(Source: The Sports Consultancy) Nitro Circus, the world’s largest action sports brand, has appointed The Sports Consultancy (TSC) to run simultaneous host city procurement processes for their biggest global properties - Nitro World Games, Nitro Rallycross and Nitro Park & Air.

Nitro Circus has a reputation for delivering awe-inspiring innovations in sport and entertainment to audiences across the globe. Now the brand is teaming up with TSC to build on that success. Through this process, Nitro Circus will appoint multiple host city partners with whom they will co-create bespoke events that bring together world-class athletes and groundbreaking competition formats, uniquely showcase the host destination and inspire the next generation of stars.

To kick off this campaign, Nitro Circus is further expanding on their Nitro World Games showcase event which next year will be hosted for the first time outside of the US – the premier competition is coming to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in May 2020.  By taking a portfolio approach, Nitro Circus is offering bespoke, multi-year host city partnerships, coupled with year-round Nitro Circus Media House content, with opportunities starting from 2021 onwards.

Commenting on the appointment Antony Warren, SVP Business Development, Events at Nitro Circus said:

“By partnering with TSC, we are signaling our intent to take our largest events to our fans in cities around the world.  Our first step on this journey, after three years in the US, is hosting the 2020 Nitro World Games in Cardiff, Wales and from there we look forward to crossing many more borders as we build relationships with cities, fans and competitors in all corners of the globe.”

TSC Director, Consulting Matt Wilson added:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Nitro Circus.  These events are truly disrupting the world of major events and, with their ability to drive global media exposure, youth engagement, year-round destination marketing and strong social and infrastructure legacies, are perfectly suited to future hosts seeking to challenge perceptions and boundaries.”

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to announce that the dynamic and historic Russian city of Ekaterinburg will host the 2021 edition of the annual World Sport & Business Summit.

Sport’s No.1 global gathering will take place from 23-28 May 2021 at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo convention centre.

Ekaterinburg is Russia’s fourth-largest city by population, situated on the banks on the Iset River and considered the crossroads linking Europe to the west and Asia to the east. The city, which is a hotspot for tourism, business and sport, is home to numerous professional teams and has an expanding events portfolio, having hosted 2018 FIFA World Cup matches and the recent 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Ekaterinburg will also host games during the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship before staging the 2023 FISU Summer Universiade.

Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and GAISF said: “The beautiful city of Ekaterinburg will be an ideal host for the 19th edition of SportAccord. This will allow the world of sport to come together for the third SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in the sport loving country of Russia, facilitating unity, friendship and building joint bridges for athletes and the future development of sport.”

“Ekaterinburg is a city that has sport at its heart and will provide plenty of attractions and interests to keep delegates entertained and engaged for what I’m sure will be an outstanding and memorable event. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Russian Federation for embracing SportAccord once again.”

Evgeny Kuyvashev, the Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, noted: “Ekaterinburg is known for having strong traditions in sports and we are glad that the leading international sports federations and organizations will get an opportunity to see what our wonderful city offers, when we welcome them in 2021”.

“Our Region raised many outstanding athletes known worldwide. Sports becomes a key topic for Ekaterinburg as well as for the Sverdlovsk Region. Attraction of the global sports events in the Region shall not only stipulate healthy living standards for people, but it will become an important point of growth. We think that the SportAccord 2021 will become a starting platform for interesting events in the future.”

Ekaterinburg founded in 1723 and named after Catherine I is steeped in history. The city boasts a thriving arts and music scene and iconic architecture, ranging from historic stone and wooden buildings and more than 600 cultural monuments through to the world’s northernmost skyscrapers. Ekaterinburg will provide a stunning backdrop for a week of high-level meetings, engaging conferences and social events for delegates, exhibitors, partners, executives, officials, media members and athletes.

The city’s Koltsovo International Airport has expanded significantly in recent years and now handles more than six million passengers per year, providing direct routes to and from a number of major cities.

The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. It is the only global sports business event attended by all the international sport federations and their stakeholders, who host their Annual General Assemblies during SportAccord.

Details about registering, exhibiting and becoming a partner of SportAccord 2021 will be shared in the upcoming months.

Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2020 in Beijing, the 18th annual SportAccord event. Organisations can become an official partner or exhibitor and discuss these investment opportunities with sales@sportaccord.sport. Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2020, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook. For media enquiries, email media@sportaccord.sport.

Registration also remains open for next month’s inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019, which will take place from 10-12 December at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. For more information, request a brochure or contact the sales team via info@regionalsportaccord.sport or +1 954 204 3081.

You can follow SportAccord’s events via Twitter @sportaccord or you can keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

[Source: European Championships Management] The EC2022 Board is pleased to announce that Munich will host the 2022 European Championships following unanimous approval of their bid by the participating European Federations.

Munich 2022 will also mark the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Games held in the German city, with the iconic Munich Olympic Park set to be the heart of the second edition of the multi-sport championships. 

Six sports that were part of the 2018 edition have already confirmed their participation and the staging of their respective continental championships in the event that will take place Thursday 11 to Sunday 21 August 2022: Athletics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon.  

Eurovision Sport, a division of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), will again be the media rights partner for the Championships, ensuring extensive free-to-air coverage through EBU Member broadcasters and partners.  

The majority of events and activities will take place in and around the Munich Olympic Park in order to create an extraordinary festival atmosphere that allows athletes from different sports to experience the event together and visitors to embrace multiple events.   

The EC2022 Board is also pleased to confirm the dates of the 2026 edition of the European Championships. Following consultation involving the participating European Federations (European Athletics, UEC, FISA, UEG, ETU, ET-LET), the dates are: Thursday 30 July to Sunday 9 August 2026. 

European Championships 2022 Board Chair and European Athletics President Svein Arne Hanfsen said: "I speak for all the participating sports in saying how delighted we are to be going to the wonderful city of Munich in 2022, and for athletics we are especially happy to be heading back to Germany, after the success of Berlin 2018, where we know there are so many passionate sports fans. It is testament to the fantastic legacy of the Munich Olympic Park that we will bring our individual European Championships together again there, on the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Games, and use many of its iconic venues. 

"We are very pleased to partner again with Eurovision Sport, meaning that millions of sports fans will be able to experience the unique excitement of the European Championships 2022, via free-to-air broadcasters."  

The inaugural European Championships in 2018 took place through 2-12 August, with Glasgow and Berlin successfully staging seven European Championships with 13 disciplines.  

A television audience of more than 1.4 billion watched this memorable first edition on free-to-air channels via EBU Member broadcasters and partners in 44 territories across Europe and worldwide. There were 1.9 billion visits on websites registered and the reach on social media was 745 million. 

Across the two host cities, a total of one million people attended a sports session at the likes of Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, watched a road race on the cities’ streets, or experienced the festival-like atmospheres in George Square in Glasgow and the Breitscheidplatz in Berlin.   

Hear Stefan Kuerten, Executive Director of Eurovision Sport, discuss the challenges and achievements of developing the European Championships at Host City 2019 in Glasgow on 26-27 November

[Source: World Rugby] South Africa will host Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 after the World Rugby Council awarded the hosting rights for the premier tournament to South Africa at its Interim Meeting in Tokyo today.

In September 2022 the eighth edition of the showcase event will take place in Cape Town in what will be the first time that Rugby World Cup Sevens has been hosted on the African continent.

The world’s best 24 men’s and 16 women’s rugby sevens teams will take to the field at the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point where they will compete for world champion status over three days of exhilarating action.

The 55,000-capacity stadium is the same venue that has hosted the hugely successful HSBC Cape Town Sevens since 2015, and for the first time this year will host both men’s and women’s teams across three days of competition as part of the new-look HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

The 2022 tournament follows an exceptional Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco which attracted a record attendance for a rugby event in the USA of more than 100,000 fans as well as a huge domestic broadcast audience of more than nine million viewers.

The three-day event, hosted at AT&T Park, generated a US$90.5 million economic contribution to San Francisco (Nielsen Sport) and saw both New Zealand’s men’s and women’s teams retain the title.

The awarding of the tournament to South Africa comes after an initial record of 11 unions – Argentina, Cayman Islands, France, Germany, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Qatar, Scotland, South Africa and Tunisia – confirmed an expression of interest to the international federation.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “Congratulations to South Africa on being elected Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 hosts. We were impressed with South Africa’s detailed and comprehensive bid and we look forward to working in partnership with them on another inspiring and record-breaking tournament.

“South Africa have a proven track record of delivering a sell-out event in the HSBC Cape Town Sevens, which is an esteemed tournament on the world series and will be of huge value to the planning and execution of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.

“About to make its second appearance on the Olympic Games programme at Tokyo 2020, rugby sevens is an innovative and thriving format of the game that has enormous appeal, and we are excited about the positive impact that another successful Rugby World Cup Sevens will have on our sport.

“We would like to thank all of the unions who expressed an interest in hosting this growing event and hope to welcome them back to bid for future events as rugby sevens continues to go from strength to strength.”

SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux added: “We’re delighted that South Africa and Cape Town has been confirmed as hosts for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.

“We have been eager to host global rugby tournaments for a number of years and to have the flagship event in the growing sport of sevens come to South Africa is exciting.

“We saw how the sport engaged the audience in San Francisco last year and we are certain that it will be just as big a success in Cape Town.

“The HSBC Cape Town Sevens has established itself as a rugby bucket-list tournament in the past few years and we’re sure that international visitors to the event will experience a great tournament at an ideal rugby venue in a fantastic city.”

The appointment of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 hosts falls at the beginning of an Olympic season for rugby sevens as the sport prepares to make its second Olympic Games appearance at Tokyo 2020.

Rugby sevens made its Olympic Games debut at Rio 2016 when the sevens format provided a captivating showcase for the game that saw its fan-base increase by almost 17 million in six key territories, with Tokyo 2020 expected to unearth an estimated 30 million new fans worldwide (Nielsen).

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will be played during September of that year considering the international calendar, including the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and the Commonwealth Games that will take place in Birmingham, England, in July 2022. Competition dates will be confirmed in due course.

[Source: Glasgow Life] British Athletics has today confirmed Glasgow as the host city for the 2020 British Indoor Season, with TWO major events being staged at the Emirates Arena in February.

The events will mark the start of the 2020 competition countdown to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. World class athletes will compete at Emirates Arena for the Müller Indoor Grand Prix on 15 February 2020, before the city hosts the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships for the first time ever between 22-23 February 2020, as athletes bid to qualify for March’s IAAF World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix is the number one ranked Indoor meet in the world as the planet’s best athletes arrive in the city for an incredible afternoon of world-class sport.

Major Events Director for British Athletics, Cherry Alexander OBE, says Glasgow is the perfect venue for the 2020 Indoor Season: “The Müller Indoor Grand Prix will be best indoor event ever staged in Scotland, with athletics fans in for a treat as world stars come to town. Olympic and Paralympic year is always very special and I am sure that the atmosphere will be amazing at Emirates Arena.

“Staging the British Athletics Indoor Season in Glasgow truly reflects the UK-wide interest in our sport and I am proud that we are taking the SPAR British Indoor Championships to Scotland for the first time – it is long overdue. This announcement demonstrates the strength of collaboration between British Athletics and our home nations athletics partners”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for events and I’m delighted Glasgow has been chosen to host this historic double-header. The city has a proud history of hosting athletics events as shown by the successful delivery of this year’s European Athletics Indoor Championships.

“Events play a key role in our visitor economy and these two outstanding athletics events in Glasgow next February reaffirms the Scotland’s position as a world-leading events destination.”

Billy Garrett, Director of Sport and Events at Glasgow Life said: “Glasgow is one of the world’s top five sporting cities and we’re proud to be the first Scottish host of the SPAR British Indoor Championships, as well as welcoming back the Müller Indoor Grand Prix to the city once again.

“Major events have a track record in getting more people, young and old, interested in sport and, as a city with a history of providing a strong legacy from sporting events, we have no doubt that these February 2020 events will have just as positive an impact.”

Guy Learmonth, Scottish and Great British Athlete, said: “It’s incredible – for British Athletics to share the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships across the UK, and to bring it to Glasgow for the first time, it’s massive for Scottish athletes and for the fans. With the Müller Indoor Grand Prix as well, crowds are going to see world-class athletics over back-to-back weekends.

“2020 will be such an important year with the Olympics, so to have these events in Scotland act as a springboard for the IAAF World Indoor Championships and for Tokyo as well, it’s just such a good feeling. It’s back home, on my doorstep, so for Scottish Athletics and for Scotland to have this all here – we’ll all step up our game.

“I’ve won two British indoor titles – adding a third on home soil would be huge”.

Ahead of the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Glasgow and SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships heading to Glasgow on 15 February and 22-23 February respectively, fans can register for news updates and ticketing information by signing up to the British Athletics mailing list via www.britishathletics.org.uk/events-and-tickets/2020-event-registration.

[Source: EventScotland] The city of Aberdeen is set to host BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019, the biggest awards night in the sporting calendar, on December 15 live on BBC One from the brand-new events venue and arena, P&J Live.

This is the first time Aberdeen will host the event. The city is known for its sporting heritage as the birth place of Manchester United legend Denis Law and Open-winning golfer Paul Lawrie, and it is also home to Aberdeen FC, the club where Sir Alex Ferguson first made his name as a manager with such extraordinary success.

Presenters Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan will take to the stage to celebrate a huge year of sport in front of an audience of 10,000 with millions more watching live on BBC One.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, said: “I’m delighted the BBC has chosen Aberdeen’s brand-new venue, P&J Live, to host this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. This world-class venue along with Aberdeen’s sporting pedigree makes it the ideal venue for the awards. It has been a great year of sport and I look forward to celebrating all the amazing achievements in Aberdeen this December.”

Director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater said: “It’s been an extraordinary year of sport so far with many incredible moments and surely more to come. I have no doubt Aberdeen will be an excellent host city to help us celebrate them.”

Louise Stewart, Head of Entertainment at P&J Live commented: “This is a gamechanger for the venue and the city. We are ecstatic to be working with the BBC sports team and the wider Aberdeen stakeholder group on this flagship event. Hosting an event such as this was absolutely at the forefront of the city’s vision when planning this transformational project.”

[Source: Tourism & Events Queensland] An Easter blockbuster between the Brisbane Lions and Collingwood has been locked in at the Gabba for the next two years, Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones has announced.

Ms Jones said the game between the two AFL powerhouses would be played at the Gabba in 2020 and 2021 in a fixture that traditionally draws huge crowds.

“We work hard to secure footy games that we know will draw huge crowds and generate a great return for local businesses in Queensland,” she said.

“The Pies love to fly north for the winter – we proved that earlier this year.

“That’s why we’ve worked closely with the AFL and with both clubs to get this deal over the line.”

Today’s announcement is part of a three-year deal that will see the Lions play Collingwood at Easter for the next two years and another Victorian team in the third.

Ms Jones said Queensland’s share of the domestic tourism visitor market was growing faster than NSW and Victoria – with major events helping to deliver a strong windfall for operators in the Sunshine State.

“When it comes to major events, Queensland is kicking goals. Earlier this year we used this fixture to successfully market Queensland in Victoria - one of our key source markets,” she said.

“Off the back of this deal, we’ll run another marketing campaign in Melbourne to showcase the amazing tourism experiences on offer here in Queensland.

“Huge events like this give people a reason to travel. While they’re here, we want them to stick around and enjoy what we have to offer.

Sport Minister Mick de Brenni said nearly 35,000 fans packed into the Gabba in April to watch Collingwood play the Lions during the regular season.

Mr de Brenni said AFL in Queensland has this year gone from strength to strength – with the Lions roaring to the top of the ladder, and the women’s team doing us proud following another great season of AFLW.

“Under Activate! Queensland, the Palaszczuk Government’s new sport and recreation strategy, we’ve set clear targets to get more Queenslanders more active, more often, including through Aussie Rules,” he said.

“When young Queenslanders see the Lions at the top of their game, they have something to aspire towards – and it pushes them to get involved.

“We’re backing our local clubs and investing in the top-end of the sport, with $35 million in upgrades to the Gabba progressing and a contribution into the new game-changing $70 million AFLW Stadium ‘The Reserve’ which is getting underway.”

Brisbane Lions CEO Greg Swann said today’s announcement was a great win for the club.

“We are thrilled that the AFL have entrusted us with the Easter Thursday clash for another three years here at The Gabba,” he said.

“We believe we have been rewarded after producing a successful year on and off the field with growth in membership, crowd attendance and making our first AFL Finals Series in a decade.

“Chris Fagan and his men play an exciting brand of footy that will light up The Gabba and tv screens each Easter for the next three years."

[Source: Sport Event Denmark] The Ocean Race will come to Aarhus, Denmark during the spring of 2022, following a popular ‘Fly-By’ of the city during the final leg of the 2017-18 edition of the Race.

The success of the Fly-By, where the fleet raced into the inner harbour of Aarhus port and around a turning mark in front of tens of thousands of fans, cemented the popularity of The Ocean Race in Denmark and made Aarhus a natural choice as the first ever Danish Host City for the next race.

Watch the video here

Richard Brisius and Johan Salén, co-owners of The Ocean Race, see long-term opportunities for all stakeholders with the selection of Aarhus as a Host City.

“The Ocean Race has long had significant ties to Denmark, with sailors, race and team partners and sponsors and of course, the successful Fly-By in the last race,” said Richard Brisius. “We now have an opportunity to strengthen those bonds even further going forward. The passion of the people of Aarhus, combined with the city’s experience of organising international events, will create the perfect atmosphere for the best sailors in the world.

“Aarhus is a modern, innovative city, with strong historical ties to the ocean and to sailing – as we saw when this same facility hosted the Sailing World Championships last year. Through the talent of great young sailors like Nicolai Sehested and Jena Mai Hansen, who competed in the last edition of the Race, plus veterans such as Jens Dolmer and Stig Westergaard, Denmark has long played an important role in the Race.”

“As the partnership with The Ocean Race demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt, Aarhus has achieved an absolutely unique position as a world-class arena for international sailing events,” said Jacob Bundsgaard, the Mayor of Aarhus. “When The Ocean Race docks in Aarhus in 2022, we can look forward to an epic sporting event for maritime Denmark and a fantastic celebration on the waterfront in Aarhus for everyone.”

The Mayor of Sports, Culture and Citizens’ Services, Rabih Azad-Ahmad, said: “It is absolutely amazing that The Ocean Race is coming to Aarhus. It is an event that is followed worldwide and is a great opportunity to showcase our beautiful city and bay. I am sure that The Ocean Race in Aarhus will set the stage for a huge maritime celebration with exciting experiences for the city's citizens and guests. We will use the opportunity to focus on sustainability and increase awareness of this important matter.”

Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, the national sporting event organisation that partners with major events across Denmark, added: “Aarhus has marked itself as Denmark's leading Host City for major international sailing events. Last summer, the very successful World Sailing Championships for all Olympic classes were held here, and now we look forward to The Ocean Race in 2021-22, where we will continue to focus on sustainability.”

For The Ocean Race, sustainability has long been a core value and has become an even bigger focus for the event looking forward. In 2017-18, the Race helped to spark a global movement against plastic waste, and a comprehensive sustainability initiative aims to educate and inspire millions around the world to make positive changes.

“In the last edition of the Race, our groundbreaking and award-winning Sustainability Programme set new standards for how a sporting event can engage its fans and stakeholders in attacking the problem of plastic pollution and restoring ocean health,” said The Ocean Race’s Johan Salén.

“I believe that by working in partnership with our Host Cities like Aarhus, as well as all of our stakeholders, we will be able to raise the bar even higher to ensure that our sport retains a leadership role in this critical area.”

Aarhus joins the Start Port of Alicante, Spain as confirmed Host Cities of The Ocean Race 2021-22, with more announcements expected in the coming weeks.

A major event brings together players from many industries. It is a temporary city, a microcosm of society, that requires power, transport, infrastructure, lighting, project management and so on – many of which are provided by private companies on short term contracts. Coordinating this is inevitably more complex than for a permanent economy with an established supply chain for its services.

Considering the sheer amount of products, services and equipment required to stage a major event like an Olympic Games or a major festival, you would think that it would be easy for any number of suppliers to get involved.

Sadly though, not everyone knows how to access these major event procurement opportunities.

What are the barriers to getting involved in major event projects?

Firstly, when it comes to a mega event like the Olympic Games, they generally involve a large proportion of public funding. This means organisers are under great pressure from the public, amplified by the press, to demonstrate how funds are being distributed.

This can result in protectionism, incentivising domestic companies and making the procurement process less attractive to overseas providers. Or some processes can result in projects being contracted to the lowest bidder rather than the best solution provider.

In other cases, there can be a lack of transparency. Half of the stadiums used for the FIFA 2014 World Cup have come under scrutiny for alleged irregularities and bribery, with officials having been accused of accepting bribes in exchange for contracts.

Other barriers to contract opportunities come from within. A company may simply not have enough contacts or experience in the major events sectors, or the confidence to gain those contacts. While there is not a lot a private company can do about how procurement processes are run, there is a lot that can be done to raise your profile and gain confidence.

Top tips for smaller suppliers

1. Promote your activities through the media. Talk about your event successes at every opportunity – be active and build up a following on social media, engage in conversations, become known in your field.

2. Get involved in events of all sizes. It’s not all about the Olympic Games. Annual festivals and smaller local events provide constant earning opportunities and are easier to establish long-term relationships with.

3. Get Networking. Come to the best events in the sector where you get face to face with buyers. Events like Host City and the Event Production Show are all about the business of hosting major events.

4. Join an association. These can offer great advice and support from other members and confer quality status on their members. For example, Host City 2019’s Strategic Partners are the leading international associations in the event hosting supply chain.

5. Always believe in your soul. You are gold!

[Source: Riot Games] Riot Games today reveals the economic impact the first League of Legends European Championship (LEC) Finals had on the host city of Rotterdam. In association with Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports, the leading firm within host city partnerships, Riot Games developed a programme inspired by traditional sports structures that saw over 40 cities bid to host the first LEC Finals. Analysis of the LEC Spring Finals held at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam on April 13th and 14th shows impressive economic impact that outperforms other sports events of similar size and length, in hockey, soccer and basketball.

This economic impact analysis concludes that the LEC Spring Finals contributed €2,358,417 to the local economy of Rotterdam. The study combines personal on-site surveys with Riot Games' verified accounts and ticket-sale data from the event and found the average guest spent €52.6 per day and 87.13% of the event's guests were non-local visitors. Alongside the measurable impact, the study also found additional impacts such as the future potential of tourism with visitors stating they would be willing to travel long distances to visit the LEC. The Spring Finals hosted visitors from China, South Korea, Peru and 37.83% of international visitors stated they would consider moving to Rotterdam if the right job opportunity became available.

The Riot Games host city process, which was the first of its kind in esports, has been in development since 2018 and the high demand from host cities has resulted in Riot Games expanding their programme with cities being invited to bid two years in advance with applications for 2021 now open.   

"Esports is maturing. We're establishing processes based on long-standing sports to elevate the industry and to develop the ecosystem further," said Alban Dechelotte, Head of Business Development and Sponsorships for the LEC. "At the same time we're offering something traditional sports doesn't have, a younger tech-oriented audience, and this provides tremendous value for cities looking to attract a hard to reach demographic. Whilst the broadcast potential of esports means we're able to promote a city on an international scale. Streaming knows no borders."   

"We've assisted many sports rights holders in their host city partnerships, but the interest for esports is at a level we have never experienced before," said Ronnie Hansen, Director of Sports Practice for Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports. "Our study shows an impressive economic impact, outperforming other sport events of similar size and lengths. The reason is very simple; the share of non-local guests is substantial and the spend from a young, well-educated demography is high."

"We were thrilled to host Riot Games in our venue (2016 for the EU LCS and 2019 for the LEC Spring Finals). Our indoor arena is made for big and exciting sporting events and is the perfect location in Rotterdam, and even in the Netherlands, for esports tournaments. Amazing atmosphere, great audience and we would love to host more esports events in the future!", according to CEO of Rotterdam Ahoy, Jolanda Jansen.

The LEC launched in January 2019 and quickly became the most viewed esport league in Europe with a 25% increase in average viewers per minute for the final weekend from 2018. The league has also signed a significant number of mainstream sponsors including Shell, Kia, Beko and Footlocker and the number continues to rise with more sponsors being revealed this Summer.  

The LEC Summer Finals heads to Athens on September 7th and 8th for more information please visit eu.lolesports.com.

The bidding process for 2020 is already closed by applications are open for 2021.To find out more about the host city bidding process please visit: https://bcw-sport.com/league-of-legends-host/

Alban Dechelotte is speaking at Host City 2019, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events. Register here