Minsk, the host of European Youth Olympic Festival 2019 (EYOF 2019), has been selected to host the congress of the European Union of Sports Press on 11-13 September, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus informed national news agency BeITA.

The gathering of European sports journalists coincides with the Race of Legends biathlon festival and Minsk International Marathon and will be an opportunity for Belarus to showcase its credentials for hosting major sports events. 

Delegates will be shown around the Minsk Arena and the National Olympic Centres in Ratomka and Raubichi.

A seminar at the NOC headquarters will include presentations about the European Youth Olympic Festival 2019 in Minsk and other sports events Belarus will host in 2015 and 2016, plus a forum to discuss mass radio broadcasting rights in Europe, the according to BeITA.

The seminar for mass media will be organised by the NOC of Belarus, the European Olympic Committees, the Sport and Tourism Ministry of Belarus and the Belarusian Association of Sports Press.

The Minsk won the hosting rights after the European Union of Sports Press wrote to the Belarusian Association of Sports Press proposing that Belarus city host the event. The proposal was backed by the Belarus NOC and approved by the European Olympic Committees.

The event forms part of the Olympic Solidarity programme, one of the IOC’s programmes of redistributing NOC’s shares of broadcasting rights from the Olympic Games. 

Attending as guests of honour will be President of the European Fair Play Movement Christian Hinterberger, Vice President of the European Taekwondo Union Igor Iuzefovici, Vice President of the European University Sports Association Leonz Eder.

The President of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Gianni Merlo (Italy), AIPS Europe President Yannis Daras (Greece), and AIPS Europe Secretary General Charles Camenzuli (Malta), heads and secretaries general of the national associations and observers and correspondents will attend.

Representatives from Austria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Serbia, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Sweden are expected to attend.

To say that hosting a World or International Expo is a major undertaking would be an understatement of the biggest order. 

“Whether we are talking about an International Expo or a World Expo, these are three to six month events. They are not the three weeks of the Olympic Games or the four weeks of the World Cup,” Dimitri Kerkentzes, chief of staff at the International Expositions Bureau (BIE) told HOST CITY.

The World Expo Milan 2015, which is running from 1 May through to the end of October, covers a site of 100 hectares with 145 countries participating.

Exhibiting nations install themselves on an Expo site up to a year in advance to build their pavilions, which can take up to a year after the Expo to dismantle.

“Even in the case of a smaller International Expo, we are talking about hosting people for a minimum of six to eight months. So this is quite a feat.”

Emerging destinations

Undeterred by the scale of the project, cities from all over the world continue to vie for the hosting rights. The Kazakh capital Astana is hosting the 2017 International Expo, for which the Belgian city of Liege also applied. 

Hosting an event on this scale is a rare opportunity to reaching the global public.

“Whatever the major event is, whether it be cultural or sporting, it’s for them an opening up to the world.

“It’s the president’s point of view that Kazakhstan should be one of the world’s top 30 developed countries within the coming years. And this is an opportunity for them to show what they can accomplish and what they have accomplished.

“You’ve seen a lot of developing countries deciding that they want to invite the world to be present in their cities and it’s one of the best ways for them to achieve this.”

Dubai won the right to host the 2020 World Expo, rising above competition from Izmir in Turkey, Yekaterinburg in Russia and Sao Paulo in Brazil. 

Already an international city renowned for as a hub for business, Dubai sees the World Expo as an opportunity to project a new image to the world.

“They are a very particular case where a country, which is basically a desert country, has to be able to deal with modern infrastructure and living requirements – and this is one of the key points where they are trying to brand themselves with the Expo; it’s how not only are they a hub, but they are a sustainable hub.”

Dubai is aiming to attract at least 20 million visitors in 2020 but, says Kerkentzes, achieving this will requires about 70 per cent of visitors to come from overseas.

By way of contrast, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai attracted 73 million visitors in six months, just seven to eight per cent of whom were overseas visitors. 

“The true meaning of an Expo is that the messages and the education is for the global public, not limited to one subsection of global citizens.

“And then you have to be realistic – there are certain Expos where you may have more foreign visitors than you do locals.”

Astana has less than a million inhabitants in a country with a population of around 18 million. “What we expect to see there is – apart from the usual Expo lovers that travel from all over the world – citizens of Kazakhstan and also the neighbouring countries.”

Who’s bidding for Expo 2025?

Milan is on course to hit its target of 20 million visitors and the event is attracting other global cities to bid for future Expos, Kerkentzes says.

“Proof of the fact that the World Expo is useful even in an economic powerhouse of a city like Milan is the fact that for 2025 we already have interest from Paris, from London, from Rotterdam, from Osaka and Johannesburg – so it shows that the case that Milan has been looked at by major European and world cities and they want to perhaps try and do the same themselves in 2025.”

The UK government has said that it will bid but has not yet said which city it will put forward to bid in 2016. The BIE has been contacted by several UK cities.

“The UK showed how good an Olympic Games could be for a city. London is one of the most famous capitals in the world, so why not try and brand other UK cities as well and use an Expo to do it? It’s very logical and it’s something the government will have to take into close consideration and make a final decision on next year.”

Similarly, other cities in France are interested in getting involved in an Expo bid. “It would have to be the government that would decide which would be the bidding cities.”

US cities such as Houston and Silicon Valley have also expressed an interest in hosting an Expo, but as the national government has not paid its BIE membership since 2001 it would need to be successfully lobbied before any bid could be lodged. 

“There is a very strong pressure from Minnesota to bid for Expo 2023 and they are working on trying to get the government to re-join the BIE,” says Kerkentzes.

The Canadian government also withdrew from the BIE in 2012. “Canada hosted many Expos in the past and has always participated in Expos. I know that there is very keen interest from the new Mayor to maybe bid for 2025, but he has to work on the internal politics on bringing Canada back.” 

The cities expressing an interest in hosting the 2025 World Expo are largely developed, western world cities.

“If you were to receive only developing cities or developing countries, people could criticise, saying Expos are no longer for developed countries and global cities like New York, London and Paris. There are always improvements that can be made in a city and I think an Expo can always help in that.”

Cities can submit a bid for a world Expo nine years before the proposed opening date of the next Expo. The BIE expects bids for 2025 to start arriving in the first and second quarter of 2016, with the voting for the event set to take place either at the end of 2017 or mid-2018. 

The bids will be judged on a number of criteria – not just the theme. 

“From the BIE, to ensure that Expos remain very high value for the candidates and the hosts, we have to make sure that there are positive impacts from all sides. 

“Theme is of course primordial in an Expo; it has to be something of global interest, but we have to make sure all the other points are properly looked at and taken care of.”

“The location is key as well, to make sure that people can get there, that it’s an interesting place to visit and that it can attract tourism that it requires.”

But just as the International Olympic Committee has increased its emphasis on the sustainability and legacy benefit of hosting the Games through its Agenda 2020 programme of reform, the BIE places great emphasis on how hosting an Expo can boost a city’s development plans.

“We have to make sure that the Expo can be of benefit to the host city, that it can help with its branding, it can help with its development – and that what will be left behind after the Expo will be of use to the city and to its citizens.

“I think it’s important to remember that the infrastructure that’s built around these events is not purely for the event itself; it’s infrastructure that's already foreseen in the development of the city and the country. And whether it’s an Expo, an Olympics or the World Cup, this is just a catalyst to get it done quicker. 

“Lessons have been learned. All the organisations responsible for these different mega events are putting them into action now and making sure that, no matter which type of event a city goes for, it will be of benefit to the world but also to the country and the city that’s hosting it.”

With this in mind, the potential rewards of hosting an Expo are great, Kerkentzes says.

“Usually you see from reports after an Expo that the participating countries found the investment has been well spent; that the amount of communication and branding for their own country abroad has helped growth in tourism and in sales.”

Dimitri Kerkentzes is to speak at HOST CITY 2015 on 9th and 10th November on the subject of “How Cities and Events Innovate to Thrive”. 

The Organising Committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games revealed the design of the Games emblem today.

The unveiling coincided with the five year countdown until the Games, and comes just days after Zaha Hadid’s ambitious design for the national stadium was rejected. 

Based on the letter ‘T’, said to be inspired by the words ‘Tokyo’, ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Team’, the emblem was designed by award-winning Japanese designer Kenjiro Sano.

British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid’s futurist national stadium design, which formed part of the bid for the Games and which was due for completion ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was finally rejected last week amid growing concerns over the cost of building the stadium. 

"If the decision was made to save money, it should go right in line with the IOC's Agenda 2020," Tokyo 2020 President Mori said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Mori today called for stakeholders to unite under the new emblem. 

“The Tokyo 2020 Games emblem is a wonderful work of art that represents the aspirations and the ultimate goal that athletes around the world aim to achieve – taking part in the Olympic Games,” he said.

“The emblem is also a symbol behind which the whole of Japan can unite as a single integrated body and join the collective endeavours of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the national government, the Japanese Olympic Committee, the Japanese business community, as well as the Games volunteers and everyone who is assisting with the preparations for the 2020 Games. 

“Let us all unite our efforts under the new Games emblems and work together as one to ensure the realisation of a truly inspirational Olympic Games in 2020.”

IOC Vice President Coates, who is leading the IOC Coordination Commission that monitors Games progress, said “I congratulate the Tokyo 2020 team on their work and believe that this emblem will have an important influence on the future of Olympic design.”

Generations For Peace and Orange Jordan on Tuesday announced a new phase in their partnership, which will benefit Generations For Peace programmes in schools and community centres across Jordan. 

Under the new partnership, Orange Jordan will provide direct and in-kind support for the Jordan Schools Programme, which addresses violence in schools, and the Social Cohesion Programme, which builds “conflict transformation skills” at community level.

Orange Jordan will also continue to support the telecommunications needs of GFP’s Amman-based headquarters.

“Both Orange Jordan and Generations For Peace share the same goal: to change lives by connecting people and improving communications,” said HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, founder and chairman of Generations For Peace.

“This is at the heart of Orange Jordan’s service offering to businesses and communities; it is also at the heart of GFP’s work to transform conflict and reduce violence through dialogue in communities around the world. 

“We are proud to call Orange Jordan our exclusive telecoms partner for our programmes in Jordan.”

The “in-kind” support includes marketing activities. The two organisations will work together to awareness and support amongst Orange Jordan customers for Generations For Peace programmes. 

Programme participants will have opportunities to engage in Orange Foundation vocational skills training, while Orange Jordan employees will also be able to participate in Generations For Peace-led volunteer activities in communities. 

The new agreement builds on the successful partnership between Generations For Peace and Orange Jordan which started in 2012.

“We are thrilled to be able to extend our partnership with Generations For Peace, and demonstrate our commitment to improving local communities in Jordan,” said Jean-Francois Thomas, Group CEO of Orange Jordan.

“GFP’s mission aligns directly with our corporate social responsibility to serve our customers and their wider communities.”

The Olympic rings have been a constant presence at each Games since 1920. But while they provide a symbolic continuity from one Games to the next, each edition also features its own distinctive identity – from the modern and youthful vibe of London 2012 to the patchwork quilt of Sochi 2014 – which provides an eye-catching backdrop to the sporting action and adds to the visual spectacle of the Games.

The task of creating this unique Look of the Games – which is seen everywhere from signposts and souvenirs to venues and volunteers’ uniforms – falls to the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs), which seek to produce a visual identity that is built upon the foundation of the Olympic rings, while also incorporating designs and colours that reflect the culture and history of the host city.

For Alison Gardiner, who was the Vice President of Brand and Creative Services at the Vancouver 2010Organising Committee, it was important to have the rings as a strong starting point for this huge task. 

“The Vancouver 2010 brand strategy drew from the Olympic brand as well as Canada’s, and this combination provided the foundation for everything we did,” she explains. “Our goal was to ensure there was one integrated, powerful experience that was unique to our country and our time, and could also engage and inspire as many people as possible.”

However, building a visual identity around a globally recognised symbol, which already has so many values and meanings attached to it, can also present challenges for OCOGs. 

“We couldn’t get away from the fact that as soon as we put the rings on something, there was immediately an association with something great and powerful and a standard of Olympic excellence that we had to live up to,” says Gardiner. 

“But the Olympic brand is also incredibly inspiring to work with because of what it stands for – just the symbol on its own, everyone on the planet recognises it and associates it with excellence and bringing people together in celebration.”

According to Beth Lula, Branding Director at the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, another of the challenges for Games organisers is building a visual identity that is representative of the host city and nation, as well as the values inherent within the rings. 

“It’s important for engagement,” Lula says. “If you have something that people can recognise and understand, they can feel that it represents them and their nation and they can feel proud of it. When we were developing our brand, we were looking for universal symbols – that’s why we have people embracing as our Games emblem. It’s a global symbol. We want people throughout the country to recognise themselves and feel proud of our designs.”

While the Olympic rings provide a globally recognised symbol for OCOGs to draw on, Lula also believes that each edition of the Games adds something special to the Olympic brand as a whole. 

“Every time that the Olympic Games go to another culture, they absorb some aspects of that culture and that’s what really makes the Olympic brand global,” she says. 

“The Games have never been to South America, so we said throughout our bid process that we would be new territory for the Olympic Games. We have a unique way of celebrating things, we love sport and we are a passionate people with a lot of energy. I think that is going to be something very special that we are going to add to the Olympic brand.”

Lula hopes that what her team is creating for Rio 2016 will live on long after the Games through the rings themselves. “When we return the Olympic rings to the IOC after the Games, they have to be even more valuable than they were before,” she says. “That’s our mission.”

This article was written by and reproduced with kind permission from the International Olympic Committee. For more information visit www.olympic.org

The Sports Consultancy’s ability to offer commercial services to rights holders has been boosted significantly with the appointment of key figure in Glasgow 2014’s sponsorship programme.

Marc Hope has spent the last four years with Sports Marketing and Management, where he was embedded in the Organising Committee of Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games playing a pivotal role on the successful achievement of almost 50 sponsors across three tiers. 

He will lead on a significant investment into The Sports Consultancy’s rights marketing business, offering commercial services to rights holder and event clients. 

“Rights marketing is a core part of our DNA, it’s where we originated and it will build and augment our strong commercial focus as well as add depth to our commercial and strategic consulting services to government and venue clients,” said co-managing director Angus Buchanan.

“In Marc we have found someone who shares our vision and with whom we can work with to build a prominent rights marketing practice. The results he has achieved in his career to date, most recently in his role selling commercial rights for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, firmly establishes Marc as one of the leading practitioners in the industry.”

Before working on Glasgow 2014, Marc spent a decade with Fasttrack, which later became part of CSM, where he led the rights marketing team over a range of Olympic sports and major international events headed by UK Athletics. 

Marc landed the multi-year title sponsorship deals for the London Youth Games (LYG), for which he remains vice chairman. He also served as a non-executive board director of GB Taekwondo during their London Olympic cycle 2010-2013, which saw the sport achieve Olympic gold.

Marc will be working closely with Buchanan and his co-founder Robert Datnow in developing the rights marketing practice. 

“I have followed with great interest how Angus and Robert have developed The Sports Consultancy into one of the leading consultancies operating in the sports industry today,” said Hope. 

“It is a privilege to join their innovative team and to have the opportunity to build a new rights marketing division harnessing the company’s reputation and contacts along with its existing in-house commercial and legal experience.”

Further appointments of senior brand consultants and rights sales specialists are expected to follow.

[Source: Beijing2022] Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China and BOCOG Executive President Gou Zhongwen jointly unveiled Bing Dwen Dwen(冰墩墩), the official mascot for the Olympic Winter Games, along with Chinese short track speed skater Wu Dajing and local school student Zhang Jiman.

The jovial panda mascot is an ambassador for winter sports. Bing (冰) is the Chinese character for ice, while Dwen Dwen (墩墩) is a common nickname in China for children that implies healthiness, cuteness, and ingenuousness – characteristics also shared with pandas.

Clothed in a full body suit of ice, a symbol of purity and strength, Bing Dwen Dwen wants to emulate the physical and mental power of Olympians, and to help spread the enduring Olympic spirit. The heart shape in its left palm represents the host country’s hospitality, and the mascot is expected to connect and bring joy to people participating and watching the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 from all over the world.

The coloured halo surrounding its face is suggestive of ice and snow tracks, as well as the flowing “ribbons” on the exterior of the National Speed Skating Oval, one of two new competition venues in the Beijing zone that is expected to become a landmark of the Games.

The dynamic lines of the halo also embody the increased connectivity in the era of 5G communications. Resembling an astronaut, Bing Dwen Dwen stands for Beijing 2022’s embrace of new technologies that will bring about a future with infinite possibilities.

Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and BOCOG President Cai Qi, Governor of Hebei Province and BOCOG Executive President Xu Qin, Chairperson of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation and BOCOG Executive President Zhang Haidi, together with Chinese wheelchair curler Chen Jianxin and local student Wang Ruoyu, introduced Shuey Rhon Rhon to the audience as the official mascot for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

Shuey Rhon Rhon (雪容融) is a Chinese lantern child ready to welcome friends from around the world for a big party. Exuding positivity, the glow emanating from its heart symbolises the inspiring warmth, friendship, courage, and perseverance of Para athletes that light up the dreams of millions every day.

The Chinese lantern is a millennia-old cultural symbol associated with harvest, celebration, prosperity, and brightness. Red is the most auspicious and festive colour in the country, and is all the more fitting given that the Games will coincide with Chinese New Year celebrations in February and March 2022.

The overall design on Shuey Rhon Rhon draws from traditional Chinese papercut art and Ruyi ornaments, and features doves, Beijing’s iconic Temple of Heaven, and snow to symbolise peace, friendship, and good fortune.

Shuey has the same pronunciation as 雪, the Chinese character for snow. The first Rhon (容) in the mascot’s Chinese name means “to include, to tolerate”, while the second Rhon (融) means “to melt, to fuse” and “warm”. The name expresses the hope that there would be more inclusion for people with impairments, and more dialogue and understanding between cultures of the world.

Goodwill ambassadors to welcome the world

Commenting on the new mascots, Chen Jining, Mayor of Beijing and BOCOG Executive President, expressed his hope that the two joyful mascots, unveiled days before the 70th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, would serve as goodwill ambassadors of the Games and send their best wishes to people in all countries.

“The mascots carry the enthusiasm of 1.3 billion Chinese people towards Beijing 2022 and extend our warm invitation to friends throughout the world,” Chen said.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach attended the ceremony and expected the launch of the Olympic mascot to generate even more interest in Beijing 2022, especially among young people.

“The mascot incorporates the best elements and characteristics of China and the Chinese people. What I can say already now is that it will be a wonderful ambassador for China and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022,” Bach said.

In a recorded video message, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons said: “The Paralympic mascot Shuey Rhon Rhon will become the face of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games lighting up the lives of billions around the world who will watch in awe as Para athletes inspire and excite the world.”

Young ice hockey players and figure skaters performed on the ice before the launch of the mascots, while Chinese pop stars and children dressed as pandas and in festive red outfits sang, drummed, and danced for a happy crowd that welcomed Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon with loud cheers and applauses.

Para Ice Hockey players and members of the Paralympic gold-winning Chinese wheelchair curling team also joined dancers from the China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe to perform for the audience.

The unveiling of the mascots marks the culmination of a journey that began in August 2018, when BOCOG launched a global design competition for the mascots.

A total of 5,816 submissions were received from 35 countries, and were reviewed by Chinese and international experts in a comprehensive evaluation and selection process. The final Olympic and Paralympic mascots chosen were designed by teams from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and Jilin University of Arts, respectively.

From 2008 to 2022: advancing a legacy

With a vision of “Joyful Rendezvous upon Pure Ice and Snow,” Beijing 2022 is building on the legacies of the landmark Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games and aims to encourage millions of people across China to embrace winter sports.

The two new mascots will serve as spirited symbols of the Games that will take place in the three zones of central Beijing, the capital’s suburban district of Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou in nearby Hebei province.

Beijing 2022 is committed to the mission of delivering truly green and sustainable Games, which will integrate with and boost the region’s long-term economic transformation.

In a ground-breaking move, Beijing 2022’s speed skating venue, figure skating and short track venue as well as ice hockey training venues will use natural CO2 refrigerants in their ice-making systems. Other venues will use refrigerants with a low Global Warming Potential.

Of the 13 competition and non-competition venues in the Beijing zone, 11 will use legacies from Beijing 2008. Solid post-Games utilization plans have also been made for mountain venues in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, which has already become one of the most popular skiing destinations in China.

The Shougang Ice Hockey Arena where the mascot launch ceremony was held is a special and brand-new venue renovated from an old industrial facility. Shougang is one of the largest steel factories in China and shut down production in its Beijing plant before the 2008 Olympic Games for environmental reasons.

Shougang Industrial Park in the west of the city now houses BOCOG’s headquarters and is rapidly transforming into an avant-garde space filled with office buildings, museums, sports venues, and recreational facilities. Beijing 2022’s Snowboard and Freestyle Skiing Big Air venue is also being built in the park, next to a lake and four cooling towers.

The launch of the mascots marks another important step forward for Games preparations, which have been picking up speed in all areas. The first test event, the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, will take place in Yanqing in February 2020.

When the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) was formed on August 3, 1948, the majority of events at the Summer Olympic Games were taking place some 50 kilometres away in London.

At the time, a meeting of 15 national pentathlon federations at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst may not have seemed like the epicentre of the action, but the decision taken by that group sowed the seeds of a sporting organism that has been growing and flourishing ever since.

Today, after 70 years of heritage and innovation, the UIPM movement is in many ways unrecognisable from those early beginnings.

Today it is a sprawling sporting organisation with nearly 120 member federations, a 106-year-old core Olympic sport (Modern Pentathlon), five other multi-discipline UIPM Sports and a new urban phenomenon that is rapidly spreading across the cities in all six of the world’s populated continents.

That phenomenon is the UIPM Global Laser-Run City Tour (GLRCT), a concept that delivers an exciting, dynamic and fun competition to participants of all ages and offers them an entry point to UIPM Sports. Who knows, maybe some of the young athletes enjoying the unique combination of running and laser shooting might even become pentathletes one day and reach the Olympic Games.

The GLRCT took place in parks, stadiums and iconic urban venues in 60 cities around the world in 2017. It is currently in the process of visiting about 100 cities throughout 2018.

Laser-Run is the newest sport on the UIPM pyramid. It was conceived as a development sport, aimed at growing participation numbers in the core Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon, but its simplicity, popularity and marketability have seen it grow an identify of its own.

The growth of that brand has coincided with the evolution of UIPM’s wider visual identity, which aims to communicate the historic pentathlon family values aligned to the dynamic future of UIPM Sports.

A branding review in 2017 led to the creation of two new logos, one for institutional and internal use and the other for external promotional use. The new institutional logo features two original colours that represent the pentathlon environment: yellow (symbolizing dynamic development) and blue (standing for longevity and power). Gender equality is also reflected with the addition of two female pictograms.

Martin Dawe, UIPM Executive Board Member for Marketing, said: “The purpose of this branding review is to make sure our logos are more up to date. It is not a completely new logo but more of an evolution, and it’s about making it more applicable for today’s audience.”

UIPM has planned a series of events and commemorations in celebration of its 70th anniversary, culminating with a special edition of the UIPM Congress in November in Limassol, Cyprus, which will feature a gala dinner with VIP guests from across the Olympic movement.

The role played by those 15 federation delegates in England in 1948 will be fully acknowledged, as well as the work of the many people who have contributed across the past seven decades to the realisation of a dream.

This article first appeared in the Summer issue of Host City magazine. Read the full magazine here

Yutang Sports is partnered with Host City to support Asia’s largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events.

Under the theme of “Attracting New Audiences through Sports and Entertainment”, Host City Asia will bring together international event owners with Asian host cities, brands and investors at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel in Beijing on 31 May.

High level speakers include senior representatives (presidents, CEOs, secretary generals, directors and experts) of organising committees, sports federations, entertainment events, cities and corporates.

As Media Partner, Yutang Sports will be providing editorial coverage, in addition to wider marketing and sales support.

About Host City

Host City was first launched as a magazine in Beijing in 2003 for the organisers of the Olympic 2008 Games. Since then it has hosted four rapidly growing international conferences in the UK serving the international community of event owners, hosts, organisers and suppliers.

Host City is delighted to return to Beijing for Host City Asia with the participation of the Beijing Olympic City Development and the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Phone +44 7876 682072 or visit www.hostcity.com

About Yutang Sports

Yutang Sports is a sports market intelligence and sports marketing company consisting of a sports industry media outlet and sports sponsorship agency. It provides editorial content, market analysis and sports marketing business services such as consultancy and sponsorship sales.

The media outlet provides the most up-to-date sports business news, media analysis and exclusive data reports on the Chinese sports industry in both Chinese and English languages. With millions of views in China per year, the company is considered one of the most important sports industry media outlets in China, one that provides regular services to corporate clients.

Yutang's sports sponsorship agency helps international and domestic sports rights holders/events to partner with Chinese brands. The company has successfully facilitated partnerships between many sports events and Chinese brands such as Stankovic Continental Cup and Sunshine Insurance Group, Snooker players & K-boxing, Beijing Half Marathon and Rarone, driving development for both sports and sponsors.

Phone: +86 10 6715 0501 ext. 808 or visit http://en.ytsports.cn