HOST CITY 2015 Conference and Exhibition drew to a close in Glasgow on Tuesday following two days of open discussions exploring the challenges and benefits of bidding for and hosting major global events.

Now in its second year, Host City has firmly established itself as the leading EU-based meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events. Under the theme ‘Creative Innovation’ HOST CITY 2015 brought together a unique collection of city leaders and cross-sector rights holders, event owners, suppliers and world class-speakers in the business of major international events.

High on the agenda on the final day of the conference was the issue of sustainability and how a multi-city approach to hosting could allow events of the future to remain viable and grow by increasing their reach.

Speaking on the UEFA EURO 2020 Championships, Stewart Regan, Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association, host of four matches within the tournament, said: “As you can imagine it’s a huge logistical exercise - trying to plan for one country and several stadia is a big exercise but imagine doing that across 13 countries. 

“Planning the security, planning the logistics of moving sponsors, fans, and broadcasters around Europe - it’s a massive exercise. But the benefits of involving 13 countries, including some of the smaller countries who couldn’t host an event on their own, outweigh the challenges that the logistics present.”

Hampden Park in Glasgow will stage three UEFA Euro 2020 group stage games and one last 16 match.

Paul Bristow, Director of European Sports Championships Management argued that a multi-city approach could have sustainability benefits for future events. 

“The key word here is sustainability. We have too many white elephants,” he said. 

“We can be smarter in the way that we use existing facilities but at the same time still use major events to promote investment in sustainable new facilities that cities need. And if we can combine existing facilities in cities that will work together in partnership then I think that is a sustainable model.”

Paul Dunphy, Major Events Consultant for SportBusiness Intelligence and former Manager Event Prospecting and Bidding at Auckland Tourism Events & Economic Development said: “I think it is a long-term innovative approach. We had the Cricket World Cup in New Zealand and Australia recently and when you’re a small nation with minimal resources you need to be innovative. The [2015] Cricket World Cup was a great example of how multi-city, multi-national events are the future.”

Also under discussion was the critical question of how transport and security strategies contribute to the success of bidding for and hosting major events, including creating positive post-event legacies for cities. Malcolm Tarbitt, Executive Director – Safety and Security for the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), said: “Major sporting events are short-term initiatives that have major long-term impact and they pose a tremendous challenge to host nations in terms of their image, sovereignty and integrity.

“In the past few years the cost of hosting major sporting events has increased astoundingly, including cost of security strategies and operations plans. The threat landscape is ever changing, ever evolving and the responsibility on bidding nations and organising committees is becoming ever greater to determine, manage and defend their security plans and budgets. To mitigate this you need to involve security upfront, as early as possible and apply a holistic and integrated approach to planning.”

Other leading speakers across the two-day conference included: Sir Craig Reedie CBE, Vice President, International Olympic Committee; Louise Martin CBE, President, Commonwealth Games Federation; David Grevemberg CBE, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation; Brian Cookson OBE, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI); Sarah Lewis, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the Association of International Winter Sports Federations; Alexander Koch, Corporate Communications Manager for FIFA; Hidetoshi Fujisawa, Executive Director of Communication and Engagement, Tokyo 2020; Simon Clegg CBE, former COO, Baku 2015 European Games; and Ali Russell, Director of Media and Strategic Partnerships, Formula E.

After the hugely successful Host City 2015 event in Glasgow in November, the must-attend conference and exhibition for leaders in event hosting will return to the state-of-the-art Technology and Innovation Centre on 16 and 17 November 2016. 

At Host City 2016, cities, event owners and suppliers will exhibit alongside a truly outstanding conference programme in the heart of Glasgow.

As the largest conference and exhibition of cities and cross-sector events, Host City provides a much needed one-stop event where city representatives, destination marketers, event owners and suppliers can all meet. 

Host City 2015 was twice the size of the 2014 launch event in London and Host City 2016 is set to double again to reach 500 attendees from cities and destination marketing organisations, cross-sector rights holders and suppliers. 

Host City features world class speakers from IOC, CGF, FIFA, sports federations, BIE, EU Capital of Culture, major scientific congresses; city event leaders from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Japan, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, USA and many more.

The conference attracts delegates and exhibitors from cross sector rights holders, together with organising committees, city halls, national Olympic committees, Convention Bureaus and the suppliers that make city events possible. 

The event is firmly established as the optimal environment for cities, events owners and suppliers to network with and learn from peers in the business of bidding for and hosting cross-sector events, from mega sports events to live entertainment and congresses.

With a mix of panel discussions, keynote addresses and case studies on how to attract and host secure and engaging sports, business and cultural events. The conference highlights the issues and opportunities facing everyone in the business of city events.

Host City attracts the attention of global media, with coverage from Press Association, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, O Globo, Bloomberg, Associated Press, ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, Huffington Post, Yahoo, China Sports, Indian Express, Yomiuri Shimbun, Sports Illustrated, Washington Times, MSN, Eurosport, STV, Kyodo News, Sky News, audioBoom and many more. Media partners have included SportCal, Around the Rings, iSportConnect, fcbusiness, SportBusiness, Sports Features, SportsPro.

What attendees said about Host City 2015: 

“Thanks again for a conference that was interesting, inspiring, very very well organised and a good opportunity to meet some interesting people” – Alex Koch, Corporate Communications Manager, FIFA

“It was a good platform which is completely new to us; it’s very interesting to meet senior level associations, buyers, suppliers, all areas of the business” – Livio Götz, Market Manager UK & Ireland, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau

“An inspiring event” – Karel Bartak, Head of Culture, European Commission

“I was really impressed by the quality of the event – the speakers, the delegates, the topics and the venue” – Robert Datnow, Managing Director, The Sports Consultancy

“Great conference, well organised and a very good subject area” – Martin Fitchie, Programme Manager, European Sports Championships Management

“A great success” – Bridget McConnell, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life

“The speakers have all been good, the panels have been good and it’s explored a lot of different areas” Hamish Fraser, Group Director, NVT Group

“A good conference with interesting and motivating sessions” – Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor, Eurovision Song Contest, European Broadcast Union

“It was interesting to be here to promote the city of Bern as a host destination for major and small sports and cultural events” – Bernhard Rhyn, Bern Incoming Ltd.

“I found Host City to be very useful for audioBoom as a platinum sponsor for meeting a lot of people who we want to engage with in the sports and event industry” – Marc Webber, Head of Sport, audioBoom

“The quality of the speakers and the content was outstanding” – Mike Hopper, CEO, Advance Brand Consulting

Join the Host City movement

We look forward to welcoming you to Host City 2016, the EU’s leading meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, in Glasgow on 16th to 17th November.

For more information on Host City 2016, join the conversation on on Twitter using #HostCity and visit http://www.bidtowin-hostcity.net. For updates on Host City 2016 and much more, keep an eye on www.hostcity.com

HOST CITY 2015, which aims to become the biggest EU-based conference and exhibition for cities, cross sector event owners and event suppliers, is to take place in Glasgow on the 9th and 10th of November.

The first HOST CITY, held in London in 2014, brought world class speakers and delegates from IOC, FIFA, World Expo, MOBO, ITU (Triathlon), FIS (Skiing) and numerous cities. It was acclaimed as the optimal environment for cities and events owners to network with and learn from peers in the business of bidding for and hosting cross sector events.

HOST CITY 2015 will build on this unique dialogue between cities and rights holders of sporting, cultural and business events by creating a much larger platform.

A new platform for Cities, Event Owners and Suppliers to work together

Calls have been intensifying for a one-stop event where city representatives, destination marketers, event owners and suppliers can all meet.

HOST CITY 2015 addresses this need and Glasgow is the perfect destination for enabling the event to fulfil its ambition of becoming the largest conference and exhibition of cities and cross-sector events.

Matthew Astill, CEO of Cavendish Group, which owns HOST CITY, said: “In an increasingly competitive global market, a growing number of cities are hosting a wider range of events to attract a greater share of global trade, talent, tourism, and investment.

“HOST CITY 2015 provides the platform for cities, event owners and suppliers to work together to bid for and host the greatest range of events at any single gathering in the EU. We are especially delighted to commit to HOST CITY growing up in Glasgow over the next three to five years.”

Sir Craig Reedie, Vice President of the International Olympic Committee and keynote speaker at HOST CITY in 2014 said: “I am pleased to see that the HOST CITY 2015 will be coming to Glasgow, building a platform for the growing marketplace of cities staging many different types of events. I enjoyed speaking at the inaugural 2014 conference and I look forward to doing so again in Glasgow.” 

A top events destination

HOST CITY 2015 will take place at the University of Strathclyde’s new state-of-the-art Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) in the heart of Glasgow. 

Scott Taylor, chief executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau said: “We are delighted that HOST CITY 2015 will be held in Glasgow. 

“Cities need a forum where they can meet the owners of all kinds of events and plan their future hosting strategies. The market for sports, cultural and business events is growing at a rapid rate and we anticipate that HOST CITY will develop into a major conference and exhibition for cities and cross-platform events.

“Glasgow is one of the world’s top 10 sporting cities with a phenomenally diverse, annual cultural calendar and we’ve been named the UK’s Best Convention Bureau for the past nine years – a reputation that we’ve built through a strategy of attracting the best international events and conferences, continued investment in state-of-the-art facilities, the launch of a dedicated Major Events Charter and a powerful city brand.”

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said: “We are delighted HOST CITY 2015 is set to take place in Glasgow, this November. Scotland, and indeed Glasgow has a strong track record and international reputation as the perfect stage for major events and I have no doubt this prestigious event will once again place Scotland on the map as a pre-eminent destination for major cultural, business and sporting events.”

What's it about?

The conference and exhibition will focus on how cities and rights holders can work together to bid for and host sporting, cultural and business events. These range from mega events such as the Olympic Games and World Expos to major business, scientific and cultural events. 

HOST CITY 2015 is set to include VIP speakers from event owners: IOC, CGF, FIFA, sports federations, BIE, MTV, EU Capital of Culture, Rock in Rio, major scientific congresses; city event leaders from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Japan, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, USA and many more.

Speakers who have confirmed their intention to speak include: Dimitri Kerkentzes, Chief of Staff, Bureau International des Expositions (World Expos); Tessa Jowell, Former Secretary of State, Olympics, UK; Antonio Arimany Fernandez, Director General, International Triathlon Union; Louise Martin, Honorary Secretary, Commonwealth Games Federation; Alexander Koch, Corporate Communications Manager, FIFA.

Rights holders will announce plans for their events and share insights on bidding for and hosting their properties. Cities will share their experiences of building a portfolio of sports, business and cultural events that attract investment and benefit society. 

With a mix of panel discussions, keynote addresses and case studies focussed on mega events, transport, security, business and cultural events, HOST CITY 2015 highlights the issues and opportunities facing everyone in the business of city events.

Press coverage of HOST CITY Bid to Win 2014 included: The Telegraph, Daily Mail, O Globo, Bloomberg, Associated Press, ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, Huffington Post, Star Africa, Yahoo, China Sports, Indian Express, Yomiuri Shimbun, Sports Illustrated, Washington Times, Kyiv Post, La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Omnisports, MSN, beIN Sports, Eurosport, Fox Sports.

Media Partners for HOST CITY 2015 include Sportcal; SportsPro; Fcbusiness.co.uk; iSportConnect; Around The Rings and TheFootballStadiums.com.

Who Should Attend?

•City representatives, destination marketing organisations, national sports and event bureaus;

•Owners of all large-scale events and exhibitions (sports, business, science and culture);

•Suppliers of infrastructure, technology and services for events.

Cavendish Group looks forward to welcoming you to HOST CITY 2015 in Glasgow on the 9th and 10th of November, 2015.

For more information visit www.bidtowin-hostcity.net 

Book your place and discuss speaking, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities with Ben Avison at +44 (0) 7876 682072 or ben.avison@hostcity.net

Leading figures from the world of sport governance and major event ownership convened in Glasgow on Monday and Tuesday for the HOST CITY 2015 Exhibition and Conference.

Under this year’s theme of “Creative Innovation Connecting Sports, Business and Cultural Events”, Host City is the foremost EU-based meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events.

Heading up a list of world-class speakers, Sir Craig Reedie CBE, Vice President, International Olympic Committee (IOC), called for host cities of major sporting events to take their lead from the IOC’s Agenda 2020 reform, which has recently seen the Olympic organisation implement a process of positive change.

In his opening keynote address on creative innovation, Sir Craig Reedie CBE said: “The real innovation [of the Agenda 2020 bid process] is what we choose to call the invitation phase. The aim of this phase is to provide an ongoing dialogue with targeted information tailored to meet the city’s specific needs and their own long-term development plans. 

“Cities are assisted to better shape their value propositions, discussing proposals and potential solutions that deliver excellent gains without compromising the field of play for the athletes but also meeting the needs of the city and the region to ensure the Games leave a positive, long-term and sustainable legacy.

David Grevemberg CBE, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation and head of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, continued this theme on a panel that explored how events and cities can innovate to thrive, by explaining how fresh approaches can enable cities to activate their brands, economy and society.

“What we tried to do [with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games] was to make sure that every milestone we achieved resonated with accessibility and inclusivity for all,” said Grevemberg.

“That was a narrative that the entire partnership subscribed to and held each other accountable to. That approach was innovative in terms of its responsibility.

“The model we created, certainly for the city of Glasgow, will endure for some time - the innovation of creating a legacy conscious model and approach to delivering major events for a greater cause. How do we promote a more peaceful environment, how do we drive a more sustainable approach within cities and how do we help them prosper. If we can drive these things then we can stay relevant as a Federation and as an event.”

The conference also heard from the European Commission’s Head of Culture Karel Bartak, who provided cities bidding for the European Capital of Culture programme with an invaluable briefing, the organisers of some of Europe’s biggest business conventions including EuroScience and Jaarbeurs, and several city representatives.

Also speaking on day one on the topic of the changing face of sports organisations were influential heads of International Federations including  Brian Cookson, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI),   Sarah Lewis, Secretary General of the International Skiing Federation (FIS) and the Association of International Winter Sports Federations and Louise Martin CBE, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation and Chair of sportscotland

Brian Cookson, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), said “The practicalities of Agenda 2020 have hit us quite hard, as a sport we’ve been asked to accept some pretty radical changes for Tokyo 2020 for instance, perhaps more radical than any other sport, and that includes looking at moving our venues quite some distance from Tokyo. That’s a work in progress; we’re quite close to a solution on that.

“But I think if anything Agenda 2020 didn’t go far enough – I think we have to keep adapting to change. Change isn’t something that you do once and forget about it, you have to keep adapting, keep evolving and if you don’t, like the dinosaurs, you become extinct and we don’t want to do that.”

Delegates were also provided with an update on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games from Hidetoshi Fujisawa, Executive Director of Communication and Engagement, Tokyo 2020.

“It’s been a little more than two years since Tokyo was elected and the enthusiasm and passion for the games remains as clear as ever,” said Fujisawa. “The Tokyo 2020 organising committee has not wasted a second in preparing the delivery of the Games.

“Tokyo 2020’s vision is clear. We believe sport has the power to change the world and our future. The Tokyo 1964 Games completely transformed Japan and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as the most innovative in history, will bring positive reform to the world by building on three core concepts: achieving personal best, unity in diversity and connecting to tomorrow.”

Additional Host City 2015 conference highlights included a panel session on how events, brands and media organisations use creative marketing to maximise consumer engagement – featuring notable speakers including Simon Clegg CBE, former COO, Baku 2015 European Games and Ali Russell, Director of Media and Strategic Partnerships, Formula E.

Day one of the conference concluded with a panel debate on how to build public support as cities bid for and host major international events. The discussion was led by key voices in international sport, including Alexander Koch, Corporate Communications Manager for FIFA and Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, Visit Scotland.

Paul Bush, OBE, who was involved in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, called into question the decision to rely on referendums to gauge public support:

“I’m not a great fan of public votes around major events, I often think they can get hijacked politically so you have to be quite cautionary about how you engage with the public.

“I do think you have to engage, we did some interesting awareness polls around the 2014 [Commonwealth] Games but in terms of actually having referendums, I’m talking about the Boston [2024] situation or the Hamburg [2024] situation, I think you’ve got to be really careful because you won’t always get the result that you’re looking for.” 

Host City 2015 is the leading EU-based meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events. Under the theme of “Creative Innovation Connecting Cities with Sports, Business and Culture Events” the conference attracted more than 200 of the world’s leading cities, rights holders and suppliers.

For further information on the panel sessions and other top class speakers for Host City 2015, please visit: http://www.bidtowin-hostcity.net

All the Host City 2015 conference keynote addresses and plenary session content be streamed at http://www.bidtowin-hostcity.net/conference-content/audio - provided by sound-sharing platform audioBoom.

HOST CITY 2015 Conference and Exhibition continues to attract top experts and key decision makers to speak at its event with Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg, Baku 2015 European Games Chief Operating Officer Simon Clegg CBE and Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events for VisitScotland, the latest big names to join the lineup. 

In only its second year HOST CITY, which this year will take place at the Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow on 9 – 10 November, is set to bring together cities, rights holders, event owners and suppliers to explore the challenges and benefits of bidding for major global events. 

Under the theme “Creative Innovation Connecting Cities with Sports, Business and Culture Events”, David Grevemberg, Simon Clegg and Paul Bush will join other influential stakeholders such as Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Mike Lee OBE, Chairman, Vero Communications, and one of the world’s leading sports architects, Christopher Lee, Senior Principal at Populous to examine issues concerning the bidding for and hosting of large-scale, multi-sport and cultural events. 

Other notable names already announced include:

- Sir Craig Reedie, CBE, Vice-President, International Olympic Committee;

- Louise Martin CBE, President, Commonwealth Games Federation;

- Marisol Casado, IOC Member and President, International Triathlon Union;

- Dimitri Kerkentzes, Chief of Staff, Bureau International des Expositions (World Expos);

- Mário Andrada, Director of Communications, Rio 2016;

David Grevemberg, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Federation, who attended the inaugural HOST CITY event in 2014, said:

“I found HOST CITY: Bid to Win enlightening. The calibre of people that attended and spoke was excellent; it was excellent to meet so many experts with a shared perspective and passion and belief that the hosting of major events is a force for good.”

Matthew Astill, Chief Executive of Cavendish Group, owner of HOST CITY 2015, said: “In an increasingly competitive and highly scrutinised global market, cities are hosting a wider range of events to attract a greater share of global trade and investment from mega events such as the Olympic Games and World Expos to major business, scientific and cultural events. 

“HOST CITY 2015 aims to provide the platform for them to work together to attract, build and host the greatest events in the world, which is why we are delighted to be able to announce speakers of such a high standing in the world of major event hosting. We look forward to the expert insight and unique perspective they will add to the debate.”

HOST CITY 2015

Host City 2015 is the leading EU-based meeting of Cities and Sports, Business and Cultural Events. Under the theme of “Creative Innovation connecting Cities with Sports, Business and Culture Events” the conference is attracting the world’s leading cities, rights holders and suppliers.

Topics to be covered include:

• How Events and Cities Innovate to Thrive

• The Changing Face of Sports Governance

• Creative Marketing through Events, Brands and Media

• Tokyo 2020: Olympic and Paralympic Games Update

• Live Entertainment in the City

• The Strategic Influence of Business Events

• The Power of People: Engaging Citizens in Events

• Multi-City Events: Solution to the Sustainability Problem

• Transport and Security Strategies for Long Term Gains

• Innovations in Event Infrastructure

For further information on the panel sessions and other top class speakers confirmed for Host City 2015, please visit: http://www.bidtowin-hostcity.net

Join the conversation on social media by using the #HostCity2015 hashtag.

Attending HOST CITY 2015 in Glasgow on 9th and 10th of November is an attractive opportunity for cities to get ahead in the competitive international market of hosting major events, according to keynote speaker Sir Craig Reedie, IOC Vice President.

“From my point of view of being involved in HOST CITY 2015, I am delighted that the event is coming to Glasgow, because Glasgow has shown that it is a sporting city with the way it has developed its facilities, the way it ran a major multi-sport event, the Commonwealth Games in 2014, and what it’s been doing since then – not least a couple of hugely successful Davis Cup tennis ties,” said Sir Craig Reedie.

“So if you look at the excitement that generates locally, and the promotion that it gives the city on a worldwide basis, then I think this indicates that the market out there is a buoyant one.

“Cities should be very well prepared to become involved and therefore they should be thinking ahead; they should be innovative – and with a bit of luck they will reap the benefits that Glasgow has.”

Under the theme of “Creative Innovation Connecting Cities with Sports, Business and Culture Events”, HOST CITY 2015 is an opportunity to meet, influence and network with a unique collection of city leaders and cross-sector rights holders and gain intelligence on the challenges and benefits of event bidding and hosting.

Sir Craig Reedie was deeply engaged in the IOC’s own “Olympic Agenda 2020” process of creative innovation, one of the primary aims of which was to make bidding for the Olympic Games more appealing to cities.

“We came up with a coordinated and sensible view of how we wanted to run the Games but also to promote the Olympic movement for the future. 

“There were some fairly dramatic discussions on the bidding process of the Games. We wanted to make it more inclusive, we wanted to make it more cooperative, we wanted to make it cheaper, we wanted to make it encouraging to more cities to become involved. 

“In the process of bidding for sporting events, it’s a competitive field. The Olympic Games are the greatest show on earth; it’s important that they maintain this status. It’s important that the athletes regard them as the greatest show on earth and something they really want to take part in. 

“So therefore a process of change is a perfectly reasonable thing to undertake.”

More than 200 delegates have already confirmed their attendance at Host City 2015. Read the agenda and Register at www.bidtowin-hostcity.net to get involved and get ahead.

The Commonwealth Games Federation’s Chief Executive Officer, and former Chief Executive of Glasgow 2014 Ltd., David Grevemberg, has been appointed by Her Majesty The Queen as an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).

The announcement was made by the Commonwealth Games Federation on Monday morning, just before Grevemberg spoke on the opening panel discussion of Host City 2015 conference in Glasgow. 

The honour is conferred in recognition of services to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

In a statement issued on Monday morning – just before his arrival at Host City 2015 – Grevemberg said: “The XX Commonwealth Games were a defining moment for Glasgow, Scotland and the Commonwealth Games Movement. 

“Whilst it is incredibly humbling to be recognised for my contribution, the successes and impacts of the Games were only made possible by the hard work and support of our partners, participants, staff and citizens. 

“I would like to thank Her Majesty for this honour, and look forward to an inspiring, impactful future for the Commonwealth Games Movement, a powerful symbol of the flourishing, modern Commonwealth and its citizens”.

David Grevemberg CBE spoke on the opening panel discussion of Host City 2015 conference on the subject of “How Events and Cities Innovate to Thrive”.

Commonwealth Games Federation President, Louise Martin CBE also spoke at Host City 2015. 

“This special honour is testimony to the success and continued legacy of the Best Games Ever, as Glasgow and its people delivered one of the standout performances in Commonwealth sporting history,” she said in the CGF statement. 

“I congratulate David on this honour, as we reflect on many happy memories of the Games and move forward with our ambitious plans to deliver Transformation 2022 with our members and stakeholders”.

Born in 1972 in Louisiana, USA, David was a former wrestler, coach and administrator, before taking up post in 1999 as Executive Director of Sport and International Federation Relations at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), headquartered in Bonn, Germany. 

He moved to Scotland to lead the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee in 2009 and still lives near Glasgow with his family. He joined the Commonwealth Games Federation as Chief Executive in November 2014.

The honour is a recognition of the transformational power of Commonwealth sport and its recent positive impact on Glasgow.

Speaking about last year’s HOST CITY conference, Grevemberg said: “I found it enlightening. The calibre of people that attended and spoke was excellent; it was excellent to meet so many experts with a shared perspective and passion and belief that the hosting of major events is a force for good.” 

WADA president and IOC Vice President Sir Craig Reedie CBE on Wednesday asserted he is taking quick and strong action in response to evidence of widespread doping in athletics.

In an editorial published in the Independent, he said “There have been critics of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and critics of me, and first and foremost I don’t want people to think I’m too political or too soft.

“I can categorically state I have not been soft on Russia. It was me as president of WADA that agreed with several national anti-doping organisations to create an independent commission to look into the subject of doping in Russia, the results of which we saw in all its damning detail in Geneva on Monday.”

Speaking to press at Host City 2015 on Monday, Reedie said WADA was responding to calls to be tougher.

"I think the world will want us to be much stricter and aggressive in saying whether people are compliant or not.”

The independent report revealed that officials at a WADA accredited drug testing laboratory in Moscow destroyed 1,417 samples and accepted bribes to cover up positive tests. 

“It’s quite clear that that was organised between a laboratory, a national anti-doping association, almost certainly a national athletics association – three different organisations combining to beat the system.”

WADA reacted immediately by provisionally suspending the laboratory’s accreditation.

"We have responsibility for the Russian anti-doping agency and its state of compliance – quite clearly it is not compliant at the moment – we can deal with that.

“As far as the national athletics federation in Russia is concerned, that is the responsibility of the IAAF and their responsibility under the code is to make sure that the national federations are code-compliant. We will clearly work with the IAAF as closely as they want us to and as we are able to resolve this issue.”

Asked by press at Host City 2015 whether the IAAF leadership was able to handle the crisis, he said “I think the allegations of people at the top end of the IAAF are intensely regrettable. They have done the sport in my view great damage. 

“This is a newly elected council, a new president. And yes I think the new leadership can do it. It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to involve a great deal of effort, but we will help them as best we can.”

Responding to a question from Host City magazine about whether athletes are in some cases victims, he said: “My experience is that very few drug cheats do it themselves; they almost always have somebody else. So I am very happy with the principle that we deal with the athlete’s entourage; the rules also say that we deal with the athlete. 

“But I agree with you; if you coaches and people who are administering drugs to athletes then they are in many ways more guilty than the athletes themselves.” 

Reedie told Host City how WADA has become stronger under his leadership. 

“We greatly strengthened the new 2015 code by specifically targeting the athletes’ entourage. Secondly we created an offence called ‘prohibited association’, so if an athlete is associating with a known member of the entourage who has been convicted of a doping offence then the athlete shouldn’t be there. 

“We have produced a list and that’s now current. If any of the officials mentioned in the Pound report are sanctioned they will immediately be put on that list.”

The next phase of the WADA-commissioned report will investigate allegations beyond Russia. 

“Is there a sense that things could get worse before they get better? Quite possibly. We still await further revelations from the commission and, because of its independence, I genuinely have no idea what those revelations will be,” Reedie wrote in the Independent. 

“At the end of the day, I think good will come out of evil," he told press at Host City 2015.

HOST CITY has launched “HOST CITY 2015: The Largest Meeting of Cities and Sports, Business and Cultural Events” – a major conference and exhibition to take place on 9 and 10 November 2015. 

With 100 per cent attendee satisfaction, HOST CITY: Bid to Win in 2014 was acclaimed as the optimal setting to network with and learn from peers in the business of hosting major events. 

The HOST CITY 2015 Bid to Win ConfEx will again create a unique dialogue between cities and rights holders of sporting, cultural and business events, on a bigger scale than ever before. 

The 2015 conference will focus on how cities and rights holders can work together to deliver successful, safe and sustainable sporting, cultural and business events. These range from mega events such as the Olympic Games and World Expos to major business, scientific and cultural events. 

HOST CITY 2015 is set to include VIP speakers from event owners: IOC, CGF, FIFA, sports federations, BIE, MTV, EU Capital of Culture, Rock in Rio, major scientific congresses; city event leaders from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Japan, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, USA and many more.

In an increasingly competitive global market, cities are hosting a wider range of events to attract a greater share of global trade and investment. HOST CITY 2015 provides the platform for them to work together to attract, build and host the greatest events in the world. 

Rights holders will announce plans for their events and share insights on bidding for and hosting their properties. Cities will share their experiences of building a portfolio of sports, business and cultural events that attract investment and benefit society. 

With a mix of panel discussions, keynote addresses and case studies focussed on mega events, transport, security, business and cultural events, HOST CITY 2015 highlights the issues and opportunities facing everyone in the business of city events.

Press coverage of HOST CITY Bid to Win 2014 included: The Telegraph, Daily Mail, O Globo, Bloomberg, Associated Press, ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, Huffington Post, Star Africa, Yahoo, China Sports, Indian Express, Yomiuri Shimbun, Sports Illustrated, Washington Times, Kyiv Post, La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Omnisports, MSN, beIN Sports, Eurosport, Fox Sports, with media partners SportCal, Around the Rings, iSportConnect and widespread social media coverage on #HostCity.

“We were very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Bid to Win and very proud to present the HOST CITY 2015 Bid to Win ConfEx,” said event chairman and editorial director Ben Avison.

“The world’s most highly regarded speakers will cover all aspects of bidding for and hosting major events.

“We look forward to welcoming you to HOST CITY 2015: Bid to Win, The Largest Meeting of Cities and Sports, Business and Cultural Events on 27-28 October.”

To download the latest agenda visit www.bidtowin-hostcity.net

Book your place and discuss sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities with Adam Soroka on +44 (0) 203 077 8732 or adam.soroka@bric.com