haydn Arndt, General Manager, ESPN ANZ and Disney Media Distribution, along with ESPN and Disney employees and community volunteers who helped build the space, as well as local residents and their families. The celebration was comprised of cultural performances, special recognition of community leaders who volunteered their time, as well as sports matches open to the community.
“At ESPN, we believe that sport has the ability to transform lives, and we are committed to providing resources to enable kids in Sydney to play sports,” said Haydn Arndt. “We’re pleased to bring this global project to Mt. Druitt and to collaborate with love.fútbol, PCYC NSW, and Coaches Across Continents, to create this space in a community where there is a need, as it can truly make a difference.”
love.fútbol, which is known for building community sports facilities all over the world, played a key role in selecting Mount Druitt, Sydney, for the new space based on need, population served and socio-economic status. The unemployment rate is over 13% higher than the Greater Sydney average, alongside a number of social challenges in the area including drugs and alcohol abuse, high crime levels, insufficient transportation and limited services for youth.
“We are fortunate to have such significant support from ESPN, Disney, love.fútbol and Coaches Across Continents who share our vision of empowering young people,” said Dominic Teakle, CEO, PCYC NSW. “Participation in sport is a powerful tool for change. It allows young people to feel part of a team and that sense of belonging gives them the support to face their challenges both physical and mental. PCYC sits at the heart of most NSW communities and this facility will enable us to better serve the community of Mount Druitt.” -
Integrity, collaboration and digital top concerns of Olympic sports
[Source: ASOIF] After almost 12 months’ work, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) today launched its report on the “Future of Global Sport”. The document aggregates the views of thought leaders and decision-makers from sport, business and government. It addresses political, social, technological, legal and economic influences, all of which are impacting International Federation (IF) decision-making and the model under which sport will be managed going forward. It also provides a historical overview of the foundations that underpin organised sport as we know it today and delves into the challenges currently being faced. The report concludes by laying out a vision for the future of sport over the next 20 years including key recommendations for the IFs and for ASOIF itself.
ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said on the occasion of today’s launch: “ASOIF has invested significant resources in this project and we believe the results will help IFs to better understand, anticipate and react to the changes and trends confronting them. In fact, some of the outlined future scenarios may serve as a wake-up call. This report invites us all to challenge our thinking at ASOIF and encourage our members to challenge their own.”
Key findings of the Future of Global Sport report include:IFs must demonstrate an exemplary standard of governance in order to maintain the confidence of the media, governments, business and the public at large while also protecting the integrity of their sports;
IFs will need to develop a more proactive, creative, commercially driven and collaborative mind set, re-evaluating their role and strategies in favour of increased partnership with the private sector;
IFs will need to embrace “digital” in earnest, transforming their business models, organisational designs and operational cultures;
Today’s sporting event model will evolve so that true partnerships entailing closer cooperation and balanced risk-sharing among and between stakeholders, including business and government agencies will be a requirement;
Athletes with sufficient following are gaining influence in today’s disintermediated media landscape and will need to be offered greater incentives to compete in established events;
In order to attract new people to participate in and consume their sports, IFs must adapt their strategies to a changing society and to how, in future, people will discover and consume content;
If they adapt, IFs will remain widely accepted as unique bodies effectively capable of governing and administrating their sports on a worldwide basis as custodians of the rules, training of judges, managing the events calendar and coordinating and funding global development initiatives etc; and
It will become increasingly important to have an effective “umbrella” organisation working to promote and defend the Olympic IFs’ collective common interests given the range of major common challenges that IFs share but can never be expected to address individually.
Following-up on these findings, the report concludes with a blueprint for IFs to adapt and take advantage of the opportunities presented by today’s disrupted and competitive sporting landscape. This consists of ten recommendations for IFs related to two equally important themes of governance and entrepreneurialism.
The report will also provide ASOIF with guidance and a basis for prioritisation, particularly in relation to its work on establishing a solid future role for IFs, as the involvement of both public authorities (governments) and private business interests in sport continues to grow.
Click here to read the full report. -
Hurdles in procurement exclude outsiders and cause “terrible mistakes” – Harvey Goldsmith CBE
In the beginning, the event procurement process was nonexistent. Until, according to Harvey Goldsmith CBE, “A bunch of bean counters were brought in to say, hang on, can you evaluate the process? And then the procurement business started. This immediately knocked out smaller, innovative start-up companies who wouldn’t have a chance of getting into the procurement process.”
Legendary music promoter Goldsmith has staged countless major events – not least Live Aid – but procurement has not evolved much since this “big bang” moment when the process was first established.
“So, you would end up with the same two or three companies basically doing everything and unfortunately that’s pretty much true today,” he told delegates at the Event Production Show in London on 27 February.
“If you look at the companies that are out there producing major events, it’s the same companies. You’ll see the same people go from Olympics to the Millennium to New Year’s Eve at the Eye, to Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup – it’s a club of clubs!
“It’s unfair, it doesn’t let innovation in and it doesn’t let new creative ideas or people in, which is a problem. We need a procession of new people coming in.”
Goldsmith was joined on the panel by Simon Hughes, Vice President of the Business Visits and Events Partnership. “We don’t engage with people in procurement enough and they don’t engage with us enough. We need to have that conversation much more frequently,” he said. “It does a huge amount of damage for startups and creativity, which are the key drivers for what you do.”
On the question of how innovative companies can get involved in major events, Goldsmith said: “You have to think in a different way. You’ve either got to team up with a company that is capable of jumping the hurdle of procurement, or package people together and come up with something that’s so different they have to take notice. It is a difficult issue today.”
One of the issues is the lack of a clearly defined route into a career in the live events industry. “The event entertainment business is a very insular industry, which strangely enough doesn’t encourage outsiders. There is no degree you can take to become a booking agent,” Goldsmith said.
“We are constantly asked how to break through into the business. The only way you can break through is to push yourself through. Before I did my first gig, I went into a shop I bought a little Vox amp to get backstage into gigs!
“The only companies that have got involved are the ones who have the confidence to push themselves through. You’ve got to have the confidence to find ways to get over the hurdles.”
Goldsmith said procurement processes do not favour UK companies. “As much I do believe that, as much as we have the best entertainment music talent in the UK, we also have the best behind-the-scenes talent by a long mile – so why do have to employ Americans and Australians to do our big events when there are companies in the UK and can do it better? The hurdles are different. It’s a very odd process and some terrible mistakes have taken place.”
He cited the London Olympic Stadium as an example of just such a mistake.
“One of the legacies of the Olympics is that there is a big stadium in Stratford that went through hell on wheels because of a complete, total, utter screw-up from the Mayor who did not knowing what he was talking about, to a current Mayor inheriting a bill of £200m more than should have been spent, and the most mismanaged process of operation I’ve ever seen in my life.
“There are lots of screw ups that go on and get buried. Everyone raves about the Silver Jubilee; if anyone cares to dig down deep enough and look at the economics you will find that financially they are disasters because they didn’t do the process properly and went to the same old teams.”
Financial disaster is one thing, but safety issues are quite another, and this is just one area where the sports and entertainment event sectors can learn from each other.
“We have seen the recent trial of those dreadful events in Sheffield,” said Goldsmith. “I remember many years ago doing my first ever concert at St James’ Park with Bruce Springsteen and refusing orders from the police, who were about to arrest me, to let the doors open, because I had walked around the exits and discovered that three quarters of them were padlocked.
“I went back to the management and said, why are these gates locked? They said, that’s what we do for a football match. I said, I don’t care what you do for football – there’s going to be 50,000 people standing outside this stadium until you unlock the gates. I can’t imagine what would have happened if there had been a problem there. But that’s what they used to do – their attitude for football was very different.
“We have to have the same environment for sport as we do for entertainment, because they are visitor attractions and the same rules must apply.
“It’s quite strange because, until very recently sport events were looked upon as something was pure and sport-driven. What many sports forgot is that they are also entertainment, and if they are attracting a crowd, the same values go in sport as they do in music. There may be a band on stage – it’s no different from seeing your hero racing. You’ve got to give the customer the experience of high quality and therefore the rules we go by in entertainment remain the same.”
It’s not just sports and entertainment that can learn from one another; there needs to be more learning for business events, said Hughes.
“We had a decade of sport where we targeted specific major world sporting events and we were very successful at that. Perhaps we should be doing that more in the festival world, in the entertainment world and in the business events world – looking at the way UK sport has used major events as a vehicle for driving the UK into a competitive position and attracting new events to the UK.
“Let’s target the kind of things that we could bid to bring into the UK; or build on the events we are doing here and make them more international. Sports bids have been phenomenally well organized, that’s where there is great success and learning for bidding for other major international events.”