Tag: Business Events

  • Global Sports Week kicks off

    Global Sports Week kicks off

    [Source: Global Sports Week] The world of sport will gather virtually this week for its annual Global Sports Week, which will take place across six future host cities of the Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Olympic Games.
    Paris will again take centre stage, with the Eiffel Tower set to play host to the spectacular main event studio – the production base for a 30-hour livestream that will incorporate broadcasts from hub venues in Tokyo, Beijing and Dakar, and from ‘virtual hubs’ in Milan and Los Angeles.
    An opening ceremony will be broadcast from the Eiffel Tower on Tuesday, attended by key figures and special guests, including Yannick Bestaven, skipper of IMOCA MAÎTRE CoQ, fresh from his victory last week in the legendary Vendee Globe solo round-the-world yacht race.
    Throughout the week, a significant focus is expected to be placed on questions surrounding the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
    Holders of 51 Olympic and Paralympic medals will be among more than 200 speakers participating across the week. Other athletes on the programme include football superstars Gerard Pique, Didier Drogba and Mikael Silvestre; tennis champions Justine Henin and Francesca Schiavone; F1 driver Romain Grosjean; NBA All-Star Tony Parker and reigning World Cup ski queen Federica Brignone.
    Senior Olympic movement leaders present will include International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet, IOC Athletes Commission Chairperson Kirsty Coventry and top leaders of the Organising Committees of Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, Milan 2026, Dakar 2026 and LA28.
    Mayors Anne Hidalgo (Paris), Eric Garcetti (Los Angeles), Soham El Wardini (Dakar), and Giuseppe Sala (Milan), Vice Mayor of Beijing Zhang Jiandong and Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike will each give a message, presenting their vision for sport and the Games in the future of their cities.
     
    Reinvention in action
    The theme of this year’s Global Sports Week will be Reinvention in Action, following a year of unprecedented disruption, which has accelerated underlying trends impacting the world of sport.
    As in 2020, the voice of the next generation will be represented by a group of Young Sports Makers, under-25s drawn from 26 nations, who will be tasked with challenging leaders and helping to shape discussions in line with their concerns.
    Issues on the agenda include the rise of athlete activism and entrepreneurship, the new sport-for-health agenda and the emergence of new digital sports formats and revenue streams. Women’s sport, social justice and the climate emergency will also feature strongly.
     
    NBA among coalition of partners
    Global Sports Week comprises three programme streams: the main GSWArena, the partner-led GSWVillage and the GSWPro zone, featuring professional development content.
    An immersive GSWMarketpace will additionally house 50 exhibitors.
     In total, more than 50 hours of content will be produced over 100 sessions throughout the week.
    The event programme has been co-created together with 42 Global Sports Week partners, which include a number of the world’s leading sports rightsholders. Last week, the NBA became the latest to come on board as an official Proud Supporter.
    Lucien Boyer, President and Co-founder of Global Sports Week, said: “The strength of this year’s programme is testament not only to the quality and impact of our inaugural edition at the Louvre. It also reflects a huge built-up energy in the world of sport right now, which is looking for expression.
    “At the same time, we believe it is crucial that sport does not simply talk to itself. This year has shown us the extent to which sport is a function of societal and economic influences, while also being fundamental to the health of society itself.
    “The mission of Global Sports Week is to bring people together across the boundaries of sport, business and society. We believe the diversity of this year’s line-up will lead to very exciting discussions, new partnerships and tangible outcomes that will shape the future of sport as we enter this new era.”

  • Global Sports Week shines spotlight on a world sports economy in transformation

    [Source: Global Sports Week] A unique global-local event concept saw speakers gather in venues across four continents, with the action linked live to a central base at the heart of the Eiffel Tower.
    More than 20,000 people from 153 countries visited the immersive digital platform, where they were able to participate virtually in more than 100 sessions.
    With themes including the rise of athlete activism; the new sport-for-health agenda; the emergence of new digital sports formats and revenue streams; women’s sport; social justice; and the climate emergency, Global Sports Week demonstrated the massive on-going transformation happening across the world of sport.
    Over 200 speakers made an appearance across six future host cities of the Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Olympic Games – Paris, Tokyo, Beijing, Milan, Dakar and Los Angeles.
    The main GSWArena stage incorporated broadcasts from hub venues at the French Institute Tokyo, the Embassy of France in Beijing and the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar, as well as from ‘virtual hubs’ in Milan and Los Angeles. Each of the international lives opened with a message from the Mayors Anne Hidalgo (Paris), Eric Garcetti (Los Angeles), Soham El Wardini (Dakar), and Giuseppe Sala (Milan), Vice Mayor of Beijing Zhang Jiandong and Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike, who each presented their vision for sport and the Games in the future of their cities.
    As in 2020, the voice of the next generation was represented throughout the week by a group of 34 Young Sports Makers, under-25s drawn from 16 nations, who were tasked with challenging leaders and helping to shape discussions in line with their concerns.
    Global Sports Week 2021 was also the stage for a number of significant announcements. These included:
    > The launch of two new toolkits by Global Sports Week patron UNESCO, unveiled by Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences Gabriela Ramos, and designed respectively to empower young people to influence physical education policy; and to support policy makers in implementing the change in national systems.
    > The unveiling by Paris 2024 and AFD (L’Agence Française de Développement) of a new joint incubator and the 26 athlete-entrepreneurs who will receive support to champion high-impact social and environmental projects in France and across 10 countries in Africa. The project was presented at the Eiffel Tower by Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer of the AFD, and Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, marking the one-year anniversary of their agreement, signed at Global Sports Week in 2020.
    > The launch by Global Sports Week’s Founding Partner and the first Paris 2024 Premium Partner Groupe BPCE of its annual analysis of the French sports economy. BPCE L’Observatoire estimates that the French sport economy experienced a drop of approximately 21% in 2020 in comparison to 2019, which represent a much deeper recession than for the rest of the economy (-8.3% according to INSEE.)
    > The launch of a five-year, pan-European project by Global Sports Week Founding Partner adidas, addressing the brand’s Global Purpose pillar of Breaking Barriers for Girls. adidas will work with 15 non-profit sport for good organisations across different regions of Europe across the five years, improving their capacity and capability to serve women and girls in their communities in order to empower 100+ Breaking Barriers Champions and engage with 50,000+ female participants. The project aims to increase girls’ participation in sport by building the capacity of the sport-for-good ecosystem to better serve women and girls, as well as to provide inspiration for girls to become their best selves.
    Lucien Boyer, President and Co-Founder of Global Sports Week, said: “At Global Sports Week’s inaugural edition at the Louvre in 2020, the big message was about the need for change. This year, we clearly witnessed the revolution happening across the world of sport, which reflects the fundamental links between sport, business and society.
    “This remains the heart of the Global Sports Week concept, which itself has reinvented in a creative and ambitious new format fit for a future, healthier and more socially-conscious world.
    “Sport belongs at the heart of this future, and we are clearly seeing how the positive pressure of young people is helping the ecosystem to change and play a bigger role across the key issues in global society. We look forward to welcoming the world back to Global Sports Week in 2022 to continue the journey of positive transformation together.”

  • Glasgow secures future conference business worth £84m

    Glasgow secures future conference business worth £84m

    [Source: Glasgow Convention Bureau] New figures have shown that despite the current challenges facing the meetings industry, Glasgow has secured 28 new conferences from a range of sectors since 1 April 2020. The conferences will welcome over 36,000 delegates to the city and have an economic value of £84m.
    Throughout the last year Team Glasgow have championed a partnership approach, working together to keep Glasgow front of mind for organisers as a world leading conference destination.
    Glasgow Convention Bureau is proud to have worked closely with the city’s academic Conference Ambassadors to secure future conferences, two of which include the 2022 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Europe Annual Conference and the 2022 bi-annual AMA SERVSIG Conference.
    “Never has partnership working been more significant than during the last twelve months. Glasgow has continued to win conferences for future years, despite the current restrictions. This is a clear endorsement of the confidence that the global meetings industry holds in our city, and the importance of our world-class academic ambassadors who invite their international peers to meet in Glasgow,” said Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions at Glasgow Convention Bureau.
    The annual CASE Europe Conference will take place in the city from 29 August – 1 September 2022 at the Scottish Event Campus, welcoming 1,200 delegates to Glasgow with an economic benefit of £2.4m.
    “I am delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the CASE Europe Annual Conference in 2022. The opportunity to network with colleagues and share ideas and best practice has never been more mission-critical, and the opportunity to welcome colleagues from across the globe to Glasgow is hugely valuable to the University and our communities,” said Rachel Sandison, Vice-Principal, External Relations at the University of Glasgow.
    Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales at the Scottish Event Campus said: “The SEC was delighted to support the University of Glasgow in the bid to secure CASE Europe for Glasgow in 2022. Conferences are key to supporting economic and social change, and CASE Europe is the perfect example. The goal of the event is to champion education to transform lives and society, and there is nowhere better to host the event than in Glasgow.”
    The bi-annual AMA SERVSIG Conference is to be held in the city in June 2022 and will welcome 250 delegates to the University of Strathclyde Technology & Innovation Centre, worth £350K to the local economy.
    “The bi-annual AMA SERVSIG conference brings academics from all over the world to highlight the superb research being undertaken in the service research community. I am proud that Glasgow will host SERVSIG in June 2022 at the University of Strathclyde Technology & Innovation Centre, and look forward to welcoming delegates to the city for the conference, which will provide an excellent platform for innovation, knowledge exchange and collaboration,” said Dr Matthew Alexander, Associate Dean (Post-Graduate Research), University of Strathclyde.
    Gordon Hodge, Head of Conferencing & Events, University of Strathclyde Technology & Innovation Centre said: “We’re delighted that Matthew and his colleagues in Strathclyde Business School have won the right to host SERVSIG 2022, and we can’t wait to welcome delegates to our award-winning Technology and Innovation Centre next summer. It’s a great example of the power and potential of the partnership between the Convention Bureau and the city’s universities, something that will surely be a key driver as we work together to reposition and to re-assert Glasgow’s status as a leading conference destination in the post-COVID world.”

  • ASOIF to hold virtual General Assembly in June

    ASOIF to hold virtual General Assembly in June

    [Source: ASOIF] At its first meeting of 2021, the Council of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) today agreed to organise its General Assembly virtually on 8 June, due to the ongoing global pandemic. This year’s annual gathering of the ASOIF member federations will feature the election of three Council members.
    During its virtual meeting, the Council agreed on proposing to the General Assembly amendments to the ASOIF statues, aimed at improving gender balance within the representation of International Federation (IF) delegates at the General Assembly. The draft wording states that if any member federation intends to send the maximum number of three delegates to the ASOIF General Assembly, then both genders must be represented.
    In another move to continuously enforce good governance, the ASOIF Council discussed arrangements for the fourth ASOIF review of IF governance and endorsed the launch of a pilot study on organisational culture within IFs.
    ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said on this occasion: “It’s important to have rules and regulations in place, but we all know that the behaviour and actions of people play a large role in how an organisation really functions. Our new pilot study on organisational culture is a complex exercise but we are convinced that the outcomes will be highly beneficial to our member federations.”
    The Council also reviewed the latest developments in the final preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and welcomed the COVID-19 countermeasures “Playbooks”, which also lay out the framework for IF operations at Games-time. ASOIF and its member IFs remain fully committed to delivering successful and safe Games in Tokyo. Everybody is working hard to find practical and fair solutions regarding the Olympic qualification process.
    With the pandemic having accelerated the interest and participation in virtual simulations of IF sports and disciplines, the Council endorsed an esports project to explore strategic and business options for all IFs to engage with gaming/esports.
    Finally, the Council welcomed the recent views expressed by the European Commission in support of the European Model of Sport. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted sport’s important contribution to society in social, health and economic terms as well as the need for solidarity within the sports movement. The Council stressed that the fundamental elements of the European Model of Sport – solidarity, revenue redistribution and sport autonomy – should be protected and that the public authorities should be mindful of the third-party sport event promoters’ impact on the European Model of Sport.
     

  • AIPH announces Virtual International Expo Conference on 16 March

    AIPH announces Virtual International Expo Conference on 16 March

    [Source: AIPH] The AIPH Virtual Expo Conference on 16 March presents an excellent opportunity to learn more about hosting or being involved with our major horticultural events and to network with expo organisers, city representatives interested in hosting an expo, urban developers, AIPH members, NGOs, international city and environmental organisations and suppliers to major events.
    Millions are spent on developing these international spectacles that can have the ability to stimulate the development of entire cities and transform the international reputation of hosting regions. Each exhibition attracts many international participants and millions of visitors, lasts up to six months, with sites ranging from 25 to 500 hectares in size. Every Expo is carefully regulated, steered, and monitored by AIPH.
    The period from now until 2027 already includes AIPH approved expos in China, Turkey, Qatar, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan with more to be approved in upcoming meetings. The following Expos will be submitting their progress reports on 16 March.
    A1 World Horticultural Expos: The World Horticultural Expos include Expo 2022 Floriade (the Netherlands); Expo 2023 Doha (Qatar) and World Horticultural Exhibition 2027 Yokohama (Japan).
    B International Horticultural Exhibitions: The International Horticultural Exhibitions include 2021 Yangzhou (China); Expo 2021 Hatay (Turkey); Expo 2023 Kahramanmara? (Turkey) and Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo (South Korea).
    There will also be news about Expos going through the approval process including International Horticultural Exhibition Chengdu 2024 (China) and Expo ?zmir 2026 (Turkey).
    There will also be progress news from the organisers of the International Horticultural Show Euroflora 2022.
    The ongoing impact of safety measures against coronavirus means that rather than a physical international conference, we shall be using the multi-faceted Hopin platform to host this online international event where delegates from around the world can meeting real-time.
    We are very grateful to our Gold Sponsors IGMPR (creators of themed floral and horticultural attractions) and PERA Event (specialising in major event management) for their support of the conference. These companies are also AIPH Preferred Partners. IGMPR Director Ibo Gulsen will be giving a presentation about creating a unique floral event within your Expo.
    Registration is free and you will be able to network with delegates and sponsors starting from 7am (GMT), and all from the safety of your home office device.
    AIPH extends its appreciation to AGES (Association of Global Event Suppliers), Major Events International, Biophilic Cities and media partners HOST CITY and FloraCulture International magazine.
    AIPH Secretary General, Mr Tim Briercliffe, comments, “We are delighted to welcome our Expo organisers and all delegates to the AIPH Expo Conference. AIPH approved expos are beautiful events, which are enjoyed by millions of visitors wherever they are staged. Cities around the world are looking to further develop their green credentials and urban spaces, as well as driving the appreciation and benefits of plants and flowers in the built environment. In addition to seeing the interesting progress of our approved Expos, attendees will be able to network with delegates and learn more about how staging an International Horticultural Expos can bring great benefits to the host city, not just during the Expo itself, but for years to come.”

  • New dates confirmed for SportAccord 2021 as 19th edition now set for November in Ekaterinburg

    [Source: SportAccord] SportAccord has confirmed new dates for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021, with sport’s most influential global gathering now set to take place from 7-12 November 2021 in Ekaterinburg, Russia at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo.
    The decision to push back the dates for the World Sport & Business Summit to November was taken by the SportAccord Executive Committee. SportAccord is in close dialogue with its partners in Ekaterinburg, the Sverdlovsk Oblast region, and the Russian Federation. This move will provide greater safety and certainty to attendees in the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic but certainly to allow the greatest impact for our hosts.
    “We are immensely grateful for the collaborative support of our friends in Ekaterinburg, the Sverdlovsk Region and the Russian Federation,” said Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, President of SportAccord and GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations).
    “As always, the wellbeing of our delegates is our priority, and we believe that moving SportAccord to later in the year will give those wishing to attend the event more time to put in place the necessary plans.”
    “We look forward to welcoming the world of sport to Ekaterinburg in November for what will be a game-changing gathering to signal a major step forward in the recovery of sport and society as we look to the future, beyond the pandemic.”
    As a result, SportAccord’s annual International Federation (IF) Forum, which is traditionally held in the autumn in Lausanne, Switzerland, has been brought forward to 25 May 2021 and will be staged in a fully virtual format via Lausanne in the Canton of Vaud. In addition, a virtual launch celebration from around the world for SportAccord 2021 in Ekaterinburg will take place on 25 May 2021, following the IF Forum 2021 and less than six months before the World Sport & Business Summit commences.

  • Announcing the AIPH Champions of Green Cities Conference

    Announcing the AIPH Champions of Green Cities Conference

    [Source: AIPH] The International Association of Horticultural Producers, AIPH, is the world’s champion for the power of plants. Through their Green City programme, AIPH uses knowledge exchange, advocacy, and networking to increase the quality and quantity of living green in urban spaces; motivating the multifunctional benefits that this delivers to people and the planet.
    The AIPH 2021 International Green City conference on 22 April is a chance to inspire people, organisations, city councils and government administrations to join this challenging movement and lead global thinking on the successful integration of nature into the built environment.  As part of AIPH’s Green City programme, the conference is offered free-of-charge to registered delegates.
    Our environment, wellbeing, social cohesion, and economies are all improved by intelligently designed green space. AIPH’s Green City principles promote the essential role of plants in creating vibrant urban areas in which people and businesses can thrive.
    At the AIPH 2021 International Green City Conference, you will hear about innovations and advances in city greening from ‘Champions of Green Cities’; a line-up of expert international speakers who:
    •             Share best practice and experiences of how they have increased living green in cities.
    •             Present innovative thinking in how living green shapes city form and function
    •             Describe case studies of cross-disciplinary benefits from city greening
    Event Speakers
    “Transforming the urban landscape of central Melbourne – from grey to green” is the subject of our keynote speaker, Prof Rob Adams AM, City Architect, City of Melbourne. Prof Adams will describe the many actions taken by Melbourne over the last three decades to transform its downtown, starting from a realisation in 1985 that the City was going backwards financially, socially and environmentally. Like many cities around the world the centre was emptying out in favour of the suburbs, and the car was increasingly dominant. With a breakthrough in 1992, Melbourne has risen from the back of the pack to become, on seven occasions, the World’s most liveable city as determined by the Economist magazine. Many cities have followed what Melbourne pioneered, and it remains a powerfully influential exemplar for the battle against climate change.
    Ms Maria Vassilakou, Vienna Solutions draws from her experience as Vice Mayor of Vienna and independent advisor on urban transformations to describe what makes a city liveable.
    Mr Peter Massini, Director of Future Nature Consulting Ltd, UK, presents an overview of greening metrics that are used in policy development, discussing some of the challenges and drawbacks and how effective they are in practice.
    Ms Jennifer McKelvie, Councillor for City of Toronto, Canada, gives insights from her experience in inspiring the next generation of climate leaders through the C40 Women for Climate mentorship programme.
    Prof. Tim Beatley, founder of Biophilic Cities, USA, explains the power of community in making cities more nature focussed, and the influence of biophilia in inspiring change.
    Ms Ingrid Coetzee, Director of Biodiversity, Nature & Health for ICLEI Africa describes the organisation’s projects on mainstreaming nature, its benefits, and nature-based solutions into urban planning and decision-making in cities and city regions thereby helping them become healthier, and more resilient and liveable places.
    Dr Audrey Timm, Technical Advisor to AIPH introduces the AIPH 2021 Green City Guidelines – an essential digital resource to support decision making.
    Ms Anne Jaluzot, UK, delivers a case study of Barcelona, the city which changed traffic patterns, replacing roadways with living green, thereby increasing social interactions, and reducing pollution.
    AIPH Green City Chair, Mr Bill Hardy, Canada, will bring the focus onto the AIPH Green City initiative and how the content of this conference programme integrates with the AIPH vision as the world’s champion for the power of plants.
    AIPH presents the Champions of Green Cities
    Launching at the AIPH Green City conference will be the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 to celebrate cities that show leadership and innovation in bringing more living green into their city.
    The ongoing impact of safety measures against coronavirus means that rather than a physical international conference, the event will operate using the multi-faceted Hopin platform to host this online international conference, where delegates from around the world can meet in real-time.
    Register free-of-charge for the AIPH International Green City conference to hear from city leaders worldwide and find out how your city can enter the AIPH World Green City Awards. https://aiph.org/event/2021greencityconference/
    AIPH is grateful to our Gold Sponsor PERA Events and AIPH World Green City Awards Partners 2022  Biophilic Cities, Cities and Health, Trees For Cities and  Urban Land Institute. Thank you to our Event Partner ICLEI, and our Media Partners FloraCulture International and Host City.

  • AIPH Green City Conference presents Champions of Green Cities who share their inspiring stories

    AIPH Green City Conference presents Champions of Green Cities who share their inspiring stories

    [Source: AIPH] The AIPH 2021 International Green City conference on 22 April is a chance to inspire people, organisations, city councils and government administrations to join this challenging movement and lead global thinking on the successful integration of nature into the built environment.  As part of AIPH’s Green City programme, the conference is offered free-of-charge to registered delegates.
     
    Breaking old ‘progressive’ thinking after a global pandemic
    The coronavirus pandemic brought issues around the planning of our urban spaces into sharper focus. Some people living across the urban landscape could escape the confines of lockdown and connect with nature to enjoy the benefits of good greenspaces. While for others, the crisis highlighted the fact that some built-up areas have insufficient quality greenspaces.
    For our health and wellbeing, for tackling biodiversity loss, for our battle with climate change, new look urban areas are surely the way forward.
    At the AIPH 2021 Green City Conference, you will hear about international innovations and advances in city greening from ‘Champions of Green Cities’ – a line-up of expert international speakers who can positively demonstrate that transforming our cities from grey to green need not be an unrealistic quest, but a practical solution.
     
     
    Event Speakers who are inspiring change
    “Transforming the urban landscape of central Melbourne – from grey to green” is the subject of our keynote speaker, Prof Rob Adams AM, City Architect, City of Melbourne. Prof Adams will describe Melbourne’s many actions over the last three decades to transform its downtown, starting from a realisation in 1985 that the City was going backwards financially, socially, and environmentally. The design was to focus on the movement of people and not vehicles. Since 1992, with the incremental and significant greening and reorientation of roadscapes, Melbourne has risen from the back of the pack to become, on seven occasions, the World’s most liveable city as determined by The Economist magazine. Many cities have followed what Melbourne pioneered, and it remains a powerfully influential exemplar for the battle against climate change.
    Prof Adams continues his greening crusade and in a recent podcast he argued that recovery from the pandemic should involve refurbishing office buildings into apartments.
    Carbon emissions did fall, and city centre air quality did improve during the Covid-19 lockdown from the reduced use of fossil fuel. While the latter may not be a permanent situation now, the images of clear skies overhead, and clear water in Venice showed that things can quickly change for a better environmental outcome. Ms Maria Vassilakou, Vienna Solutions draws from her previous experience as Vice Mayor of Vienna, and now independent advisor on urban transformations, to describe what makes a city liveable.
    Ms Vassilakou serves as a member of the EU-Horizon Mission experts board on “Climate-neutral smart Cities” advising the European Commission on the design and implementation of the respective mission aiming at 100 European climate-neutral cities by 2030.
    People reported feeling exposed to greater risk of infection on public transport during the pandemic, and during lockdown these systems were running at less than full capacity. Will this change now people look towards ‘returning to normal’? Mr Peter Massini, Director of Future Nature Consulting Ltd, UK, presents an overview of greening metrics that are used in policy development, discussing some of the challenges and drawbacks and how effective they are in practice. For the past 10 years he has led on green infrastructure and natural environment policy for the Greater London Authority.
    Empowerment is a strong tool, and the green recovery needs a powerful voice. Ms Jennifer McKelvie, Councillor for City of Toronto, Canada, gives insights from her experience in inspiring the next generation of climate leaders through the C40 Women for Climate mentorship programme. This programme  builds upon the City of Toronto’s commitment to fight climate change, as participants work on self-initiated projects that align with TransformTO and the Resilience Strategy. Launched in 2017, TransformTO lays out a set of long-term, low-carbon goals to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. The Resilience Strategy sets out a vision, goals, and actions to help Toronto survive, adapt, and thrive in the face of any challenge, particularly climate change.
    Prof. Tim Beatley, founder of Biophilic Cities, USA, explains the power of community in making cities more nature focussed, and the influence of biophilia in inspiring change.
    Ms Ingrid Coetzee, Director of Biodiversity, Nature & Health for ICLEI Africa describes the organisation’s projects on mainstreaming nature, its benefits, and nature-based solutions into urban planning and decision-making in cities and city regions thereby helping them become healthier, and more resilient and liveable places.
    Dr Audrey Timm, Technical Advisor to AIPH announces our latest update of the AIPH 2020 Green City Guidelines – a digital resource providing evidence that supports innovative policy and practice in green cities.
    Ms Anne Jaluzot, UK, delivers a case study of Barcelona, the city which changed traffic patterns, replacing roadways with living green, thereby increasing social interactions, and reducing pollution.
    Mr Niek Roozen, the founder of Niek Roozen Landscapes bv, Netherlands, introduces the power of plant selection in dominating landscape performance, using Almere as a case study for motivating plant selection linked to function, and the multi-functionality of urban greening.
    Dr Andrew Hirons, Senior Lecturer in Arboriculture at Myerscough College, UK, explains the science of tree selection for city landscapes, and how essential this is to creating resilience in our urban forests.
    AIPH Green City Chair, Mr Bill Hardy, Canada, will bring the focus onto the AIPH Green City initiative and how the content of this conference programme integrates with the AIPH vision as the world’s champion for the power of plants.
     
    AIPH presents the Champions of Green Cities
    Launching at the AIPH 2021 Green City conference is the AIPH World Green City Awards which celebrate cities that show leadership and innovation in bringing more living green into their city.
    The ongoing impact of safety measures against coronavirus means that rather than a physical international conference, the event will operate using the multi-faceted Hopin platform to host this online international conference, where delegates from around the world can meet in real-time.
    Register free-of-charge for the AIPH Green City conference to hear from city leaders worldwide and find out how your city can enter the AIPH World Green City Awards. https://aiph.org/event/aiph-2021-green-city-conference/
    AIPH is grateful to our World Green City Award Partners  Biophilic Cities, Cities and Health, The Nature of Cities, Trees For Cities and  Urban Land Institute. Our Event Partner  ICLEI and our Media Partners China Flowers & Horticulture, FloraCulture International, HostCity and Pod Oslonami PL.

  • Dignitaries welcome SportAccord delegation as Russia gears up for SportAccord 2021 in Ekaterinburg

    Dignitaries welcome SportAccord delegation as Russia gears up for SportAccord 2021 in Ekaterinburg

    [Source: SportAccord] Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russian Federation Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the SportAccord 2021 Organising Committee, Igor Levitin, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, and Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin have hosted a positive meeting with SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli and Managing Director Nis Hatt.
    Dr. Chiulli and Mr. Hatt were welcomed less than seven months before the rescheduled SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 takes place from 7-12 November in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
    Mr. Chernyshenko said: “The Summit is one of the largest international sporting events. The preparations are being carried out on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. We make every effort to ensure that this event is held at the highest level.”
    Mr. Chernyshenko went on to say: “Particular attention will be paid to the preparation of a cultural and business program for participants and guests of Russia. Today, representatives from more than 50 countries have already been registered, such as Argentina, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, France, Germany, Singapore, etc.”
    The commitment to ensuring the highest level of safety and security of delegates was reiterated with special attention being paid to the various measures that will be put in place in the context of Covid-19. Amongst others, one option being explored is making complimentary vaccines available for registered delegates.
    Numerous other topics have also been discussed in recent days, including the support foreign participants at SportAccord 2021 will receive with visa processes, as outlined by Mr. Chernyshenko during an Organising Committee meeting in Ekaterinburg earlier this week.
    Mr. Levitin said: “The participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the event will significantly increase its level and significance. Preparation is going on at the highest level.”
    He also noted: “Sport needs to adapt to challenges such as the pandemic. And we can discuss, including at the site of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in Ekaterinburg, with our scientists, the issues of protecting the health of athletes and vaccinations.”
    The SportAccord delegation has seen first-hand the on-the-ground preparations for sport’s most influential global gathering this week in Ekaterinburg, where they also met with Sverdlovsk Region Governor Yevgeny Kuivashev regarding the impressive preparations to date.
    “There is no doubt that Ekaterinburg is ready to host SportAccord and it was especially important to reconnect with Mr. Chernyshenko, Mr. Levitin, and Mr. Matytsin and to have their full support,” Dr. Chiulli said.
    Dr. Chiulli went on to say: “We are also grateful for the continued backing of the Organising Committee, the Sverdlovsk Region and the Russian Federation for the outstanding preparations that have taken place and that the vision of delivering the most important 2021 event in Russia – the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in Ekaterinburg.”
    The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. As the only global sports industry event attended by all International Sport Federations and their stakeholders, SportAccord also brings together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies, and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.
    Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 in Ekaterinburg, the 19th edition of SportAccord’s flagship annual event. Organisations interested in becoming an official partner or exhibitor can contact SportAccord to discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport, with SportAccord also offering an interactive exhibition floorplan and 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2021 exhibition space.
    You can follow SportAccord’s portfolio of events via Twitter @sportaccord or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, VK, and Instagram.

  • Virtual IF Forum 2021 to focus on how sport and society can learn lessons to emerge stronger from a crisis

    [Source: SportAccord] The IF Forum 2021 has been brought forward to next month from its traditional autumn slot to allow the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 to be rescheduled for 7-12 November 2021 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
    The 15th edition of the IF Forum will adopt a fully virtual format with expert speakers from across the global sports movement, including representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), umbrella sports associations and individual IFs, as well as sports industry executives.
    The IF Forum will start with a Welcome Address by IOC President Thomas Bach and an Opening Address by Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, President of SportAccord and GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations), followed by an Address by Dr. Richard Budgett, Medical and Scientific Director, IOC.
    Presentations, updates, case studies and panel sessions will be provided on several vital topics, including ‘Moving Forward, Pivoting and the Lessons We Are Learning’, ‘A Return to Competition and Lessons from the Bubble’, ‘Athlete Mental Health’, ‘Commercial Approaches for IFs in the New Normal’ and ‘The Virtual Experience and its Home within IFs’.
    Immediately after the closing remarks of the IF Forum, which will be staged virtually via the Olympic Capital of Lausanne in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland, a virtual launch celebration from around the world for SportAccord 2021 in Ekaterinburg will take place on the same day, 25 May.
    Dr. Chiulli will be joined by dignitaries from Russia in welcoming the international sporting community to the launch event, which will take place less than six months before the start of SportAccord 2021. There will also be further details about the conference programme for sport’s most influential global gathering in Ekaterinburg.
    “We are excited to connect with International Sport Federations worldwide for what will be a timely and important IF Forum 2021,” Dr. Chiulli said.
    “The IF Forum will be an outstanding opportunity for our community to come together to discuss best practice ideas as sport explores strategies to accelerate on the road to recovery.
    “The SportAccord 2021 virtual launch celebration will also whet the appetite for the most highly anticipated World Sport & Business Summit so far in stunning Ekaterinburg.”
    The invitation-only IF Forum 2021 will bring together more than 300 leaders from over 125 IFs, plus other virtual delegates and speakers. For further information, click here or download the brochure here.