SportAccord Convention has signed Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority as a Bronze Partner for this year’s World Sport & Business Summit, taking place from 19-24 April 2015, at the Sochi Expocentre, Sochi, Russia.

“Ahead of the 2019 World Athletics Championship and the FIFA World Cup 2022, business opportunities are thriving across sports-related industries in Qatar, ” said Martin Tidestrom, business development director, Qatar Financial Centre Authority.

“The SportAccord Convention will allow us to engage first-hand with industry leaders, key policymakers, and service and technology suppliers looking to establish a presence in Qatar.” 

The QFC Authority is an on-shore business and financial centre located in Doha and has been instrumental in helping to develop the private sector in Qatar.

“The SportAccord Convention provides a unique opportunity for the Qatar Financial Centre Authority to fulfil its obligations and commitments, by enabling access to Sport and Industry Leaders, in one location, at the World Sport & Business Summit,” said Nis Hatt, managing director, SportAccord Convention.

“We’re delighted to have the QFC Authority onboard and wish them every success at the Convention.”

The SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit is a unique opportunity for key decision-makers in sport to engage with business leaders across 25+ industry sectors. The 6-day event features a 3-day Conference, dynamic exhibition, LawAccord, City Forum, MediaAccord, the SportAccord Convention Village and Sports Demo Zone, as well as hosting the SportAccord Sports Awards, and the annual general meetings of governing bodies of world sport. 

Established by the Government of Qatar in 2005, the QFC is an on-shore centre which has become an integral part of Qatar’s economy and rapid growth story and is fulfilling its mandate to help build a world-class financial and business environment in Qatar, providing a platform for domestic, regional and international growth. The QFC Authority is the commercial and strategic arm of the QFC, it is responsible for developing and ensuring compliance with the QFC regulations and rules comprising the QFC’s legal and tax environments and it helps firms to quickly establish a physical presence in Qatar and the region. 

The QFC continues to attract a broad range of leading regulated and non-regulated firms, both domestic and international. QFC-licensed firms benefit from an environment which operates to international standards, with a legal system based on English Common Law, regulation which is risk and principles-based, and a competitive tax regime.

Marius Vizer, the president of SportAccord, the umbrella group of international sports federations, has directly criticised IOC president Thomas Bach and his programme of reform, Agenda 2020. 

Agenda 2020 was unanimously approved by IOC members in December 2014, but Vizer said the reforms are not in the interests of sports and international federations. 

He criticized the IOC’s decision to launch the new Olympic TV channel, which he said was taken without consultation or transparency. 

Speaking at SportAccord Convention in Sochi on Monday, Vizer also complained that the IOC is preventing the launch of new multi-sports Games event. 

“After becoming SportAccord President, I always tried to develop a constructive collaboration with the IOC and with President Bach. A collaboration based on respect towards the Olympic Movement, its members and the values in which I believe. Unfortunately, it never became reality,” Vizer said. 

“I made a number of proposals in favour and for the benefit of IFs and SportAccord but we have never received a positive reaction. Mr. President, stop blocking the SportAccord strategy in its mission to identify and organize conventions and multi-sport games. 

“Do not try to create a theory around which sports are and are not eligible for multi-sport games. Do not try to impose upon the organizers of SportAccord events guidelines on how to distribute funds generated and earned by ourselves. Do not interfere in the autonomy of the sport organizations.”

The primary feature of Agenda 2020 is its reform of the bidding procedure for Olympic Games, which has been changed to reduce the cost of bidding to make it more appealing to cities. 

One of the changes brought in was to prevent bidding cities from presenting at SportAccord Convention. “The voting for potential host cities of the Olympic Games is compromised,” said Vizer. 

“Key stakeholders are excluded from making informed decisions when selecting Olympic host cities: the bid cities cannot present their candidatures at SportAccord Convention to all stakeholders, IOC members cannot visit bid cities and during the IOC Session, when the vote takes place, IF presidents – who are organizers of the Olympic Games, are obliged to leave the room.”

Vizer said the interests of the international federations (IFs), which SportAccord represents, were not properly addressed.

“The Agenda 2020 hardly brings any real benefit to sport, to IFs, or athletes. It did not bring about more clear criteria, rules and principles,” he said.

Vizer singled out recommendations 9 and 10 of Agenda 2020 as leading to “a destabilizing of the Olympic sports”. 

Recommendation 9 manages the scale of the Summer Olympic Games by limiting accreditations to 10,500 athletes competing in 310 events, and the winter Games to 2,900 athletes and 100 events. 

Recommendation 10 sets out to structure the Olympic programme around events rather than sports. The IFs are to be involved in regular reviews of the programme and organising committees will be able to suggest adding one or more sports to the programme, but the IOC retains ultimate decision making power over which sports and IFs to include in the programme. 

“We must protect the Olympic sports and disciplines currently in the Olympic programme and at the same time we must encourage and support the new sports and disciplines who want to join,” said Vizer.

He also described recommendation 19, to launch an Olympic TV channel as “very surprising”. 

“The IOC Members voted in December 2014, in the IOC Session, unilaterally, without a clear business plan, a commercialization plan and project, to reduce the dividends to International Federations in order to establish the Olympic channel. Leaving from the premise that the Olympic Movement has the assets, any business project in the world needs a business plan, investors, professional partners, breakeven points, strategy, consultation with stakeholders – International Federations and to generate a benefit for all stakeholders. Only after the decision it appears that a plan is in process. 

“At the same time, the cost of more than 450 million dollars to establish a digital channel seems exaggerated. Do consult us as stakeholders of the Olympic Movement regarding all the proposals, contracts and partnerships that are being signed and make them transparent!”

Vizer took over as president of SportAccord in May 2013, before which he was president of the International Judo Federation. He is faces no challenger in the presidential election due to take place at the SportAccord Convention.

Read the full transcript of the speech here.

IOC president Thomas Bach has responded to SportAccord president Marius Vizer’s attack by dismissing his views as personal and not representative of Olympic sports federations.

President Bach also said consultation with SportAccord on matters concerning the Olympic Games was not necessary, as the IOC collaborates closely with Olympic sports federations directly.

“Mr Vizer: thank you very much for your open words which you have been expressing here,” Bach said, addressing SportAccord Convention after Vizer’s confrontational opening speech. 

“Also I have to say that following the many discussions I had with many of your colleagues, be it the Olympic summer federations, be it the Olympic winter federations, be it the IOC recognized federations, and the many contributions they made to the discussions on Olympic Agenda 2020, my impression is a little bit that the opinion you have is exclusively yours. Because these people have made constructive proposals which has resulted in even closer collaboration between the IOC and international federations.”

Bach said: “When you say that the IOC and SportAccord have to cooperate in order to have a new model for the Olympic Games, for the organisation and for the generation and distribution of the money then I have to say very clearly, “No.” For different reasons. 

“First of all our partners are the Olympic Federations. They are doing the effort. And whenever we have an issue with them, whenever there are ideas we are discussing with them. 

“And the same applies to the recognized federations. Whenever a recognized federation has an idea, they know very well that the doors in Lausanne are open and that they are enjoying our support in many ways. And if there are issues that are common to the recognized federations then we speak to the president of the IOC recognized federations. They are recognized by the IOC as are the National Olympic Committees, which are our direct partners.”

SportAccord is the umbrella group for both Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations.

“We prefer to address all the issues in a direct open dialogue as stipulated by Olympic Agenda 2020 and as is being practiced inside the IOC where we are openly discussing and preparing all the discussions and decisions with the representatives of the international federations,” said Bach. 

“There the international federations have two seats in the IOC Executive Board and whenever you have a question, because you said you were surprised by some of the decisions, I can only offer that you speak with the representatives of the international federations in the IOC Executive Board and they can fully inform you and advise you what is going on. 

“And then you will learn that in the IOC there is an open dialogue, not only among the Members of the IOC EB but we also have as some of you may remember open discussions in the IOC Session in the presence of everybody.”

In his speech, Vizer had accused the IOC of a lack of transparency. 

“It was about one year ago here in Sochi when we had such a Session where all the questions by all the stakeholders were openly discussed,” said Bach. “Afterwards many of you contributed to this Olympic Agenda 2020. We received around 40,000 submissions and I thank you all for these contributions. 

“In fact nobody who wanted to listen, and nobody who wanted to hear, and nobody who wanted to understand, and nobody who wanted to have some sort of good will, could have missed this discussion and could be surprised by any of the decisions we are taking, including the Olympic channel, which was mentioned here.”

Vizer also said the launch of the Olympic TV channel had not been developed in a transparent manner. 

“About the Olympic channel, you could have already read about it in my brochure for campaigning to become IOC President about two and a half years ago,” Bach responded. 

“This is not to mention the first time I proposed it was back in 1994, but for this you are way too young to have followed, this is only for elderly people like me to have some nostalgic feeling to come back to this. 

“And this Olympic channel is an offer to you and has been discussed again with the international federations and has been discussed with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) who play an extremely important role.”

The IFs, NOCs and national federations cannot be considered in isolation, Bach said. 

“It is just not right to create a discrepancy between the Olympic Movement, the NOCs and the National Federations. Because they are your members, they are your constituents and at the same time they are the constituents of the NOCs.”

Like all the international federations, SportAccord is recognized by the IOC. 

“As an IOC recognized federation you are a full member of this Olympic Movement and you have of course access to the Olympic channel,” said Bach. 

“This is why are offering you workshops here for you to discuss how this can be done in the very best way and how you can really tap this great potential and how you can ensure that your sport and athletes are enjoying worldwide presence through this channel and how in this way you can grow your sport and make it more popular.  And you can promote the values we all share.”

Bach raised further points in his speech, which ran on for longer than the five minutes he had been allocated. 

“I was invited to give a five-minute welcome speech but I’ve been a little bit longer as I had a lot to tell you after this friendly welcome I enjoyed here.”

Addressing the audience primarily made up of international sports federations, he said “Our doors are open to each and every one of you. We are making this offer of cooperation and support to each and every one of you. I thank you for having taken it already in the last one year and a half and having contributed to this effort of open dialogue and concerted action within the sport movement.”

SportAccord Convention is pleased to announce its collaborative partnerships for this year’s edition taking place from 19-24 April 2015 at the Sochi Expocentre in Russia. The World Sport & Business Summit is the foremost global gathering owned by sport.

Gold Partners include: The Combat and Strength Sports Confederation of Kazakhstan; Macau Sport Development Board who are supporting the Convention for the eighth consecutive year; as well as Sport Event Denmark who are also returning this year.

Silver Partners include: Aggreko, City of Edmonton, Eurosport, EventScotland and Qatar Olympic Committee, with the Commonwealth Games Federation joining once again as a Bronze Partner.

Euronews will be supporting the Convention in 2015 and continue to generate buzz around the SportAccord Member sports with the Sports United weekly-show in conjunction with SportAccord. Additionally, Taishan Sports Equipment Company, who signed a ground-breaking partnership agreement with SportAccord, will be in attendance too.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention said, “As the Convention broadens its role, it is important to encourage involvement from both the sport and industry sectors. We’re pleased that our committed partner organisations, new and existing, will be working with us to deliver a rewarding Convention for our delegates.”

The World Sport & Business Summit creates a unique opportunity for exchange between key decision-makers from International Sports Federations and business leaders from innovative and fast-growing companies across more than 20 industries.

The SportAccord Convention Conference Programme promises to encourage lively discussion with ‘Legacy’ being this year’s theme. Panel discussions include debate on: The truth about Legacy; and addressing current issues including: The Sporting Future Today – How technology is changing the game plan.

"There are so many important areas of interest for our attendees, and during this Conference Programme, we can focus on the specific implications for International Sport Federations and the wider Sport Family." noted Nis Hatt.

Presentations delivered by leading experts will spotlight trends and opportunities, including: The Athlete Brand and Role Model Revolution; as well as covering issues around sport morality, social responsibility, transparency and authenticity when it comes to managing an organisations’ reputation before it becomes the legacy.

Nis Hatt concluded by saying: “The SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit provides a unique platform for bringing together the world of sport and industry.”

For further information about SportAccord Convention or to reach Partner Organisations, please contact Jenny Edmondson, Media Relations Officer:Jenny.Edmondson@sportaccordconvention.com Tel: + 44 203 289 1690

SportAccord Convention has announced that Repucom will once again be the Official Marketing Research Partner for this year’s World Sport & Business Summit taking place from 19-24 April 2015 at the Sochi Expocentre, Sochi, Russia.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with SportAccord Convention for another year; an event that clearly shapes the sports landscape annually.” said Paul Smith, Repucom Founder and CEO. “Equally, Repucom strives to help clients navigate the sports and entertainment sector – through research, analytics and insights – ultimately delivering solutions connected to these three pillars. Being a partner of SportAccord Convention brings us closer to the equation.”

Repucom’s connected solutions allow businesses to better understand and connect with their audiences and customers through media, sponsorship and communication.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention commented, “As the research and consultancy provider for top brands and organisations in the sports world, Repucom is ideally positioned to take the pulse of the industry.”

Over the last year, a key development for Repucom was the work in Government, Tourism and Events, helping their partners to achieve a range of objectives including revenue increases for rights holders.

This year, Repucom are going a step further, and taking a more holistic approach in delivering solutions, supported by more than 30 years of experience and using the tools they have access to globally.

The SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit is a unique opportunity for key decision-makers in sport to engage with business leaders across 25+ industry sectors. The 6-day event features a 3-day Conference, dynamic exhibition, LawAccord, City Forum, the SportAccord Convention Village and Sports Demo Zone, as well as hosting the annual general meetings of governing bodies of world sport.

For more conference information, including the Official Schedule and Conference Programme, or to register as a delegate, visit www.sportaccordconvention.com.

VITAL Communications has been chosen to assist with expanding the Convention’s reach beginning in 2015 with the World Sport & Business Summit in Sochi, Russia.

The SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit is the world’s premier annual event at the service of sport, focused on driving positive change internationally, and dedicated to engaging rights holders, organising committees, cities, press and media, businesses and other organisations in the development of sport.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention said, “Mr. Vitale, an attorney, has more than 35 years’ experience in the television industry, including Executive positions at NBC Television Network and ABC Sports. By collaborating with one of the pioneers of Sportel, we truly strengthen the presence of media providers available to delegates.”

In making the announcement, William Vitale, President of VITAL Communications commented, “I am very excited to be supporting the growth plans of SportAccord Convention. We have a wonderful opportunity to broaden participation and help to make the annual World Sport & Business Summit a must attend event for all sectors of the international sports community.”

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention concluded by saying, “As the Convention grows, it is important to encourage involvement and engage with organisations across all industry sectors and having VITAL Communications on-board will ensure a broad representation of media and increased service quality for our delegates.”

SportAccord Convention 2015 will take place 19-24 April 2015 in Sochi, Russia and will be held at the Sochi Expocentre. For more Convention information and to register visit www.sportaccordconvention.com.

At the opening of SportAccord Convention on Monday, professional services firm PwC have revealed research that shows that the event will bring a major increase in the economy of the host city, Belek / Antalya.

PwC, a Gold Partner of the event, estimates that the local economy will benefit to the tune of US$3.85 million from hosting the sports industry gathering, which will also help Antalya and Turkey to achieve longer-term development goals. 

The organisers anticipate that the 12th annual edition of the Convention will bring more than 1,500 delegates, most of whom will stay in the city for the entire week.

Non-resident participants in the event are expected to spend around US$2.25m, much of which will benefit local companies. The biggest proportion of this direct spending – 83.6 per cent – will go to hotels and restaurants. 

The transport, retail, social and cultural services industries are also expected to benefit from the direct impacts of SportAccord Convention. Indirect economic impacts throughout the value chain are estimated at US$1.59 million.

“SportAccord Convention has become an important vehicle for popularizing sport and healthy lifestyles worldwide,” said Bob Gruman, Managing Partner of PwC’s Global Sports Mega-Events Centre of Excellence. 

“Hosting 1500 delegates from global sports associations and media for a full week also provides an excellent opportunity to promote Antalya’s beautiful landscape and rich cultural heritage, while encouraging delegates and guests to visit the city again for personal or business reasons.”

According to PwC, SportAccord Convention will support the Turkish government’s 2023 Strategic Plan and the region of Antalya’s development plan by encouraging business activity in areas related to the event through the development of social and intercultural networks. Demonstrating the region’s ability to host such events will attract further major events to Antalya. 

Hosting a significant number of delegates from all over the world and publicizing the event through global media will promote Antalya as an important global destination for sporting and cultural activities.  Promoting sports and the hosting of sports events will also inspiring healthy lifestyles, the PwC reports states. 

SportAccord Convention’s managing director Nis Hatt said “We are extremely pleased to know that our event will deliver real economic benefit to Belek and Antalya. To be validated by PwC’s authoritative research means a great deal to our organisation and to our stakeholders.”

[Source: SportAccord Convention] City Forum, one of the ‘go-to’ events hosted by SportAccord Convention is back stronger than ever and will assess the impact of sport on cities. Set to take place on the afternoon of Tuesday 19 April at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, this year’s City Forum sees the return of the legendary Don Schumacher to lead the event. A cities champion and supporter, and known to many worldwide, Don has worked closely with SportAccord Convention to put together a thought-provoking programme for delegates. 

"City Forum has always been popular and this year’s event has been given renewed focus following feedback from cities around the world,” said Don Schumacher, Executive Director and one of the Founders of the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC). “Packed with practical advice, key insights and case studies, the sessions will be more interactive, enabling cities to come away with fresh ideas and know-how, as well as providing a valuable learning experience.”

City Forum will begin with a session on The Current State of Affairs for cities presented by Sportcal. A Principal Media Partner of SportAccord Convention, they have developed an impact methodology to assist cities in valuing the various benefits of hosting sports events. Many of these benefits extend beyond economics, and each of the beneficial impacts will be examined and discussed. In addition, City Forum delegates will also receive an exclusive printed Summary. This will cover some of the highlights of the recently published Global Sports Impact (GSI) Report 2015, as well as gain some early insights from the next GSI Report due to be published on 1 June 2016. 

Delegates will also be able to share their insights, thoughts and know-how in this year’s Group Project challenge and given an event-bidding issue to examine and debate. Groups will determine a course of action, reporting back to the City Forum on their decisions, and the reasoning behind them.

As a precursor to the City Forum, the Convention will once again host the City-to-City gathering the morning of the City Forum. City-to-City is designed to give cities and regions a platform for free discussion on the needs and challenges faced in looking to host sport events.

To find out more about the 4-day Conference Programme including City Forum, or to register for SportAccord Convention, visit: www.sportaccordconvention.com

Source: SportAccord Convention

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to announce that Istanbul, Türkiye, will host the SportAccord Convention 2025 from 9 to 12 June.

With the theme "Shaping the future of sport in a changing world”, the world’s most influential sports industry gathering will bring together key decision-makers to explore the evolving sports landscape and drive meaningful discussions on its future.

The SportAccord Convention is a unique gathering that provides sports business leaders access to all International Federations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), future Olympic Games organisers, other multi-sport event organisers, and leading sport-related international associations, all in one location.

This year’s edition is particularly important, coming at a crucial moment of transition within the Olympic Movement and against the backdrop of significant geopolitical developments impacting the global sports industry.

Istanbul: a leading hub for global sport

The SportAccord Convention 2025 also marks a return to Türkiye, over ten years after the highly successful 2014 edition in Belek, Antalya. Spanning the two continents of Europe and Asia, Istanbul epitomises the event’s global significance, combining rich cultural heritage, world-class infrastructure and a pivotal role in international sport.

The award-winning Istanbul Congress Center (ICC) will host this year’s flagship event, offering state-of-the-art facilities for an exceptional delegate experience.

With Istanbul also set to host the 2027 European Games, bringing the world’s leading sports decision-makers to the city in 2025 will further solidify its position as a premier destination for major sporting events. The SportAccord Convention 2025 will serve as a key platform for stakeholders to connect, collaborate, and shape the future of global sport, while laying the groundwork for Türkiye’s continued sporting ambitions.

An unmissable opportunity for the global sports community

The SportAccord Convention 2025 will offer a unique platform for leaders in sport, business and governance to strengthen connections, exchange fresh perspectives and engage in high-level discussions on the future of sport. Full details of the conference programme will be announced soon, and delegate registration will open shortly.

Organisations looking to renew or establish partnerships with the SportAccord Convention, or secure coveted exhibition space next to the popular SportAccord Café, are encouraged to engage early.

For more details about the SportAccord Convention 2025 in Istanbul, please visit our event website sportaccord.sport.

In this age of constant access to entertainment, sports events are under pressure to become ever more entertaining and offer more activities within the schedule. But is this phenomenon of festivalisation – part of the DNA of mega events  – a good thing for smaller events?

“It’s definitely a good thing for promoting and reaching out to new target groups and bringing communities together and entertaining them,” says Georg Spazier, who brought several events to the Region of Tirol following heading up marketing and communications at the 2012 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee Company.  He is now running his own agency, ITS GR8, with which he organises Europe’s biggest mountain bike festival.

“But for organising committees it’s additional work, additional budget, additional staff and coordination and so on. You probably need an extra team running it. If it's the one organising committee, doing everything can be overwhelming in many ways.

“There is a threat that sport moves out of the spotlight. We have to look at it more from a holistic entertainment perspective.”

The 2023 Olympic and Paralympic Games will incorporate a number of different cities beyond Brisbane, the nominal host. “I think it's great thing because I think it just gives more cities more opportunity,” says Alana Vought, Program Manager, City of Gold Coast’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Brisbane 2032.”

Involving wider regions can help to involve more diverse communities and in events, especially those communities that lack sports infrastructure, Vought says. “The Pacific islands have no training infrastructure at all. So to be able to bring some training camps into the country, to Australia, into the Gold Coast and have them train – it's a great opportunity for them and it's also a fantastic opportunity for our athletes to share.”

Birmingham, in the UK’s West Midlands, hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2022. “Festivalisation was good for Birmingham because it suited what we wanted to do with the Games, and that was could we involve more communities and different types of audiences,” says Nicola Turner MBE, CEO, United By 2022, who was Director of Legacy for the Games.

Birmingham 2022 wrapped a cultural and festival event around the Games for six months. “We eventually sold more tickets for the cultural and arts festival than we did for the Commonwealth Games itself, and actually then the community decided to put on Festival 23 the next year because they liked it so much.”

Triathlon is a sport which has seen huge rise in in popularity, and the events are getting bigger and bigger. This brings challenges as well as commercial opportunities, according to Kris Gemmell, Head of Marketing and Commercial, World Triathlon.

“There was an opportunity to give sponsors more bang for their buck, and they had more time to activate, but it was taxing for them to be in one place for a greater length of time,” he said.

“The question is, how big is too big?”