INTERKULTUR is the world’s leading organizer of international choir competitions and festivals, bringing together more than 10,000 choirs and nearly half a million singers over the last 30 years. People of all countries, cultures and worldviews come together in peaceful competition, celebrating the motto: “Singing together brings nations together”.

“Singers and choirs are very eager to travel and we like to work with cities around the world on forward-looking ideas for them,” Hans-Robert Dapprich Director Communications, Marketing and Sales, INTERKULTUR told Host City in an exclusive video interview.

“Our unique events are not only a wonderful experience for singers from all over the world but also for the welcoming host cities and their citizens.”

Cultural events of this kind benefit the host cities in many ways: marketing, business, networking and contributing to the urban development.

“The host cities and regions are the focus of the events. They are the greatest incentive for the choirs to make the sometimes very long journeys,” Dapprich explained.

Cities vibrate with music and life

A major event like the World Choir Games can attract more than 70 nations, 30,000 participants and an additional 300,000 visitors.

“They bring money to your city, visit the restaurants and connect with your citizens. This of course does not only apply to the big events, but also to the smaller festivals and competitions, to which numerous singers from all over the world travel and fill your city with life.

“The host cities are transformed into a wonderful, colourful spectacle where singing and sound are everywhere. The cities vibrate with music and life. The streets, restaurants and squares are filled with international sounds and spontaneous singing.”

For the host cities, these experiences are reflected in the far-reaching economic impact in tourism, culture, retail and hospitality – and of course, a large international media presence.

Andris Berzins, former president of Latvia put it this way after hosting the World Choir Games 2014 as well as the European Choir Games in 2017 in Riga: “Of course, this is the best marketing for a country – showing our strengths and actually expanding our international contacts.”

Reuniting the world

Another high-profile endorsement comes from Barack Obama, former President of the United States, who said in support of the World Choir Games 2012 in Cincinnati: “Events like the World Choir Games remind us of choral music’s power to transcend languages, cultures and borders to reveal our shared humanity.”

INTERKULTUR’s founder and president, Günter Titsch, was driven by the idea of a worldwide connection of people from all cultures on the wings of music – bringing together choirs and singers of all ages, colour or ideology in peaceful competition. Such ideals should resonate with audiences who are becoming increasingly concerned about the values of the events they support.

“By bringing people together – regardless of their origin, religion or world view, united by the universal language of music – we, the singers and the host cities and citizens contribute to bringing the world a little closer together,” said Dapprich.

“This is the essence of our work: it's not just about a competition or an event, it's about the people from all over the world, the exchange, the friendship and community – and of course a unique experience for locals and participants celebrating with the world together on one stage.”

Music, singing and live events have a great power to connect people, giving a sense of community. “That was missing last year and is still missing: the closeness to each other, concerts, singing together, but also travelling.”

While choral communities have taken many creative approaches to connect virtually, singing and performing together cannot be replaced.

“The choral world wants to sing again and to stand together on one stage. They want to meet again with singers from all over the world, they want to travel and explore new cultures and cities. And, together with you, we are ready to offer them exactly what they are looking for.”

With vaccination programmes well underway and many countries planning outdoor and cultural events in the summer, the indications are that the world will soon get a grip on the pandemic and that life will resume in some sort of new normality.

The 11^th World Choir Games, which had to be postponed from last summer, are taking place in Flanders, Belgium on 30 October to 7 November 2021. The upcoming World Choir Games in Gangneung, Korea 2022 and Auckland, New Zealand 2024 are also on the horizon. And there are regional events to attract choirs from every nation, every size and interest.

“The choral world wants to travel again and sing on the beautiful and appealing stages of this world. And for this, we would like to engage in conversation with cities around the world, whether you might be interested in a smaller competition to present your city or region, or it’s about the big events like the European Choir Games or Asia Pacific Choir Games.

“The target group of choirs and singers is very open and eager to travel, and we would like to show them the world together with you. Get in touch with us and send us an email. We are looking forward to it!”

To find out more about hosting and staging INTERKULTUR events, contact Hans-Robert Dapprich on dapprich@interkultur.com

• Brisbane moved to “targeted dialogue” as the first project to meet feasibility criteria

• This doesn’t mean a host has been elected now

• If targeted dialogue is unsuccessful, “continuous dialogue” with Brisbane and other interested parties could resume

• New approach to selecting hosts enables long term strategic outlook

• Expert advice is to "seize solid existing opportunities" due to impact of Covid crisis

• No double award with 2036 due to uncertain outlook beyond 2032

The IOC progressed Brisbane to the “targeted dialogue” stage of candidature for the 2032 Olympic Games following “expert advice” to “seize solid existing opportunities and secure the future” – but planning even further ahead is not recommended by IOC Members addressing the 137th IOC Session.

, Chair of the Future Hosts Commission for the Summer Games addressed the question of whether to consider a double award for 2032 and 2036, akin to the dual awarding of Paris and Los Angeles.

“The 2024 and 2028 double award was a very different situation for many reasons, not least because it was an election 11 years ahead, while 2036 would represent 15 years before the Games,” she said.

“In addition the Olympic Games will evolve tremendously during this period. The Games are a reflection of society and there is going to be an evolution in national and individual priorities on sustainability, human development and other topics.

“The UN Sustainable Development Goals are expected to be concluded by the early 2030s and there will certainly be new, more ambitious objectives with which the Olympic movement will want to align. 

“The Games should also reflect the fast-evolving sports landscape. In addition there can also be many changes to the political landscape over such a long period, which adds to the uncertainty.”

IOC Member and Austrian Olympic Committee President Karl Stoss also highlighted the importance of keeping future Games bids open to other prospective hosts.

“It is great to have a long perspective of our host cities and regions,” he said. “With 2032 Brisbane and Queensland we have a long-term strategy about our hosts of our [Summer Olympic] Games after Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles and hopefully Brisbane Australia," he said.

“But it is also our responsibility, and from the perspective of good governance and fairness, not to go too far in the future, because there may be some other interested parties and cities and regions.

“We have a good choice if we do it for 2032, but in the mind of good governance and fairness for all – maybe all other interested cities and regions – we have not to go too far in the future.”

The IOC elected in January 2019 to take a new dialogue-based approach to selecting Olympic hosts.

“The non-committal and confidential nature of the approach, with no financial commitment, benefits both interested parties and the IOC,” said Kloster Aasen.

“It has encouraged interested parties to come to the table to test ideas and concepts and explore a vision or a potential for hosting future games or ask for information.”

The process begins with a phase known as “continuous dialogue”.

“Since there is no submission required in continuous dialogue, as opposed to the past, interested parties spend very little money and benefit from up to date information and expertise from the IOC at no cost to them. They can test plans and assumptions without public debate and see how to best align their Olympic planning with their own development plans for their communities.

“This flexibility also benefits the Olympic movement to have a long-term strategic outlook across editions of the Games.”

Through the new procedure, a candidate’s hosting plan is moved from continuous dialogue to targeted dialogue when it meets certain criteria, as has now happened with Brisbane.

“It became clear that one project, and only one project met all the opportunities we have seen in the public feasibility assessment, and that project was Brisbane.

“Moving to a targeted dialogue means that we are moving a project to a second stage for a detailed development and assessment.... [it] does not mean that we are electing an Olympic host now.

“Once a preferred host has been selected for a particular edition of the games, no other interested party can enter into targeted dialogue for the same Games, unless the first targeted dialogue has been unsuccessfully concluded.”

Brisbane will now develop its plans in more detail.

“If Brisbane delivers, the Executive Board would be in a position to put Brisbane 2032 forward to the Session to a vote. If not, despite best efforts by both parties, the IOC and Brisbane, the Executive Board could advise the Future Host Commission to go back to continuous dialogue with Brisbane and other interested parties.”

Global economic repercussions

The impact of Covid 19 has been felt by National Olympic Committees and interested parties in continuous dialogue. “Many projects were put on hold while governments were concentrating on protecting the health of their cities and trying to shore up their economies,” Kloster Aasen said.

And the impact will be felt for years to come. “Once the health crisis is over, it is going to have global economic repercussions. The world economy is going through an unprecedented crisis. The current health crisis will have wider global consequences especially with respect to the labour market and the risk of increased inequality.

“While the impact of the crisis can be witnessed now, experts forecast that the world economy is likely to be most impacted over the next 5 years, during the period when we would have expected to elect a host for 2032 under the previous candidature system.

“The expert advice that we have been given is that we should seize solid existing opportunities and secure the future for a next generation of athletes who are facing an uncertain future.”

[Source: SailGP] Following the announcement of an expanded event calendar for its second season that opens in less than 50 days and features eight events across three continents, SailGP today opened the bid process for its Season 3 host venues, starting in 2022. SailGP is inviting cities that are committed to creating a better future to be part of its sustainable global racing calendar as the league sets out to champion a world powered by nature.

Responsible for more than 70 percent of the world’s energy-related carbon emissions, cities play a crucial role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. SailGP host cities will share its commitment to a cleaner future and will be pioneering innovative solutions to mitigate climate change.

As the first climate positive sports and entertainment property – removing more carbon than its footprint – SailGP is already leading the way and setting a new standard for major event hosting. From its inception in 2019, SailGP has been measuring, reducing and offsetting its own carbon footprint and has set an ambitious target of 55 percent reduction of its carbon footprint – based on science – by 2025, as well as committing to being fully powered by nature by 2025. The remaining carbon that can not be eliminated is offset via a partnership with One Carbon World, directly supporting renewable energy wind projects around the world.

SailGP became a world first in sport to be certified as carbon neutral (carbon emission report) and achieve both the Carbon Neutral International Standard and join the UN Climate Neutral Now Initiative, reaffirming its commitment to maintain a zero-carbon operational stance.

Further highlighting that SailGP is more than a racing championship, the global league has achieved the international sustainability standard ISO20121 in unprecedented speed ahead of its second season. A legacy born from the London 2012 Olympics, ISO20121 is a robust sustainable event management system developed to an international standard.

Future SailGP host cities must sign the league’s Climate Action Charter and commit to two key impact projects: one on energy powered by nature for the city and a blue carbon project to maintain or restore critical carbon-sequestering shoreline ecosystems to protect the waters in which SailGP racing takes place.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “We want to use our platform to undertake bold and creative activities that achieve our goal of helping to accelerate the global transition to clean energy. SailGP Season 3 will set a new standard for sport globally though our aspiration to assemble the most sustainable global events calendar in sport. Therefore we are inviting cities that share our passion for the environment and clean energy to become a part of history and host a SailGP event in Season 3 and beyond.”

Beyond positioning themselves as a global leader in sustainability and clean energy – plus the association with a world class climate positive global event – host venues will also benefit from direct economic impact. In its inaugural season, SailGP generated an average impact of $23 million per event and attracted a worldwide broadcast audience of 256 million across five events.

These economic and environmental benefits are matched with community engagement opportunities through SailGP Inspire – the league’s inclusive community, education and outreach initiative – and SailGP’s Race for the Future purpose-driven agenda.

Fiona Morgan, SailGP director of purpose and impact, said: “Our ambition is to be the most sustainable and purpose-driven global sports platform. We believe the power of sport can make a big difference to educate and tackle climate change, and next season will be another step in using our platform to do just that. We want to work with host cities that share our values and commitment to a cleaner and better future, and together – working with like-minded cities and partners – believe we have the power to change the world, one event, one city at a time.”

Each grand prix is a two-day event comprising six races in identical high-speed catamarans, and includes a final match race to determine the winner. Two to three days of training provide additional scope for host venues to maximize activation opportunities.

Building on the foundations set in Seasons 1 and 2, SailGP’s third season will commence in May 2022 and run through March 2023.

Additional details on the bid process can be accessed via Venues@SailGP.com. Cities must express interest no later than April 2021.

Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee officials will meet with FIFA and US Soccer representatives today (Wednesday March 10) to showcase their plans for hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We are excited for the opportunity to engage with FIFA and US Soccer and discuss Houston’s unmatched operational readiness to host World Cup matches in 2026,” said Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee president, Chris Canetti.

The virtual meeting will focus the NRG Stadium, where World Cup matches would be held.

“We are fortunate to have such a world-class facility as part of our amazing network of infrastructure. NRG Stadium is a key element to the bid, and we are eager to show how the stadium can seamlessly deliver for FIFA as it has done time-and-time again for other major events,” Canetti said.

The bid team say the city has hosted more large-scale sporting events than any other candidate host city since 2004. The NRG Stadium, home to the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock & Rodeo Show, has hosted two Super Bowls, two NCAA Final Fours, Copa America Centenario. NRG will host the 2023 Final Four and the 2024 College Football Playoff. It has regularly hosted the Concacaf Gold Cup and matches involving the Mexican National Team. Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Real Madrid have recently played at NRG Stadium.

As the fourth largest city in the US, with seven million people, Houston would be the biggest US city hosting the 2026 World Cup within the city limits.

The Houston delegation also includes Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee chairman, John Arnold, consultant, John Kristick, Mark Miller, general manager of NRG Park, Ryan Walsh, executive director of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. – NRG Park, David Fletcher, executive director of Lone Star Sports & Entertainment, and Dan Bergstrom, the director of turf & grounds for BBVA Stadium.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played in 16 cities across the US, Mexico, and Canada. Houston is one of 17 US cities vying to host World Cup matches in 2026. FIFA is expected to select 10 US host cities, with a final decision coming in late 2021.

An Infrastructure Workshop with FIFA and the U.S. Soccer 2026 FIFA World Cup Host City selection delegation gave the Baltimore-Maryland 2026 Bid Committee an opportunity to showcase hosting plans it describes as “transformative”.

“It was a very positive infrastructure workshop and we’re delighted with the way our campaign is progressing,” said Terrance Hasseltine, President of Baltimore-Maryland 2026 and Executive Director of Maryland Sports Commission. “We were thrilled to present our world-class M&T Bank Stadium and our transformative and compact hosting plans. We are also incredibly proud that our proposed concept offers an unbeatable tournament experience for visiting teams, fans and officials from across the world.

“As a new domestic market for the FIFA World Cup, Baltimore-Maryland is an opportunity for FIFA and U.S. Soccer to capture the attention of more fans and accelerate the overall development of football in the U.S. FIFA World Cup 2026 in Baltimore will provide a great social and economic boost, inspire a new generation of football lovers and create a tangible legacy for all.”

The bid team highlight the stadium’s downtown location, with more than 10,000 hotel rooms within walking distance, and 10-mile proximity to the BWI Marshall International Airport.

The 71,000-capacity venue also benefits from USD $140 million of recent upgrades. The country’s first LEED Gold rated outdoor professional stadium, it equipped with 28,000 sq ft of 4K Ultra HD boards and displays and meets FIFA’s natural grass turf requirements.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 would accelerate Baltimore-Maryland’s urban development plans, which the bid team say are approved and supported by all levels of city and state government. Baltimore-Maryland plans to boost sporting and recreational activity with more green spaces, sporting facilities and football development initiatives.

“Maryland is united behind our bid to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Baltimore. We are fully committed to Baltimore as a great Host City that offers not only quality venues for competition, but a rich history and love of sport that brings people together,” said Maryland Lt. Governor, Boyd Rutherford.

“Baltimore’s diverse communities, public institutions, and business communities are working hand-in-hand and looking forward to providing teams and fans from all over the world with the best FIFA World Cup experience possible. We appreciate the helpful insights provided by FIFA and U.S. Soccer during today’s workshop.”

[Source: Glasgow Convention Bureau] New figures have shown that despite the current challenges facing the meetings industry, Glasgow has secured 28 new conferences from a range of sectors since 1 April 2020. The conferences will welcome over 36,000 delegates to the city and have an economic value of £84m.

Throughout the last year Team Glasgow have championed a partnership approach, working together to keep Glasgow front of mind for organisers as a world leading conference destination.

Glasgow Convention Bureau is proud to have worked closely with the city’s academic Conference Ambassadors to secure future conferences, two of which include the 2022 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Europe Annual Conference and the 2022 bi-annual AMA SERVSIG Conference.

“Never has partnership working been more significant than during the last twelve months. Glasgow has continued to win conferences for future years, despite the current restrictions. This is a clear endorsement of the confidence that the global meetings industry holds in our city, and the importance of our world-class academic ambassadors who invite their international peers to meet in Glasgow,” said Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions at Glasgow Convention Bureau.

The annual CASE Europe Conference will take place in the city from 29 August – 1 September 2022 at the Scottish Event Campus, welcoming 1,200 delegates to Glasgow with an economic benefit of £2.4m.

“I am delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the CASE Europe Annual Conference in 2022. The opportunity to network with colleagues and share ideas and best practice has never been more mission-critical, and the opportunity to welcome colleagues from across the globe to Glasgow is hugely valuable to the University and our communities,” said Rachel Sandison, Vice-Principal, External Relations at the University of Glasgow.

Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales at the Scottish Event Campus said: “The SEC was delighted to support the University of Glasgow in the bid to secure CASE Europe for Glasgow in 2022. Conferences are key to supporting economic and social change, and CASE Europe is the perfect example. The goal of the event is to champion education to transform lives and society, and there is nowhere better to host the event than in Glasgow.”

The bi-annual AMA SERVSIG Conference is to be held in the city in June 2022 and will welcome 250 delegates to the University of Strathclyde Technology & Innovation Centre, worth £350K to the local economy.

“The bi-annual AMA SERVSIG conference brings academics from all over the world to highlight the superb research being undertaken in the service research community. I am proud that Glasgow will host SERVSIG in June 2022 at the University of Strathclyde Technology & Innovation Centre, and look forward to welcoming delegates to the city for the conference, which will provide an excellent platform for innovation, knowledge exchange and collaboration,” said Dr Matthew Alexander, Associate Dean (Post-Graduate Research), University of Strathclyde.

Gordon Hodge, Head of Conferencing & Events, University of Strathclyde Technology & Innovation Centre said: “We’re delighted that Matthew and his colleagues in Strathclyde Business School have won the right to host SERVSIG 2022, and we can’t wait to welcome delegates to our award-winning Technology and Innovation Centre next summer. It’s a great example of the power and potential of the partnership between the Convention Bureau and the city’s universities, something that will surely be a key driver as we work together to reposition and to re-assert Glasgow’s status as a leading conference destination in the post-COVID world.”

[Source: Super League Triathlon] London and Rotterdam will play host to two cutting edge professional triathlon events as the SLT Arena Games Powered by Zwift heads to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on March 27 before a spectacular return to the Netherlands on April 18.

British Olympic medal hopefuls Jonathan Brownlee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee are already confirmed to take on the unique blend of real life and virtual racing in London, with more star names to be announced for both events in the coming weeks.

The SLT Arena Games Powered by Zwift took the triathlon world by storm on its debut in Rotterdam last year, drawing a huge audience thanks to its innovative and exciting indoor race concept, and leading to the 2021 events securing global broadcast deals that cover more than 100 territories.

Athletes complete three rounds of fast and furious action. The swim takes place in an Olympic sized pool and the bike and run legs on static equipment with the racing realised in the virtual world of Zwift, the world’s leading online training and racing platform, providing detailed data insights and up close and personal emotions of the competitors.

Super League Triathlon CEO, Michael D’hulst, said: “We are continuing to grow the SLT Arena Games Powered by Zwift and make it part of Super League’s yearly offering of exciting professional triathlon. Bringing an event to London is a big step for Super League and in line with our objectives for 2021 as we look to grow rapidly into key triathlon markets. We are also delighted to return to Rotterdam, which is where the SLT Arena Games Powered by Zwift started with a spectacular debut event.

“Broadcasters have recognised the success of the concept and the partnership between Super League Triathlon and Zwift, which has led to a major expansion of our global distribution so sport fans can watch live wherever they are in the world.

“We will make a few small tweaks to the format to improve the events further and have put together some fantastic line-ups. I can’t wait to see so many Olympic hopefuls racing at full throttle.”

“The first SLT Arena games was a true spectacle, and an ideal broadcast and spectator event,” says Eric Min, CEO & Co-Founder of Zwift.

“It’s great that the series will return, supported by Zwift. As a resident of London for many years, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the next round in March in the beautiful Olympic pool in Stratford.

“Super League is today announcing the first athletes that will be competing in London, with a further eleven, plus the field for Rotterdam, to be released in the coming weeks.”

The  announcement focusses on a wave of British stars taking part in a home event, with World Champion Georgia Taylor-Brown and double Olympic medallist Jonathan Brownlee taking on a host of big names, including stars of longer distance triathlon such as Ruth Astle and George Goodwin.

The first edition of the SLT Arena Games was held in Rotterdam in August 2020 with more than 600,000 fans watching across Super League’s digital channels alone as Jessica Learmonth and Justus Nieschlag secured the inaugural titles.

The athletes face three stages of swim, bike and run, with the order of the legs shuffled every round. Each swim is 200m, bike 4km and run 1km.

The events will also be supported by Garmin, who will integrate the use of the Forerunner 945, HRM Pro and Tacx NEO 2T smart trainer to deliver even more data and insight to fans.

[Source: FIFA] As part of the next stage of the venue selection process, FIFA has provided further information to the 23 candidate host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Canada, Mexico and the United States regarding the timeline with deadlines set for 2021, subject to any restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Following on from the information-exchange phase initiated last year, FIFA and the host associations will organise virtual one-on-one meetings with each stadium to discuss infrastructural aspects from the end of February 2021 onwards.

From April 2021, FIFA and the host associations will launch targeted virtual discussions with each candidate host city.

Bearing in mind the constantly changing circumstances with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, FIFA and the host associations are aiming to start the venue visits in the candidate host cities at the beginning of July 2021. In keeping with FIFA’s policy of following the recommendations of the health authorities in the context of the pandemic, the visits will only take place if the health and safety situation in the host countries allows FIFA to do so.

Provided the aforementioned venue visits are conducted, FIFA and the host associations aim to have the host cities appointed by the FIFA Council in the last quarter of 2021.

As per the focus areas for assessment shared during the candidate host city workshops last year, while stadiums remain the foundation for the successful hosting of a FIFA World Cup, FIFA considers that providing key infrastructure and services (both sporting and general) and realising the commercial potential of each venue, as well as in terms of sustainability, human rights and event legacy, is of the utmost importance.

In line with FIFA’s strategic objective of making football truly global, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the first-ever edition of the competition to feature 48 teams.

Baltimore-Maryland's bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches has launched a new ‘International Football Development 2026’ (IFD26) initiative as part of its commitment to creating strong local and international football legacies.

As part of the campaign, Baltimore-Maryland 2026 is partnering with regions across the world to offer support where sports development resources may be limited. The launch of the initiative is accompanied with the announcement of the initiative’s first partner, West-African Benin.

“We’re very excited to be part of the IFD26 family and to be forging a close relationship with the Baltimore-Maryland 2026 team. We are looking forward to working alongside Baltimore 2026 as the first region to develop, not only our domestic football landscape, but also close economic and cultural ties with the city. For us this a natural alignment because it is evident we share similar values,” said Benin’s Minister of Sports, Mr. Oswald Homeky.

“As a diverse and welcoming city, Baltimore-Maryland would offer FIFA a unique and unrivalled opportunity if chosen as host of 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. The bid’s proven commitment to creating enduring legacies is testament to its central vision of welcoming the world to enjoy the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

IFD26 will see Benin and Baltimore-Maryland 2026 collaborate and share knowledge, building on the West African country’s passion for football and developing its women’s and youth programs to empower all areas of the game. Capability-building lies at the heart of the IFD26 initiative, and the partnership will grow Benin’s domestic football industry, creating employment pathways, education, skills and job opportunities.

“Baltimore-Maryland 2026 is committed to expanding the global horizons of football and delivering impactful programs that deliver a strong football legacy for local and world football and FIFA,” said Terrance Hasseltine, President of Baltimore-Maryland 2026 and Executive Director of Maryland Sports Commission.

“Baltimore-Maryland 2026 has been described as underdogs in this race and that simply pushes us on to deliver a dynamic bid that shows our diverse city is ready to welcome the football family. IFD26 will be a central focus for our bid, and we are looking forward to supporting fellow ‘underdogs’ and their football development.”

Aligning with Baltimore-Maryland 2026’s vision of expanding football’s audience locally and internationally, IFD26 will enable the bid to engage new global audiences with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and grow the game in new markets.

“Expanding the horizons of football is a core commitment of our bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches and the IFD26 initiative will support football’s long-term development in Baltimore-Maryland and across the world. Partnering with Benin is a fantastic opportunity for our shared passion for football to grow and to deliver tangible legacy initiatives for current and future players to benefit from,” said Olubunmi Jinadu, Senior Advisor to and Member of the Baltimore Maryland 2026 FIFA World Cup Host Committee.

“Baltimore-Maryland 2026 promises to be a platform for growing football in new markets and engaging new audiences locally and internationally and IFD26 is a key part of this.”

According to the announcement accompanying the launch, Baltimore-Maryland’s bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches offers “a unique and unrivalled opportunity to build one of the most welcoming, diverse and inclusive host cities in World Cup history. As an easy to navigate city ready to accommodate football, Baltimore-Maryland 2026 will promote sustainable practices and human rights and provide a catalyst for positive change through football.”

Global Sports Week Paris to take place at the Eiffel Tower

Landmark Paris venue will host hybrid event from February 1-5 2021

[Source: Global Sports Week] The Eiffel Tower has been announced as the main venue for Global Sports Week in 2021.

The world’s most famous landmark will provide the stage for the Paris event, which is returning after the success of its inaugural edition at the Louvre in February 2020.

The new venue was revealed as part of an event marking 50 days to go to the 2021 edition, which will take place from February 1-5.

Organised under the high patronage of Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, and with the additional patronage of UNESCO, Global Sports Week brings together leaders and change-makers from sport, business and society.

The forum is billed as the ‘rendez-vous of the year’ for the world sports economy, with the 2021 edition taking the theme of “reinvention in action.”

Organisers have embraced the concept by introducing a new, multi-country connected format for 2021. It includes a mix of physical and digital events in Paris and five other future Olympic host cities: Tokyo, Beijing, Milan, Dakar and Los Angeles.

Access for delegates will be mainly online, with speakers and high-profile guests linked live from iconic studio settings.

Paris will remain the event’s epicentre, with the Eiffel Tower venue promising a spectacular backdrop for speakers and digital participants alike.

The main event studio will be set-up in the Salon Gustave Eiffel, suspended 57 metres above ground at the heart of the Eiffel Tower structure.

The venue offers unobstructed views of Paris and its world-famous skyline, with transparent facades providing an inside look at the iconic Eiffel engineering.

A strong partnership with the City of Paris

Use of the space has been facilitated as part of an agreement with the City of Paris, which builds on support provided by the Mayor to Global Sports Week in its first year.

The partnership reflects a shared ambition to promote France’s international attractiveness and the country’s global leadership in sport as it looks forward to hosting the Rugby World Cup 2023 and Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Pierre Rabadan, Paris Deputy Mayor in charge of sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said:  “As the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, Paris is proud to be the capital of sport. We are delighted to have hosted and to continue to host sporting events that resonate worldwide and to help spread sporting values around the world.”

Jean-François Martins, Chairman of the Eiffel Tower Operating Company said: “The Eiffel Tower is a monument that symbolises Paris and France like no other, and yet it also belongs to the world.

“We’re delighted that the Salon Gustave Eiffel will provide the stage for Global Sports Week, which seeks to connect a worldwide audience and be a platform for positive change.”

Lucien Boyer, Co-Founder and President of Global Sports Week, said: “The Eiffel Tower is a landmark venue for a landmark event, and a statement of our global ambition.

“Now, more than ever, multilateral forums such as Global Sports Week are crucial, because multilateral action will be needed to seize the full opportunity of this new era in sport and society.”

Fresh, diverse and premium content

More than 10,000 sports leaders, cultural changemakers, athletes, activists and emerging talents are expected to participate across Global Sports Week, whose programme will feature talks, debates, pitch contests, exclusive screenings, sports demonstrations and behind-the-scenes venue tours.

Alongside the main Arena content channel, the new Global Sports Week digital platform includes access to intelligent networking tools as well as a Village channel offering partner workshops, activations and private professional masterclasses.

Global Sports Week Paris will take place between February 1 and 5 2021. Paid ticket holders will also benefit from on-demand access to Global Sports Week content as well as other exclusive experiences and networking opportunities year-round as part of an annual subscription to the new GSW Club.