The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has appointed David Grevemberg, the chief executive of the Glasgow 2014 organising committee, as its chief executive.

Grevemberg will take up the new position in November. Commenting on his appointment in a statement from the CGF, Grevemberg said: “It will be an honour and privilege to lead the Commonwealth sports movement on the next stage of its journey. 

“This is a time of tremendous opportunity for the Commonwealth in which sport has an impactful role to play in empowering, inspiring and connecting nations and people in shared purpose.”

Grevemberg appointment was foreshadowed by exclusive comments he made in the cover story of the spring issue of HOST CITY magazine. “One of the biggest challenges is to continue to make sure that the Games represent quality, quantity and universality,” he told HOST CITY in April, when asked about the future of the Games.

“As the Commonwealth Games Federation moves forwards and future hosts come down, it’s about really making sure that the Games can manage all of that and perpetuate itself further by ensuring that it is continually relevant. That will be essential for its success.”

"Ambitious and positive"

In addition to his experience of delivering the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 41-year old Grevemberg has worked for a major event owner, as executive director of sport and international federation relations at the International Paralympic Committee. 

“I’ve spent a very long and rewarding time in the Paralympic sport movement,” Grevemberg told HOST CITY in April, when asked about his future plans. “And now to be on the other side of the fence in such a leadership role is really an honour and a privilege.

“My main focus right now is to deliver a fantastic Games. I have enjoyed the opportunity to deliver on ambition, particularly at a very anxious time in the world – to be part of something that is so ambitious and so positive.

“I’ve learned quite a lot that’s going to really benefit me moving forward… it’s really given me a sense of what is possible when you get all the plans to align, in terms of the private, public and third sector. While we are all playing different instruments, the symphony sounds beautiful. It’s not just about alignment; it’s really about attunement.

“We are a force for social, cultural, environmental and economic impact, from a local to a global level. All those things play into a broader agenda, which is where I think the world of sport is heading.”

The appointment, which will not surprise HOST CITY readers, was confirmed on June 5th. The president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, HRH Prince Imran, said: “I am absolutely delighted to have a sports leader of David’s calibre join us at this important time for the Commonwealth sports movement. 

“He has an excellent track record for delivery and shows a real ambition for harnessing the power of sport within the Commonwealth. We look forward very much to the energy, vision and commitment he will bring to the Federation.”

In the statement from the CGF, Grevemberg added. “I look forward to working with HRH Prince Imran, the Executive Board and the whole Commonwealth Games family – in particular Samoa and Gold Coast, hosts of the next Commonwealth Youth Games and Commonwealth Games. 

“I’d also like to pay tribute to Mike Hooper for the commitment he has shown to Commonwealth sport over the past 14 years as the CGF’s Chief Executive.”

On 21-22 October, the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on the tropical island of Barbados will be the venue of the Soccerex Americas Forum. The event promises to connect the leading administrators and business figures within the Americas with their global counterparts.  

The confederation has plans for a Caribbean Premier League to emulate the success of Mexico's Liga MX, which recorded the fourth highest average attendance of any professional league in the world, and the MLS, which is set to add four new franchises over the next three years.

 “We are proud and privileged to be the host location for this year’s Soccerex Americas Forum,” said Petra Roach, interim president and CEO, Barbados Tourism Authority. 

“As a nation of sporting enthusiasts, we take football very seriously, and thus are delighted to be able to facilitate an event whereby the beautiful game is at the core of the discourse.”

Major events will be an important focus of the conference programme, with the 2016 Copa America and a potential CONCACAF 2026 World Cup bid high on the agenda. 

Sport tourism will also figure prominently, due to the region’s attractive climate and rich sporting culture. The conference programme will also cover league development and player development and retention.

The event will also feature a review of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with a number of footballing legends appearing.

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said: “I am delighted that our first Americas Forum will be held in Barbados, a country with a huge sporting passion. It will provide a great location to start our time in the region and to continue our efforts of strengthening football business within the Americas.  With all the beautiful island has to offer, there isn’t a better backdrop to do business.”

For further details about the Soccerex Americas Forum, please contact Soccerex on +44 208 987 5522 or email us on enquiry@soccerex.com. 

After bidding for the 1996 and 2008 Summer Olympics, Toronto turned to the 2015 Pan American Games to bring an international mega event to the city. The Ontarian city was picked by the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO) over rival cities Lima and Bogota to host the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games.

The organising committee of Toronto 2015 has heralded these Games as being particularly environmentally friendly as well as being twice the size of the Winter Olympics held in Vancouver in 2010. The organising committee is planning a spend of US$2.2bn on the event – the most ever spent on a Pan American Games.

A Games this big, held in Canada’s most populous city, needs a huge yet reliable level of infrastructure. US$641 million has been set aside for building and renovating infrastructure in the city. That’s where Allen Vansen, the executive vice-president of operations, sport and venue management, comes in.

Vansen was the former vice-president of Triathlon Canada as well as being the vice-president of Workforce Operations and Integration at the Vancouver 2010 Games before coming to work on the Toronto 2015 organising committee.

His experiences in Vancouver were vital in providing a benchmark for the level of service required at the Pan-American Games, he says. “Working on the Pan-American Games has given us a license to be as innovative as we can be and I think that’s one of the things we’ve really taken to heart as we’ve looked at London and some elements of Sochi in terms of things we can do a little bit differently.”

The organising committee selected two vastly experienced organisations as technology partners in order to achieve this innovation. IT services corporation Atos and networking equipment giant Cisco were chosen as two of the ‘Premier Partners’ of the Games. Atos are the official Games systems integration partner and official provider of timing, scoring and results – crucial Games infrastructure, according to Vansen.

“When you get down to it, nothing’s more important in a Games than the sport and competition and of course timing, scoring and the publishing of those results in critically important. We know with Atos we have a fantastic provider who has tons of Games experience to bring to the table to ensure we deliver those core critical systems.”

Meanwhile, Cisco will be providing the event with wireless network security, unified computing, cloud services, customised Cisco operated stadium Wi-Fi and stadium vision solutions. “With Cisco one of the things we’re pretty excited about is the video and telepresence opportunities that happen for our media at our main press centre,” says Vansen.

But with innovations in technology, communications and networking comes heightened security risks.

To read the rest of the article, register to receive the next issue of HOST CITY magazine

FIFA’s embattled president Sepp Blatter took the opportunity of addressing his organisation’s congress in Sao Paulo on Wednesday to speak up for integrity in football and highlight the universal reach of the sport. 

Standing firm in the eye of a storm over alleged corruption, Blatter said "These are important times for FIFA.

“We must lead by example and we must listen to all voices; we must be responsible and upright in all that we do; we must do the right thing even if that comes at a cost.

“We must carry the flame of responsibility and honesty and always with respect. If not, we will be a traitor to this game we all love.”

Calling on FIFA’s members to unite against prejudice, he said “We can defeat it and we have to do it. 

“Suspension and empty stadiums are not enough,” he said, warning that FIFA could expel, relegate or dock points from teams that are linked to discriminatory behaviour. 

Blatter’s hard line rhetoric on discrimination echoes remarks he made to the Confederation of African Football on Monday, when he described the latest wave of allegations of corruption as a "storm against FIFA".

His response to allegations made by the UK’s Sunday Times that FIFA Executive Committee members were bribed into voting was to say that the western media is prejudiced. 

"Sadly there's a great deal of discrimination and racism and this hurts me. It really makes me sad," he told the Confederation of African Football on Monday. 

This accusation riled the European football community further still, with UEFA executive committee members Michael van Praag and David Gill having called for Blatter’s resignation. 

However, Blatter is expected to announce later in the FIFA Congress that he will not step down in 2015, as he once stated, but that he will stand for a fifth term as president.

"Football is not just a game; it is a multi-billion dollar business. I don't know if that is good or not. It creates controversial situations and then some difficulties. In this changing world little is beyond the reach of politics and economics,” he said.

As for future of football, the boundaries are limitless. “We shall wonder if one day our game is played on another planet. Then we will have not only a World Cup we will have inter-planetary competitions. Why not?”

The world’s largest multi-sports rights holder has partnered with the world’s largest tyre and rubber company. 

In an agreement through to 2024, The Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, has joined The Olympic Partner (TOP) programme – the IOC’s small group of sponsors with exclusive marketing rights.

This is the first sponsorship agreement is the first to be signed under the watch of the IOC’s new marketing commission chairman, Tsunekazu Takeda.

“I am delighted that a leading Japanese company, Bridgestone, will become the 11th Worldwide TOP Partner and the second TOP Partner to commit through to 2024,” said, the IOC’s marketing commission chairman, who is also president of the Japanese Olympic Committee and vice president of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee.

“As the first Partner the IOC has signed under my Chairmanship of the Marketing Commission I am also personally very happy that we were able to make this global announcement in Tokyo,” said Takeda.

Alongside 10 other Worldwide TOP Partners including McDonalds, Coca Cola and Visa, Bridgestone will not only partner with the IOC but also all 204 National Olympic Committees and their Olympic teams.

The tyre manufacturer will also partner with the organisers of future Olympic Games, including the Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the 2022 and 2024 Olympic Games – the host cities of which have yet to be elected. 

Bridgestone will supply tyres and related services to support the transport operations at Games time, including the vehicles for the athletes, media and officials. 

“The long-term, global support the TOP Programme provides is essential to the entire Olympic Movement, as well as to the staging and operations of each Games,” said Takeda.

As well as tyres, the product categories covered by the agreement include seismic isolation bearings and non-motorised bicycles. The company also manufactures industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods.

Bridgestone CEO and Chairman Masaaki Tsuya said, “As a global corporation, Bridgestone is excited to partner with the entire Olympic Movement, a group of organisations that not only brings together the world’s athletes at the greatest athletic festival, but also blends this celebration of sport with a spirit of service to community, social responsibility, a respect for diversity and a commitment to the fundamental principles of Olympism.”

As a Worldwide TOP Partner, Bridgestone will partner with the IOC and all 204 National Olympic Committees and their Olympic teams.

“The TOP programme is a truly global sponsorship programme, as it benefits all future Games organisers and all the National Olympic Committees and their athletes, ensuring that athletes from all over the world, and not just the largest countries, are able to compete at the Games,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

“Indeed, the IOC redistributes over 90 per cent of its revenues to the wider sporting movement. Bridgestone is a global leader in its field, and we are delighted to welcome the company to the TOP programme and are excited about the long-term commitment they have shown to the Olympic Movement.”

Representatives from National Olympic Committees across Europe and other overseas dignitaries converged on the capital of Azerbaijan to celebrate the start of a yearlong countdown to the Baku 2015 European Games.

More than 25,000 spectators watched the fireworks and laser light show on Wednesday night, indicating strong public support and enthusiasm for the inaugural European Games.

 “The whole of Azerbaijan is passionate about hosting the European Games – you could feel the excitement all over Baku for our 1 Year To Go celebrations,” said Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports and Chief Executive of Baku 2015. 

“The European Games will have a long term positive impact on our country, and particularly on the lives of our young people. We look forward to welcoming people from across Europe to Baku to enjoy world class sport in an amazing city.”

Baku was awarded the Games by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in December 2012. The Baku European Games Operations Committee (BEGOC) will organise and run the Games in co-operation with the EOC.

 “The scale and pace of development here in Baku have been remarkable,” said Patrick Hickey, president of the EOC. “But we do not have a moment to lose: two years of excellent work have given us the opportunity to stage a truly outstanding inaugural European Games, and we must make the most of that opportunity. 

“Baku 2015 is already in the home straight, and under the leadership of Minister Rahimov I am positive BEGOC will deliver an innovative, sustainable, impactful and athlete-centred European Games.”

Baku 2015 will be the first ever European Games, an exciting and innovative new multi-sport event for the continent that will take place from 12 June until 28 June 2015. There will be a total of 19 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and three non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes are expected to represent their nations over the 17 days of competition.

Nine of the sports will offer Olympic qualification for the Rio 2016 Games: archery, athletics, beach volleyball, cycling, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and triathlon.

The Glastonbury Festival has secured a new premises licence that will enable it to continue to hold the event at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, until 2024.

The new application received only a few representations, of which all concerns were satisfied by the deadline. In the past, Glastonbury Festival's licences have been subject to scrutiny in a public hearing because of objections from the public or concerns from those with an interest in the safety of the event such as the police, fire or ambulance services.

As one of the world’s largest cultural events without any permanent infrastructure, Glastonbury Festival requires large amounts of temporary event infrastructure and seasonal operational expertise. 

Ensuring safety at the music festival will fall under the watch of Nigel Hunt, building control manager at Mendip District Council and interim head of the proposed Somerset Building Control Partnership.

“This is an enormous festival and no one can afford to be complacent – we will continue to work with the organisers to ensure this remains one of the safest events anywhere, and if we have any doubts about this we will take action,” said Mr Hunt. 

“Thankfully, this year everything went without a hitch and my team did a superb job as ever.”

His structures monitoring team, which already has many years of Glastonbury Festival experience, is responsible for all temporary structures including the Avalon Inn, the Irish Piano Bar and the new BBC studio in The Park, as well as all the stages and platforms.

Building control teams are involved as part of the licensing team at sporting and cultural events. 

“This is my second year working at Glastonbury and I still can’t believe the size and scale of the festival, the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes and the number of miles the building control team have to walk every day on their shifts,” said local authority building control (LABC) director of training Anna Thompson, who attended this year’s festival as part of the structures monitoring team for Mendip District Council.

A secret report by the Brazilian government specifies security risks in half of Brazil’s 12 host cities. 

The concerns outlined in the report, which is based on consultation with members of the public and was leaked to O Globo, include the risk of strikes and protest.

Rio de Janeiro suffers from “a difficult relationship between public authorities and society”, the report says. And in Sao Paulo, a “potential problem” identified is a $25m budget cut for the military police.

The government is also concerned that civil servants could strike in Belo Horizonte, which might “fuel protests”.  In the northeast, unrest between farm workers and indigenous groups is mentioned as another area of concern. 

The report also says “opposition parties are attempting to wreck the image” of the Governor of Brasilia, Agnelo Queiroz. Concerns are also raised over the safety of teams and visitors, according to O Globo.

President Dilma Rousseff’s office described the report as preliminary and inconclusive, saying that the information published in O Globo was neither official nor verified. 

Brazil’s sports minister Aldo Rebelo has also played down such concerns. "The possibility of protest during the World Cup is very limited,” he told The Guardian on Monday. 

“People are more interested in celebrating the World Cup. Peaceful protests are protected by the constitution. Violent protests are forbidden by law and they are matters for the police to deal with."

Nonetheless, Brazilian authorities will be keen to pre-empt and avoid any potential for further civil unrest, in the wake of the striking and protesting that took place in several cities during last year’s Confederations Cup.

Security concerns are also highlighted by the announcement earlier this week that Brazil is to establish “no fly zones” of a 7km radius over each stadium on World Cup match days, despite major disruption to travel.

Team SA is hoping to make a historic impact at Glasgow 2014. 

“As a nation, we are proud that on the five occasions that South Africa has competed to the Commonwealth Games since democracy, the medal tally has been very impressive,” said Tubby Reddy CEO of South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

“The 2014 Commonwealth Games are no exception; we hope to win more medals as our athletes compete with the spirit of Tata Madiba in mind, that of a winning nation and empowering themselves through sport.”

2014 is a big year for Glasgow and also for South Africa, which is celebrating 20 years since the end of apartheid and its return to the Commonwealth Games in 1994.

South Africa competed at 11 of the 19 Commonwealth Games, from the original Games in 1930 to 1958. South Africa then withdrew from the British Commonwealth because of apartheid, but was later re-admitted and participated in the Games in 1994 – the year of Nelson Mandela’s election.

“We would like firstly to take part in the Commonwealth Games,” Mandela said shortly after his inauguration, and Team SA did indeed attend the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games and each edition thereafter.

“All credit goes to the late Madiba’s uniting spirit who believed sports can unite the world and redefine a country’s international image,” said SASCOC in a statement. “Sport’s power to change lives and move nations is often overstated and whilst imprisoned, Madiba supported international sports.”

Freedom of Glasgow

Nelson Mandela had a strong connection with Glasgow. In 1981, during his long period of imprisonment, Glasgow Council awarded Mandela the Freedom of the City. Some years after his release Mandela travelled to Glasgow to thank the city, saying "While we were physically denied our freedom in the country of our birth, a city 6,000 miles away, and as renowned as Glasgow, refused to accept the legitimacy of the apartheid system, and declared us to be free."

Speaking to HOST CITY on Friday, Glasgow's Lord Provost Sadie Docherty said: "Glasgow is extremely proud to be part of the Nelson Mandela story. We were proud to be the first city in the world to honour him with a Freedom of the City award Nelson Mandela was a true political and moral icon. His lifelong quest to bring freedom, justice and equality to the people of South Africa cost him his own freedom for many years. The participation of the South African team in the Commonwealth Games is part of his legacy and I have no doubt the South African team will want to dedicate their performance to his memory."

The Commonwealth Games South Africa Chef De Mission, Patience Shikwambana attended the Chef De Mission Seminar in Glasgow from 28 January – 01 February. “The Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) is on track in their preparations for the Games. We visited some of the training facilities and competition venue facilities and they are of world class standard and it’s pleasing to note that our athletes should be happy to participate in such top of the range facilities.”

At the conclusion of SPORTELAsia on Wednesday, the organisers announced a 12 per cent increase in the number of registered participants as compared to 2013. A total of 603 participants, representing 299 companies of 42 countries, participated in the 2014 Asian Convention.

Ms. Amparo Di Fede, General Manager of SPORTEL said “All participants are extremely satisfied of the high quality and number of exhibitors, especially Asian. Among the new ones were SMIT, Kosmogo, LETV, PPTV, Super Sport Media and Slam Ball.

“The loyalty of the global sports media community has grown strongly over the years and shows that SPORTEL continues to be their ‘must attend’ event".

The conference and panel programme was organised in collaboration with Sports Video Group and TV Sports Markets. A symposium was hosted in partnership with local agency Oceans Marketing entitled "Insight into the Chinese Sports Media Industry".

The next SPORTEL spring convention will return to Miami, where it was hosted in 2011. "Our community has anticipated and clearly chosen America for their next spring convention. SPORTELAmerica will once again welcome the international sports media community from 17 to 19 March 2015, at the JW Marriott in Miami, Florida."

The next SPORTEL event will be the 25th anniversary of SPORTELMonaco.  “The constant success of SPORTELMonaco conventions looks back on 25 years of dedication to our industry and to you, the SPORTEL community that has shared the same dedication and loyalty to us. We very much look forward to welcoming you once again in Monaco from Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 october 2014.”

Registration for SPORTELMonaco opens on 2 April 2014.