Speakers at Host City 2020 are shedding new light on how rights holders and organising committees are adapting to the impacts of the COVID-2019 pandemic.

The largest annual meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, is being held virtually to debate the theme of “The Big Restart” and evaluate how event stakeholders can bring about “Recovery with a Purpose for the Digital Age”.

The two-day conference opened on Tuesday with welcome addresses from its supporting partners, Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, and Dr. Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life.

Bush sounded an optimistic note despite the difficulties being experienced by many in the events industry due to coronavirus. He said the next few years may be challenging for everyone: “We have not lost our drive, ambition and determination for Scotland to continue to be the perfect stage for events.

“We as an industry will have to be even more focused, brave and ambitious along with seeking logical pragmatic solutions that are evidence based.”

McConnell outlined Glasgow’s rich heritage and expertise in staging international events. She noted the roster of upcoming events including holding UEFA Euro 2020 matches and the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023, the year Glasgow is European Capital of Sport.

She spoke about the need for event organisers to remain ambitious, bolster strategic partnerships and focus on innovation and citizen engagement to deliver their visions.

Keynote addresses were given by Sir Craig Reedie GBE, a member of the International Olympic Committee, Etienne Thobois, CEO of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Thobois said COVID-19 had forced Paris 2024 to “review our priorities and adapt our planning… but our vision has not changed”. There was a renewed focus on promoting sports participation, using sport as a tool to change society and showing through a major public engagement program that “everyone can play a role”. He cited the Le Club Paris 2024 digital platform as one area where the organising committee was increasing engagement to maximize the social impact of the Games.

Expo 2020 Dubai was scheduled to be one of this year’s biggest international events before it fell victim to COVID-19. Al Hashimy told said that when it runs from 1 October 2021 it may be the first mega-event to take place in the wake of the global pandemic.

Commenting on the resilience of Dubai, she said the Expo was a product of extensive international cooperation and even at the height of the pandemic “work continued apace with its partners”. The bulk of construction for the Expo will be completed in the next few weeks.

In the first panel ‘Hosting with a purpose in the digital, post-Covid era’, Paul Foster, COO of the Global Esports Federation, talked about the importance of connecting with Esports audiences, athletes and the communities in a sustainable and dynamic way. The huge growth of Esports, which has triggered plans to stage the first Global Esports Games in December 2021, was an opportunity for host cities “to think about how we consume entertainment”.

Despite the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics to next summer, Reedie said the IOC was confident in Japan delivering and getting crowds back to sport, encouraged by the fact that Japan was now bringing spectators into baseball and soccer matches.

The theme of adaptability surfaced again and again in conference panels related to the repercussions of COVID-2019.

In one titled ‘Preparing to deliver the greatest shows on earth’, Paris 2024’s Thobois said the biggest shift for Olympic organisers was integrating new hires into the team while adopting a working from home philosophy during the pandemic. But he said Games preparations were “very much on time and on target into terms of planning” with construction on a limited number of projects due to start in early 2021.

Ian Reid, CEO of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, said the shake-up of the 2022 events calendar to incorporate the rescheduled world and European athletics championships in Oregon and Munich respectively, together with the 2022 UEFA Women's Championship, was one challenge.

Reid said the athletes’ village for Birmingham 2022 had “fallen foul to COVID” but led to a multiple village model welcomed by the Games family: “It has de-risked the project”. The impact of coronavirus lockdowns on office working was also being felt. Hiring through the pandemic has seen staff grow from 80 to 250; procurement had also become more difficult as Birmingham accelerates its preparations.

A panel discussion on the Black Lives Matter movement evaluated whether it was causing sports, business and cultural events industries to change for the better.

Densign White, Chair of Sporting Equals and CEO of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation, said BLM had made people more aware about institutional racism and forced organizations “to rethink and re-evaluate how they do things to be more diverse and more inclusive”.

But he raised concerns about the ongoing lack of diversity in ethnic minority representation in the leadership of sport at board level and in coaching: “There’s a lot of talk but the needle has hardly moved into terms of those numbers”

“Unless there are targets and consequences for governing bodies for not making sure targets are met I don’t think we are going to see any change,” he said.

In a session on inclusion and diversity in the boardroom and playing field, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, winner of 16 Paralympic medals in a glittering career, said sports bodies needed to listen to the lived experience of disabled people and include more of them in coaching and administrator roles

On a future event delivery panels, Bruno Marie-Rose, Director of Technology at Paris 2024, said the organising committee was harnessing digital platforms to connect with the French population. Technology was also being used to contribute to the Games’ neutral carbon goal, he added.

Elsewhere on Day One, Saoud Al Ansari, Precinct Director of Al Thumama Stadium, Competition Venues, Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, gave an update about progress across the project. He spoke about the organiser’s responsibilities to deliver an outstanding World Cup while aligning with the long-term legacy vision of Qatar.

Three of the eight host stadiums are finished. All venues in the compact host city plan are within 75km distance, a “strong advantage for players and the fans,” Al Ansari said.

‘How major events are contributing to environmental goals’ was an interesting panel. Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence for Paris 2024, said the environment was a focus in early concepts of Games preparations. It had guided decisions including a sustainable procurement strategy and throughout the supply chain.

Wrapping up the day was a session looking at ‘Aligning event strategies with green city plans.’

Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers, said global horticultural expos “provide a great opportunity to showcase green innovation and to set the scene for the development of a city into the future”. They also provided huge economic benefits and stimulate environmental and sustainable best practices.

The quality and quantity of speakers at Host City 2020 has reached even greater heights in the days leading up to the world’s largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events.

Host City 2020 takes place online on 8-9 December, hosted from Scotland and Glasgow with supporting partners EventScotland and Glasgow Life. Attendance is free.

New speakers addressing the conference theme The Big Restart: Recovery with a Purpose for the Digital Age include H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, who also bring Mandy Keegan, Director Media Operations.

Saoud Al Ansari, Precinct Director of Al Thumama Stadium, Competition Venues, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy will give an update on the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations.

Other VIP speakers joining Host City in recent weeks include Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, and Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, DL, Independent Crossbench Peer, The House of Lords.

International federations continue to join Host City, with Kate Caithness CBE, President, World Curling; Christian Hirschmüller, Head of Technical Services & Overlay, UEFA Events; David Leather, CEO, CGF Partnerships and Jidong Wang, Project Coordinator, ASOIF joining, and David Grevemberg CBE, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation stepping in to chair the discussion on BLM.

Global Esports Federation – a Host City Strategic Partner – bring expertise from their Chief Operating Officer Paul J. Foster and Chester King, Vice President & Chair, Education, Culture and Wellness Commission.

Generation Z takes to the stage for the first time at Host City 2020, with Formula E’s Open Talent Call Finalists Tati Baker, Derin Adetosoye, Aiden Vincent and Alexa Rendell telling us how to make events appeal to them.

Birmingham 2022 and Paris 2024 bolster their top-level delegations with Joe Ryan, Head of Health and Safety and Olivier Debargue, Director of Procurement respectively.

The Krakow 2023 Games is represented by Monika Stepniak, Director of the Office for Coordination of the 3rd European Games, Ministry of State Assets. Janusz Koziol, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the City of Krakow will also speak in an invitation-only Knowledge Transfer workshop.

Coventry City of Culture 2021 is well represented by Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director and Jacob Gough, Production Director. They are joined by Festival UK* 2022 Programme Director Sam Hunt.

Major music festivals are well represented by Geoff Ellis, CEO, DF Concerts and Stephen Davis, Managing Director and Founder, SDD Concerts.

Angela Adams Suggs, President & CEO, Florida Sports Foundation is joined by Jose Sotolongo, Director of Sports & Entertainment Tourism, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and Jason Siegel, President & CEO of Greater Orlando Sports Commission.

Other new speakers from the Americas include Jimena Saldaña, Vice President, Mexican Olympic Committee and Mike Libber, Baltimore-Maryland 2026 FIFA World Cup bid.

Other host destinations include Marion Schoene, CEO, Olympiapark Munich – host of Munich 2023 European Championships – Angeline van den Broecke, Global Business Development and Marketing Director, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Events, VisitScotland.

Event suppliers are represented by Daniel Cordey, Chairman, Association of Global Event Suppliers, David De Behr, Head of Sales, Aggreko Event Services and Eoghan Gill, Director of Strategy, Foamhand.

These fresh faces join an incredibly strong and diverse line up of speakers including the already announced Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland; Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life; Sir Craig Reedie GBE, IOC Member; Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024; Roxana Mărăcineanu, Minister of Sports, France; Ian Reid, CEO, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games; Brian Lewis, President, Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee; Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH; Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP; World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon; Michael D'hulst, CEO, Super League Triathlon and many more.

Get your free pass today at https://www.hostcity.com/host-city-2020-free-registration

Host City, renowned for the highest level of speakers and content, is excelling itself at this year’s event with an unprecedented level and diversity of representation from the world’s greatest event owners, organisers and hosts.

In addition to great content, the digital platform enables all the other hallmarks of Host City – world class networking, and an exhibition of events, hosts and expert suppliers.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland and Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life open proceedings addressing the conference theme, The Big Restart: Hosting with a Purpose for the Digital Age. Further keynotes follow from Sir Craig Reedie GBE, Member, International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Etienne Thobois CEO Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The opening session also stars Roxana Mărăcineanu, Minister of Sports, France, Ian Reid, CEO, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, IOC Member and Vice President, Badminton World Federation and Fanta Diallo, Director of Sports, Youth and Community, City of Dakar.

The world’s two biggest sports events go head to head at Host City with Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and Federico Addiechi, Head of Sustainability and Environment, FIFA discussing how major events are contributing to environmental goals. Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, International Association of Horticultural Producers will also share his perspective on greening cities.

Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Director Tatsuo Ogura will give an update on preparations to host the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Brian Lewis, President, Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee and Densign White, Chair, Sporting Equals tackle another dominating issue of 2020: the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement, while Sabrina Ibanez, President of the Association of Paralympic Sports Associations leads the panel on inclusion and diversity.

Day Two kicks off with a keynote speech from Sir Russell Coutts KNZM CBE, CEO, SailGP.

World Athletics is well represented at Host City 2020 by CEO Jon Ridgeon and Jakob Larsen, Director of Competition and Events. Niels de Vos, CEO Oregon 21 LLC is also giving an insight into preparations for the upcoming World Athletics Championships.

With digitalisation accelerating rapidly, Bruno Marie-Rose, Director of Technology Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Michael Cole Chief Technology Officer European Tour and Alban Dechelotte, Head of Sponsorship & Business Development EU Esport, Riot Games share views on future event delivery and the convergence of digital and real-world events.

Other great speakers include John Langford, Chief Operating Officer, AEG Europe, Michelle Hooper, Tournament Director Rugby World Cup New Zealand 2021, Michael D'hulst Co-Founder & CEO Super League Triathlon.

Major congresses are well represented by Aileen Crawford of Glasgow Convention Bureau, Emily Blitz of the International AIDS Society, Sven Bossu, CEO of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) and Aoife Delmas of the European Society of Cardiology.

Other participating organisations include Aggreko, Department for International Trade, Sport Event Denmark, Global Esports Federation, European Sponsorship Association, International Association of Event Hosts, Association of Global Event Suppliers and many more to be announced.

Speakers, sponsors and exhibitors have access to invitation-only VIP structured networking.

Host City is the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events. To exhibit contact adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk. For speaking opportunities contact ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The Board of the Global Esports Federation confirmed its flagship event, the Global Esports Games(GEG),will be held for the first time in December 2021. The annual GEG will be hosted in December each year, featuring multi-title esports competitions, capped by world-class Opening and Closing Ceremonies, GEFcon – a thought-leadership convention, and GEFestival – a dynamic celebration of the inclusive esports culture, highlighting music, art, technology, fashion, food and more.

“The Global Esports Games serves as a platform to showcase the world’s best athletes, players, industry partners, brands, innovations and the responsible use of technology in esports,” said Chris Chan, President, Global Esports Federation. “In parallel, the GEF will stage GEFcon – a multi-platform conferencing showcase for dialogue on responsible gaming, technological advancement and shared learning – bringing people together for the celebration of esports.”

The GEF has received an unprecedented response following its global call for expressions of interest to host the Global Esports Games. Member Federations from 20 countries will attend an Applicant Briefing session on Friday, October 30, 2020, led by GEF Board Member, Lorenzo Giorgetti, as Chair of the GEF Selection Committee. The briefing will provide the applicants with detailed information on the opportunities, requirements and the selection process.

The Board of the GEF has confirmed that a Coordination Commission will be established to oversee the planning, preparation and staging of the Global Esports Games. Four-time Olympian and acclaimed global business and sports leader, Angela Ruggiero (USA), will head the Commission together with Senior Advisor to the GEF Board and Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Luzeng Song (China),as Co-chairs of the Commission. The experienced duo will lead a team of Members of the GEF Board, experts and advisors, adding their distinguished leadership experience to the planning, preparation and staging of the GEG.

“I look forward to ensuring that esports athletes have the optimal conditions to shine. I am particularly interested in the vast potential and diverse opportunities esports can offer the world,” said Angela Ruggiero, Co-Chair, Coordination Commission, Global Esports Federation. “I believe esports is delivering in new ways, leveraging on technology that can appeal to younger audiences and fans across the world. The Global Esports Games will be an exciting new frontier for the convergence of esports and traditional sports.”

As esports continues to advance on the global stage, the Global Esports Games is positioned to reset the bar and offer a new level for athletes and players and the entire esports community. Song Luzeng brings with him close to 40 years of experience in the Olympic movement and will contribute to the complex task of overseeing the successful preparations and staging of the Global Esports Games.

The Global Esports Games is an unprecedented multi-title esports event of a global scale to combine the gaming, performance, education, and business aspects of esports onto one international stage. The GEG paves the way for the future of esports – convening some of the best-known names in esports globally, elevating the credibility, legitimacy and prestige of esports.

[Source: SailGP, October 22, 2020] Following the announcement of its Race for the Future purpose-led agenda aimed at accelerating change to a cleaner and more inclusive future, SailGP today rolled out its first major diversity, equity and inclusion initiative. The global championship has launched an extensive program to fast-track the training and development of female athletes for participation in SailGP.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “We acknowledge that there is work to be done in order to make our organization and this sport more inclusive, and we are fully committed to addressing the need to accelerate change. As we have quickly progressed to become the pinnacle global league for the sport, it has also become abundantly clear that this opportunity should be afforded to as wide a group of athletes as possible.

“Fast, foiling boats – including our F50 catamarans – are now rightfully at the center of high-performance sail racing, however, the majority of that racing has been predominantly male-driven, resulting in an experience gap among genders. All genders can, and should, be equal in this sport, and we must therefore provide the opportunity necessary to close that gap. It is imperative that we break existing boundaries in the sport to create a more inclusive environment overall.”

SailGP’s immediate focus is the advancement of gender equity and racial diversity, with the longer-term goal to ensure the league is more accessible for all underrepresented groups.

To guide the process, SailGP has been working with diversity and inclusion consultancy the Clear Company throughout the last four months, while also establishing two working committees. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee – which includes 75 percent membership from underrepresented groups – is driving the holistic inclusion of women and racially diverse individuals across the organization, while the Women’s Committee – made up of a cross-section of internal and external expertise, including more than 80 percent women – is supporting the initial female athlete integration process.

In early November, SailGP will host the first in a series of women’s invitational camps that will eventually be conducted in each team market – Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United States – to engage with female athletes who meet the league’s overall selection criteria.

From there, 16 women will be invited to participate in SailGP’s pre-season training camp early next year. Ultimately, at least one female athlete will be selected to train and be immersed within each team for Season 2, which is set to begin in April 2021.

The first season of the gender equity initiative will serve as a pilot program, and will include regular evaluation and adjustments to ensure a successful integration process. Overall, the program will aim to train top female sailors to be competitive in the positions of helm, flight controller or wing trimmer onboard the F50 race boats.

SailGP Women’s Committee member Carolijn Brouwer, a three-time Olympian who has also competed in The Ocean Race three times and been named World Sailor of the year twice, said: “This is a big step forward for women in professional sailing. SailGP is accelerating the inclusion and creating the opportunity for high-performance female sailors to compete alongside their male peers in the world's most advanced sailing league. This type of initiative will allow us to achieve true gender equity in the future.”

A dedicated women’s program manager, to be in place by January 2021, will oversee this initiative.

Additional focus will be placed on creating a more racially diverse profile for SailGP – and ultimately the sport – beginning at the grassroots and junior levels. The league will work in partnership with World Sailing, National Sailing Federations, and local sailing clubs and programs to provide opportunities to young people from a variety of backgrounds through its community outreach program, SailGP Inspire.

Gender-balanced from its inception, SailGP Inspire will provide an important pathway for young female sailors to receive training, coaching and competitive racing in WASZP foiling boats. In addition, SailGP Inspire will now add focus to offering additional entry points to both recreational and competitive sailing for racially and socioeconomically diverse youth.

Further information on the relaunch of SailGP Inspire will be announced by the end of the year.

World Sailing Head of Sustainability Dan Reading said: "We commend SailGP, the first signatory of our Special Event Sustainability Charter, for taking a leadership role in sustainable development. We look forward to working with the championship to close the participation gap among underrepresented groups and engage with a wider demographic working with the World Sailing Trust."

Additional information regarding SailGP’s diversity strategy, including internal policies and procedures aimed at cultivating an equitable and inclusive culture, can be found here.

[Source: Commonwealth Games Federation] The BBC has signed up to be the Domestic Broadcast Rights Holder for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The deal means the corporation will broadcast Birmingham 2022 events on television and radio and provide online coverage for the home nations, offering unparalleled coverage of the UK’s largest sporting event since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The BBC has a long and proud association with the Commonwealth Games which dates back to 1954. With the longstanding history between the BBC and the Games, the organisation will bring an unrivalled experience of covering Birmingham 2022.

The deal marks a particularly significant moment as 2022 coincides with the BBC’s own centenary celebrations. The partnership also reinforces the BBC’s longstanding connection with Birmingham and the Midlands, as one of the oldest regional arms of the broadcaster.

The announcement comes on the day that Birmingham 2022 unveiled the Games’ medal event programme, confirming that the competition will be the first major multi-sport event in history to award more medals to women than men.

In addition, Birmingham 2022 will host the largest ever integrated para sport programme, as well as a record number of mixed events including diving, swimming relays and para-athletics relays.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held from 28 July until 8 August 2022.

Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin DBE said: “I am delighted that the BBC has taken up the domestic rights for the Commonwealth Games.

I believe this deal represents a huge vote of confidence in Birmingham as well as the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement.

We anticipate some of the world's highest profile athletes will compete at Birmingham, which will be an historic event for women’s sport, with more medals for women than men.

The BBC has demonstrated a huge commitment to women’s sport and with 2022 marking their centenary, I am delighted they are partnering again with Commonwealth Sport to help us generate huge levels of excitement and anticipation in the lead up to one of the biggest sporting events the UK has ever have hosted.

I am thrilled that the BBC will once again connect millions of viewers to the drama and excitement of the Commonwealth Games, bringing their world class production and analysis to homes and handsets across the UK.”

Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, said: “In a year when many major sport events have been postponed, this is welcome news for sports fans.

We are delighted to be broadcasting the Commonwealth Games.”

Birmingham 2022 CEO Ian Reid said: “This is a significant moment for Birmingham 2022 and we are very proud to be working with the BBC as the Domestic Broadcast Rights Holder for the Games.

The BBC’s record in covering major sports events is truly outstanding and we can’t wait to work with them on our edition of the Commonwealth Games.

Birmingham 2022 is the biggest sporting event to be staged in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the BBC is the perfect broadcaster to showcase our 19 sports and 8 para sports, the majority of which will be held in venues across Birmingham and the West Midlands, ensuring that the city and the region will be truly centre stage in 2022.”

Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: "This is another significant step towards the successful delivery of Birmingham 2022. It will be a fantastic year of culture and national celebration as we enjoy the Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Festival UK.

“I am delighted that the BBC will continue its long-standing heritage of broadcasting the Games, and I look forward to watching every moment of the action.”