VIP speakers at Host City 2019, taking place in Glasgow on 26 and 27 November, today urged the major event hosting sector to unite under the conference theme: Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create.

Now in its 6th year, Host City is firmly established as the largest meeting of Cities and Sports, Business and Cultural events. Participants are encouraged to use Host City 2019 as a platform to develop, workshop and announce new events, partnerships and formats.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Host City 2019 will be another great opportunity for the major events sector to come together and share best practice as well as discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

“The major events industry is evolving rapidly as technology and customer expectations continue to have a big influence on how events are delivered. This year’s theme: Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create provides the perfect platform to discuss how we can work together to embrace change, so we can continue to deliver social, policy and economic benefits for the host city and country.

“Scotland’s experience in delivering bold, ambitious and innovative events is widely recognised and we look forward to sharing this with our industry peers in November.”

Dr. Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life said: “We are looking forward to hosting another wonderful Host City conference and exhibition in Glasgow. The need for cities to innovate, rethink and partner to develop their event strategies has never been greater, and Glasgow continues to lead the way on this front. It’s a pleasure to be speaking at Host City again where event hosts, owners and organisers will discuss these topics and much more.”

David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) said: “I’m proud to be speaking at Host City 2019. The UCI has certainly welcomed the innovative approach that led to the creation, with Scotland, of the UCI Cycling World Championships that debuts there in 2023. Creative dialogue between cities and rights holders is essential to stage events that benefit the communities that host them.”

Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of FIS (International Ski Federation) and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) said: “I am delighted to be speaking and participating at Host City 2019. FIS and the other International Winter Sports Federations are constantly endeavouring to innovate and evolve our event properties and the concept of co-creation is increasingly important to all event organisers. I very much look forward to exploring these themes in more detail in Host City, which is always a valuable opportunity for cities, sports, business and cultural events to learn and exchange each other’s objectives and perspectives.”

Dame Louise Martin DBE, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation said: “I am delighted to be speaking at Host City 2019 about how transformation, innovation and partnership are at the heart of the Commonwealth Games delivery model.  Now more than ever, it is essential for rights holders and federations to collaborate with host city partners and stakeholders to develop sustainable, impactful, world-class and community-relevant events that engage and benefit the widest possible audience.”

Ian Reid, CEO of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games said: “I’m really pleased to be invited to be part of Host City 2019 and I’m looking forward to talking to attendees about the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, an event which is being organised by a group of partners, who have all come together to jointly create what will be the biggest sports and culture event ever to be staged in Birmingham and the West Midlands region.”

Host City is the annual international conference and exhibition that brings together host destinations, federations and rights holders, organisers, event suppliers and services from all over the world for two full days of unrivalled insight, networking, workshops and business.

Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City said: “The conference theme – Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create – clearly reflects the thinking and behaviour of the smartest players in the sector today. New partnerships and technologies are fundamentally disrupting the traditional orders of major sports, business and cultural events. We urge everyone in the sector to come to Host City to forge new partnerships, share ideas and create initiatives alongside the best of peers.”

To view the latest agenda and confirmed speakers go to www.hostcity.com, where delegates can save £300 by booking before 31 May.

Host City 2019 Expo & Conference is being supported by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

For sponsorship enquires contact adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

For speaking opportunities, partnerships and media enquiries contact ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: ASOIF[] The General Assembly of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) convened today at SportAccord in Gold Coast, Queensland (Australia), and elected Marisol Casado (International Triathlon Union), Ingmar De Vos (International Equestrian Federation) and Morinari Watanabe (International Gymnastics Federation) as Council members for a four-year term of office. Whilst Marisol Casado was re-elected for another term of office, Ingmar De Vos and Morinari Watanabe will replace José Perurena (International Canoe Federation), whose mandate had also come to an end, and former FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann who tragically passed away last autumn. During a moment of silence, the General Assembly remembered Patrick Baumann and his outstanding contributions to sport and the Olympic Movement.

Marisol Casado was elected President of the ITU in 2008 and became an IOC Member in 2010. She is also a Council member of GAISF. Ingmar De Vos was elected President of the FEI in 2014. An IOC Member since 2017, he is also a GAISF Council member and GAISF representative on the WADA Executive Committee. Morinari Watanabe was elected President of the FIG in 2016. An IOC Member since 2018, he is also a member of the Tokyo 2020 Executive Board.

The future of global sport and the role of International Federations (IFs) were key topics on the agenda of the General Assembly. ASOIF’s report on the “Future of Global Sport”, launched in February this year, received very positive reactions during the meeting. A number of member federations stated that the report recommendations had gained momentum within their organisations and will be discussed at their upcoming Executive Board meetings.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “The future of global sport, the role of IFs and their governance are all intertwined. By examining these three aspects at the same time, we aim to strengthen our member federations and help them tackle current and future challenges in a fast-evolving world. I am very glad to hear they have started to make use of the report findings in their daily work and implement some of the recommendations.”

On the topic of IF governance, ASOIF members agreed on the procedure of the third governance review, to be conducted between late 2019 and early 2020, with the declared objective to see at least 26 of the 28 full ASOIF members score 120 points (out of a maximum of 200 points). In order to support this process, the ASOIF Governance Support and Monitoring Unit (GSMU), established in late 2018, will continue to help IFs achieve progress in good governance.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organising Committee shared their plan for their one-year-to-go celebrations on 24 July this year and reported that they had released lately their competition schedule (session by session) to the general public. The recent launch of the ticketing sales website was hailed a success as well, with already more than two million ID registrations clocked by 31 March 2019. Tokyo 2020 also promised to collaborate closely with the IFs regarding the upcoming test events which will be important to fine-tune operations for Games time.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee presented their new Event Delivery Model to leverage IF expertise for an optimal and cost-efficient Games delivery. They have already started to work closely with the ASOIF Olympic and Multi-Sports Games Consultative Group (AOMSG) and the IOC Sports Department and will also closely consult with each IF on their expectations for the Games’ delivery throughout the preparations.

During the report from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ASOIF member federations were informed about the preparations for the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games, strengthening the solidarity funding model for athletes, and the IOC’s Gender Equality Project. Based on the recommendations from the project, ASOIF has proposed to establish a new advisory group which will specifically focus on the topics of gender equality and diversity.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) updated the General Assembly about the latest status of the investigations related to Russia, ongoing governance reforms within the organisation as well as WADA’s work on a strong Compliance Monitoring Program and the 2021 Code and International Standards framework.

The General Assembly also approved the Olympic revenue distribution model for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is proud to announce H.E. Ban Ki-moon will deliver the Opening Welcome Address at the SportAccord Summit on Wednesday 8 May 2019 at 11.00hrs in Gold Coast Australia, as well as take part in the United Through Sports Youth Conference.

Former United Nations (UN) Secretary General and former South Korean Foreign Minister, championed the world’s vulnerable by putting sustainable development, climate change, and gender equality at the top of the UN agenda.

“I, as an Honorary president of 2019 Chungju World Martial Arts Masterships, a Chairperson of IOC Ethics Commission and the 8^th Secretary General of the United Nations, am very pleased to participate in 2019 SportAccord, which will be held in Gold Coast. Of 2019 SportAccord programs,

SportAccord Summit will be an important stage to share the knowledge and information on the topic of “The Future of Big Data and Analytics” among leaders in the sporting world. I hope all participants and colleagues of 2019 SportAccord endeavor to promote sport for development and peace in the world through the SportAccord Summit. Thank you!”

Sporting leaders and delegates represented at the highest levels will gather at the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in Gold Coast for a week of networking and key meetings, and hear the latest from around 100 subject matter experts involved in this year’s conference programme.

Commenting on the participation of H. E. Ban Ki-moon, Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said: “It is an absolute pleasure and honour to be welcoming His Excellency Mr Ban Ki-moon to the SportAccord Summit 2019. His vision, leadership and accomplishments over the years have made a significant impact around the world. His leadership continues to inspire as one of the world’s top global thinkers. We look forward with anticipation to hear what His Excellency will impart to the international sports community during his Welcome Address at this year’s SportAccord Summit in Gold Coast.”

Delegates can register and hear first-hand from a stellar line-up of Summit speakers and panellists, as well as take part in the newly formed interactive Summit Hub sessions planned for Day 2 of the SportAccord Summit. Each hub (5 in total) will be led by a Summit speaker, where attendees will be able to discuss the Summit conference sessions from Day 1 in more detail with peers.

H.E. Ban Ki-moon will also speak at this year’s United Through Youth Opening Conference taking place 7 May 2019 during SportAccord and forms part of the Sports Festival hosted by United Through Sports. The events embrace a number of key drivers which have become part of the DNA for United Through Sports. These comprise: inclusivity; unity in diversity; the future, our youth; non-discrimination; gender quality; providing opportunities for the youth via sport; building alliances to give back.

The Sports Festival was formed to make a real difference to the lives of countless children, giving them a chance to showcase their talents regardless of ability or life circumstances. This year’s Sports Festival is under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

With the full support of the IOC and the Queensland government, around 5,000 children from 170 schools are set to take part in the Sports Festival (7 – 10 May 2019). Children will have the opportunity to try as many sports as they wish (around 60 sports federations are involved including well-known athletes and celebrities). Morning programmes, a mix of promoting an active lifestyle and education, will be exclusively for the youth of Australia, and doors will be opened to the general public for the afternoon and evening sessions.

The Festival Opening Ceremony involves over 200 youth with a history-making performance planned. The ceremony promises to be an eye-opening, educational and action-packed extravaganza with many exclusives and ‘firsts’ being revealed from the moment the Sports Festival begins with the entire Opening Ceremony also performed in ‘sign’.

To benefit from these exclusive opportunities, organisations can register for SportAccord and take advantage of the full conference programme and all that the Sports Festival has to offer.

To become an Exhibitor or Partner contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 612 3070. To register as a delegate and watch past SportAccord footage visit www.sportaccord.sport.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook.

Host City Asia kicked off with a series of VIP insights from the hosts of the next three Olympic Games: Tokyo, Beijing and Paris.

The number of cities attending Host City Asia has quadrupled since the launch event, with officials from major Chinese cities including Beijing, Zhangjiakou, Hangzhou, Anshan, Changzhou, Shanxi and Changchun. They were joined by many more hosts destinations from Japan, Australia and Oman to as far away as France, all sharing best practice.

The cities attending were also treated to finding out about how to host new urban events –like Nitro Circus, Red Bull Air Race and the FISE World Series – to esports and the immense AIPH World Horticultural Expo, which is attracting 16 million visitors to Beijing this year. Leading suppliers like Aggreko joined Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022 and other major event organising committees to examine how they can make event hosting more efficient together.

Yunchao GAO, Deputy Secretary General, Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA) said: "The Olympic legacy is rooted in the Olympic Movement and is not simply the wealth of the Olympic host cities, but also the achievements and wealth of the entire human civilisation. Let us join hands to set an example of the ‘Dual Olympics’ legacy, propel the Olympic Movement and the sustainable development of the Olympic spirit and create a better future for all!"

Xiaochun ZHAO, Director-General of Shanxi Provincial Sports Bureau said “By holding the Second National Youth Games, a socially significant event, we can unite people's hearts, boost morale, promote spiritual civilization and improve the humanistic quality of the people. We can further promote the adjustment of industrial structure in the province.”

Zhenhua ZONG, Executive Deputy Director, Zhangjiakou City Economic Development Zone said: “The ice and snow industry is an ecological industry, a low-carbon industry and a sunrise industry. The Hebei Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government have made the development of ice and snow industry and sports the key priority the province.”

Hiromi KAWAMURA, PR Secretary at the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games said: “The Tokyo 2020 Games will deliver the most innovative Games and a positive revolution; not only in sport but also throughout various aspects of society; not only during the Games but also during the preparation and after the Games; not only in Tokyo but also across Japan and around the world.”

Yasunobu NISHIMURA, Deputy Director General of Bureau of Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Preparation, Tokyo Metropolitan Government said: “The legacy of the Games must be one that befits a mature society and is appropriate for a world-leading megalopolis that continues to grow sustainably. The Tokyo government will seize the opportunity of the 2020 Games to enhance urban functions from both tangible and intangible aspects, so that we grow into an even more attractive city.”

[Source: CSM Live] Following a competitive tender process, conducted according to strict Peruvian procurement laws, CSM Live will perform a number of duties to bring the Games to life. These include scoping all participating venues, both competition and non-competition, for which the agency will then devise a Look and Feel concept as well as a Wayfinding concept, followed by preparation of artwork for all elements, which will be distributed to appointed local suppliers for production. CSM Live will then manage all production and installation of the Look elements, to ensure a world-class Look and Feel for these prestigious championships.

On-site in Lima, CSM Live will be working predominantly with local companies who have been selected through a tender process by the Organising Committee. This collaboration and sharing of expertise will help to leave a positive legacy for the businesses and communities involved.

The Pan American and Parapan American Games are a major sporting event in the Americas featuring summer sports in which thousands of athletes and Para athletes participate in a variety of competitions. For the Pan American Games, Lima is set to host 6680 athletes from 41 different nations of the Americas, competing in 39 different sports from July 26 to August 11. For the 2019 Parapan American Games there will be 1890 Para athletes competing across 17 Para sports in 18 disciplines from August 23 to September 01.

Prior to the tender process CSM Live attended two Department of International Trade missions in Lima, along with two independently organised visits to Peru to help forge relationships and enable them to build knowledge and confidence ahead of formally pitching for the work. These visits were carried out in 2017 and 2018.

UK Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, Baroness Fairhead said: “I am delighted to see that CSM Live is joining so many UK companies by growing their business through exporting – and offer congratulations to them for winning this contract to support the 2019 Pan American Games and Parapan American Games in Lima.

“The Department for International Trade stands ready to help businesses like CSM Live through our Export Strategy, which includes encouraging businesses to export, providing practical information, connecting UK businesses to overseas buyers and providing support through our award-winning export credit agency, UK Export Finance.”

On their upcoming work for the Pan-Am Games and Parapan American Games, Giles Stanford, Director of Global Events at CSM Live, stated “It’s an honour to be involved in the largest sporting event ever held in Peru. We’re already set up and working in this amazing country, using our expertise to ensure that Lima looks amazing. It’s going to be a fantastic event and we’re excited to be helping give the competitors, fans and all involved an engaging and truly unforgettable experience.”

In the beginning, the event procurement process was nonexistent. Until, according to Harvey Goldsmith CBE, “A bunch of bean counters were brought in to say, hang on, can you evaluate the process? And then the procurement business started. This immediately knocked out smaller, innovative start-up companies who wouldn’t have a chance of getting into the procurement process.”

Legendary music promoter Goldsmith has staged countless major events – not least Live Aid – but procurement has not evolved much since this “big bang” moment when the process was first established.

“So, you would end up with the same two or three companies basically doing everything and unfortunately that’s pretty much true today,” he told delegates at the Event Production Show in London on 27 February.

“If you look at the companies that are out there producing major events, it’s the same companies. You’ll see the same people go from Olympics to the Millennium to New Year’s Eve at the Eye, to Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup – it’s a club of clubs!

“It’s unfair, it doesn’t let innovation in and it doesn’t let new creative ideas or people in, which is a problem. We need a procession of new people coming in.”

Goldsmith was joined on the panel by Simon Hughes, Vice President of the Business Visits and Events Partnership. “We don’t engage with people in procurement enough and they don’t engage with us enough. We need to have that conversation much more frequently," he said. "It does a huge amount of damage for startups and creativity, which are the key drivers for what you do.”

On the question of how innovative companies can get involved in major events, Goldsmith said: “You have to think in a different way. You’ve either got to team up with a company that is capable of jumping the hurdle of procurement, or package people together and come up with something that’s so different they have to take notice. It is a difficult issue today.”

One of the issues is the lack of a clearly defined route into a career in the live events industry. “The event entertainment business is a very insular industry, which strangely enough doesn’t encourage outsiders. There is no degree you can take to become a booking agent,” Goldsmith said.

“We are constantly asked how to break through into the business. The only way you can break through is to push yourself through. Before I did my first gig, I went into a shop I bought a little Vox amp to get backstage into gigs!

“The only companies that have got involved are the ones who have the confidence to push themselves through. You’ve got to have the confidence to find ways to get over the hurdles.”

Goldsmith said procurement processes do not favour UK companies. “As much I do believe that, as much as we have the best entertainment music talent in the UK, we also have the best behind-the-scenes talent by a long mile – so why do have to employ Americans and Australians to do our big events when there are companies in the UK and can do it better? The hurdles are different. It’s a very odd process and some terrible mistakes have taken place.”

He cited the London Olympic Stadium as an example of just such a mistake.

“One of the legacies of the Olympics is that there is a big stadium in Stratford that went through hell on wheels because of a complete, total, utter screw-up from the Mayor who did not knowing what he was talking about, to a current Mayor inheriting a bill of £200m more than should have been spent, and the most mismanaged process of operation I’ve ever seen in my life.

“There are lots of screw ups that go on and get buried. Everyone raves about the Silver Jubilee; if anyone cares to dig down deep enough and look at the economics you will find that financially they are disasters because they didn’t do the process properly and went to the same old teams.”

Financial disaster is one thing, but safety issues are quite another, and this is just one area where the sports and entertainment event sectors can learn from each other.

“We have seen the recent trial of those dreadful events in Sheffield,” said Goldsmith. “I remember many years ago doing my first ever concert at St James’ Park with Bruce Springsteen and refusing orders from the police, who were about to arrest me, to let the doors open, because I had walked around the exits and discovered that three quarters of them were padlocked.

“I went back to the management and said, why are these gates locked? They said, that’s what we do for a football match. I said, I don’t care what you do for football – there’s going to be 50,000 people standing outside this stadium until you unlock the gates. I can’t imagine what would have happened if there had been a problem there. But that’s what they used to do – their attitude for football was very different. 

“We have to have the same environment for sport as we do for entertainment, because they are visitor attractions and the same rules must apply.

“It’s quite strange because, until very recently sport events were looked upon as something was pure and sport-driven. What many sports forgot is that they are also entertainment, and if they are attracting a crowd, the same values go in sport as they do in music. There may be a band on stage – it’s no different from seeing your hero racing. You’ve got to give the customer the experience of high quality and therefore the rules we go by in entertainment remain the same.”

It’s not just sports and entertainment that can learn from one another; there needs to be more learning for business events, said Hughes.

“We had a decade of sport where we targeted specific major world sporting events and we were very successful at that. Perhaps we should be doing that more in the festival world, in the entertainment world and in the business events world – looking at the way UK sport has used major events as a vehicle for driving the UK into a competitive position and attracting new events to the UK.

“Let’s target the kind of things that we could bid to bring into the UK; or build on the events we are doing here and make them more international. Sports bids have been phenomenally well organized, that’s where there is great success and learning for bidding for other major international events.”

[Source: ASOIF] After almost 12 months’ work, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) today launched its report on the “Future of Global Sport”. The document aggregates the views of thought leaders and decision-makers from sport, business and government. It addresses political, social, technological, legal and economic influences, all of which are impacting International Federation (IF) decision-making and the model under which sport will be managed going forward. It also provides a historical overview of the foundations that underpin organised sport as we know it today and delves into the challenges currently being faced. The report concludes by laying out a vision for the future of sport over the next 20 years including key recommendations for the IFs and for ASOIF itself.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said on the occasion of today’s launch: “ASOIF has invested significant resources in this project and we believe the results will help IFs to better understand, anticipate and react to the changes and trends confronting them. In fact, some of the outlined future scenarios may serve as a wake-up call. This report invites us all to challenge our thinking at ASOIF and encourage our members to challenge their own.”

Key findings of the Future of Global Sport report include:

• IFs must demonstrate an exemplary standard of governance in order to maintain the confidence of the media, governments, business and the public at large while also protecting the integrity of their sports;

• IFs will need to develop a more proactive, creative, commercially driven and collaborative mind set, re-evaluating their role and strategies in favour of increased partnership with the private sector;

• IFs will need to embrace “digital” in earnest, transforming their business models, organisational designs and operational cultures;

• Today’s sporting event model will evolve so that true partnerships entailing closer cooperation and balanced risk-sharing among and between stakeholders, including business and government agencies will be a requirement;

• Athletes with sufficient following are gaining influence in today’s disintermediated media landscape and will need to be offered greater incentives to compete in established events;

• In order to attract new people to participate in and consume their sports, IFs must adapt their strategies to a changing society and to how, in future, people will discover and consume content;

• If they adapt, IFs will remain widely accepted as unique bodies effectively capable of governing and administrating their sports on a worldwide basis as custodians of the rules, training of judges, managing the events calendar and coordinating and funding global development initiatives etc; and

• It will become increasingly important to have an effective “umbrella” organisation working to promote and defend the Olympic IFs’ collective common interests given the range of major common challenges that IFs share but can never be expected to address individually.

Following-up on these findings, the report concludes with a blueprint for IFs to adapt and take advantage of the opportunities presented by today’s disrupted and competitive sporting landscape. This consists of ten recommendations for IFs related to two equally important themes of governance and entrepreneurialism.

The report will also provide ASOIF with guidance and a basis for prioritisation, particularly in relation to its work on establishing a solid future role for IFs, as the involvement of both public authorities (governments) and private business interests in sport continues to grow.

Click here to read the full report.

Denmark will host the Grand Départ of the 2021 Tour de France, starting on 2^nd July in capital city Copenhagen, followed by a second stage on 3^rd July running from Roskilde to Nyborg on the island of Funen, and the third stage on July 4^th starting in Vejle and finishing in Sønderborg.

A Deloitte report on the 2017 Grand Départ found that Düsseldorf benefited economically by EUR 64m, with the total marketing value to the host estimated at EUR 443m. Other cities and regions to have benefited from hosting the Grand Départ include Utrecht (2015), Yorkshire (2014), and Rotterdam (2010).

Denmark’s bid to host a Tour de France Grand Départ officially began on June 20th 2016 in Paris, where the bid was presented to Christian Prudhomme by the former Danish Minister for Business and Growth, Troels Lund Poulsen, and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen.

Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France Race Director at the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said: “Of course the Tour de France, with the best professional sports cyclists in the world, had to visit Denmark and Copenhagen – the best country and the best city in the world for everyday cycling. The Grand Départ Copenhague – Danemark 2021 is the ‘rendez-vous’ to celebrate the mutual inspiration between every day cycling and professional cycling.”

With 198 top athletes and more than 900,000 spectators expected to attend the three stages, this will be one of the biggest sports events ever held in Denmark.

The Tour de France is broadcast in 190 countries and has about 3.5 billion TV viewers during the race.

Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, said: “Denmark made it! It is fantastic! A dream born many years ago has come true. The world’s greatest cycling race starts in Denmark in 2021. It doesn’t get much bigger. It is the perfect match for the proud Danish tradition for hosting major cycling events where the massive interest for cycling and the stars of cycling are the driving forces.”

Other major international cycling events hosted by Denmark include the UCI Road World Championships in 2011, the UCI BMX World Championships in 2011, the start of the Giro d'Italia in 2012, the UCI Amateur World Championships in 2015, the UCI European Championships in 2017 and the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in 2019.

The hosts of the three stages

The opening stage, a 13-kilometre time trial in central Copenhagen, starts off on H.C. Andersens Boulevard and finishes on City Hall Square after having passed through the heart of Copenhagen including landmarks such as the Royal Palace of Amalienborg, the historic harbour of Nyhavn and the parliament at Christiansborg.

The second stage runs for 190 kilometres, starting in the heart of the historic city of Roskilde and finishing in Nyborg on the island of Funen after crossing the majestic Great Belt Bridge with possible side winds and a chance of breakaway.

The third and final stage starts off in Vejle, passing sights such as UNESCO world heritage Jelling Monuments and riding through 170 kilometres of stunning countryside scenery before finishing in Sønderborg, with an airport five kilometres from the finishing line.

The city of Odense was included in the original bid as the destination of the second stage but was replaced by the municipality of Nyborg, due to a desire from the ASO to let the Great Belt Bridge play a bigger role in the second stage of the Tour.

Bidding and delivery teams

The bid team consisted of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, the municipalities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg, Sport Event Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen, the Capital region of Denmark and the regions of Zealand and Southern Denmark.

The event will be organised by a partnership consisting of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs and the municipalities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg as stakeholders. The capital region of Denmark and the regions of Zealand and Southern Denmark are contributing to the partnership financially.

An administrative office with responsibility for the day-to-day operation of this partnership will be set up to implement the Grand Départ in Denmark. The temporary director of the administrative office Alex Pedersen was vice president of media company Jysk Fynske Medier and a professional cyclist who took part in organising the Giro d’Italia in Herning and Horsens in 2012.

“The best cycling city in the world"

The slogan of the Danish Grand Départ is “The greatest cycling race in the world meets the best cycling city in the world", with the latter title conferred by the Copenhagenize Index.

There are 5.6 times as many bikes as there are cars in Copenhagen, with almost half of the locals cycling to work and school on 379 kilometres of designated cycling paths.

In 2015 Denmark was named the most bike-friendly country in Europe by the European Cyclist Federation. Cycling accounts for 26 per cent of all trips less than 5 kilometres in Denmark and 16 per cent of all trips. The average Dane cycles 1.6 km per day. The country has 12,000 km of marked cycling paths.

Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen said: “Biking is a vital part of the lifestyle in Copenhagen where bikes actually outnumber cars. Copenhagen is a true bike and a top event city – ranking number 8 at Sportcal’s Global Sports Cities Index. Copenhagen is therefore the perfect place for a Grand Départ, and we are looking forward to welcoming the world of existing and going-to-be bike enthusiasts to our city.”

[Source: EventScotland] Scotland’s position as a world-leading host for major events has been reaffirmed with the announcement on 8^th February that it has been awarded the inaugural Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Cycling World Championships in 2023.

The Championships, which will take place at venues in Glasgow and across Scotland over two weeks in August 2023, has been awarded in recognition of the country’s proven expertise in delivering world-class and ground-breaking events.

The vision of UCI President, David Lappartient, this historic and innovative event will bring together 13 existing individual World Championships cycling disciplines into one mega event for the first time. The Championships will bring together thousands of the world’s best cyclists all vying to win the iconic rainbow jersey, in what will become the world’s biggest cycling event, broadcast to a global audience.

Speaking at today’s announcement at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, UCI President David Lappartient, said: I am delighted that the UCI has today awarded the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to Glasgow and Scotland. The creation and the implementation of this event was one of the commitments I had made during my campaign for UCI presidency and I am proud to have fulfilled it. I wish to thank EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling for their enthusiastic involvement in the very first edition of this historic event, which will uniquely showcase our sport and its different disciplines on an international stage. Glasgow and Scotland has a great deal of experience in the organisation of major sporting events, notably multi-sports, such as the first edition of the European Sports Championships that it organised in 2018. I am convinced that the UCI Cycling World Championships will be a great success, and I look forward enormously to preparing them with our Scottish partners.”

Both Glasgow and Scotland’s records are self-evident when it comes to delivering mega events, having hosted some of the world’s biggest sporting events in recent years; including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and Glasgow 2018 European Championships, with the 2019 Solheim Cup and UEFA EURO 2020 to come over the next 18 months.

It is this unrivalled events experience, which also includes such cycling events as the annual Mercedes Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Fort William, the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, OVO Energy Tour of Britain and the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup in recent years, which made Scotland the UCI’s destination to host the maiden edition of what is destined to become every four years an outstanding fixture of the international cycling competition calendar.

Combined with Glasgow’s existing investment in world-class cycling infrastructure such as the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the Glasgow BMX Centre in Knightswood, this ensures that Scotland will be able to host this event without having to build any new venues.

The opportunity to be the first-ever hosts of the UCI Cycling World Championships will also provide a visible focus to support the acceleration of a range of local and national policy initiatives across the areas of health, transport, sport and tourism, and which would see Scotland aspire to become one of Europe’s top cycling nations.

Reacting to the news, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: “As the first ever host of this event, Scotland will cement its position as a leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events. It builds upon the successes of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and last year’s European Championships.

“Our overall aim is for Scotland to become one of Europe’s top cycling nations with cycling firmly embedded across Scotland as the favoured way to travel to school and work, as an enjoyable leisure activity and an efficient way to improve health.”

Sir Chris Hoy, six-times Olympic gold medallist, said: “To see Glasgow build on the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 - and more recently the European Championships - to become the first city to host a combined cycling world championships is a real coup for the city and Scotland. I’m looking forward to witnessing first-hand what I know will be another fantastic event not only on the velodrome track in 2023, but across all disciplines of our great sport.”

Katie Archibald, Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion, said: “I’ve competed in a few major events in Scotland, and they are amongst some of my career highlights thanks to the amazing support myself and my team mates get from the home crowd. The UCI World Championships 2023 sounds really exciting, it’ll be the year before the Paris Olympics, meaning all the nations will be ramping up their preparations so the racing will be great to watch. I also like the idea of being able to support my team mates from other disciplines in their world championships.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “This is a huge announcement and achievement for the city. Being the first ever hosts of this event – which will become the pinnacle of the international cycling competition calendar – will cement Glasgow and Scotland’s position as a worldwide leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events.

“Our city is one of the top five sporting cities in the world, and events like the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will help us continue to climb these rankings and realise our big aspirations. This event will be the biggest event staged in the city, and indeed the country, in the coming years – and we cannot wait to welcome athletes, officials, and spectators from around the world to Glasgow.”

Today’s announcement follows months of work by EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling to secure the event after the UCI announced its ambition to create this brand new cycling concept back in 2018.

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said: “UK Sport is delighted to see that Scotland has been chosen as the first ever host of the exciting new concept that is the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

“The decision from the UCI demonstrates once again that the UK remains a world leading innovator when it comes to hosting global sporting events as well as an open and welcoming place for athletes, coaches and fans across the globe.

“This move provides real confidence as we look to deliver our ambitious event hosting strategy and I would like to thank National Lottery players for their support because it is their backing that will allow us to bring more of the world’s top sporting competition to the UK.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that Scotland has been chosen to host the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. I’d like to thank President Lappartient and the UCI for awarding the event to Glasgow and Scotland and for trusting us to bring the vision of this exciting and historical new event to fruition. Securing a competition of this global magnitude reinforces Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events and one of the world’s leading sporting destinations.

“The competition will once again provide another significant opportunity for both visitors and locals to celebrate some of the world’s elite cycling talent across a range of events. We look forward to working closely with UCI and wider partners to deliver this landmark event for Scotland.”

It will also provide opportunities including volunteering and workforce development, as well as supporting British athletes in their preparation and qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Frank Slevin, Chair of British Cycling, said: “At British Cycling, we do not judge the success of major events only by the medals won, but by the numbers of people inspired to get active by getting on their bikes. Hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships reflects the pioneering success of Scotland’s national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, and also represents an amazing opportunity to transform a whole nation’s relationship with the bicycle. We look forward to working with our colleagues at Scottish Cycling to ensure the benefits of this event will be felt in Scotland long after the final race has been won.”

Today’s announcement highlights the continued success of Scotland’s national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, in ensuring a solid pipeline of events which deliver sustainable impact and international profile for the country. The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will join a portfolio of major events in the coming years, including The 2019 Solheim Cup and UEFA EURO 2020 and will continue Scotland’s journey to being the perfect stage for events.

The UCI currently stages annual World Championships in each of its disciplines across the year in different host cities around the world. The newly proposed UCI Cycling World Championships will, in a single region, bring 13 disciplines together every four years starting from 2023. These are:

• UCI Road World Championships
• UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships
• UCI Track Cycling World Championships presented by Tissot
• UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
• UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
• UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
• UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships
• UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country Eliminator World Championships
• UCI Trials World Championships
• UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Championships
• UCI BMX World Championships
• UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
• UCI Gran Fondo World Championships