The 2015 European Games in Baku encompassed 17 days of competition, involving more than 6,000 athletes from 50 countries competing across 20 sports. It was Europe’s first major continental Games while the host nation, Azerbaijan had never hosted a major multi-sport event before.
“The first European Games will go down in sporting history,” said Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports and Chief Executive Officer of Baku 2015 at the close of the event.
“I am very proud of what has been achieved in Baku and the positive feedback we have been getting in terms of the setting, organisation, hospitality and action. It has been a success for Azerbaijan, and will be a launching pad for future sporting events we will host.”
To deliver the Games, Baku turned to an experienced partner for support in Broadstone – an alliance of international major event professionals. The company’s chairman and managing partner Doug Arnot had served as operations director for three Olympic Games: Atlanta 1996, Salt Lake City 2002 and London 2012 – but Baku was new terrain compared to other events of this size and complexity.
“It was quite different from a lot of perspectives,” he tells HOST CITY. “In the first place we had to work with the European Olympic Committees to define what the event would be; it had no real definition beforehand in terms of what sports would feature, how long the event would be, how we wanted to pitch it and at what level.”
Working with the people of Azerbaijan was another fresh challenge. “They had never had anything that was even remotely close to this in terms of size and complexity.”
And then there was the challenge of timing. As key delivery partner for the Baku 2015 Operations Committee, Broadstone had to assemble and mobilise a senior team of 100 people in 100 days and a further management team of over 350 in less than 18 months. Covering the entire span of operations, Broadstone’s team of industry experts delivered a major multi-sport event in a record time of only 22 months.
“There was no organising committee before got here, so we basically put together the entire organising committee. We did all the marketing, all the commercial, the links with broadcasting; we assembled not only the operations team but also the business team. And then we contracted out, together with the government of Azerbaijan, things like the opening ceremonies.”
The short timelines and unique local conditions required Broadstone to develop innovative approaches to event hosting, such as the use of “I-Zones” to replace traditional media mixed zones and the implementation of a technology infrastructure based entirely on cloud technology.
This was coupled with a creative approach to developing skills locally through a “Games Academy” – the first graduate scheme to be developed and used by a sporting event organising committee.
“The most significant difference to us was having to assemble our own team of event experts right from the start. We got away from the old notions of distinct functional areas and we approached this much more as an event team.
“We knew we were going to be able to bring in local talent, with little to no experience. So we put together our Games Academy, where we worked with local universities to bring young people from Baku, Azerbaijan and in fact Europe into the academy and train them to come in and be able to do their jobs on day one. This was both an adventure for the local universities from an academic perspective and something that was very important to us in terms of getting a well-qualified local work force.
It was this combination of international expertise and local engagement that was ultimately successful in Baku.
“I think there is a lot of wisdom in taking a look at the organising committee structure and distinguishing what the local community can do better than anybody from outside, because of their local knowledge. And then recognising the benefit of international expertise and how we can bring in the best talent and event experience to an organising committee.
“I don’t think it’s ‘either or’ – I don’t think you want to outsource or have a turnkey solution for the entire organising committee, but I think what you want to do is recognise what the local hosts can do better because of their local knowledge and how you need to integrate with them, and at the same time understand that there is a great benefit in bringing in the international expertise and event experience that can really get you on a fast track.”
Broadstone is currently working with a number of high profile sporting events and organisations across the world, including Rio 2016 and the US Olympic Committee.
Tag: Baku
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Baku 2015 and the pop-up organising committee
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A New Year message from European Olympic Committees president Patrick Hickey
“How do you follow a year like 2015?” is something we will all be asking ourselves at the EOC head office in Rome this week.
My answer is to go back to basics and to revisit the EOC’s primary purpose as an organisation: to focus on the specific needs of Europe’s NOCs.
Last year was of course the year that Europe added the missing fifth ring to the continental games of the world by staging our inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. Those wonderful 17 days of Games created more headlines and interest in the work of the European Olympic Committees than any previous initiative or programme in our history. It was a magnificent event and a great milestone for the EOC and the Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan. But it’s important to remember that the work of all 50 of our NOCs and affiliated organisations continued unabated before, during, and after the Games.
In 2015 our NOCs scaled great heights. To highlight a few for example: the NOCs of Austria, Liechtenstein and Georgia all showed expert teamwork, innovation and organisational capacity in staging the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festivals whilst the Czech Olympic Committee staged a hugely professional EOC General Assembly in Prague that exhibited the perfect balance of private support from partners and public support from volunteers. I highlight these examples not for praise above others but to give a small snapshot of the hard work, cooperation and innovative thinking that characterised the activities of all 50 European NOCs in 2015.
Last year, the sports industry as a whole started a process of important and necessary change to its collective governance to make transparency and accountability an absolute priority. These changes were, rightly, front and centre of everyone’s thinking. Yet it’s important to train our eyes to see the enormous amount of great work that was done in the background. This helps remind me why making these changes as soon as possible is so important: because sport is so important to people’s lives. If we govern our organisations better we will attract more participation in what we do, from corporate sponsors, from governments, from fans and from young people.
To ensure the changes take root, it is up to every single person in the sports world to shoulder more responsibility in defending the integrity of sport. It starts with the good governance of sports organisations and the individual honesty of sports administrators, but from here it must run through every strand of the sports world, touch every affiliate, every fan, and every athlete.
I echo Thomas Bach’s words for 2016 when he says “as the role and relevance of sport in society continues to grow, so do the expectations of the public vis-à-vis the integrity of athletes and sports organisations. It is our shared responsibility in the Olympic Movement to provide new answers to new questions.”
2016 is, of course, an Olympic year. And it is incredibly exciting that for the first time ever the Olympic Games will be staged in South America. It shows that the Olympic family is a truly global family and it is a wholly positive milestone for the Olympic Movement.
Europe has staged 30 editions of the summer and winter Games but must fight hard now to maintain its pre-eminence, which is why it is so pleasing to see three of the four 2024 Candidate Cities coming from Europe. In addition, as the most developed sports continent, we have a vital role to play in establishing the models of, not just good governance, but exceptional governance, which the whole Olympic family can benefit from.
I wish you all a great year in sport in 2016.
Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committees
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Host of 2026 SportAccord Convention announced
[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord, the world’s leading sports business conference, today confirmed that the SportAccord Convention 2026 will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 24-28 May 2026, following the signing of the Host City Agreement.
This landmark agreement was signed today by SportAccord President Prof. Dr. U?ur Erdener with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sport, and Baku City Circuit Operations Company.
The SportAccord Convention is a leading global platform that connects key decision-makers and experts from across the global sports industry – from International Federations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), host cities, and rights holders – to discuss and shape the future of sport.
The Baku Convention Center will serve as the hub for cutting-edge panel debates, meetings, exhibitions and networking, while the iconic Heydar Aliyev Center by Zaha Hadid will host the Opening Ceremony, blending Baku’s modern architecture with its rich cultural heritage.
SportAccord President Prof. Dr. U?ur Erdener commented: “We are thrilled to bring the 19th edition of the world’s most important gathering of sports leaders, the SportAccord Convention, to Baku in 2026.
“Baku has a very strong track record in delivering world-class events, and this will be a significant moment both for SportAccord and the entire global sports industry.
“We are excited to work with our partners from the Ministry of Youth and Sport, and Baku City Circuit Operations Company, to deliver a truly exceptional event.
“Delegates can expect world-class facilities, the warmth of Azerbaijani hospitality, and an environment that fosters new connections and meaningful opportunities for the future of sport.”
The next edition provides a timely opportunity to gather the global sports industry, following the Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, at a time when new leadership in the Olympic Movement and shifting priorities are defining the opportunities and challenges facing the future of sport.
Baku is a city which lives and breathes sport, and its renowned expertise in hosting international gatherings provides a perfect setting for the latest chapter in SportAccord’s illustrious history. Its role as Host City is further underlined by its designation as World Capital of Sport 2026 by ACES Europe, recognising its achievements in staging international competitions and investing in modern infrastructure.
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, H.E. Farid Gayibov said: “Azerbaijani sports have always been supported with great care and attention by our state leader, His Excellency Ilham Aliyev. Our nation’s sports achievements and our ability to host international events are a direct result of this commitment. Hosting the SportAccord Convention is a fantastic opportunity to further showcase our capabilities and to contribute to the global conversation that will shape the future of our industry. We are incredibly excited to collaborate with SportAccord and are committed to handling this event with great care and responsibility to make it a truly memorable experience for all.”
The vibrant capital of Azerbaijan is situated on the Caspian Sea, and enjoys a rich history fused with striking modern architecture which comprises its impressive cityscape. Baku proudly hosted the inaugural European Games in 2015, and has staged World Championships and European Championships across multiple sports, along with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Formula One since 2017.
Its unwavering commitment to the future of sport was further underlined by the UNESCO Global Sports Conference – MINEPS VII in Baku in June 2023, while in November 2024 global leaders gathered for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in the city.
The 2026 SportAccord Convention in Baku promises to stand at the centre of the global conversation on sport, driving the connections and ideas that will define its future.
Further details, including the Convention’s theme, programme highlights, and registration launch, will be announced in the coming months.
SportAccord continues to engage in productive discussions with other interested host cities for future editions of the SportAccord Convention.
SportAccord President Prof. Dr. U?ur Erdener is speaking at Host City 2025 in Glasgow on 1-3 December. Host City is a longstanding media partner of SportAccord -
SportAccord Convention confirmed for Baku, 9-13 May 2027
[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord today confirmed that the SportAccord Convention will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 9-13 May 2027. Following the postponement of the 2026 edition, SportAccord and its partners in Azerbaijan have worked closely together to secure dates that will deliver the best possible experience for all participants.
Baku, recently named World Capital of Sport, will provide an exceptional setting for what promises to be one of the most anticipated editions of the Convention in recent years, bringing together leaders from the International Olympic Committee, International Federations, host cities, rights holders, and the wider sports industry.
SportAccord President Prof. Dr. U?ur Erdener said: “Baku holds a special significance for me, and I have no doubt it will deliver an extraordinary edition of our Convention. The commitment shown by our Azerbaijani partners throughout this process has been exceptional. This edition will also mark an important moment for SportAccord itself, as we continue to evolve our vision for what this Convention can and should be for the global sports movement.”
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, H.E. Farid Gayibov said: “Baku is ready. As World Capital of Sport, the city looks forward to welcoming the global sports community and delivering a Convention that reflects our ambition and our enduring partnership with SportAccord. We are confident that 9-13 May 2027 will mark a defining moment for the future of international sport.”
SportAccord is also continuing to build a strong programme of initiatives for the remainder of 2026, with further updates to follow in the coming weeks. With SportAccord in advanced discussions with several world-class cities regarding future editions of the Convention, the organisation expects to announce additional host locations for the coming years, reflecting a strong and exciting pipeline ahead.