2014 was a momentous year for Scotland and major events were at the heart of the excitement. The great success of the “best ever” Commonwealth Games in 2014 was followed by an acclaimed Ryder Cup.

“We’ve been putting Scotland forward as the perfect stage for events for a number of years,” Paul Bush OBE, chief operating officer of EventScotland told HOST CITY magazine. “What came out of last year is that it was a step change for us.”

The successes of 2014 have provided a platform for future hosting successes, building on proven strengths that EventScotland refers to as the “four Cs”: capacity, capability, credibility and confidence.

“Our capacity, in terms of number of volunteers, transport, infrastructure and accommodation, is now recognised around the world,” says Bush. “As for capability, all the events were delivered as the best ever or recognised some of the best.

“Credibility is about reputation; the experience of people coming to our events was high. And the feedback we had from the local population was extremely positive – they didn’t see the events as an impediment; they saw them as something to be proud of. 

“And that’s given us the confidence to look bigger and better in the future. The international federations now have great confidence in bringing their events back to Scotland this year.”

Glasgow is hosting the IPC Swimming World Championships and the World Gymnastics Championships in 2015. 

Outside the cities, Scotland is hosting seven golf tournaments back to back this year. The Open Championships takes place in St. Andrews this year while the Women’s British Open takes place in Turnberry in Ayrshire.

The World Orienteering Championships, which has record number of entries already this year, takes place in Speyside, the countryside around Aberdeenshire.

And the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is taking place in Fort William again in what has become an annual Scottish fixture. 

“We’re really cognisant of the fact that we’ve got to spread the benefit as much as we can across the country,” says Bush.

“That’s not always possible because the facilities and the infrastructure are often the driver, but using our natural landscape is really important to us. 

The European Eventing Championships, the final qualifying event for Rio 2016, is in the tiny village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire. “The infrastructure that will be needed to put up around that will be huge, and that will really showcase the landscape of that area.”

The 2014 Ryder Cup was hosted on a greenfield site at Gleneagles. Despite the influx of 50,000 people a day, there were no problems in getting people to and from the event – thanks to a transport infrastructure group set up by the Scottish government to look after major events. Initially set up for the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, this group has since maintained its position within Transport Scotland to ensure the smooth operation of all major events. 

Beyond sport

Major cultural events are also an invaluable part of Scotland’s hosting portfolio. Glasgow was the European City of Culture in 1990, hosted the MOBOs in 2009, 2011 and 2013, the MTV Awards in 2014 and is hosting the Turner Prize in 2015. 

“Glasgow is recognised as one of the cultural gems of Europe; it has a huge history and heritage within contemporary arts,” says Bush, pointing out that three of the last five Turner Prize winners were educated at the Glasgow School of Art. 

“The MTV Awards got to a totally different demographic in terms of young people. MTV communicates through social media –their ticket sales for Glasgow were activated through Facebook, they don’t rely on traditional routes at all.”

Scotland nurtures its own cultural events that are incredibly valuable to the economy. The Edinburgh Festivals bring in around £262m each year, while Hogmanay alone brings in over £30m each year. 

“We’ve got some great gems in the cultural portfolio that we want to sustain and grow,” says Bush.

Business events are also an increasingly important feature of Scotland’s event strategy. “Meetings, corporate events, incentives, associations – these have now become part of our portfolio and we are looking to see how the synergies work between these different types of events,” says Bush.

Mass participation is another area where Scotland is keen to grow and diversify. Bush cites the London Prudential Ride and Melbourne’s Ride the Night, which attracted a quarter of a million people into the city centre between dusk and dawn, as examples. 

“We are looking at pressing different buttons, accepting the fact that we are not going to get the Ryder Cup or the Commonwealth Games every year, or even every lifetime. “The big thing for us is to ensure that people who come to events become repeat visitors in the future. 

“Last year, most people’s perceptions of Glasgow were changed and they realised what a great city it was to come to. A lot of cities have stigmas attached to them. But people thought this is a great city, it’s a really fun place to come to and the people are really welcoming.”

How to become a world class host

So, how can other cities and countries around the world follow this example build themselves into world-leading event destinations?

“The most important thing is you’ve got to have a very clear strategy and you’ve got to stick to that. It’s quite easy to buy events, as certain places in the world have successfully achieved. But you’ve got to work out your USPs, your strategy and your vision.

“You’ve got to invest in good people and you’ve got to give those people the time, the ability and the confidence. In Scotland we started this in 2001 – that’s 14 years ago. “But probably the most important thing in terms of long term success is your ability to deliver and the reputation that comes from that.” 

International conventions for the event hosting industry are precious few, but make the most of these, says Bush. “They are really important because they provide that ideal opportunity to get everybody in one place in the world to rekindle those relationships.”

This interview was first published in the Winter 2014/15 Issue of HOST CITY magazine. Since then, Glasgow has been awarded the hosting rights to the new 2018 European Sports Championship.

The European Judo Championships, originally set to take place in Glasgow, will now take place as part of Baku European Games in June, following a disagreement between the European Judo Union (EJU) and the British Judo Association (BJA).

Judo is the first European Championships to be integrated with the European Games. The Games now offers the opportunity for athletes to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Glasgow’s Emirates Arena was due to host the Games on 9-12 April this year but the EJU withdrew the hosting rights from the BJA on 14th February.

This was reportedly due to concerns over a sponsorship agreement that would have seen the Ultimate Fighting Championship promote the European Judo Championships to its audience of mixed martial arts.

“The European Judo Union has come to the realisation that the British Judo Association does not fit the EJU criteria to host the EJU flagship event,” the EJU said in a statement last weekend.

“The BJA had entered into a sponsorship agreement which did not meet the EJU values.”

Within the space of a week, a new host city has been allocated. The event has now been incorporated into Baku 2015’s judo competition, to take place during the final four days of the inaugural 2015 European Games, which takes place from 12 to 28 June. 

“After the cancellation of the event in Glasgow, our priority was to find a new host as quickly as possible. We have done this and I am very happy with our choice,” said Sergey Soloveychik, President of the EJU.

“Baku 2015 has a world-class judo venue with supporting facilities which will help Europe’s elite judoka reach peak performance in June.

“For all the judo fans who have already bought their tickets for Emirates Arena in Glasgow, they will have an opportunity to get free tickets to the judo venue in Baku.”

The decision to incorporate the European Championships into the Games ensures that Europe’s top judoka will be competing at Baku 2015, as the Championships is a qualifying event for Rio 2016.

“This decision further strengthens the European Games with 12 of the 16 Olympic Sports now offering direct or indirect qualifying opportunities for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,” said Azad Rahimov, chief executive officer of Baku 2015 and Azerbaijan’s minister of youth and sport. 

Other sports offering qualification opportunities for Rio 2016 are archery, athletics, boxing, cycling, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball and wrestling. There are 20 sports in total at the European Games, which is administered by the European Olympic Committees (EOC). 

Judo is the first European Championships to be integrated into the European Games. 

“The EOC has always intended for European Championships to become part of the European Games and this agreement indicates that our aim is coming true, even earlier than we had anticipated,” said EOC president Patrick Hickey.

“I am sure other sports will follow suit at future editions of the European Games and that the event will become one of the main qualification routes for the Olympic Games.”

Despite the decision to move the EJU Champsionships to Baku, Scotland retains a strong portfolio of events after hosting the acclaimed Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup in 2014. 

In 2015, Scotland is hosting the IPC Swimming World Championships, the World Gymnastics Championships, the World Orienteering Championships and the World Equestrian Championships, as well as seven golf tournaments and the Turner Prize. 

“Scotland has a huge amount to offer in terms of its natural assets, its people and its infrastructure,” Paul Bush OBE, chief operating officer of EventScotland told HOST CITY. 

In an address to the Danish National Olympic Committee (NOC) Congress on Thursday, IOC president Dr Thomas Bach made it clear that the choice of host city is not an endorsement of a country’s political system, because the IOC is politically neutral.

He also explained how the Host City contract now prevents discrimination of athletes and binds the organisers of the Games to uphold international agreements applicable in the host country. 

The theme of the NOC Congress was called “Can Sport Save the World?” 

Bach said “Sport can neither save the world alone nor can it alone make the world a better and peaceful place. But sport has the power to contribute to a better harmonious and peaceful world.”

Sport can do this through the universal law of fair play, he said. “Regardless of where we practice sport, regardless of who is playing sport, the rules are the same. They are recognized worldwide. They are based on a common ‘global ethic’ of fair-play, tolerance and friendship. 

“This means in sport all people are equal. In order to be able to apply this universal law worldwide and to promote this global ethic sport must be politically neutral. If not, we could not ensure the equal treatment of all people without any kind of discrimination – sport would be torn apart by politics.

“We have seen this in the past with some political boycotts which did not serve any good purpose. Furthermore, boycotts are a fundamental contradiction to the spirit of sport depriving it of the means to work for peace, mutual understanding and solidarity.

“To be politically neutral does not mean to be apolitical. In fact in the past many people pretended falsely two things: Firstly, that sport has nothing to do with money. Secondly, that sport has nothing to do with politics.” 

While remaining politically neutral, the IOC must consider the political implication of its decisions, Bach said. 

“This is most obvious when it comes to choosing the venues for major sports events, above all for the biggest and most important of these, the Olympic Games. Because already a candidature for the Olympic Games draws the world’s attention to the candidate country. This is even more true for the host country with the additional economic implications and investments. 

“Choosing a host city does not mean that the IOC necessarily agrees with the political and/or the legal system in the host country. It does not mean that we agree with the death penalty or with discrimination, just to give two examples.

“It means however that in every country where we organize Olympic Games, we want to send the strong message of tolerance, respect and fair play. It means that we require compliance with all the values of the Olympic Charter for all participants at the Olympic Games.”

Bach gave examples, such as how the IOC asked for and received assurances that Russia’s law prohibiting the public promotion of homosexual orientation would not apply to any of the participants of the Olympic Games. 

He also cited how the IOC raised the issue unpaid migrant workers on the Olympic sites, leading to more than 500 companies being investigated and more than US$ 8m in unpaid wages being paid to 6175 workers. 

In another example, he pointed out that the IOC made the internet fully accessible to all participants of the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing. 

Agenda 2020 has created a new clause in the Host City Contract that “the organization of the Games must comply with local, regional and national legislation and international agreements and protocols applicable in the host country with regard to planning, construction, protection of the environment, health and safety and labour laws.” 

And through its Agenda 2020 review, the IOC has amended the Olympic Charter to state: “The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Olympic Charter shall be secured without discrimination of any kind such as race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” 

Bach said this language “mirrors the text of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” 

“It is the responsibility of the IOC to ensure the application of the Olympic Charter at the Olympic Games. At the same time we must acknowledge that we have neither the mandate nor the capability to change the laws or the political system of a sovereign country.”

The full text of the speech is available here.

Kazakhstan intends to bid for the 2026 FIFA World, subject to feasibility discussions with the government, the country’s FA president said on Wednesday.  

"We are discussing this issue with the government of my country to assess what are our chances,” Kazakhstan FA president Yerlan Kozhagapanov told L’Equipe.

Growing at an average of 5.4 per cent per annum, Kazakhstan’s is the largest economy in Central Asia. Its second largest city, Almaty, is currently bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. 

"Our country is developing rapidly, our economy is growing, so why not? We want to organise the winter [Olympic] Games in 2022, and we plan to engage in the race for the organisation of the World Cup 2026."

Kazakhstan is rich in oil but its national team has yet to qualify for a UEFA European Championship, let alone a World Cup.

The criteria for bidding for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be determined by FIFA’s executive committee on 30 May 2015. 

UEFA countries may be excluded from bidding for 2026, as Russia is hosting 2018. Asian countries will not be able to bid for 2026 as it immediately follows Qatar hosting the World Cup in 2022.

If it were to bid for 2026, Kazakhstan would likely be competing against the US, the world’s largest economy which also has a fast growing soccer market.

The host nation of the 2026 World Cup will be elected by 209 FA presidents at the FIFA Congress in Kuala Lumpur in May 2017.

As anticipated by HOST CITY last year, a bid from Britain for the World Expo 2025 has been confirmed. 

The UK culture secretary Sajid Javid said the need to boost the business events sector is a major driver for bidding for the World Expo.

The government is currently speaking with tourism bodies and the business events sector to decide on a location to put forward as a candidate for the World Expo 2025.

“Britain is renowned for putting on some of the biggest events in world sport, following the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Javid said.

Since 2012, London has twice been voted the world’s “Ultimate Sports City”.

However, London stands only tenth in the International Congress and Convention Association’s global ranking of numbers of business events hosted. 

Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Barcelona and Berlin make up the top five cities for hosting business events. 

America, Germany, Spain and France all host more business conferences and events than the UK, despite the fact that hosting business conferences and events brings GB£39.1bn to the country.

The UK’s intention to bid was announced as the government published its “Business Visits and Events Strategy” that seeks to attract some of the biggest global fairs and conferences to the UK’s cities. 

“I want us to increase our standing in the business events world and host more major conferences that can help generate growth for our economy and create jobs,” said Javid.

“Bringing the World Expo to the UK in 2025 would be a major coup and give us another great opportunity to champion the best of Britain to the world.”

The UK’s candidate city will be competing for the Expo against world cities such as Paris, which announced its intention to bid last year.

After selecting a candidate city, the UK will need to produce a candidature file that demonstrates its technical capability to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

Speaking at HOST CITY Bid to Win in October 2014, Dimitri Kerkentes, chief of staff at the BIE said: “We need to be able to be accountable, to say that when this project was approved to go forward to the voting stage we saw that you have the capacity to pull it off – whether it’s in four years’ time or nine months’ time – we saw that you have everything that’s technically required to host an Expo.”

The World Expo 2015 takes place in Milan from 1 May to 31 October. In 2020, Dubai will be hosting the World Expo. 

Bidding for and hosting a World Expo will again be a key topic of HOST CITY 2015, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events.

The IAAF awarded its flagship event, the 2021 World Championships, to the US city of Eugene on Wednesday in a surprise move that has provoked condemnation by the governing body of athletics in Europe.

The decision was made at a meeting of the IAAF Council in Beijing, bypassing the usual bidding procedure.

“Although this decision departs from the usual procedure, I am delighted that my Council colleagues understood the enormous opportunity presented to us to access a key market and have taken a decision in the interest of the global development of our sport,” said IAAF president Lamine Diack.

“In granting the championships to Eugene the IAAF Council have made a clear choice on a strategic decision that enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity that may never arise again, whereby public authorities, the private sector, the national Olympic Committee, NBC and a particularly enthusiastic public are joining forces.”

The news was greeted with surprise and consternation by European Athletics.

“I would like to congratulate USA Track & Field and Vin Lananna, who has led Eugene’s bid, but I must say I am very surprised by the complete lack of process in the decision the IAAF has taken,” said Svein Arne Hansen, who was elected as president of European Athletics last week.

“The IAAF knew that Gothenburg was a serious candidate for the 2021 World Championships. Swedish Athletics and the city had put in a lot of effort over the years to prepare the bidding application but they have not even been given the chance to bid for the event. 

“I have already spoken to Swedish Athletics Federation President Björn Eriksson and he is deeply disappointed about what has happened. 

“I completely understand the disappointment of Björn and Göteborg & Co. CEO Camilla Nyman. I know that 2021 was the most important year for the city because it is when they will celebrate their 400th anniversary. 

“This type of decision would just not happen within European Athletics as we have a comprehensive bidding process that all candidates must follow.” 

Eugene bid for the 2019 Championships and lost out to Doha by just 15 votes to 12 votes, after Doha reportedly promised to raise $37 million for the IAAF from broadcasting and merchandise revenues. 

With 2021 going to the USA, this will be the first time a World Championships will be held outside of Europe for two consecutive editions. 

“This is, of course, not good for the development of our sport on the continent. European Athletics expects the World Championships to come back to Europe in 2023,” said Hansen.

The International Committee on Thursday launched a Register of Consultants representing cities bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games. 

The register was one of the recommendations of Olympic Agenda  2020, the “strategic roadmap for the Olympic Movement” initiated by IOC president Thomas Bach and unanimously approved by IOC members last year. 

The news was welcomed by Mike Lee OBE, chairman of Vero Communications, who has been involved in a number of successful Olympic bids including London 2012, Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018 and Buenos Aires 2018. 

“I think the idea of a register and codes of ethics and conduct are a very good way forward; we are very pleased to see that.” he told HOST CITY. 

“Like others, we will be making an application to be on that register and I think it’s a healthy development and it’s something which the business in sport in general should embrace. 

“Certainly you see it in other walks of life – it’s been around in the public affairs industry in many countries, so it’s a good thing and all part of increasing the opening and transparency of the bidding process."

According to the IOC, all consultants wishing to participate in or support a candidature for the Olympic Games must be entered in the IOC’s Register of Consultants list for the city concerned.

Entry in the Register is a prerequisite for providing any service and/or signing any service contract by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and/or the city.

The Register and Rules of Conduct form part of Olympic Agenda 2020’s Recommendation 3, which aims to reduce the cost of bidding for the Olympic Games, stating: “The IOC to create and monitor a register of consultants/lobbyists eligible to work for a bid city. Formal acceptance of the IOC Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct by such consultants/lobbyists as a prerequisite for listing in the register.”

The IOC considers a consultant to be any individual or company not linked by an employment contract to the NOC, the city or the bidding committee, and which/who participates in or supports a candidature by providing consultancy or similar services in any way and at any time.

The register will be published on www.olympic.org

Durban, the only city bidding for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is being subjected to full scrutiny as the Evaluation Commission conducts a full technical assessment of the bid this week. 

“We want to show the rest of the world that even the cities of South Africa can stand side by side with the great cities of the world,” said Gideon Sam, president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

“We will see this as an African dream and the coming together of Africa.” 

Over four days this week, the Evaluation Commission and Bid Committee will visit several venues, analyse and learn more about the technical aspects of the bid and meet with the government and city partners essential to delivering the Games.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission is chaired by CGF honorary secretary Louise Martin CBE, who also chaired Glasgow’s bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

“As a Commonwealth Sports Movement, we cannot fail to be excited by the prospect of a first Commonwealth Games in Africa, and warmly welcome Durban and South Africa’s bid and congratulate the Durban Bid Team and their local and national partners for all the hard work they have put in so far,” she said.

“This Evaluation Commission, however, has a very important job to do – to analyse and gain a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of the bid and hear firsthand the plans and strategies that will be put in place to deliver an inspiring and inclusive Games for everyone in seven years time. To borrow the bid team’s slogan, we are Ready to be Inspired.”

Addressing the Bid Committee at the start of the visit, she said “Our intention is to work with you and support you, to evaluate the current developments and help optimise them in partnership and in preparation for their endorsement by the CGF General Assembly in September.”

She added that the Commission intends this week “to be the beginning of a candid, collaborative and constructive partnership”. 

Martin is joined on the Commission by David Grevemberg, CGF chief executive; Andrew Ryan, executive director, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF); Ian Hooper, director of sport and special projects, Glasgow Life; and Maxwell de Silva, secretary general, Sri Lankan Commonwealth Games Association and National Olympic Committee.

“We will be working with the Evaluation Commission to clarify and strengthen the city’s bid,” said Mark Alexander, Chairman of the Durban Bid Committee on Monday.

“We are expecting robust discussion and debate from the Evaluation Commission, but we are confident that our bid is well-grounded, sustainable and will stand up to the most vigorous scrutiny.” 

Bid Committee CEO Tubby Reddy added: “There is no doubt that we have put up a quality bid which will far exceed the expectations of the CGF. We have been meticulous and sensitive to all the demands from the City as well as from the CGF, and we believe that Durban has produced a world-class bid.

“Our belief in bringing the Games to Africa remains firm and very optimistic.”

Durban’s bid will be voted on by all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth Games Federation membership at their General Assembly on 2 September 2015. 

The Evaluation Commission will prepare a Bid Evaluation Report to present to the CGF membership no later than one month before the General Assembly.

Transformation 2022 in Africa

On the way to Durban, CGF chief executive David Grevemberg visited the IOC’s Sport for Hope Centre in Lusaka, Zambia to meet with 18 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) from African nations as part of a Commonwealth-wide consultation with the CGF membership on Transformation 2022, the Commonwealth Sports Movement’s ambitious agenda for growth and innovation.

“Transformation 2022 aims to place athletes, and the transformational impact of their achievements and performances on citizens and communities, at the heart of the Federation’s vision. And there is no better place to have such powerful discussions than in the incredible sporting continent of Africa,” said David Grevemberg in Lusaka.

“This is a defining moment for our African colleagues, as they unite to support the ambitions of Durban and South Africa in their bid to host an inclusive and inspiring Commonwealth Games in 2022. It is also a defining moment for the Commonwealth Sports Movement, as we plan ambitiously for the future and develop and deliver Transformation 2022 in partnership with our members”.

Welcoming the delegation, Zambia’s Honourable Minister of Youth and Sport, Hon Vincent Mwale MP, said: “African Commonwealth Games Associations have a vital role to play in achieving the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Strategic plan for 2022. 

“The CGF provides a unique arrangement bringing diverse nations together for a common cause - sport. The Commonwealth Movement embraces unity and humanity, impacting citizens and communities across our region and this is critical to foster mutual collaboration and prosperity through sport.”

The Plasticity Forum will hold its fourth annual conference on 8 and 9 June in Cascais, on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal. The forum will bring together approximately 200 business leaders and experts to discuss innovative solutions to the growing plastic pollution problem facing land and marine environments.

A global event, The Plasticity Forum was launched in Rio de Janeiro, and has since been held in Hong Kong and New York, with the upcoming conference marking its first European event. 

The venue for this year's event will be the Pousada de Cascais - Cidadela Historic Hotel, an old fort facing the Atlantic Ocean that has been converted into a boutique resort. The event will also include a dinner for all attendees at The Presidential Palace in Cascais.

A recent study from the University of Georgia's College of Engineering found between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010 from people living within 50 kilometers of the coastline. That year, a total of 275 million metric tons of plastic waste was generated in those 192 coastal countries. Globally, some 280 million tons of plastic is produced annually, yet estimates suggest that only 10 percent is actually recycled. 

Capturing this waste stream presents a significant and untapped business opportunity, as does the redesign of packaging and the thought process around waste creation. The Plasticity Forum presents ideas and opens up discussions on how to harness this material in new ways.

"Companies are beginning to realize that environmental sustainability has a positive impact not only on the communities they serve, but also their own bottom line," said Doug Woodring, founder of Plasticity. “Managing the plastic ecosystem through recycling, reuse and closed-loop methods can make our planet healthier while also creating efficiency in corporate supply chains.”

The Executive Committee of the International World Games Association has chosen Birmingham, Alabama as the host city of the 2021 World Games.

The decision was announced on Thursday at a press conference in the Mövenpick Hotel in Lausanne, 

Birmingham beat off competition from Lima in Peru and the Russian city of Ufa. 

The decision was made after the delegations’ final presentations to the IWGA Executive Committee at the International Olympic Committee headquarters. 

"All the bids we received were of very high quality, and it was not easy for us to reach a decision,” said José Perurena, President of the International World Games Association. 

“We have to deliver nothing less than outstanding World Games. We are convinced that Birmingham will exceed these expectations.

“We are happy to showcase our sports in Birmingham in July 2021, and we are sure that we will be offered optimal conditions for our sportsmen and women there.”

Perurena also hailed Birmingham’s organisational skills and the support of the city administration and the National Olympic Committee.

Birmingham Council President Johnathan Austin said "The city of Birmingham will make the World Games 2021 the best World Games that you all have seen."

The decision is subject to “successful negotiation of contractual conditions” and the agreement with the host city will not be signed until the close of the Annual General Meeting in April 2015. 

Birmingham, the largest city in Alabama, has never hosted an international multi-sports event before. 

The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau is anticipating that hosting the 2021 World Games will bring an economic benefit of more than US$250m from visitors to the city. 

The cost of hosting the Games has been forecast to be US$75m, which will raised from public and private sources.

The World Games is a quadrennial and multidisciplinary sports event under the patronage of the IOC, showcasing more than 25 sports including Gymnastics, Squash, Tug of War, Sumo and Roller Sports. About 4,500 athletes and officials from approximately 100 countries take part.

The 2021 World Games will the 11th edition, following the 10th World Games in July 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland.

The World Games has not been to the USA since the inaugural edition in 1981 in Santa Clara, California. 

The bidding process for the 2021 World Games began in early 2014. The host city selection process is restricted to Executive Committee members, according to Inside the Games. The IWGA is reported to be reviewing the bidding process going forward to engage sports federations in the evaluation and selection processes.