The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) 56^th Congress will take place in Prague from 12 to 15 November 2017.

The Prague Convention Bureau and other Local Host Committee representatives received the formal handover from the 2016 Congress hosts during the Congress Closing Ceremony on 16 November 2016 in Kuching, Malaysia.

Martin Sirk, ICCA CEO said: “Our Czech hosts really grabbed the opportunity to showcase why they were awarded the chance to host the ICCA Congress, not only highlighting Prague’s cultural appeal, but also by supporting the presence of a particularly impressive Czech technology expert speaker in this year’s education programme, to let our members know they will be intellectually stimulated at the 2017 Congress as well as inspired by the city itself.”

The handover was symbolised by the passing over of the ICCA Congress flag. Delegates at the closing ceremony in Kuching were treated to world-class opera singing from Martin Matoušek, a short introduction on why Prague has become one of Europe’s top meetings destinations, and an authentic Czech lunch menu.

“Based on our estimates, around 1,200 event planners and association representatives could attend the Congress in Prague, which would be a record number in the whole ICCA Congress history,” said Roman Muška, Managing Director at Prague Convention Bureau.

“A key contribution of this event to Prague lies in increasing awareness about MICE opportunities of Prague and the Czech Republic and not only among the Congress’s delegates, but thanks to the communication accompanying the next edition of the Congress among the professional community as well.”

Prague Convention Bureau has also launched also a year-long marketing campaign and social media contest “Bridge to Prague” to promote the capital as an important historical, cultural and business crossroad.

The campaign builds on the celebrations of the 660th anniversary of the laying foundation stone of Charles Bridge – one of Prague’s famous monuments.

ICCA is a global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry. ICCA represents specialists in organising, transporting, and accommodating international meetings and events, and comprises over 1,000 member companies and organisations in over 90 countries worldwide.

The annual ICCA Congress serves as a platform for networking, education and best practice sharing for the association’s members and pre-selected association delegates from the meetings industry.

Source: Prague Convention Bureau

Glasgow prepares to welcome a unique collection of city and government leaders, cross-sector rights holders, event owners and suppliers to explore the challenges and benefits of bidding for major global events on 21^st and 22^nd November.

Sir Craig Reedie CBE, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency will give a keynote address on Monday morning followed by other headline speakers Jean-François Martins, Deputy Mayor of Paris and Angela Ruggiero, IOC Executive Board Member.

Prof. Dr. Ugur Erdener, President of the World Archery and NOC of Turkey and Vice President of the IOC will give a keynote address on “Rio 2016 and Beyond: How Events Showcase Cities” and Attila Szalay-Berzeviczy, Chairman of Budapest Olympics Foundation will address the topic “Creating Safe and Engaging Events”.

Other speakers include Francesco Ricci Bitti, President, ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic Sports Federations); Sarah Lewis, Secretary General, FIS and AOIWF (Association of Winter Olympic Sports Federations); David Grevemberg, CBE, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation; Dimitri Kerkentzes, Deputy Secretary General, BIE (World Expos) and Yves Le Lostecque, Head of Sport, European Commission.

The format of Host City 2016 is structured into separate segments with Day One dedicated to panel discussions and keynote addresses including ample opportunities for networking and a dinner reception in the evening. After three opening plenary sessions on Day Two, participants will split into concurrent roundtables discussing “Hosting Opportunities: How to Make Your City and Event Stand Out” and “Delivery and Legacy: How to Maximise Sustainability, Security and Revenues” which will be interactive sessions actively encouraging audience participation.

Other topics on the agenda include:

• What Does the Future Hold for Major Events?
• Has Sport Lost Its Integrity And How Can It Win Confidence Back?
• Building Sports and Entertainment Brands; China’s Investment Strategy
• Transformations in Multi-City and Multi-Sports Events
• A Safe Pair of Hands: How Cities Can be Secure Hosts
• Creating Entertaining Experiences for Visitors
• Making Event Infrastructure More Sustainable
• Business Events and Economic Development

For further information about Host City 2016 please visit www.hostcity.com or contact Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director, Host City ben.avison@hostcity.com.

Host City 2016: Two months to go and CGF, Red Bull, Feld (Disney) and European Commission join as speakers

With two months to go until Host City 2016, a new wave of international event brands has joined an already impressive line-up of speakers.

The largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events will open on 21 November with a Keynote Address by Sir Craig Reedie CBE, President, World Anti-Doping Agency.

David Grevemberg OBE, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation makes a welcome return to Host City to speak on “Transformations in Multi-City and Multi-Sports Events”.

Erich Wolf, Managing Director, Red Bull Air Race and Claire Ballard, Regional Marketing Manager, Feld Entertainment (Disney Live) will join Wang Dong, Vice President, Alisports in a panel on “Building Sports and Entertainment Brands; China’s Investment Strategy”.

Also recently confirmed to speak at Host City 2016 are Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life; Yves Le Lostecque, Head of Sport Unit at the European Commission and Risto Nieminen, President, Finnish Olympic Committee.

These new speakers join a star-studded cast that includes city leaders from New Zealand, Odense, Rotterdam and Paris, as well as: Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, Visit Scotland; Ugur Erdener, Vice President, IOC; Dimitri Kerkentzes, deputy Secretary General, BIE (World Expos); Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer, World Expo Dubai 2020; Michel D’Hooghe, FIFA Council Member and Chairman of the Medical Committee, FIFA; Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy CEO, Messe Munich; Sooad Islam, Associate, Populous; John Langford, Vice President and General Manager, The O2, AEG Facilities and more international experts.

Host City 2016 is firmly established as the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events. View the full speaker line-up on the Host City website.

Host City 2016 is an event that you don't want to miss! Get your pass today to attend the leading meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events in Glasgow on 21-22 November. Register online

A very limited number of speaking opportunities remain. For opportunities please contact Ben Avison on +44 (0) 7876 682072 or ben.avison@hostcity.net

[SOURCE: IPC Academy / WoAS] The second and final day at the 2016 IPC Academy Inclusion Summit (15-16 September) is now underway in Rio de Janeiro with the event turning its attention away from understanding inclusion through policy setting and good leadership towards the theme of ‘Delivering Inclusion Operations, how inclusion has been applied’.

Addressing the Inclusion Summit audience, Shanthi Flynn, Chief HR Officer, Adecco Group (Partner of the Inclusion Summit) covered the issues of inclusion in the workplace, and how Paralympic athletes can achieve life-long success on and off the field of play. Flynn discussed the IPC Athlete Career Programme, which helps athletes through education, career coaching and job placement and boosts diversity in the workplace.

“There are more than one billion people with an impairment in the world - 15%-20% of the global population,” she says. “Unfortunately people with impairments face prejudice, discrimination and limited accessibility in the workplace.”

She considers that sport events, such as the Paralympic Games, have the power to drive societal change and believes inclusiveness is about respecting and valuing differences.

“It’s about changing perceptions and understanding that conscious and unconscious bias are barriers to being an effective workplace,” Flynn says.

“From there, it’s a short step to see that inclusiveness can help companies be more innovative, engaging and competitive. Watching Paralympians in action is truly inspiring. It is clear that they have key skills and attributes that employers seek and need: they are highly driven, focused on success and team players who overcome barriers every day. Why wouldn't you employ individuals with this profile?”

Over 200 people from a wide variety of Organising Committees and Candidate Cities of Olympics and Paralympics Games, International Federations, government bodies, suppliers to the major events and educational institutions have been listening to the insights of a wide variety of global speakers over the last two days including Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC); Andrew Parsons, Vice President of the IPC & President of the Brazil National Paralympic Committee; Carlos Nuzman, Chairman, Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games; Madame Zhang Haidi, Executive President, Beijing 2022 and President, NPC China; and Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, Disability Advisor of the World Bank.

A must-attend IPC Academy Campus Cocktail Function, hosted at British House and sponsored by the UK’s Department for International Trade, will bring proceedings to a close on 16 September and allow attendees to network with all participants of the Campus, which also includes an IPC Observers’ Programme and Games Experience Programme.

About IPC Academy Campus and the Inclusion Summit

Standing alongside but distinct from the IPC Academy Observers’ Programme, the Inclusion Summit provides the ultimate forum to bring together business leaders, governments and the Paralympic Movement. Together they are discussing inclusion and accessibility, their impact on society, and how the Paralympic Games have developed into the world’s number one sporting event for driving social inclusion.

Delivered by the IPC Academy - the educational division created in 2009 as a partnership between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Academy of Sport (WAoS) – the 2016 IPC Academy Campus (4-17 September) is a unique event-based learning initiative that gives stakeholders of major sports events the chance to learn from their peers during the Paralympic Games. The IPC Academy Campus features an Observers’ Programme, Games Experience Programme (GEP), Inclusion Summit and a Closing IPC Academy Cocktail Function, hosted at British House.   

Its Event Partners include the Adecco Group and the UK’s Department for International Trade. Its Media Partners are Sportcal (Intelligence Partner), Major Events International (Digest Partner), Around the Rings (Online Partner), Host City (Magazine Partner) and AXS Chat (Social Media Partner).

For further information about the the IPC Academy Campus, please visit www.ipcacademycampus.com or contact Claire Bennett, Project Coordinator, World Academy of Sport cbennett@worldacademysport.com.

The International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH), whose membership has grown to include six new destinations, has revealed plans to meet during Host City 2016 in Glasgow.

Host City 2016, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, takes place in Glasgow on the 21 and 22 November.

Meetings of event hosts have been taking place informally at a small number of conferences, including Host City in November 2015. But it was not until the SportAccord Convention in April 2016 that a number of destinations gave a joint resolution to form IAEH.

The next formal meeting of IAEH will take place during Host City 2016.

“Further new members will be announced soon along with plans for the next regional meeting in Glasgow at the time of the Host City conference, and informal gathering in Lausanne around the Smart Cities and Sport conference,” IAEH said in a press release published on its website on Thursday 15 September.

A group of founder members of IAEH also met at British House in Rio on 16th August and agreed details of the interim management of the Association.

“As a result of the meeting, new members will now be formally welcomed and be encouraged to participate in knowledge sharing initiatives over coming months. Initial research on key topics is expected to be shared by the end of the 2016,” IAEH said after the meeting in Rio.

The six new destinations that have joined IAEH are: Maryland Sports, Events Management Queensland, innsbruck-tirol sports, Seattle Sports Commission, Edmonton Events and Ottawa Tourism.

Maryland Sports is the Sports Commission for the State of Maryland in the USA.

Events Management Queensland is a not-for-profit subsidiary of the state-owned tourism and events agency, Tourism and Events Queensland, based in the Australian Gold Coast. 

innsbruck-tirol sports GmbH was formed from the legacy of the 1^st Winter Youth Olympic Games 2012 in Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria. 

Seattle Sports Commission is the Sports Commission for Seattle, USA. 

Edmonton Events is a strategic partnership between the Canadian City of Edmonton and Edmonton Tourism.

Ottawa Tourism is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization, working to profile Ottawa and Canada’s Capital Region.

They join ten other city and country members of IAEH: Auckland; Canada; Denmark; Ireland; London; Los Angeles; New Zealand; Scotland Tampere; and USA.

The 2016 IPC Academy Campus is now officially underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Over the next two weeks it will welcome over 500 representatives from the Organising Committees of the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, Tokyo and Beijing alongside observers from Candidate Cities, other major events, International Federations, government entities and leading commercial partners.

Delivered by the IPC Academy - the educational division created in 2009 as a partnership between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Academy of Sport (WAoS) – the 2016 IPC Academy Campus (4-17 September) is a unique event-based learning initiative that gives stakeholders of major sports events the chance to learn from their peers during the Paralympic Games. The IPC Academy Campus features an Observers’ Programme, Games Experience Programme, Inclusion Summit and a Closing Cocktail Reception.

The Observers’ Programme is now underway with observers already experiencing what goes on behind the scenes during a run through of the Opening Ceremony for the Paralympic Games. Over the next two weeks, representatives from the IPC and Rio 2016 will be sharing their knowledge and experience through a series of venue visits, roundtable discussions and operational observation visits facilitated by programme leads from the IPC Academy, utilising WAoS Event Learning Methodologies. From Logistics, Marketing, Technology, Media Experience & Operations though to Transport, Medical & Anti-Doping and Arrivals & Departures among other areas, delegates will be able to experience first-hand how the Paralympics Games works in operations mode and garner invaluable learnings for their own major events and organisations.

“I am looking forward to seeing all participants with all their different backgrounds come together to share their sports experiences but also to learn from each other and create a unique atmosphere in Rio de Janeiro,” says Xavier Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of the IPC.

“Different types of programme activities will ensure that diverse individual needs will be met and that the benefits of observation will be maximised. The variety of themes have also been significantly increased throughout the years. This is the third edition of Campus and it now includes 15 days of action and a total of 80 different activities for Event Organisers.”

The aim of the Observers’ Programme is for observers’ to:

•           Provide the opportunity to meet experienced OCOG Functional Managers, ‘client owners’ and venue general managers and to benefit from their expertise.

•           Allow the observation of Games functions, processes and staff in Games mode.

•           Understand the physical Games environment.

•           Benefit from commentary and analysis by Paralympic Games’ functional specialists (IPC Staff & Advisors).

•           Highlight Paralympic distinctive elements in the presentation and operations of the Paralympic Games.

The Observers Programme is tailored to the needs of Organising Committees of Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major event organisers. The Games Experience Programme meanwhile features event learnings for governments and those within the supply chain of major event delivery and the Inclusion Summit showcases the remarkable work that the Paralympics can create towards a more inclusive and harmonious society.

“Each of these programmes provides unique learning opportunities and it is within this context that we have created the IPC Academy Campus 2016 for us all to learn and share experiences throughout these Paralympic Games,” says Gonzalez.

Looking ahead to the Games themselves, he adds: “Rio will provide a perfect backdrop for the Games with its stunning landmarks, from Sugar Loaf Mountain to Christ the Redeemer, the Lago and much more. I also hope that the Brazilians will create a special atmosphere, cheering on their athletes in the city and in the venues.”

About IPC Academy Campus

The IPC Academy Campus is taking place in Rio de Janeiro between 4-17 September 2016.

Its Event Partners include the Adecco Group and the UK’s Department for International Trade. Its Media Partners are Sportcal (Intelligence Partner), Major Events International (Digest Partner), Around the Rings (Online Partner), Host City (Magazine Partner) and AXS Chat (Social Media Partner).

For further information about the the IPC Academy Campus, please visit www.ipcacademycampus.com or contact Claire Bennett, Project Coordinator, World Academy of Sport cbennett@worldacademysport.com. Tweets can be shared using: #CampusRio2016  and/or #inclusionsummit

Simpleview, the US-based provider of digital strategy and technological sales and marketing solutions for destination marketing organisations (DMOs), has added a European office to address the needs of the company’s expanding international clientele. 

“We are excited about our business prospects in Europe and we also recognise the importance of establishing an office to serve our current clients in the region” said Rich Reasons, President of Simpleview. 

The new office in Oslo, Norway is the first to open outside the US for Simpleview, which has offices in Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and California.

The move will support the company’s growing customer base in Europe, which includes existing clients Prague Convention Bureau, The Hague Convention Bureau, Edinburgh Convention Bureau and Innovation Norway.

The new office will be led by Rolf Senstad as Simpleview’s General Manager in Europe. His first task will be to collaborate with European DMOs, Regional Tourist Boards (RTBs), National Tourist Boards (NTBs) and Convention Bureaus (CBs) to determine what technology, training, support and marketing tools they need to succeed.

“With Rolf leading the way, we will be able to identify the unique needs and requirements of European Convention Bureaus and Destination Marketing Organizations so we can continue to innovate and evolve our business models and industry best practices in the areas of sales, marketing, research, bidding, reporting and other mission critical disciplines,”  said Seasons.

Senstad previously worked with Innovation Norway as project leader when Simpleview was awarded a contract to deploy a Content Management System, Customer Relationship Management platform and supporting technologies for VisitNorway.com, a website that reaches more than 20 million visitors annually.

Simpleview provides client relationship management (CRM) and content management systems (CMS), website design, search marketing, revenue generation, and mobile technologies for destination marketing organisations.

Opening the European office will support the company’s growth worldwide. Of the more than 400 DMOs that Simpleview works with, more than 50 are outside the US, including Melbourne, Australia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Macau, China, South Africa Tourism, Sarawak, Malaysia, Guadalajara, Mexico and Meet in Reykjavik.

For more information visit www.simpleviewinc.com

Host City 2016 is delighted to announce exciting additions to this year's speaker line-up.

In addition to representatives from Glasgow, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Brussels, city leaders that have recently confirmed their participation include: Adriaan Visser, Vice Mayor of Rotterdam and Alderman for Sports, Rotterdam; Ronnie Hansen, General Manager, Experience Economy, City of Odense; and Devorah Blumberg, Head, New Zealand Major Events.

News and updates on panels and speakers:

• Simon Clegg CBE, Chief Operating Officer, World Expo Dubai 2020 – the world’s biggest non-sports event – is set to attend and speak at Host City 2016.
• Ann Delmiche, Director of Meetings and Events Department, International Association of Public Transport (UITP) will join other leaders on the panel “Business Events and Economic Development”, moderated by Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
• A panel discussing “How Cities Can Be Secure Hosts” will feature Karen Eyre-White, Chief Executive of the Sports Ground Safety Authority and Patrick Vajda, Sports and Events Consultant for Marsh – the Global Leader in Insurance Broking and Risk Management.
• A discussion dedicated to finding practical ways of “Making Event Infrastructure More Sustainable” will now feature Mark Breitenmoser, Head of Strategy, NUSSLI Group and moderator Daniel Cordey, Chairman, Association of Global Event Suppliers.
• In addition 25+ confirmed VIP speakers have confirmed attendance at Host City 2016. View the full speaker line-up on the Host City website.

Host City 2016 is an event that you don't want to miss! Get your pass today to attend the leading meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events in Glasgow on 21-22 November. Register online

A limited number of speaking opportunities remain. For opportunities please contact Ben Avison on +44 (0) 7876 682072 or ben.avison@hostcity.net

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Academy Campus will take place in Rio de Janeiro from 6-17 September 2016. The Social Media Partner of the Inclusion Summit at the IPC Academy Campus is AXSChat, an open online community of individuals dedicated to creating an inclusive world. Here, IPC Academy Campus speaks to AXSChat’s Co-Founder Neil Milliken, about how the community has leveraged social media to grow awareness of inclusivity issues.

Why did you launch AXSChat?
“We believe that accessibility is for everyone. Social media has a great power to connect people and we hope to accomplish and encourage in-depth discussions and spread knowledge about the work people are doing to enable greater access and inclusion through whatever means. We believe that AXSChat is a great example of how social media and communication tools allow people to come together and break down silos. We host weekly video interviews and twitter chats with people who are contributing to making the world a more inclusive place through technology or innovating to enable wider participation in society for people with disabilities.

“We created AXSChat because we wanted to broaden the conversation about ways society can benefit from accessibility and inclusion of persons with impairments. In the beginning, myself and my fellow AXSChat co-founder Antonio Santos reached out to Debra Ruh to propose a partnership to create a weekly chat to help engage all stakeholders in conversations with a goal being to help break down barriers. People often consider accessibility to be a narrow technical issue and we know that it is much wider. Our goal was also to give persons with impairments a bigger voice on social media.
“Each of the founders has personal stories that connect us to the community of persons with impairments, either physical or learning. Debra has a daughter with Down’s syndrome, parents that acquired physical impairments and two nephews with autism. I am dyslexic and have parents with acquired physical impairments. Meanwhile, Antonio has a wife with fibromyalgia. 

“Consequently, we are personally connected with the community of persons with impairments and dedicated to raising the profile of talented individuals to ensure that their voices are heard all over the world. 

“We pride ourselves on the fact that the inclusivity topics that we cover on AXSChat are very diverse, ranging from talks about innovation, employment, ICT accessibility, built barriers, digital divide, different types of impairments, accommodations and adaptions, laws, litigation, trends, media, marketing, politics and empowerment of all persons with impairments.”

Why did AXSChat want to become the Social Media Partner of the IPC Academy Campus?
“We know that the Paralympics puts a global focus on the capabilities of persons with physical impairments in a way that no other event can. We believe that participating in the IPC Academy Campus will help kick-start more great conversations that lead to collaborations and partnerships that result in a more inclusive world.”

What will AXSChat be doing during the Inclusion Summit at the Campus to encourage debate?
“We will be tweeting the proceedings and asking topic-related questions of the speakers which we will then share with a global audience using the #inclusionsummit hashtag.”

How important is the subject of inclusivity to the sports industry and indeed other sectors?
“Inclusivity has always been important, but awareness of its importance is growing. The London 2012 Paralympic Games were a watershed moment in terms of improving and increasing public perception and I hope that the Rio 2016 Games will build on that legacy.”
 
Do you think people are getting better at embracing inclusivity generally? Is the sports industry better at being inclusive than other industry sectors in your opinion?
“I think that sport is doing better than the mass media in some respects, there is a significant amount of sporting activity that is designed to be inclusive from grassroots to elite events. There is still work to be done in terms of access to stadia and understanding the widest variety of needs, but the situation is improving.”

What would be your advice to organisations in any industry looking to improve their inclusivity policies and procedures?
“Dialogue is important. Talk to customers with impairments and consult widely. Don’t think that accessibility and inclusion is a one-time deal, it’s a journey that we are all travelling on and one where even the most inclusive of us still have much to learn.”

Neil Milliken is Co-Founder of AXSChat and also Head of Accessibility & Digital Inclusion at Atos

About IPC Academy Campus
The IPC Academy Campus will take place in Rio de Janeiro from 6-17 September 2016, giving stakeholders of major sports events the chance to learn from their peers during the Paralympic Games. Delivered by the IPC Academy - the educational division created in 2009 as a partnership between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Academy of Sport (WAoS) – the 2016 IPC Academy Campus is a unique event-based learning initiative that will include an Observers’ Programme, Games Experience Programme, Inclusion Summit and Closing Cocktail Reception. 
The IPC Academy Campus’ Event Partners include the Adecco Group and the UK’s Department for International Trade. Its Media Partners are Sportcal (Intelligence Partner), Major Events International (Digest Partner), Around the Rings (Online Partner), Host City (Magazine Partner) and AXS Chat (Social Media Partner).

For further information about the the IPC Academy Campus, please visit www.ipcacademycampus.com or contact Claire Bennett, Project Coordinator, World Academy of Sport cbennett@worldacademysport.com 
Tweets can be shared using: #CampusRio2016  and/or #inclusionsummit

The SportAccord Council met by tele-conference on Wednesday, 27 July 2016. The meeting was chaired by newly elected President, Mr. Patrick Baumann and confirmed the appointment of new Members to the SportAccord Council as proposed by its stakeholders:
-    Mr. P. Baumann, FIBA Secretary General, (ASOIF)
-    Ms. K. Caithness, WCF President, (AIOWF) 
-    Ms. M. Casado, ITU President, (ASOIF) 
-    Mr. R. Chiulli, UIM President (ARISF) 
-    Mr. S. Fox, IFMA Secretary General (AIMS) 
-    Mr. R. Fraccari, WBSC President (ARISF) 
-    Mr. G.F. Kasper, FIS President, (AIOWF) 
-    Mr. N. Lalovic, UWW President, (ASOIF) 
-    Mr. J. Perurena, IWGA President, (Associate Members)
The new SportAccord Council addressed the distribution of responsibilities within the Council and elected Mr. Raffaele Chiulli and Mr. Stephan Fox as Vice Presidents and Ms. Marisol Casado as Treasurer.
Following an internal review carried out during the month of June by SportAccord President, Mr. Patrick Baumann and SportAccord Convention President, Mr. Francesco Ricci Bitti, the Council approved the combining of the Managing Director role for both organisations. As a consequence, the Council appointed the current Managing Director of SportAccord Convention, Mr. Nis Hatt, as Managing Director of SportAccord. 
Further, Mr. Philippe Gueisbuhler has been appointed as Head of Administration, overseeing the administration of both SportAccord and SportAccord Convention, and Mr. Michel Filliau as Senior Advisor to the SportAccord President in charge of Membership Relations. Mr. Matteo Vallini continues to lead the Doping-Free Sport Unit (DFSU) within SportAccord.
The SportAccord Council also took the decision to create Working Groups to analyse the feasibility of hosting specialised Multi-Sport Games in the future. 

Source: SportAccord Convention