[Source: Birmingham 2022] The new campus model will see 1,600 athletes and officials housed at the NEC Hotel Campus, 1,900 at The University of Warwick, and the principal village with 2,800 at The University of Birmingham.

The decision to move away from the single site athletes’ village in the Perry Barr area of the city has been made by the Games Partnership with just under two years to go, after reviewing the impact of the global health pandemic.  It follows an assessment by the project delivery team, who has been working with the construction supply chain, as well as independent experts, on how they could de-risk Games delivery. With a shorter than normal timeframe for delivery of the Birmingham 2022 Games, the new build accommodation site was under continued review from the outset, with expert consultation throughout, and had very little scope to withstand the impact COVID-19 has had on construction.

The Perry Barr Regeneration Scheme, with new housing and transport infrastructure, will still be delivered.  This council-led residential scheme has been accelerated due to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and has been made possible with additional investment from central government.

The new three-site campus model for Birmingham 2022 athlete accommodation will be delivered within the overall Games budget of £778 million, with the Games remaining on track to be delivered on time and on budget.

The decision to move to three campus villages across the West Midlands has the support of  athlete representatives and Commonwealth Games Associations across the world who have been told of the new plans.

Ian Reid, CEO of Birmingham 2022 said: “These are challenging times for all of us and delivering a major multi sports event during this period has meant we have needed to collaborate effectively, be pragmatic to change, and remain realistic about the challenges we face.

We recognise that this new model is a move away from the historic norm and we are grateful for the support shown by our partners across the Commonwealth Games Associations.

Birmingham and the West Midlands is extremely fortunate to have superb alternate facilities and we are making this decision now, with two years to go, to de-risk the project, ensure delivery for athletes and teams and secure the legacy of new housing and transport infrastructure in Perry Barr.

This is the sensible and pragmatic thing to do for the Games, the athletes and for the people of Birmingham. It enables Birmingham City Council to focus on the delivery of the Perry Barr Regeneration Scheme and gives us enough time to plan essential Games services like transport and security. Furthermore, it offers athletes and teams the assurance of a warm welcome and a superb Games experience in their homes-from-home across the West Midlands”.

Alistair Brownlee, Commonwealth Games England’s nominee and vice-chair of the Birmingham 2022 Athlete Advisory Committee said: “Making this decision with just under two years to go until the Games, means there is early clarity for team officials and athletes about where they will be staying during Birmingham 2022. As an athlete, we want to know that there are certain aspects of events that are guaranteed – accommodation is one of them.  This early decision, during uncertain times, provides reassurance to athletes as they prepare to compete at their best in Birmingham.”

Craig Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, of Commonwealth Games Australia said: “While a single Games Village is the norm, we know these aren’t normal times and accept that, despite the best of efforts by the B2022 Organising Committee, this will not be possible for Birmingham.

“Commonwealth Games Australia thanks the B2022 Organising Committee for their openness in sharing the changes to the Games Village solution.  We will remain flexible in our planning to ensure we achieve our two overriding objectives for the Games – that our athletes are able to achieve their best possible performances, and they have the best possible Games experience.  This remains our focus.”

At a time when the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games would have just been launching the opening ceremony, IOC President Thomas Bach gave an upbeat prognosis for the delayed mega event via a video message.

"It can and will be the great comeback festival of sport to the international scene,” he said.

"These Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 in 2021, can, should and will be the light at the end of the tunnel that all humankind is in at this moment.

"We are living a period of great uncertainty. Then at the end of this very difficult period for humankind, the Olympic Games can be a great symbol of hope, of optimism, of solidarity and of unity in all of our diversity.

The disruption caused by Covid-19 creates unique challenges for all event organisers and staging the Olympic Games will be a challenge even with an additional year of preparation time.

"This is a mammoth task because we cannot prepare Olympic Games as we are used to. In fact, we have to prepare for multiple scenarios of Olympic Games. We have to take all of this into account – what could happen, what may happen.”

Safeguarding health

The safety of athletes is the guiding principle in the delivery of the Games, Bach said.

"This is the top priority – the Olympic Games will respect and safeguard the health of all of the participants.

"We want to prepare these Games, adapt it to the circumstances of the crisis at the time, while ensuring for everybody the Olympic spirit, because this is what makes the Olympic Games so unique, uniting the entire world. This spirit has to be and will be reflected.

"All the adaptations we may have to make will not affect venues, sports or the athletes, so we can give the athletes the stage to shine that they deserve.”

Tokyo 2020 as a post-Covid role model

Toshiro Muto, CEO of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee also gave a video message, in which he suggested that this dark cloud might have a silver lining.

“It is rather difficult for us to expect that the coronavirus pandemic will be contained, but if we can deliver the Tokyo Games and Paralympics ‘with coronavirus’ I think the Tokyo Games will become a role model for the next Olympic Games or other various international events,” he said.

“I strongly hope that this will make a mark – this will become a legacy for the history of mankind.”

The video messages were shared on 23^rd July 2020. Credit: IOC, via sources: https://sportstar.thehindu.com/videos/tokyo-olympics-symbol-of-hope-covid-19-pandemic-thomas-bach-toshiro-muto/article32169344.ece# and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkzI8NeG3bY

[Source: SportAccord] The agreement strengthens FITEQ’s presence at the global sports industry’s most influential annual gathering, with SportAccord 2021 taking place from 23-28 May next year at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo in a dynamic and stunning sporting city situated at a crossroads between Europe and Asia.

FITEQ, which was founded in 2017, was a Gold Partner of the 2018 SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in Bangkok before serving as a Bronze Partner for the inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America in Fort Lauderdale last year.

The governing body of Teqball – a football-based sport that is growing rapidly worldwide and is practised by some of world top footballers and teams – was granted Observer Status by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) Council in January. FITEQ was also previously recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia in 2018 and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) in 2019.

FITEQ, based in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne, Switzerland, will be able to use its SportAccord 2021 Gold Partnership as a platform to build on its primary mission – to develop Teqball globally by supporting the establishment of national federations and uniting the sport’s international community.

SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt said: “We are delighted to have this Gold Partnership with FITEQ, the governing body of a sport that is widely regarded as among the most forward-thinking and innovative in our industry today.

“In a short space of time, FITEQ has already made tremendous progress in establishing itself, and the exciting sport of Teqball, at the heart of the international sports movement. We are looking forward to working with FITEQ in the coming months as preparations accelerate ahead of what will be an unmissable SportAccord 2021 in Ekaterinburg.”

FITEQ General Secretary Marius Vizer Jr said: “Our partnerships with SportAccord in the past have been highly successful and a Gold Partnership in Ekaterinburg will further enhance our efforts to connect with sports leaders from around the world and form strategic alliances that will support the global development of teqball. SportAccord is one of the most important events in the sports calendar for FITEQ, as it enables us to meet with stakeholders from across the global sports industry and share our vision for the most exciting and fastest growing sport in the world! Russia is also a key growth market for teqball and being a Gold Partner in Ekaterinburg will also give us the opportunity to connect with key stakeholders in Russian sport.”

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 19^th 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 and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

[Source: IAEH] During the 2020 IAEH AGM, held virtually on 8th July, members discussed how the 'new normal' is going to look like for major event hosts.

The discussions happened in 5 breakout rooms moderated by IAEH directors. The conversations were around how members expect the processes of bidding for and hosting major events to change after the pandemic. The IAEH offered members the opportunity to speak and share insights aiming to understand how the Association can help members address the challenges imposed by COVID-19 in the short-term future.

The key points below summarise the discussions.

→ Focus on domestic events

Members see a change in focus towards building the industry with local, domestic/national before moving to regional/international events. In addition to that, members also see value in promoting hybrid events in the short-term future to be able to engage international audiences.

→ Sharing financial risk

Members expect a movement towards a more equal approach to sharing the financial risk between rights holders and host destinations. There is also a need to review the current contracts which may reflect in the way these contracts will be made in the future.

→ Bespoke approach

It is necessary to take a bespoke approach to events and conduct case-by-case analysis in order to find the right applicable solution to COVID-19 imposed challenges for each specific event.

→ Protect what you have

When it comes to bidding and hosting, members are focused on events they have already committed to host and on delivering those events in the best way possible considering the current restrictions – “It’s all about protecting what you have”.

→ Percentage budget cut

The percentage cut in members budget for the following 12 months varies between 0 and 65%. Some members reported that there may be an increase in budget to help comply with new COVID-19 imposed regulations and stimulate economic recovery.

→ Milestone payments

Members see milestone payment systems as a potential solution to dealing with bidding and hosting fees moving forward.

→ Information sharing is key

Members are highly interested in training, information sharing and interaction with other IAEH members, especially on ‘new normal functioning’ e.g. best practice on health protocols for events and digital event impact measurement.

 → Shift in priorities

Residents’ sentiments and community value are rising up in members’ priorities when bidding for and hosting an event.

[Source: IAEH] Aiming to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to event hosts, the IAEH surveyed its 41 member organisations across 22 countries from Asia, Middle East, Europe and the Americas

Survey feedback showed;

• • Significant impact of cancellations and postponement across the world
• • 80% of members don’t yet have a date for when they expect ‘stadium’ events with an audience to re-commence
• • Only 3 countries, and none in Europe and the Americas, already have guidance in place for staging spectator events in future
• • The first events to return are expected to be;
  • – Professional sports/arts events behind closed doors
  • – Small local events with limited attendance
  • – Festivals and events which integrate an online presence
• • Event hosts are actively supporting the event sector, through funding, multi-stakeholder collaboration and digital innovation

Continuing this discussion on the impacts of COVID-19, the IAEH will be hosting a free virtual ’round table’ webinar on response strategies. IAEH members from Canada, United States, Scotland, Japan and New Zealand will be discussing  the current status and mid to long term solutions to mitigate the damage while supporting the recovery of the industry in the months and years ahead. (Register and join on 10th June at noon (BST)).

The events industry has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sporting, cultural and business events have been banned around the world to avoid further spreading of the coronavirus. IAEH members, who are not-for-profit organisations that represent cities, regions and countries that host major events, have been dealing with many postponements and cancellations, and working to mitigate the damages to the whole industry.

THE IMPACT

Postponements and cancellations
The damage caused by event postponements and cancellations varies according to the location and size of the host organisation but all have been affected. Members reported that events scheduled to take place even after this summer (Northern Hemisphere) and, in some cases, all the way until early 2021 have been postponed or cancelled.

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED

Participants were asked to list the biggest challenges imposed by the COVID-19 crisis and some positive lessons learned from these difficult times.

The three biggest challenges created by COVID-19 as reported by IAEH members are:

1. 1. The economic impacts of event postponements and cancellations, including job losses and expected future cost increases due to social distancing requirements.
2. 2. The uncertainty about the short and long-term future, including current and future travel restrictions, making planning very difficult.
3. 3. The shift in priorities of both individuals and organisations during the current crisis and in the post-pandemic world.

Lessons are certainly being learned through dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. When asked about anything positive they could take from this experience, members highlighted the following:

1. 1. New ways of working and communicating that can have a positive impact not only reducing organisations’ expenses but also to the environment (e.g. positive climate effects with less travel).
2. 2. Creative and innovative solutions that have been used to address the problems caused by the pandemic but that can be carried forward and applied to the industry post-pandemic. This includes a wider use of technology and the digitisation of events.
3. 3. New and strengthened collaboration between local/national stakeholders, the results of which include revision of contracts, particularly force majeure clauses and insurance policy improvements.

THE RECOVERY

WHEN ARE EVENTS RESUMING?

This survey’s results also show the uncertainty of the situation which makes planning for the future a big challenge. The large majority (80%) of members who participated in the survey reported that there is no planning date for ‘stadium’ events with an audience to re-commence.

Different kinds of events may resume at different times. Members reported that the first events to return are likely to be:

1. 1. Small outdoor events where physical distancing rules can be respected.
2. 2. Professional sports or performing arts without an audience. Domestic competitions of individual sports such as golf, tennis and BMX could also be allowed soon.
3. 3. Cultural, business and even sport events that are able to go online. Event digitalisation is a new trend and proving to be a valuable solution at least until social distancing rules are fully eased.

NEW SAFETY MEASURES AND PROTOCOLS

When events and larger gatherings are to be allowed again, new guidance on safety measures and protocols, such as hygiene standards and health checking, will need to be implemented. Survey participants highlighted the work of their governments in defining the new norms and reported that these had not yet been published at that time. Only 3 countries, and none in Europe or the Americas, have measures already in place, but those are being continuously updated to reflect the current situation in the specific location.

NEW WAYS OF SUPPORTING THE INDUSTRY

IAEH members indicated that they have established new ways of supporting the event industry in response to COVID-19. This included:

1. 1. Funding to support event organisers or organisations servicing the events industry.
2. 2. Initiatives to support events to go digital place including local/national media campaigns to generate engagement and alternative sources of revenue from virtual events.
3. 3. Cooperation between stakeholders to access local/national support initiatives seems critical. Members reported that new associations and platforms are being created to address the crisis and guarantee that the response is well coordinated.

IAEH members also reported a shift in event support objectives from focusing on events that drive visitation to focusing on events that primarily drive community benefits and showcasing opportunities

For this survey’s technical information and questions/comments please email admin@eventhosts.org.
The full results of the 2020 IAEH Members’ Survey is available for members only at www.eventhosts.org/resources/.

[Source: IOC / Tokyo 2020)The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo, held a conference call this morning to discuss the constantly changing environment with regard to COVID-19 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

They were joined by Mori Yoshiro, the President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee; the Olympic Minister, Hashimoto Seiko; the Governor of Tokyo, Koike Yuriko; the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission, John Coates; IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper; and the IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi.

President Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and what it is doing to people’s lives and the significant impact it is having on global athletes’ preparations for the Games.

In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.

The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the situation in the rest of the world deteriorating. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is "accelerating". There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.

In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. doing to people’s lives and the significant impact it is having on global athletes’ preparations for the Games.

In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.

The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the situation in the rest of the world deteriorating. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is "accelerating". There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.

In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Following the International Olympic Committee’s announcement over the weekend that it is scenario planning for postponing the Games, the IOC’s former head of marketing said that the mostly likely outcome is to move by a year to summer 2021, while IOC member Sir Craig Reedie warns that this could take up to four weeks to confirm.

The comments were made on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“Everyone clearly wants clarity as soon as possible. The IOC would like to announce a definitive new date as soon as they can. But they can’t do that until they’ve worked through some of the mind-boggling complexity with the Japanese,” said Michael Payne, who as IOC head of marketing launched the TOP sponsor programme that transformed the fortunes of the Games.

“I think until recently the Japanese were desperately hoping the Games would still be taking place this July. Only now are the Japanese seriously looking at plan B. The main issue is looking at all the logistics within Japan, of the venues, as to how can they effectively mothball them for whatever period of time necessary.

“And the international sporting calendar – I think it’s becoming increasingly clear that a short delay wouldn’t solve the problem. You have to look at a one-year delay, and I think that will come sooner rather than later.”

“The IOC President Thomas Bach and the Japanese Prime Minister have said cancellation is off the table. Japan has invested billions of dollars and they obviously still want to proceed, albeit with a different date.

“For the IOC they want to do everything possible to avoid disenfranchising the 10,000 athletes. Postponement is clearly where this is now going, and most likely for one year.”

Sir Craig Reedie has served as vice president of the IOC and Executive Board member. Asked what advice he would give to Japanese President Abe and IOC president Bach now, he said: “I’d be saying to them, is it possible that the contractual situation that you will have with a whole range of suppliers – it’s venues, particularly it's accommodation, it’s with various people – can these contracts be amended to a postpone the Games to a later date? I suspect that’s why a suggested period of four weeks is required, to see if that is possible.”

“Thereafter the issue seems to be clearly twofold. Firstly, will Japan be sufficiently clear of the virus? And secondly will the rest of the world have moved on to such a stage that athletes will no longer be afraid of travelling and taking part?

“The whole region has been massively infected by the spread of the virus. Everybody is saying athletes cannot prepare properly, there is danger in asking them to do so.

“So the balance of probability is that Japan have to be asked if they can change their logistical arrangements, particularly I think in the area of accommodation.

“And if that can be done then the IOC, I think, will look at postponing the Games.”

National Olympic Committees are beginning to prepare their teams for a 2021 event, with Canada having already pulled out of 2020.

There is still work to do in the most challenging of times, but Expo 2020 Dubai is on schedule to open in October thanks to measures taken by the host nation.

“Putting on a World Expo, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a global effort from the 192 countries taking part in Expo 2020 Dubai,” BIE Secretary General Dimitri Kerkentzes was reported as saying in Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram on 19 March.

“We continue working with the organisers and are confident in the steps that the UAE has taken to manage the spread of the virus and protect all those involved in the Expo. Expo 2020 Dubai’s pragmatic approach offers both reassurance and assistance to those who need it, and will, I believe, contribute to the successful delivery of this mega event.”

A steering committee of representatives of countries taking part in Expo 2020 Dubai met virtually on 19 March to discuss the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on preparations.

“As hosts of the next World Expo, due to open in seven months’ time, we always knew that 2020 was going to be demanding. What we could not predict is that we would be doing so in the midst of the biggest global health crisis in generations,” UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai Reem Al Hashimy is reported as saying in al-Ahram.

“These are difficult, uncertain times, which makes it even more heartening to see communities around the world facing this challenge together and to witness the incredible resilience of the human spirit against a menace that does not recognise international borders or timelines.

“Our immediate priority is the health and well-being of everyone involved in Expo 2020 Dubai, and this will not be compromised. Our monitoring of ongoing developments means we will take all sensible precautions to manage and mitigate risk to all those involved.”

The UAE has taken a range of measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces told government news agency Wam: “In the UAE, we have adopted rational and early advanced precautionary measures before other countries around us to stand up to the challenge… Therefore, the infection tally in the UAE is less thanks to our early response to contain the virus at its onset”

Construction by the organising committee is complete, with International Participant Pavilions being completed.

The value of World Expos cannot be understated. “For almost 170 years they have brought countries and people together to celebrate the best of humanity, and the fruits of our innovation and collaboration, around a theme addressing global challenges,” said Kerkentzes.

The organisers of Glastonbury 2020 have announced the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the festival.

“This will be an enforced fallow year for the Festival,” Michael and Emily Eavis said in a statement published on their website and shared on social media.

“Clearly this was not a course of action we hoped to take for our 50th anniversary event, but following the new government measures announced this week – and in times of such unprecedented uncertainty – this is now our only viable option.

“We very much hope that the situation in the UK will have improved enormously by the end of June. But even if it has, we are no longer able to spend the next three months with thousands of crew here on the farm, helping us with the enormous job of building the infrastructure and attractions needed to welcome more than 200,000 people to a temporary city in these fields.”

Ticket holders will have the opportunity to roll their £50 deposit over to next year, and be guaranteed the opportunity to buy a ticket for Glastonbury 2021.

The organisers added: “The cancellation of this year’s Festival will no doubt come as a terrible blow to our incredible crew and volunteers who work so hard to make this event happen. There will also inevitably be severe financial implications as a result of this cancellation – not just for us, but also the Festival’s charity partners, suppliers, traders, local landowners and our community.

“We were so looking forward to welcoming you all for our 50th anniversary with a line-up full of fantastic artists and performers that we were incredibly proud to have booked. Again, we’re so sorry that this decision has been made. It was not through choice. But we look forward to welcoming you back to these fields next year and until then, we send our love and support to all of you.”

[Source: SportAccord] On 28 February, the Swiss Federal Government imposed a ban on large-scale events involving more than 1000 people. The ban came into immediate effect and was set to apply until at least 15 March 2020. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) moved to declare the COVID-19 outbreak as an official Pandemic. On 14 March at 14:30 CET in a press conference, the Canton of Vaud under emergency measures imposed a ban on events involving more than 50 people until 30 April 2020. SportAccord, which brings together nearly 2,000 delegates, has taken the necessary step of cancelling SportAccord 2020 to give International Sport Federations, stakeholders, partners and attendees as much time as possible to make arrangements in light of the cancellation.

“Our priority is the health and welfare of our International Federations and delegates attending our event, so this decision has been taken with the utmost consideration for those who were planning to attend SportAccord 2020 in Lausanne.” SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli said.

“This is obviously an extremely unfortunate situation and we are saddened that our community will not be able to attend our annual gathering, but we wanted to announce this decision at the earliest opportunity to enable plans to be adapted accordingly for all concerned.”

SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt said: “Following the COVID-19 outbreak, SportAccord has made every effort to find a viable solution for the staging of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2020.“

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but in taking the decision to cancel the event at this stage, we have endeavoured to minimise the potential disruption to our delegates’ plans. SportAccord is very grateful for the support of the City of Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, International Olympic Committee, partners, exhibitors, and delegates in recent weeks. We are now focusing on the delivery of what promises to be a superb SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 in Ekaterinburg and we look forward to welcoming our friends from around the world to Russia from 23-28 May 2021.”

Partners, exhibitors and delegates who had registered to attend SportAccord 2020 in Lausanne will be contacted shortly with further information.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord or keep up to date via LinkedIn and Facebook. For enquiries, email info@sportaccord.sport.