Event Management - Host City

AFC Asian Cup draw revealed

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Football Association

The AFC Asian Cup draw ceremony took place at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, attended by His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Football Association (QFA).

Qatar was drawn with Iran, UAE and Bahrain in Group C, while hosts Australia face South Korea, Oman and Kuwait in Group A. 

China was drawn with North Korea, Saudia Arabia and Uzbekistan in Group B. Group D is comprised of Japan, Jordan, Iraq and the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 winners.

On the eve of the draw, Sheikh Hamad confirmed his attendance at the Soccerex Asian Forum.

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said: “It’s a great honour to welcome Sheikh Hamad to the Asian Forum, with Qatar being an example of the rapid growth of football within Asia; we’re delighted to be able to offer our delegates the opportunity to network and do business with one of the most influential footballing administrators on the planet.”

Re-elected to another four-year term late last year, Sheikh Hamad was at the helm of the association when the country won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

One of the central figures behind the development of the commercial aspect of the game in Asia, Sheikh Hamad oversaw a number of major sponsorship deals for the association as well as the Q-League, including agreements with Qatar Airways, QNB Group and Aamal. 

Soccerex Asian Forum, organized in partnership with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), takes place on 13-14 May at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre, situated on the banks of The Dead Sea, Jordan.

For more information about AFC Asia Cup visit the www.afcasiancup.com

For further details about the Soccerex Asian Forum please contact Soccerex on +44 208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com

Delays and ambiguity could harm Rio 2016 delivery

 Nawal El Moutawakel, chair of the IOC Coordination Commission speaking at the 125th IOC Session

Major delays to Rio 2016 Olympic Games projects leave no room for further hold-ups, while responsibilities and funding for projects must be clarified to avoid problems in delivering the Games, the IOC said on Friday. 

The Organising Committee president Carlos Nuzman admitted there is “not a minute to lose”.

At the conclusion of the IOC’s Coordination Commission visit, chair Nawal El Moutawakel said “The Rio 2016 Olympic Games have a great potential for being a very exciting event which leaves many legacies. But although progress is being made, each decision that is postponed and each subsequent delay will have a negative impact on delivery – total focus and dedication are therefore required.”

In a strongly-worded public statement, the IOC said “Every second counts… The delivery timelines of some of the venues for test events and the Games have faced delays and now leave no margin for any further slippages.”

Nuzman said “We enter this crucial phase of our journey without a minute to lose, and certain that our partners in government share this vision”.

Rounding up a full day of site visits to the Barra and Deodoro clusters, the Coordination Commission made it clear that decisive action is required to avoid setbacks, saying “A number of important decisions remain to be made.”

A crucial meeting between the federal authorities and key Games stakeholders has been called on 27th March in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, where “it is expected that the responsibilities for each Games related project will be clarified along with the associated funding in order to avoid further significant delays in the delivery of the project.”

The Coordination Commission did, however, acknowledge that the organising committee has made progress in a number of areas since its last visit in September 2013 and IOC President Bach’s visit in February 2014. 

The overall venue masterplan has been finalised, the event’s “lifetime budget” has been validated and federal government efforts have been integrated under President Rousseff’s Chief of Staff, Aloizio Mercadante.

The commission also commended city authorities for rapid progress since taking over responsibility for the second Olympic Park in Deodoro, where construction work has yet to begin.

During its three day tour, the commission received updates from the organisers and their partners in areas such as athletes and National Olympic Committees (NOC) services, sport and international federations’ services, venues and infrastructure, accommodation, media operations, spectators, ticketing, transport, test events, marketing, and the Paralympic Games.

The IOC visit overlapped with a tour of World Cup venues by FIFA officials, who are currently in Brazil. Many 2014 World Cup projects are behind schedule.

The coordination commission’s next visit to Rio de Janeiro takes place in September 2014.

 

Rubgy wins popularity contest at World Games

South Africa beat Argentina in the last ever Rugby Sevens match at a  World Games (Photo: IRB)

The organisers of last year’s World Games, which was held in the Colombian city of Cali, have announced that Rugby Sevens was the event’s most popular sport.

The news is a boost to Rugby Sevens as it prepares to feature in the Olympic Games for Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. 

Cali 2013 was Rugby Sevens’ fourth and final appearance in the World Games. The multi-sport event, held in each year that follows the Summer Olympic Games, includes sports that are not currently on the Olympic Programme. 

The largest attendance out of all the sports events was recorded at the final of the Rugby Sevens tournament. 17,950 fans went to the Pascual Guerrero Stadium to watch South Africa and Argentina compete on 2 August. 

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “Rugby is excited to be at the top of this list and we are proud that we helped to make the World Games such a popular success.

“As we prepare to introduce Sevens to the Olympic Games summer programme at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, it is encouraging for us that we are proving to be a hit at other multi-sport events, especially given this was also in South America.”

South America is an important growth market for rugby.

The largest crowds of all were recorded for the flagship non-sports events, the opening and closing ceremonies, which each attracted 31,000 spectators.

A total of 408,198 tickets were sold for World Games events, with crowds averaging 76 per cent of venue capacity. The majority of events were virtually sold out, with 64 out of a total 106 events selling more than 97 per cent of tickets.

The next World Games takes place in the Polish city of Wroclaw in 2017.

12,000 volunteers selected for Grand Départ

Fans prepare for the arrival of cyclists down the Champs Elysee in Paris in 2013 (Photo by Dave Winter/SWPIX)

The first ever Tour Makers for the Tour de France in the UK have been selected, with 12,000 volunteers making it through the application process.

The Tour Makers will be the volunteer force that will welcome millions of visitors when the Tour de France Grand Départ begins in and races around Yorkshire for two days and a third stage from Cambridge to London. 

Official applications have been now completed and almost 12,000 people have been named as successful applicants and will become a Tour Maker. 

 The Tour Maker project is a first in the history of the Tour de France's Grand Départs.

Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, the agency who led the winning bid to bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire and devised the Tour Maker idea, said: "The response since day one to the Tour Maker project has been unbelievable, with so many people wanting to be directly involved with this historic event.”

Volunteers will be allocated roles by the TDFHub2014Ltd, who are delivering the Tour Maker programme. 

Nicky Roche, chief executive of TdFHUB2014 Ltd, which is managing the Tour Makers, said: “I’m delighted that we now have our 12,000 Tour Makers for Stages 1, 2 and 3. The team look forward to working with them and getting to know them over the next few months as they go through the training process. 

“The standard of applications was incredibly high, and I know that come July we will have a team of incredible, talented Tour Makers ready to welcome the world to the Tour de France in the UK.”

IOC impressed by Tokyo 2020 progress

The IOC coordination commission met with the new Tokyo 2020 team

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s coordination commission concluded its first visit to Tokyo on Friday, leaving with positive impressions of planning, personnel and infrastructure.

John Coates, chairman of the commission, said at the close of the meeting: “We have been very impressed with what we have seen this week during our visit. 

“The current level of planning; the venue layout; the involvement and integration of the Government authorities at all levels; and the experience and diversity of the new Executive Board all leave us confident in Tokyo’s ability to deliver great Games for the athletes in 2020.”

The IOC delegation also included Vice-Chair Alex Gilady, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli, and Deputy Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi.

From 2 to 4 April, the group participated in the first IOC project review of the Games preparations and were updated on progress made since Tokyo was elected as the host city of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in September 2013.

The IOC executives were introduced to members of the new Tokyo 2020 executive board. The Commission was particularly pleased to see that a number of athletes and women are on the Board, representing the culture and diversity of Japan, the IOC said in a statement.

Coates said: “Since my last visit to Tokyo with IOC president Thomas Bach in November 2013, Tokyo 2020 has successfully undertaken a number of important steps on its seven-year Olympic journey. The establishment of the organising committee, the constitution of its executive board, the creation of a high-level advisory committee, and its participation in the observer programme for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games will all enable Tokyo to face the coming six and a half years with a high level of confidence thanks to this quick start.”

The Games organisers presented on a number of topics, including governance, legacy, sustainability, accommodation, finance, commercial matters, engagement, medical, athlete preparation, venues and infrastructure. 

 

Venue visits

The delegation visited a number of the venue sites, including Yoyogi National Stadium, the Olympic Stadium, Nippon Budokan, Imperial Palace Garden, Tokyo International Forum, Kokugikan Arena, Odaiba Marine Park, Tokyo Big Sight, and viewed the sites of all the other future venues of the Tokyo Bay Zone. 

The venue visit also included a trip to the site of the future Olympic Village, where the delegation was joined by Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe, Olympic champion Koji Murofushi, and a number of young Japanese rowers, including Olympian Haruna Sakakibara, who took part in the London 2012 Games.

Yoshiro Mori, chairman of Tokyo 2020 said: “We have just completed three days of meetings, and I am very pleased that we were able to hold a range of productive discussions. We now have a much clearer understanding of the direction required for us to take to deliver successful Games.”

The first full IOC coordination commission visit to Tokyo will be held from 25 to 27 June 2014. This will be the first of 10 Commission visits to the 2020 host city over its seven-year lifecycle. 

“We will now work towards implementing the action plan that we have formulated together over the past three days, and we look forward to welcoming the members of the IOC Coordination Commission back to Tokyo this summer,” said Mori.

IOC puts all energy into averting Rio2016 failure

Dr Thomas Bach at SportAccord Convention in Belek

The President of the IOC, Dr Thomas Bach, confirmed at SportAccord Convention on Thursday that a series of measures have immediately been put in place to safeguard the success of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. 

The IOC has asked leaders in Brazil to form a high-level decision making body to coordinate the delivery of the Games. The IOC is also going to appoint a local project manager, with task forces focusing on specific areas.

Gilbert Felli, Director of Olympic Games at the IOC will head up a more frequent schedule of visits, starting on Monday. International federations have also been asked to play a more hands-on role in monitoring progress.

“We know about these concerns because of the excellent work of our coordination commission, which had a visit to Rio not too long ago,” President Bach said at the SportAccord Convention in Belek. “We believe Rio can and will deliver excellent Olympic Games if the appropriate actions are taken.”

Leaders from within the IOC met with the Rio 2016 organising committee on Wednesday at SportAccord Convention. “We had a very constructive atmosphere with our partners in Rio,” said Bach. “We then decided some measures – how we can accelerate the works in Rio, how we can work even closer with the organising committee and the different levels of government.”

The organising committee has been asked to put in place a high-level decision making body representing different levels of government, communication between which is a particular area of concern. 

“We will use our experience in organising Games to show how different levels of government can work better together; how seamless cooperation can be done; how can you then benefit from experience of previous organisers or experts.”

Bach cited Sochi as a good example. “We would enhance the collaboration with international federations and other key stakeholders in the way we had also done for Sochi, where we had dedicated project teams from different international federations going to Sochi on a regular basis.”

The three task forces to be established will focus on construction, operations and engaging population behind the Games. Mindful of recent protests directed towards the FIFA World Cup, Bach stressed that the benefits of hosting the Games would be communicated to the local population. “We have a very good message to send to the Cariocas because these Games will leave a great legacy for the city.”

Bach was keen to emphasise that the supervisory measures have not been enforced onto the Brazilian organisers. “We have informed the organisers and the major of Rio. The measures were very much welcomed. The strong commitment by the IOC to the success of these Games is very well appreciated by our Brazilian partners. 

Gilbert Felli is due to meet with Mayor Eduardo Paes and the organising committee on Monday 14th April. “A couple of days later he will have his first assessment,” said Bach. “This is not a measure being imposed by the IOC; this measure has been appreciated by the Organising Committee and the mayor.”

Unwilling to apportion blame at this stage, Bach said: “This is about 2016 and we have to look to the future, and not start a blame game for the past. We need all our energy; we share their concerns to make the games a success. 

“After the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games we can come back to this question of responsibility. But now we would not act in a responsible way if we were to look too much into the past.”

Qatar 2022 confirms attendance at Soccerex

Hasan Al Thawadi, secretary  general of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery

The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy has confirmed that it will send a delegation to the Soccerex Asian Forum, which takes place on 13 -14 May in Jordan. 

Secretary general Hassan Al Thawadi is to speak on the “Major Events Panel” and deliver an exclusive presentation on Qatar’s plans to host football’s biggest event. The 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts will also welcome delegates to the VIP Lounge and an exhibition stand that will highlight the various projects that Qatar is undertaking over the next eight years. 

“It is a huge honour to welcome back Mr. Al Thawadi and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy to another Soccerex event,” said Soccerex Chairman Tony Martin.

“The positive investment being made by Qatar for the World Cup represents the commitment and passion shown for football within this thriving continent.”

With an unprecedented number of stadiums and infrastructure projects to be built, training facilities to be supplied and sponsorships to be agreed on, the Qatar 2022 World Cup represents a unique opportunity for the international major events industry. The Soccerex Asian Forum is a rare occasion for the industry to meet decision makers from the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

A record number of senior industry figures from FIFA and the AFC are set to attend this year’s Soccerex Asian Forum. Leading dignitaries will also attend from La Liga, Real Madrid, Liverpool, the United States Soccer Federation, Manchester United, the Australia Football Federation, the Qatar Football Association, Barcelona, the Japan Football Association, the All India Football Federation and Galatasaray. 

The Forum, held in partnership with the AFDP founded and chaired by HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, will bring together the leading figures from the world of Asian football as well as other international football experts to discuss the development of the game across Asia. The conference agenda will include a review of the opportunities for growth and the challenges facing Asian football.

For more details about the Soccerex Asian Forum please contact Soccerex on +44 208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com/events/asia/

 

When to mediate or litigate in sports events

Sarah Lewis photographed speaking at HOST CITY 2015 (Photo copyright: Host City)

“It’s important to draw a distinction where you actually can use mediation or an alternative dispute resolution method other than litigation. 

“Competition rules and doping offences are not areas where you can mediate, negotiate and so on; these have clear rules and they have to be respected for the integrity of the sport. 

“What you do need, when it comes to competition rules, is a solid internal procedure to have the possibility to appeal to a higher instance than the competition jury – they can make mistakes, so that needs to be verifiable.

“And then you also need the commitment that there will be an appeal possibility to the Centre for Arbitration of Sport (CAS), as the overall instance to check externally that your internal regulatory procedures are working in the correct way.

“From my perspective, as far as anti-doping offences are concerned, it’s a similar situation: an International Federation has to uphold the WADA rules. Then you have to defend those in an internal doping panel procedure and if there is an appeal, again can be appealed externally to CAS; that’s what is given in the code. 

“Then the areas where we have a certain experience where there could be room for negotiation concerns disputes – we’ve had dealings in two particular areas. One has been with a couple of serious accidents that have taken place in international competitions, which are organised under the FIS rules, that are overseen by the technical delegate appointed for the assignment by FIS. 

“Then there have been out of court discussions and negotiations, of course together with the insurance company who plays an important role there. In the one case we found a very good solution that involved supporting a foundation set up by the family in the athlete’s memory dedicated to supporting youngsters in his sport and improving safety measures. 

“The other area has been with non-competition regulations: interpretation of regulations connected to commercial branding and visibility; is a manufacturer a manufacturer or is it a commercial entity; what’s allowed and what isn’t allowed? That is also quite closely connected to Olympic rules.”

 

This exclusive interview was conducted by HOST CITY at LawAccord during the 2016 SportAccord Convention

 

FIFA still needs to change culture, says reform chair

Francois Carrard (left), independent chairman of the 2016 FIFA reform committee, with Sarah Lewis, secretary general of FIS, at LawAccord

Appointing a new president and amending statutes are important steps for FIFA but a change of culture will be essential for significant transformation, the independent chairman of the 2016 FIFA reform committee Dr François Carrard told HOST CITY.

“By passing the reform of its statutes at the Congress in February in Zurich, I think FIFA has achieved a very important step towards substantial reform. In my opinion, together with the election of the new president, this it is to be considered as the starting point of a reform process,” Carrard told HOST CITY at SportAccord Convention in Lausanne.

“But I think it’s a starting point also for what is essential in my opinion, which is a change of culture.”

Carrard also spoke on a panel with FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis at the LawAccord conference during SportAccord Convention, where he shared his experiences of working with FIFA throughout criminal investigations. 

“I have been observing from inside in the last months the ‘schizophrenic’ work of the various institutions involved in the FIFA scandals. There were the internal institutions – I started working under president Blatter, when I wanted to report to him the police were there, then I had Ayatou, then I finished with Infantino.”

HOST CITY asked Carrard if he believed FIFA members had voted the right way in electing UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino as president. 

“As independent chairman I haven’t been involved deeply in FIFA organisational structures before, but my personal experience of president Infantino is such that he is the right man,” he told HOST CITY.

“I think with a new leadership, with adjusted statutes, the path is now there to achieve but any reform process takes time. 

“You cannot expect that in a couple of months you solve everything. But at least now the door is open for progress.”

 

SportAccord Convention City Forum is back stronger than ever "assessing the impact of sport" on cities

The City Forum takes place on the afternoon of Tuesday 19 April at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland

[Source: SportAccord Convention] City Forum, one of the ‘go-to’ events hosted by SportAccord Convention is back stronger than ever and will assess the impact of sport on cities. Set to take place on the afternoon of Tuesday 19 April at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, this year’s City Forum sees the return of the legendary Don Schumacher to lead the event. A cities champion and supporter, and known to many worldwide, Don has worked closely with SportAccord Convention to put together a thought-provoking programme for delegates. 

"City Forum has always been popular and this year’s event has been given renewed focus following feedback from cities around the world,” said Don Schumacher, Executive Director and one of the Founders of the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC). “Packed with practical advice, key insights and case studies, the sessions will be more interactive, enabling cities to come away with fresh ideas and know-how, as well as providing a valuable learning experience.”

City Forum will begin with a session on The Current State of Affairs for cities presented by Sportcal. A Principal Media Partner of SportAccord Convention, they have developed an impact methodology to assist cities in valuing the various benefits of hosting sports events. Many of these benefits extend beyond economics, and each of the beneficial impacts will be examined and discussed. In addition, City Forum delegates will also receive an exclusive printed Summary. This will cover some of the highlights of the recently published Global Sports Impact (GSI) Report 2015, as well as gain some early insights from the next GSI Report due to be published on 1 June 2016. 

Delegates will also be able to share their insights, thoughts and know-how in this year’s Group Project challenge and given an event-bidding issue to examine and debate. Groups will determine a course of action, reporting back to the City Forum on their decisions, and the reasoning behind them.

As a precursor to the City Forum, the Convention will once again host the City-to-City gathering the morning of the City Forum. City-to-City is designed to give cities and regions a platform for free discussion on the needs and challenges faced in looking to host sport events.

To find out more about the 4-day Conference Programme including City Forum, or to register for SportAccord Convention, visit: www.sportaccordconvention.com

Source: SportAccord Convention

 

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