Denmark will host the Grand Départ of the 2021 Tour de France, starting on 2^nd July in capital city Copenhagen, followed by a second stage on 3^rd July running from Roskilde to Nyborg on the island of Funen, and the third stage on July 4^th starting in Vejle and finishing in Sønderborg.

A Deloitte report on the 2017 Grand Départ found that Düsseldorf benefited economically by EUR 64m, with the total marketing value to the host estimated at EUR 443m. Other cities and regions to have benefited from hosting the Grand Départ include Utrecht (2015), Yorkshire (2014), and Rotterdam (2010).

Denmark’s bid to host a Tour de France Grand Départ officially began on June 20th 2016 in Paris, where the bid was presented to Christian Prudhomme by the former Danish Minister for Business and Growth, Troels Lund Poulsen, and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen.

Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France Race Director at the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said: “Of course the Tour de France, with the best professional sports cyclists in the world, had to visit Denmark and Copenhagen – the best country and the best city in the world for everyday cycling. The Grand Départ Copenhague – Danemark 2021 is the ‘rendez-vous’ to celebrate the mutual inspiration between every day cycling and professional cycling.”

With 198 top athletes and more than 900,000 spectators expected to attend the three stages, this will be one of the biggest sports events ever held in Denmark.

The Tour de France is broadcast in 190 countries and has about 3.5 billion TV viewers during the race.

Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, said: “Denmark made it! It is fantastic! A dream born many years ago has come true. The world’s greatest cycling race starts in Denmark in 2021. It doesn’t get much bigger. It is the perfect match for the proud Danish tradition for hosting major cycling events where the massive interest for cycling and the stars of cycling are the driving forces.”

Other major international cycling events hosted by Denmark include the UCI Road World Championships in 2011, the UCI BMX World Championships in 2011, the start of the Giro d'Italia in 2012, the UCI Amateur World Championships in 2015, the UCI European Championships in 2017 and the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in 2019.

The hosts of the three stages

The opening stage, a 13-kilometre time trial in central Copenhagen, starts off on H.C. Andersens Boulevard and finishes on City Hall Square after having passed through the heart of Copenhagen including landmarks such as the Royal Palace of Amalienborg, the historic harbour of Nyhavn and the parliament at Christiansborg.

The second stage runs for 190 kilometres, starting in the heart of the historic city of Roskilde and finishing in Nyborg on the island of Funen after crossing the majestic Great Belt Bridge with possible side winds and a chance of breakaway.

The third and final stage starts off in Vejle, passing sights such as UNESCO world heritage Jelling Monuments and riding through 170 kilometres of stunning countryside scenery before finishing in Sønderborg, with an airport five kilometres from the finishing line.

The city of Odense was included in the original bid as the destination of the second stage but was replaced by the municipality of Nyborg, due to a desire from the ASO to let the Great Belt Bridge play a bigger role in the second stage of the Tour.

Bidding and delivery teams

The bid team consisted of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, the municipalities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg, Sport Event Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen, the Capital region of Denmark and the regions of Zealand and Southern Denmark.

The event will be organised by a partnership consisting of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs and the municipalities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg as stakeholders. The capital region of Denmark and the regions of Zealand and Southern Denmark are contributing to the partnership financially.

An administrative office with responsibility for the day-to-day operation of this partnership will be set up to implement the Grand Départ in Denmark. The temporary director of the administrative office Alex Pedersen was vice president of media company Jysk Fynske Medier and a professional cyclist who took part in organising the Giro d’Italia in Herning and Horsens in 2012.

“The best cycling city in the world"

The slogan of the Danish Grand Départ is “The greatest cycling race in the world meets the best cycling city in the world", with the latter title conferred by the Copenhagenize Index.

There are 5.6 times as many bikes as there are cars in Copenhagen, with almost half of the locals cycling to work and school on 379 kilometres of designated cycling paths.

In 2015 Denmark was named the most bike-friendly country in Europe by the European Cyclist Federation. Cycling accounts for 26 per cent of all trips less than 5 kilometres in Denmark and 16 per cent of all trips. The average Dane cycles 1.6 km per day. The country has 12,000 km of marked cycling paths.

Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen said: “Biking is a vital part of the lifestyle in Copenhagen where bikes actually outnumber cars. Copenhagen is a true bike and a top event city – ranking number 8 at Sportcal’s Global Sports Cities Index. Copenhagen is therefore the perfect place for a Grand Départ, and we are looking forward to welcoming the world of existing and going-to-be bike enthusiasts to our city.”

[Source: EventScotland] Scotland’s position as a world-leading host for major events has been reaffirmed with the announcement on 8^th February that it has been awarded the inaugural Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Cycling World Championships in 2023.

The Championships, which will take place at venues in Glasgow and across Scotland over two weeks in August 2023, has been awarded in recognition of the country’s proven expertise in delivering world-class and ground-breaking events.

The vision of UCI President, David Lappartient, this historic and innovative event will bring together 13 existing individual World Championships cycling disciplines into one mega event for the first time. The Championships will bring together thousands of the world’s best cyclists all vying to win the iconic rainbow jersey, in what will become the world’s biggest cycling event, broadcast to a global audience.

Speaking at today’s announcement at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, UCI President David Lappartient, said: I am delighted that the UCI has today awarded the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to Glasgow and Scotland. The creation and the implementation of this event was one of the commitments I had made during my campaign for UCI presidency and I am proud to have fulfilled it. I wish to thank EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling for their enthusiastic involvement in the very first edition of this historic event, which will uniquely showcase our sport and its different disciplines on an international stage. Glasgow and Scotland has a great deal of experience in the organisation of major sporting events, notably multi-sports, such as the first edition of the European Sports Championships that it organised in 2018. I am convinced that the UCI Cycling World Championships will be a great success, and I look forward enormously to preparing them with our Scottish partners.”

Both Glasgow and Scotland’s records are self-evident when it comes to delivering mega events, having hosted some of the world’s biggest sporting events in recent years; including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and Glasgow 2018 European Championships, with the 2019 Solheim Cup and UEFA EURO 2020 to come over the next 18 months.

It is this unrivalled events experience, which also includes such cycling events as the annual Mercedes Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Fort William, the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, OVO Energy Tour of Britain and the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup in recent years, which made Scotland the UCI’s destination to host the maiden edition of what is destined to become every four years an outstanding fixture of the international cycling competition calendar.

Combined with Glasgow’s existing investment in world-class cycling infrastructure such as the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the Glasgow BMX Centre in Knightswood, this ensures that Scotland will be able to host this event without having to build any new venues.

The opportunity to be the first-ever hosts of the UCI Cycling World Championships will also provide a visible focus to support the acceleration of a range of local and national policy initiatives across the areas of health, transport, sport and tourism, and which would see Scotland aspire to become one of Europe’s top cycling nations.

Reacting to the news, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: “As the first ever host of this event, Scotland will cement its position as a leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events. It builds upon the successes of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and last year’s European Championships.

“Our overall aim is for Scotland to become one of Europe’s top cycling nations with cycling firmly embedded across Scotland as the favoured way to travel to school and work, as an enjoyable leisure activity and an efficient way to improve health.”

Sir Chris Hoy, six-times Olympic gold medallist, said: “To see Glasgow build on the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 - and more recently the European Championships - to become the first city to host a combined cycling world championships is a real coup for the city and Scotland. I’m looking forward to witnessing first-hand what I know will be another fantastic event not only on the velodrome track in 2023, but across all disciplines of our great sport.”

Katie Archibald, Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion, said: “I’ve competed in a few major events in Scotland, and they are amongst some of my career highlights thanks to the amazing support myself and my team mates get from the home crowd. The UCI World Championships 2023 sounds really exciting, it’ll be the year before the Paris Olympics, meaning all the nations will be ramping up their preparations so the racing will be great to watch. I also like the idea of being able to support my team mates from other disciplines in their world championships.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “This is a huge announcement and achievement for the city. Being the first ever hosts of this event – which will become the pinnacle of the international cycling competition calendar – will cement Glasgow and Scotland’s position as a worldwide leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events.

“Our city is one of the top five sporting cities in the world, and events like the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will help us continue to climb these rankings and realise our big aspirations. This event will be the biggest event staged in the city, and indeed the country, in the coming years – and we cannot wait to welcome athletes, officials, and spectators from around the world to Glasgow.”

Today’s announcement follows months of work by EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling to secure the event after the UCI announced its ambition to create this brand new cycling concept back in 2018.

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said: “UK Sport is delighted to see that Scotland has been chosen as the first ever host of the exciting new concept that is the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

“The decision from the UCI demonstrates once again that the UK remains a world leading innovator when it comes to hosting global sporting events as well as an open and welcoming place for athletes, coaches and fans across the globe.

“This move provides real confidence as we look to deliver our ambitious event hosting strategy and I would like to thank National Lottery players for their support because it is their backing that will allow us to bring more of the world’s top sporting competition to the UK.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that Scotland has been chosen to host the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. I’d like to thank President Lappartient and the UCI for awarding the event to Glasgow and Scotland and for trusting us to bring the vision of this exciting and historical new event to fruition. Securing a competition of this global magnitude reinforces Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events and one of the world’s leading sporting destinations.

“The competition will once again provide another significant opportunity for both visitors and locals to celebrate some of the world’s elite cycling talent across a range of events. We look forward to working closely with UCI and wider partners to deliver this landmark event for Scotland.”

It will also provide opportunities including volunteering and workforce development, as well as supporting British athletes in their preparation and qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Frank Slevin, Chair of British Cycling, said: “At British Cycling, we do not judge the success of major events only by the medals won, but by the numbers of people inspired to get active by getting on their bikes. Hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships reflects the pioneering success of Scotland’s national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, and also represents an amazing opportunity to transform a whole nation’s relationship with the bicycle. We look forward to working with our colleagues at Scottish Cycling to ensure the benefits of this event will be felt in Scotland long after the final race has been won.”

Today’s announcement highlights the continued success of Scotland’s national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, in ensuring a solid pipeline of events which deliver sustainable impact and international profile for the country. The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will join a portfolio of major events in the coming years, including The 2019 Solheim Cup and UEFA EURO 2020 and will continue Scotland’s journey to being the perfect stage for events.

The UCI currently stages annual World Championships in each of its disciplines across the year in different host cities around the world. The newly proposed UCI Cycling World Championships will, in a single region, bring 13 disciplines together every four years starting from 2023. These are:

• UCI Road World Championships
• UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships
• UCI Track Cycling World Championships presented by Tissot
• UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
• UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
• UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
• UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships
• UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country Eliminator World Championships
• UCI Trials World Championships
• UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Championships
• UCI BMX World Championships
• UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
• UCI Gran Fondo World Championships

The organisers of Host City are delighted to announce that the Host City 2019 Expo & Conference will take place in Glasgow across two floors of the Technology & Innovation Centre for two full days on 26th and 27th November, with a welcome reception on 25th.

Now with full run of the entire venue, Host City Expo & Conference has greatly expanded the marketplace of stands and number of attendees.

Extending the programme to two full days gives delegates even more business and networking opportunities around the world class international conference for which the event is famed.

Rights holders and destinations now have even more opportunities to meet, display and present to one another.

Suppliers have greatly increased opportunities to meet, display and present to event organisers, including organising committees and other future event hosts.

- Cities & Destinations: Why should cities host? How do cities attract and bid for events? How do they best engage with their citizens?
- Rights Holders: Discover new hosting opportunities and learn best practice from other event owners.
- Opportunities for suppliers to engage with events organisers, project managers, decision makers, and each other.
- Event Organisers: Learn about successful event hosting from a range of different events of many sizes and profiles

We look forward to welcoming you to Glasgow on 25th November at the largest international meeting of sports, business and cultural events.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Host City organisers if you have any questions.

SPONSORSHIP & DELEGATE ENQUIRIES:
Adam Soroka
Group Managing Director
+44 (0)203 675 9531
adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES:
Ben Avison
Editorial and Conference Director
+44 (0)203 675 9530
ben.avison@hostcity.com

The brand name–“READY STEADY TOKYO”–aims to express the excitement that continues to build as the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 edge closer. It derives from the “ready, steady, go!” used to start a race, with “STEADY” additionally signifying Tokyo 2020 is keeping to its charted course as it heads towards its goal of hosting incredible Games. The overall message of the brand name is “We are ready for Tokyo 2020. Let's stay focused as we move forward to a successful Games.”

The design of the new logo, expressed using brush strokes that echo Japanese calligraphy, is inspired by the passion and powerful movements of dynamic athletes, exuding sweat, splashing water and kicking up earth as they perform.

“READY　STEADY TOKYO” will give organisers valuable experience of managing events in the Olympic and Paralympic venues. Other test events will allow the Japanese public to catch a glimpse of the world's best athletes in those disciplines, including potential Olympic and Paralympic Games competitors, while discovering new sports and new heroes.

Overall, 56 test events will be held until May 2020 - some during scheduled domestic and international sporting events that happen to be taking place in Japan during the build-up to the Tokyo 2020 Games, and 22 others comprising dedicated Olympic and Paralympic test events organised by Tokyo 2020. The new brand name and logo will feature exclusively at the dedicated events.

For Tokyo 2020, the objective of the test events will be to provide its management and operations staff with hands-on experience of running events and allow them to collaborate with delivery partners to ensure the smooth operation of the Games. Test events are an important part of the wider operational readiness programme for the Games which includes comprehensive training and exercises for Tokyo 2020 and partners.

The European Athletics Executive Board has invited Göteborg in Sweden, the region of Silesia in Poland, and Minsk, the capital of Belarus, to proceed with bidding for the 2024 European Athletics Championships. 

The seven-man board made the decision based on their review of an Evaluation Panel’s report and discussions with the prospective bidders.

“An important topic of the individual discussions was the presentation by each bidder on the overall concept of their project for the event focusing on the key aspects of event organisation,” European Athletics said in a statement.

The next stage in this revised bidding process is for the Member Federations and bidding destinations to sign a bid undertaking by March 2019. The submission deadline for the full bidding application is in June 2019.

The pool is set to be reduced further still at that stage. “The goal is to select the two strongest bids, based on the strategic, financial and operational evaluation criteria,” said European Athletics.

The bids will then be presented to the European Athletics Council in April 2020 to decide on where to allocate the hosting rights.

This Council comprises European Athletics President and three Vice Presidents and 13 other elected members, plus the CEO of European Athletics and IAAF President.

All future European Athletics Championships that take place in Summer Olympic years will follow this new process. “This new strategy focuses on individual discussions and a continuous interactive evaluation from the first step of a bidding process between the bidders and European Athletics in order to achieve a common goal of delivering a successful event,” said European Athletics.

The next European Athletics Championships will take place in Paris on 26-30 August 2020, after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Bids for the following European Athletics Championships will take a different route, as it falls outside of a Summer Olympic Year and forms part of the multi-sport European Championships.

The second European Championships takes place in the summer of 2022. For information about bidding, visit https://www.europeanchampionships.com/become-host-city

[Source: EventScotland] Edinburgh is set to host the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s (IFSC) European Championships 2019 for Lead and Speed after being awarded the Championships by the international governing body.

The Scottish capital was successful in securing the event, which is held biennially, following a joint bid by EventScotland, City of Edinburgh Council, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), Mountaineering Scotland and in conjunction Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (EICA):Ratho, Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena.

Wolfgang Wabel, IFSC European Council President, said: “Edinburgh put on a fantastic show of climbing and paraclimbing in 2017, and we are confident the organising team will continue the proud legacy at the IFSC European Championships for Lead and Speed in 2019.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “This is a great result following all the work that has gone into securing a second successive climbing event for Edinburgh after the success of the World Cup at EICA:Ratho in September 2017. Scotland is the perfect stage and EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the return of international climbing to the Scottish capital.

“This is an exciting time for the sport and Ratho is the ideal platform for people to see climbing first-hand ahead of its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “As Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena, Edinburgh’s EICA is the perfect venue for the European Championships! We’re looking forward to welcoming this high-profile event to the city – it will provide local people with the opportunity to see some of the continent’s best mountaineers in action, while also broadcasting Scotland’s Capital to sports channels and climbing fans all over the world.”

Zoe Spriggins, BMC Competitions Programme Manager, said: “The British Mountaineering Council is proud to be able to assist Edinburgh in hosting this event. It will not only be a highly exciting competition in its own right, but is also the last chance to see our GB athletes competing on home soil ahead of Tokyo 2020.”

Jamie Smith, ClimbScotland Team Leader, said: “Mountaineering Scotland are excited to welcome the IFSC European Championships to Scotland this year. It is great to see our National Centre being host to the competition which will see some of Europe’s top climbers battle it out over the two days of competition. This event is a great opportunity to inspire our next generation of young climbers as well as helping raise the profile of the sport nationally. This is an exciting time for climbing now being an Olympic sport and Tokyo 2020 just around the corner.”

Lindsay Renwick, Head of Customer Operations (West) at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We’re delighted that Europe’s largest climbing arena is once again able to show off our world class climbing facilities at EICA:Ratho, following the success of the IFSC World Cup and Paraclimbing World Cup in September 2017.”

The European Championships will take place from 5 – 6^th October 2019 and will be a chance to see some of the best climbers in Europe compete ahead of the sport’s debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It also follows the successful delivery of the IFSC World Cup when EICA:Ratho took centre stage for the fifth World cup in Lead and Speed of 2017. The sold-out event attracted more than 1,200 spectators, athletes and coaches.

Twenty-five million people climb regularly worldwide and there has been a rapid rise in popularity of climbing worldwide, a sport that draws diverse climbers from rural and mountain as well as urban areas.

[Source: SportAccord] The 3-day event will enable international sports federations to gather with key players and stakeholders from the Pan American region to further develop their sport. The event will run from 10-12 December 2019 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, USA.

Stacy Ritter, President and CEO, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau said:

“It is a privilege and honor to be the host destination of the inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America conference to be held on the sunny shores of Greater Fort Lauderdale.

“It is an invaluable opportunity to provide an educational platform for the Americas continent with a business, professional, governmental and altruistic interest in how Olympic and non-Olympic sports function at the international level; while providing marketing opportunities to the future growth of sports in the Americas.”

Regional SportAccord Pan America is aimed at cities and regions, sports commissions, as well as industry sectors involved in marketing and sponsorship, media rights, finance, education and sports equipment manufacturers to name a few – represented at the highest levels.

Speaking about the new regional event, Francesco Ricci Bitti, Executive Committee Member of SportAccord and President of ASOIF said:

“The Regional SportAccord will bring a variety of prominent leaders in the world of sport together to form a platform that will enable Pan American delegates to gain a global perspective from the Olympic and non-Olympic movement.”

“Regional SportAccord provides the ideal platform to exchange practical ideas and helps to shape the future of sport. Being able to discuss challenges with leading experts, meet and network with key players, have direct access to conference presenters and get a deeper understanding of the trends that will affect sport in the years to come - all under one roof.”

Regional SportAccord Pan America will stage a conference and 2-day exhibition and host a variety of social events giving delegates many occasions to network and build relationships in one location.

Exclusive commercial partnerships are available for organisations who want to raise their visibility and presence at this inaugural event.

Stephan Fox, President of the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) and Vice President of GAISF said:

“The concept is a fantastic opportunity for international sports federations to grow their sport at national and grassroots levels, in regions that they may not be familiar with.

“This high-level gathering helps the international sports federations to link-up with key-players in Pan America who want to further develop the business of sport in the region and host international events. This is an exciting time for sport and these ambitions provide new opportunities and experiences for the sports community and Pan American citizens.”

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to announce Beijing, capital of the People’s Republic of China, as Host City for the 18^th edition of SportAccord which is set to take place from 19 – 24 April 2020. One of the six ancient cities in China, Beijing is the nation’s economic, political and cultural centre. It serves as the main transportation hub for Northern China with frequent flights and an excellent infrastructure, making it easy for delegates to reach Beijing.

Mr. Chen Jining, Mayor of Beijing and Executive President of Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games said: “Hosting the 2020 SportAccord Convention will promote the sports development in Beijing and China at large, further Beijing’s exchanges and cooperation with the international sports community, boost the preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and contribute to the development of world sports.

“SportAccord shows its trust for my city by hosting 2020 SportAccord Convention in Beijing. We will fully explore the strengths of the city and deepen cooperation with the SportAccord and International Sports Federations to ensure the Convention is a fruitful event.”

With many high-profile events on the horizon such as the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Beijing is the perfect host city for SportAccord at this time.

Returning to China, Francesco Ricci Bitti, Executive Committee Member of SportAccord commented: “Coming back to Beijing after a period of 12 years is a very exciting prospect for SportAccord and the international sports federations. The global sports landscape has experienced extraordinary change since 2007. Technologies and social media have helped to transform the business of sport and it has never been easier to reach billions of fans – in seconds.”

According to a recent Mintel Report (4 July 2018), China’s sports participation market is fast-growing and estimated to have reached RMB 109.8 billion in 2017, with a year-on-year growth rate of 14.2%. The market is forecast to reach RMB 207.5 billion in 2022.

Ricci Bitti went on to say: “Consumer interest for sport in China continues to grow rapidly. Needless to say, the commercial opportunities in every channel are vast – for stakeholders, fan engagement, media and much more. Hosting SportAccord 2020 in Beijing could not come at a better time.”

A 6-day event, the World Sport & Business Summit is the leading platform for key decision-makers in sport and industry to meet, network and strategically shape global, regional and national agendas.

SportAccord is also host to annual general meetings of key governing bodies including ASOIF, AOIWF, ARISF, AIMS, and GAISF providing unique opportunities for delegates.

SportAccord comprises: a 3-day exhibition; a varied conference programme to include the Summit, CityAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord and HealthAccord; a Sports Festival; and over 20 key social events, which form part of the SportAccord Official Programme.

As the 2018 season draws to a close, the focus is already shifting toward improvements for the 2019 season. Since Liberty Media acquired Formula 1 in January 2017, the long-term vision has been clear: to unleash the greatest racing spectacle on the planet.

Formula 1 is in constant perpetual motion of creating, sustaining and retaining major global sporting events, with 21 different host countries across five continents vying to create the most unique race weekend experience for fans.

With a yearly cumulative TV audience of 1.8 billion people, Formula 1 has 506 million global fans and an average race attendance of 200,000 people, creating multiple layers of cultural and economic benefits for a host city. Whilst complimenting the local and national tourism strategy, other benefits include global visibility, positive economic uplift, contributions toward tourism and job creation.

Economic impact

Hosting a Formula 1 race boosts the economy of a host city and country by stimulating consumer spending and creating new opportunities in the secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy.

The Formula 1 United States Grand Prix held at The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) has contributed substantially toward the local economy, with total economic impact to the Austin Metro area between 2012 and 2015 valued at $2.8bn.

Similarly, a recent study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku created $277.3m of increased economic value in 2016 and 2017.

Increased visibility

With live broadcast to over 200 territories worldwide, Formula 1 excites fans and creates over 635 hours of broadcast footage. A host city is positively positioned in front of a global audience, showcasing them as a destination for major sporting and entertainment events.

Through destination branding, the Mexican Grand Prix has generated over $5.5bn MXN global media exposure and $885m MXN of media value of the Mexico logo.

Tourism

With over 200,000 attendees per race and on average 53 per cent coming from abroad, hosting a Formula 1 race induces tourism and opens up a city to new audiences. Mexico City experienced a 12 per cent increase in hotel occupancy in 4 and 5 star hotels during the Grand Prix and on average the weekend spend per guest is £1,600 (excluding tickets). Since their first Grand Prix in 2008, Singapore has hosted more than 450,000 international visitors, who have contributed around $1.4 billion in incremental tourism receipts.

Job creation

Returning year after year, Formula 1 increases both annual and seasonal employment, whilst creating new jobs across a number of industries. When the Grand Prix heads to Montreal an additional 640 jobs in the Quebec region are created and COTA’s annual activities and operations combined to support 9,100 jobs in the Austin region representing $306 million in annual payroll for Austin-area workers.

Formula 1 is a sport with unique heritage and a proven track record of creating economic benefit and we are excited to be hosting our 1,000^th race next year.

Chloe Targett-Adams, Global Director of Promoters and Business Relations at Formula 1 is speaking at Host City 2018 in Glasgow on 20-21 November

After two successive Olympic bidding contests in which the number of cities in the race fell to just two, the head of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) says hard work is needed to make it more appealing to host the Games.

The IOC’s 2022 and 2024 bid races were blighted with cities dropping out – some due to defeats in referendums – resulting in Beijing beating Almaty to win hosting rights for the Winter Olympics and the double awarding of the next two summer Games to Paris and Los Angeles.

Ricci Bitti acknowledged the growing problems in perceptions of Olympic Games costs and a that there is a “trend” for taxpayers’ to withdraw from the prospect of paying the millions and billions of dollars perceived to be necessary to bid for and stage the IOC’s showpiece.

“People don’t get it immediately with a big event. They prefer that public authorities invest in something else,” he said.

“So we have to do a big effort in communication. I joke that we have a very rich product in the Olympic Games – that no one wants. We have to work on that.

“There are three big factors to try to solve this problem. To change the bid procedures… and the IOC is working very hard on that, to work and interact in the invitation phase. Secondly, the vision to reduce the cost of the Games. The president of the IOC has given a target to reduce $1bn in the cost of the summer games, $500,000 for winter.

“The third one is not on the table at the moment but should be in the near future – to monitor the size of the Games. I was in Gold Coast at the Commonwealth Games and you see that the size is more manageable.

“I think the model of the Games has to be considered very soon because the Olympics is getting very big.”

But this will be some way off, following the increase in the number of sports from 28 to 33 for the Tokyo Olympics. While the IOC continues to revamp the Olympic bidding concept, Ricci Bitti and ASOIF are getting down to the business of helping 2020 Games organisers deliver successful sports competitions.

This article, based on an exclusive interview by Host City at SportAccord Convention in Bangkok, was first published in the Summer edition of Host City magazine.