Host City, the greatest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, made a triumphant return to Glasgow after two years online. With the theme of “Face to Face with New Realities”, the conference championed the value of major events against a challenging global landscape.

In his opening address, Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland touched on a range of themes including community engagement, the creation of Scotland’s Event Industry Advisory Group, sustainability and the ongoing challenges being faced by the sector following the pandemic. 

On the subject of digitalisation he said: “Digitalisation in events continues to accelerate – it has changed the way we work, live and do business, and has reshaped the events industry.  We are regularly seeing events putting attendees in control of their own experience, with innovation and creativity driving new dynamics and consumer satisfaction.”

Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life said, “The future of events is extremely positive. Events of all kinds that bring people together have great benefits – but not at any cost.”

In his keynote address, Ivo Ferriani, IOC Member and President of GAISF, SportAccord, AOIWF and IBSF said: “In a cost-of-living crisis, a ticket is a luxury. We need to price events in a way that people can afford.

“We need to find a new balance between online and offline, and we need to do this quickly.

“Sport can be a driver of sustainable development.”

Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games said “If you want sustainability to work, it has to be embedded in processes.” She highlighted how meals at the Games will have half the carbon weight of the average French meal. “Our suppliers are part of the solution.”

Energy supplier Aggreko has made a commitment to reduce its fossil fuel use by 50% by 2030. David De Behr, Head of Sales, Major Events said “We are doing a lot of good things providing green energy, but it has a financial impact.”

Another challenge is the decline in the young fans identifying as being passionate about sport. “Traditional sports need to connect with Gen Z fans,” said Alice John, Head of Economic Growth and Development Advisory at Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.

The drive to create a new fan base is behind the new initiative to replace riding with obstacle in modern pentathlon, said Jonathan Coates, Marketing, Communications and Events Manager at ESA and Communications Manager at UIPM.

Teqball is one of the fastest growing sports, among fans who are increasingly concerned with purpose and values. “The high number of social followers is not something we want to show off,” said Gergely Murányi, Head of Diplomatic Relations at governing body FITEQ. “It means we have a huge responsibility around what we communicate.”

“The number of viewers and audiences for women's sport events has significantly increased over time,” said Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, Vice President, Badminton World Federation and IOC Member. "A greater number of audiences in turn attracts more media coverage, resulting in more financial support for women's sport.”

“The Olympics is the most challenging event of all,” said Yiannis Exarchos, CEO, Olympic Broadcasting Services and Executive Director, Olympic Channel Services. “With the IOC digital strategy, the vision is to use the Olympic platform to aggregate all information. Our vision is to bring together disparate activities on one Olympic journey.”

The metaverse is already in use in event planning and delivery, Exarchos said. “But the metaverse with live interaction could take five, ten or 15 years. The technology is not there.”

According to John Tweardy, Managing Partner - Olympic, Paralympic & Major Events Practice at Deloitte, this technology is developing rapidly. “LA2028 will have a fully functioning metaverse.”

“The world needs sport more than ever now,” he said. “We're putting the power and passion of Deloitte into sports, from the digital ambition to the field of play.”

“A lot has been achieved in making online events meaningful, said Andy Miah, Metaverse Council & Commission Member at the Global Esports Federation. “The challenge is now combining those things – integrating the physical and digital is critical.”

For major events to thrive, they need to demonstrate impact. “You have to ask yourself what the event will do for the community,” said Beng Choo Low, Secretary General, World Baseball-Softball Confederation.”

“For the 2026 World Cup, all 16 host cities are working with FIFA to create a lasting legacy for their communities,” said Mathew Ratner, Associate Director, Sports & Entertainment Tourism, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Miami. “In Miami, we have proposed working with our local communities’ leaders and the US Soccer Foundation to celebrate the 23^rd edition of the World Cup and either create, renovate or reimagine up to 23 spaces throughout the South Florida community that would be accessible to all.”

Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council said, “I know that hosting the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games is just the start for Birmingham” and that the event has ushered in a “golden decade of opportunity for the people, communities and businesses of Birmingham and the wider region.”

Nine years on from hosting the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow and Scotland are hosting the first Cycling World Championships. Presenting the project with Paul Bush, David Lappartient, President, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and IOC Member said “Cycling is unique in that you can showcase the country. That’s key for us, that we showcase not only the race but the country.”

Lappartient applauded Copenhagen’s hosting of the Tour de France Grand Depart. “We had the same number of people watching the time trial on the streets that live in the city,” said Tine Eriksen Green, Head of Major Events, City of Copenhagen.

“How do you unite people? Through music and sport,” said Maxwell de Silva, Secretary General, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka. “By working together when you have an event you bring value to the community, we will continue to do that in the Indian subcontinent.”

“Events play a really important role in defining a city,” said Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers. “We are really focused on promoting the green city. Plants have a functional role to play in tackling climate change, and events provide an opportunity to think differently.”

David Stubbs, who was head of sustainability at London 2012, said “Alongside the climate crisis we are seeing a catastrophic loss of biodiversity. Every event can do something to support biodiversity.

“If you don’t get it right, you can lose sponsors.”

Other conference highlights included a presentation on solving the complex transports challenges of the next Winter Olympics from Stefano Manelli, Director of Citec Italy and Transportation Supervisor, Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 , and a case study on the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) from Antony Warren of Supersize Live.

The diverse conference programme also included notable contributions from: Sam Ramsamy, Honorary Member, IOC and VP, FINA; Sir Craig Reedie GBE, Honorary Member, IOC; Debra Gawrych, Secretary General, IFSC; Martin Boyle, CEO, IAPCO; Hilary Atkinson, Director, FIH Pro League & Olympic Games, FIH; Jason Ferguson, Chairman, WPBSA; Brendan Williams, Chair of the Athletes Advisory Commission, CGF; Jennifer Arnold, VP, U.S. Soccer Foundation; Claire Nelson, CEO, Netball Scotland; Julia Amour, Director, Festivals Edinburgh; Helen Marriage, Director, Artichoke; Toni Jorba, Head of Event Operations, World Athletics; Sarah Lewis OBE OLY; Gayle Shepherd, Director of People, Projects and Technology, SEC; Bailee Leòdhas Massie, Glasgow City Council; Liese Abili, VP of Sports Development, Florida Sports Foundation; Joel Lavery, Strategic Lead Major Sporting Events, Birmingham and West Midlands Convention Bureau; Jack Nixon, Strategy Director, Nielsen Sports; Mate Bor, Chief of Staff, FITEQ; Jonny Gray, Senior MD, Ankura; Perttu Pesä, Director, Major Events, City of Tampere and Chair, IAEH; Sandra Wall, Creative industries, Event and Meetings, Norrköping Municipality; Richard Bate, Chief Safety & Sustainability Officer, EBK Grand Prix, Cube International; Jonny Murch, CEO / Founder, Redtorch; Martin Ross, Global News Editor, SportBusiness; Andrew Dixon, Director, Culture, Creativity, Place; Duncan Mackay, Founding Editor, insidethegames.biz; Iain Edmondson, Founder, Legacy Delivery and Honorary Member, IAEH; Chris Barrett, Editor, Access All Areas; Robbie Clyde, Head of EventScotland, VisitScotland; Daniel Cordey, Chairman, Association of Global Event Suppliers; Mike Laflin, CEO & Founder, Global Sustainable Sport; Martin Fitchie, Director, Motion Technology Services; Jack McGill, CEO, QTV and David Grevemberg CBE, Chief Innovation and Partnerships Officer, Centre for Sports and Human Rights.

Other supporting participants included Recast, DB Schenker, Explore Edmonton and and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

Host City 2022 took place at the Technology & Innovation Centre, Glasgow with the support of Hosts and Global Presenting Partners EventScotland and Glasgow Life. For further information contact ben.avison@hostcity.com.

The rain is pouring down, the asphalt is wet, yet the crowds seem unfazed as they cheer on Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar and the rest of the Tour de France riders blazing through the 13 km time trial cutting corners on Copenhagen’s slippery streets. 
This day is a battle amongst the fastest and fiercest riders in the world, but it is not only a celebration of raw power and the cycling elite. It is also a tribute to the everyday cyclists riding their bikes through the same streets, the changing seasons, and the predictably mischievous weather. The people who choose the bike when they go to school, to work or on new adventures exploring the nearly 400 km bike lanes in the Danish capital. 
“For us hosting Tour de France – Grand Départ had to be about more than sport,” says Lars Vallentin Christensen, senior manager at Wonderful Copenhagen. “It was also the perfect opportunity to promote cycling and get even more people out of cars and onto bikes, just as we wanted to show the world why it makes sense to invest in bike infrastructure. It is better for the climate, for making cities more liveable and for public health. And Tour de France was a great catalyst to push this agenda.”
This year’s Grand Départ was far from the first time Copenhagen has benefitted from events functioning as a driver for a development. Last year’s EURO2020 had a large program not least focusing on getting girls to play football and to strengthen inclusivity towards the LGBTIQ community within the football clubs. And the overall focus of sport and football being for everyone. 

Keep Copenhagen in the yellow jersey of everyday biking
Copenhagen ranks as the most bike friendly city in the world, with around half the population commuting to school and work by bike. The city is connected by beautiful bike bridges and The Guardian just recently described Copenhagen as the first city it had been pleasant to cycle in. 
Still, less people choose the bike than just a few years ago and especially the younger generation get around using other means of transportation. An unfortunate development, which is not easily turned around. For Denmark, Tour de France was the perfect opportunity to promote cycling – both to the world and the many polluted, congested cities. But not least to the Danes, to ensure that future generations will continue cycling.
“Hosting major events can do a lot for a city or nation. If the circumstances are in place, and the event is planned well, it can drive huge social, economic, and environmental impact. Moreover, you can demonstrate these objectives for an international audience, not just talk about it,” says Lars Lundov, Chief Executive, Sport Event Denmark.
“We experienced it most recently with the 2022 Grand Depart Tour de France in Copenhagen and across our nation. Enthusiasm and support among the Danes were impressive and largely helped to create a huge success during the five days in Denmark.”
Hosting the Grand Départ in Copenhagen was born out of the idea that the best bike city should welcome the biggest cycle race in the world; celebrating both Wout van Aert and the everyday bike heroes who choose the healthy, green, and non-congesting way to travel the city.
This dual focus on both sport and everyday life carried the essence of the Danish Tour-start and was an easy fit as Danes not only loves cycling as a pastime and mean of transportation, they also have a very strong passion for the Tour de France. As a matter of fact, Danes watch the most Tour de France per capita of any nation. The famous race to Paris is actual more popular in Denmark than in France herself. And these numbers are even from before this year’s extreme popularity with both three stages in Denmark, four Danish stage wins and of course and overall Danish winner.
“The Grand Départ in Copenhagen and Denmark was major spectator success. First the riders were welcomed in Tivoli by like rock stars by cheering fans and when the actual race started, roads were packed to an unseen degree. One actual challenge was, that there were people everywhere making the rider’s options for natural relief more than scarce”, says Vallentin.

Everyone was invited to have a tour experience 
In Copenhagen, the focus on both elite and everyday cycling manifested itself with 140 side events counting from 100 days before the race. These included bike races for children, just as new school material was developed; teaching children about Tour de France, cycling as a sport and not least Denmark’s traditions for everyday cycling and how riding a bike is good for both climate and health. 
Most notably the entire city was invited to join the Tour de Copenhagen and ride the trails of their sporting heroes on the day after the first stage. As the peloton moved on to Roskilde and stage two, the roads of the time trial course were not reopened for cars until later in the day, with the barriers and city dressing left standing. Allowing the everyday cyclists, a taste of Tour. 
The Tour de Copenhagen first unleashed the local cycling clubs to ride the course at full speed, so they could test their abilities against Yves Lampaerts winning time, before a long parade of everyday cyclists, kids and their parents and cargo bikes with elderlies toured the course and had their unique Tour de France experience.
During the three stages in Denmark, Copenhagen also hosted a bike festival close to the route, where families and bike enthusiasts could watch the stages and engage in a variety of cycling oriented activities, making the Grand Départ a true celebration for everyone to partake in. 

Year of the bike
On a national scale the final 100 days before the Grand Départ were packed with more than 700 side events all over Denmark, and the ministry of transportation declared 2022 to be the year of the bike, boosting cycling infrastructure with an EUR 400m investment. 
These side events included closing down one of Denmark’s major traffic corridors, the Great Belt Bridge, so that it was possible to organise a bike race, allowing normal sport cyclist to cross the 17 km bridge, which was a highlight of Tour de France in Denmark and normally only for cars. 
Residents at a hospice near Vejle knitted a giant 600kg yellow jersey, which was raised along the route. Several hospice patients called it therapeutic and said that it was nice to be part of Tour de France in Denmark and leave their mark, even though they wouldn’t live to experience it themselves. 
And of course, the strong focus on the male elite couldn’t stand alone, and just month after Mads Pedersen and Magnus Cort had battled the Tour peloton in Denmark, the world’s elite was ones again welcomed to start a race in Copenhagen. This time it was for the Tour of Scandinavia – Battle of the North. 
“It was amazing to also welcome the Women’s WorldTour and to see the many spectators who cheered them along. And of course, it was great to see, that just like Jonas Vingegaard brought back the yellow jersey from Paris, Cecilia Uttrup Ludvig took the overall victory in Tour of Scandinavia, highlighting the strength and depth of Danish cycling right now,” says Vallentin.  

A grand platform for sharing
For Copenhagen the year event was a very strong platform for sharing some of the city’s best solutions for creating a liveable city, which is pleasant to be in and not least to move around in. 
Copenhagen’s bike infrastructure is second to none and for years it has been a priority to put bikes before cars creating an efficient and safe network of routes getting more people on bikes. This focus has been very successful and today the many bikes is the first thing coming to mind, when visitors are asked what they notice in Copenhagen. 
Because of the added attention created by Tour de France media from all over the world came to experience the world’s most bike friendly city, thus getting inspired to promote cycling and maybe bring some of our solutions back to London, Rome, and Paris. 
“It is part of our part of our mission to inspire the world with green solutions and hosting Tour de France just created the perfect platform for us to share our bike culture. Because really it is not only a culture. Danes has loved cycling for many years, but the deciding factor is to make cycling the best, safest, and fastest way to get around. And in Copenhagen it really is,” says Vallentin.
Having the powerful Tour de France brand and mixing it with public backing and huge grassroot initiative and enthusiasm meant that Denmark was painted yellow, and cycling was celebrated and promoted to an extent the city has not experienced before.

Copenhagen is considering what is next
The last two years Copenhagen has hosted major events like Tour de France, EURO2020, WorldPride and the city is getting excited about next year’s BWF Badminton World Championships, where local hero and the world’s number one, Victor Axelsen, can hopefully replicate Jonas Vingegaard and take the trophy. 
After that Copenhagen is back on the bike and ready to host the UCI Track World Championship in 2024 and the UCI BMX World Championship in 2025. On top of this, the Danish Capital has its eyes firmly fixed on the 2025 UEFA Women's Championship with a joint Nordic bid, and it is also the ambition to follow up on the success of the Tour de France and host the UCI Road World’s 2029
“We are hopeful that the Nordic focus on female sport, gender rights and hosting inclusive events with great outreach programmes, will help sway the European Football Association,” says Vallentin.
 

This article was contributed by Wonderful Copenhagen

Established broadcasting models in sports and entertainment see rights sold to the highest bidder and fans, more often than not, forced to pay a subscription to access the content they want to enjoy. At a time when consumers are feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis, fans are faced with the equally unattractive options of paying multiple subscriptions, missing out, or streaming content illegally.

As a result, fans are increasingly finding other ways to consume content in cheaper and more accessible formats, leading to a change in consumption patterns with the rise of short form  content, particularly on social media, and an increase in consumption through pirated streams, putting pressure on an already fatigued subscription model.

In response, broadcasters have invested more heavily in top tier sports, where they believe they'll secure and retain larger audiences. However, this is creating a huge gap between the earning potential of top tier rights holders (e.g. the Premier League) and everyone else. In an attempt to bridge that gap, some rights holders have developed their own OTT subscription models, but this only exacerbates the problem of subscription saturation, leading to less access for fans rather than more.

The solution to this problem is to democratise content distribution and give fans affordable, flexible access to the content they want to see, which in turn will generate fair value for content creators and rights holders across the board.

As an example, a Premier League fan may place a value of £20 on watching a football match, but only £2 on watching a BMX competition, and a BMX fan may place a value of £20 on watching a BMX competition and £2 on a Premier League match. Democratising the distribution of content would enable fans of each sport to access the content they want to see, and lead to a better return for both the BMX rights holder and the Premier League.

In short, democratising the distribution of content can create a system where fans and rights holders win. This is the driving force behind Recast.

Andy Meikle is the Founder and CEO of Recast, a subscription-free live and on-demand streaming platform powered by microtransactions. Recast gives fans affordable access to the sports and entertainment they love, and pays content creators and rights holders for every view.

On November 15-16, Host City 2022 Conference and Exhibition takes place in Glasgow, Scotland with the theme of Face to Face with New Realities. Host City gives world leaders in the events industry an opportunity to educate each other on the innovative technology and solutions that contribute towards a positive long-term impact. As the headline sponsor of Host City 2022, Aggreko is looking forward to sharing their thoughts via their guest speaker David De Behr, Host City advisory board member and Head of Sales Major Events at Aggreko.

2022 was certainly an influential year for Aggreko, with an unrivalled record of accomplishments throughout regional and global events such as The Invictus Games and SailGP to name a few. Whether it be the debut of ground-breaking sustainable technologies or reliable on-time temporary power solutions at some of this year’s biggest events, Aggreko’s teams were hard at work to deliver their renowned specialism in all event operations. De Behr leads the Sales team within Aggreko Event Services, providing power and temperature control solutions to a wide range of events customers.

“There has been visible change in recent years within the sports and entertainment events industry, with technology evolving so fast that it now has a drive to be energy efficient on its own,” De Behr said. “How can we make it a better world and really kick-start sustainable actions?”

Aggreko has been exploring new ways of delivering temporary energy solutions whilst reducing emissions, whether it be through new technological innovations, a range of more sustainable temporary energy equipment or designing energy solutions to be as efficient as possible. “Through the use of new types of equipment that are driven by technology on events, we have now seen a drop in energy demand and the importance shift to the accuracy of energy supply and efficiency.”

At the 2022 Great Britain Sail Grand Prix this July in Plymouth, UK, Aggreko’s challenge was to provide reliable and renewable temporary power solutions across the race weekend that suited the surrounding environment. Aggreko premiered bio-methanol fuel as an energy source for the first time at a live event in the UK, resulting in up to 97% less CO₂ emissions compared with diesel.

Aggreko have utilised multiple emission-reducing technologies in 2022 including HVO fuel, hydrogen, battery units and solar power.

“The more battery units and solar panels that you can utilise the better; however, there will always be other constraints that need addressing such as limitation of space, reliability and need for critical power.”

Even though the technology is there, Aggreko use their specialism to select specific power solutions for each event that will adapt to the local environment.

So what are the main challenges of providing sustainable solutions? “New technology costs more money,” De Behr explained. “Unfortunately for now, sustainable solutions will be more expensive than traditional energy solutions and it is going to stay like that for a while. You see this all over the world, everything that is new is more expensive, but the more its produced and the easier it is to access the more the cost is reduced. For the moment our Stage V generators, solar technology, battery units and hydrogen sets are more expensive than traditional energy solutions, so it is a challenge.”

Aggreko have used their years of experience to form a specialist strategy that combines reliable energy supplies with new emission reducing technology. “The first thing we always do is to try to maximise the use of local grid if coming from a renewable source. For a customer, this is the most cost-effective and energy efficient.”

At each event, Aggreko conducts a metric design phase that assess where solar panels, HVO fuel, Stage V generators and battery units can be paired with energy from the grid. Creating a ‘mini sustainable grid’ is the best way to ensure a reduction in carbon emissions without reducing the reliability of energy supply.

“People need to look at their energy consumption in a more focused way. I think we have all grown up and been guilty of putting the thermostat on 21 degrees all year round. On a microscale this is what we have been trying to do with our customers – to look in detail at what they actually need and how we can change the supply chain.”

So what role do hydrogen and battery units play in the future? “I had hoped hydrogen solutions would come around much faster; I have seen it work and it can be fantastic! The technology is ready, but the problem lies with the supply chain. We need to get the car market to jump on hydrogen, which is then going to create demand, sparking investment from the big energy companies around the world.”

Switched on to the future

“The aim is to make people more focused around energy in general, and that will have the greatest impact on sustainability,” said De Behr.

“We have a whole new generation which cares. I really believe in the next five years that people will choose the events they attend based on how sustainable they are.

“Whether it’s a wedding or a private event, a fashion show or a music concert, it will become a must that when we make an offer, we should be able to state exactly how many emissions that event is going to produce.”

Aggreko’s goals for the future are to “keep maximising the ‘green’ grid for the client when it makes economic sense by using our specialist engineering. I think that’s the only way because slowly more of the grid will come from sustainable sources and it’s the fastest way for the customer.”

Batteries, however, are one of the most effective renewable energy solutions being integrated by Aggreko because “any energy wasted can be put back into batteries, or if you have too much energy capacity you can store it within the battery and run from there. In the near future I believe it will be common for domestic houses to have a battery pack; when you have too much energy, you can store it for when you do not have enough sun for your solar panels.”

Aggreko are switched on when it comes to innovating their services and will continue to invest in the assurance of their safety, reliability and sustainability meeting the highest standard at every event. “The company has always been switched on with choosing a direction and as demand grows, we will keep looking for ways to increase temporary energy reliability and discover technologies that leave a positive long-term impact on our planet.”

Host City: Hi Paul, we’re really excited about bringing Host City back to Glasgow in person on 15-16 November. How are you feeling about Host City returning to Scotland after 2 years hosting in the virtual world?
Paul Bush: I’m looking forward to the return of the first in-person Host City to Glasgow and Scotland where we look forward to welcoming so many international event owners, organisers and hosts together in the first time in two years. Virtual events have played an important role in that time, allowing us to all stay connected and share key learnings as we navigated our way through uncertain times, however, for me, nothing beats the experience of an in-person event and being able to meet face-to-face allows for great relationship building and networking in a more fun and social way. 

Host City: The theme of the conference is “Face to Face with New Realities”. The world has certainly changed a lot since last year’s Host City event – what are the big issues facing you right now?
Paul Bush: Last time we met, we were operating in a climate of consistent uncertainty which had continued to push us all to work in different ways, developing a range of resilient responses, innovation, spirit and adaptation. While the last 12 months has seen the start of a return to a more consistent operating environment with the removal of Covid restrictions, other challenges remain. The increasing financial challenges now facing the sector, including reduced government budgets, rise in inflation and its affects on both the supply chain and on individuals facing the cost-of-living crisis as well as recruitment – both retaining and attracting staff to the industry, addressing sustainability and the role of events in supporting our health and wellbeing are the big issues facing the events sector right now. 

Host City: On the sustainability question – for such an international industry, it’s tricky isn’t it, but perhaps we do have an opportunity to show leadership here? 
Paul Bush: In our ever-changing world, the need to address our environmental impact is becoming more and more prevalent, and we all have a part to play both individually and as a sector. From an events perspective, the whole events eco-system is increasingly aware of its impact, including eventgoers, who expect events to be ‘walking the talk’ when it comes to socially and environmentally responsible practices in the planning, organisation and delivery of events. Creating sustainable events is no longer a nice ‘to-do’, it’s a necessity.
So, I do think the events industry across the world can take a lead role on addressing the environmental question as events themselves are hugely powerful in engaging the public in climate change through their programming, helping inspire and motivate people to make changes in their own lives.

Host City: And when it comes to wellbeing, how can event hosts make sure that their events really do help to improve their physical and mental health?  
Paul Bush: Over the last few years, the social benefits of events of have become even more recognised, especially the sense of pride they help build, and the valuable contribution they make towards our health and wellbeing. The Contribution to Events to Scotland’s Wellbeing research that we commissioned in collaboration with the Event Industry Advisory Group and published last October highlighted how attending or regularly taking part, either as a participant or as a volunteer at an event, can help improve wellbeing while the chance to interact with friends and family is a key driver for supporting mental health. Therefore having a diverse portfolio of events that engages a wide range of people will ensure as an industry we are helping support peoples wellbeing and providing opportunities for shared experiences. Articulating this benefit is particularly important, especially in the current financial climate, if want to retain investment from both the public and private sector. 

Host City: Our events sector has faced a range of challenges to say the least. What are you doing to support its recovery, and what role do you think events play in the economic mix these days?
Paul Bush: The economic benefits of events are widely recognised and now more than ever it’s important we continue to highlight them. Events support thousands of jobs, both directly within the industry itself as well as wider sectors including hospitality and tourism. Pre-covid, the 2020 UK Event Report highlighted a direct spend of £70bn in 2019 through live events and it is estimated that over £6bn of this could be attributed to Scotland.
Highlighting the value of the events industry in Scotland at government level as well as supporting the industry in Scotland to ensure its strong return has been a key focus for us. We have done this through working in collaboration with the Event Industry Advisory Group, through the Covid relief funding we have delivered over the last two years and through our regular funding programmes that have supported a range of major, national, local and community events this year, including The 150th Open, the Edinburgh International Festival and IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society Annual International Conference.
Despite the current economic challenges we are all facing, I do believe events play a vitally important role in our recovery. 

Host City: On the bright side, it’s amazing to be able to stage face to face events again. After Host City you’ve got some great events coming to Scotland, not least the UCI Cycling World Championships next year. What are your expectations? 
Paul Bush: Scotland is the perfect stage for events and in additional to our great range of annual events, we all have a number of exciting major events in the pipeline including The Tall Ships Races in Lerwick, Shetland, next July, 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships at Emirates Arena here in Glasgow, the World Orienteering Championships 2024 in Edinburgh, and the Orkney 2025 Island Games in addition to the biggest cycling event ever, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
We cannot wait to welcome the world’s best riders from across 13 UCI Cycling World Championships to Glasgow and across Scotland next year. It will be truly memorable not just for what happens across the 13 days in August next year, but also for our wider vision to inspire people to ride bikes and be a catalyst for change across Scotland, before, during and after the event.  Whether it is for health, sport, transport, tourism, industry or events, we want everyone to be able to experience the freedom and joy riding a bike can bring to our lives. Our policy led approach to delivering the event ensures participation, inclusion and accessibility, and sustainability is the focus of our Hub and Spoke delivery model, and I look forward to sharing more on this and our preparations on day two of the conference when I will be joined UCI President, David Lappartient, for the panel session on new event concepts.  
Thank you very much for your time and your support Paul; we’re really looking forward to Host City and the exciting times ahead for events in Scotland. 
Paul Bush: Thank you. I look forward to once again catching up in person with colleagues from across the events sector for a great two days of discussion and debate at the Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow on the 15th to 16th November.

Register for Host City 2022 here: https://www.hostcity.com/events/host-city-2022/register

Host City 2022 takes place on 15-16 November, returning to Glasgow, Scotland with an illustrious line-up of international speakers joining in person.

Register here now to be part of the greatest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events.

The conference opens with Keynote Addresses on the conference theme of Face to Face with the New Realities from Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland and Ivo Ferriani, President, GAISF, SportAccord, AWOIF and IBSF, who are joined on the opening panel by Susan Deighan, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life, Sam Ramsamy, Honorary Member, IOC and Vice President, FINA and David De Behr, Head of Sales, Major Events, Aggreko.

The panel New Event Concepts – Disruption and Synergy stars Beng Choo Low, Secretary General, World Baseball-Softball Confederation, Tine Eriksen Green, Head of Major Events, City of Copenhagen, Prof. Andy Miah, Metaverse Council & Commission Member, Global Esports Federation and Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA and Robbie Clyde, Head of EventScotland.

A panel of experts including Alice John, Head of Economic Growth and Development Advisory, Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, Brendan Williams, Chair of the Athletes Advisory Commission, Commonwealth Games Federation and Mate Bor, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President, FITEQ Jonathan Coates, Marketing, Communications and Events Manager, ESA (European Sponsorship Association) and Communications Manager, UIPM and Mike Laflin, Director, Total Analysis explore the mindset of The Future Fan, following a Case Study from Antony Warren, Head of Business Development, World Supercross Championship (WSX).

Ian Ward, Leader, Birmingham City Council joins for a speech and Q&A on the delivery and legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

A panel on Partnership Paradigms of Event Hosting and Delivery stars Hilary Atkinson, Director, FIH Pro League & Olympic Games, International Hockey Federation (FIH); Julia Amour, Director, Festivals Edinburgh, Helen Marriage, Director, Artichoke and Jonny Gray, Senior Managing Director, Ankura.

Stefano Manelli, Director, Citec Italy and Transportation Supervisor of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 gives an update on preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Yiannis Exarchos, Director, Olympic Channel Services, International Olympic Committee, John Tweardy, Managing Partner - Olympic, Paralympic & Major Events Practice, Deloitte, Joel Lavery, Strategic Lead Major Sporting Events, West Midlands Growth Company and Andy Meikle, Founder and CEO, Recast and Martin Fitchie, Director, Motion Technology Services join forces to Unlock the Power of Technology to Deliver Events to Fans.

A Case Study on the Tour de France Grand Départ Copenhagen Denmark 2022 follows, from Iben Rønholt, Deputy Head of Office, and Tine Eriksen Green, Head of Major Events, City of Copenhagen.

How Events Make a “World Sports Capital” is the topic tackled by Debra Gawrych, Secretary General, International Federation of Sport Climbing, Liese Abili, Vice President of Sports Development at the Florida Sports Foundation, Mathew Ratner, Associate Director, Sports & Entertainment Tourism, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Miami, Jennifer Arnold, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, U.S. Soccer Foundation and David Grevemberg CBE, Chief Innovation and Partnerships Offi cer, Centre for Sports and Human Rights.

Day One closes with Keynote Addresses in the City Chambers from Sir Craig Reedie GBE, Honorary Member, International Olympic Committee and Bailee Leòdhas Massie, Glasgow City Council.

Day Two kicks off with a panel on Cities of the Future starring Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers; Maxwell de Silva, Secretary General, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka; Carine Saloffe-Coste, Head of Green Spaces and Environment, City of Paris and Andrew Dixon, Director, Culture, Creativity, Place.

David Lappartient, President, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) joins Paul Bush OBE for a Q&A with Martin Ross, Global News Editor, SportBusiness on Showcasing the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Aggreko sponsor the panel Sustainability Solutions in Action, starring Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Arlette Anderson, Director of Sustainable Golf, The R&A, David Stubbs, Independent Sustainability Expert and Daniel Cordey, Chairman, Association of Global Event Suppliers.

Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, Vice President, Badminton World Federation and IOC Member, Jennifer Arnold, Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications, U.S. Soccer Foundation, Sarah Lewis OBE OLY, Global Sports Leader and Claire Nelson, CEO, Netball Scotland join Duncan Mackay, Founding Editor of insidethegames.biz for the panel on The Rise of Women's Sport and Entertainment.

Justifying the Impact and Benefit of Events is the topic for Toni Jorba, Head of Event Operations, World Athletics, Jack Nixon, Strategy Director, Nielsen Sports, Perttu Pesä, Director, Major Events, City of Tampere and Iain Edmondson, Honorary Member, IAEH.

The conference closes on a positive note, with Martin Boyle, CEO, The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), Jason Ferguson, Chairman, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Gayle Shepherd, Director of People, Projects and Technology, Scottish Event Campus (SEC) and Chris Barrett, Editor, Access All Areas setting out how to Design a Better Events Industry.

Host City 2022 takes place at the Technology & Innovation Centre, Glasgow with the support of Global Presenting Partners and Hosts, EventScotland and Glasgow Life. To register visit https://www.hostcity.com/events/host-city-2022/register and for further information contact ben.avison@hostcity.com.

Notes to Editors

Host City 2022 is supported by EventScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

Press can register for free here https://www.hostcity.com/events/host-city-2022/register using the code MEDIAFREE

The opening panel, looking at the forces shaping today’s events industry, features Ivo Ferriani, President, GAISF, SportAccord, AWOIF and IBSF, Sam Ramsamy, Honorary Member, IOC and Vice President, FINA, Susan Deighan, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life and David De Behr, Head of Sales, Major Events, Aggreko. 

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland and David Lappartient, President, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) share their exclusive top-level insights into plans for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, the mega event hosted by Glasgow and across Scotland. 

The question of how to actively implement sustainability solutions is high on the agenda, with Arlette Anderson, Director of Sustainable Golf, The R&A and Carine Saloffe-Coste, Head of Green Spaces and Environment, City of Paris joined by Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Yiannis Exarchos, Director, Olympic Channel Services, International Olympic Committee, Kelly Fairweather, Chief Executive Officer, International Tennis Federation and Andy Meikle, Founder and CEO, Recast set out how to unlock the power of technology to deliver events to fans. 

Fanta Diallo, Director of Youth Engagement, Organising Committee of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and Brendan Williams, Chair of the Athletes Advisory Commission, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) give insights into the mindset of the future fan. 

Beng Choo Low, Secretary General, World Baseball-Softball Confederation, Tine Eriksen Green, Head of Project Tour de France, City of Copenhagen and Prof. Andy Miah, Metaverse Council & Commission Member, Global Esports Federation explore new event concepts. 

The rise of women's sport and entertainment is addressed by Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, IOC Member and Deputy President, Badminton World Federation, Jennifer Arnold, Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications, U.S. Soccer Foundation and Sarah Lewis OBE OLY, Managing Director, Global Sports Leader.

Julia Amour, Director, Festivals Edinburgh and Helen Marriage, Director, Artichoke join with Senthil Gopinath, CEO, International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and Hilary Atkinson, Director, FIH Pro League & Olympic Games, International Hockey Federation (FIH) to share partnership paradigms of event hosting and delivery. 

Vlad Marinescu, Director General, International Judo Federation and Martin Boyle, CEO, The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) share their views on how to design a better events industry.  

Debra Gawrych, Secretary General, International Federation of Sport Climbing, Liese Abili, Vice President of Sports Development at the Florida Sports Foundation and Mathew Ratner, Associate Director, Sports & Entertainment Tourism, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Miami look at how major events can benefit host cities.

Other speakers coming to Glasgow include Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark, Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers, Maxwell de Silva, Secretary General, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, Andrew Dixon, Director, Culture, Creativity, Place, Jason Ferguson, Chairman, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, James Latham, Producer, The Iceberg (JMIC), senior representation from the World Curling Federation and many more to be announced.  

Host City 2022 takes place with the support of Global Presenting Partners and Host, EventScotland and Glasgow Life.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland, said: Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland, said: "EventScotland is delighted to continue its strong headline partnership with Host City, having been a supporter of the conference since its inception in 2014.

“The economic and social benefits of sporting, cultural and business events are widely recognised. Events help support jobs, both directly within the industry as well as in wider sectors including tourism and hospitality, and make a valuable contribution towards our health and wellbeing. This year’s conference theme of ‘Face to Face with the New Realities’ will ensure as an industry we can continue to deliver these key benefits as part of the dynamic and ever-changing world we operate in. 

“I look forward to see you all in November and hearing from the esteemed line up of speakers the Host City team has assembled.” 

Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, said: “As one of the world’s leading host cities for major cultural, sports and business events, Glasgow has a strong, long-standing partnership with the Host City Conference and Exhibition, and we’re delighted to be welcoming it back to our city for the eighth consecutive year. 

“This year’s conference will provide an invaluable opportunity for destination representatives, rightsholders, organising committees and suppliers from all over the world to reconnect and share their expertise, experience, and best practice. 

“And as cities everywhere continue to focus on post-pandemic recovery, there has never been a more important time to discuss the future of our events landscape; from creating genuine legacies and ensuring the positive impact of events benefits local communities, to designing and adapting events with sustainability in mind, and looking at new models for engaging and attracting more diverse audiences, as well as the role events can play in supporting a wider health and wellbeing agenda, and the regeneration of the visitor economy.”    

For sponsorship and participation enquiries contact adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk or ben.avison@hostcity.com
For more information visit www.hostcity.com
 
Host City 2022 is supported by EventScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

[Source: PTI Digital] PTI Digital are delighted to have been appointed by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games– which kick off tomorrow in Birmingham and the West Midlands – as the Official Venue Technology Service Provider; using specific venue knowledge and expertise to support the deployment of key venue technology services more efficiently and effectively and providing further on-the-ground events expertise during Games-time.
PTI is assisting Birmingham 2022’s Venue Technology team and their Venue Network Integration supplier and bringing its consultancy expertise to guide and shape deployments at specific venues. The PTI team will be bringing expertise from a host of major events including the Ryder Cup, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Cricket World Cup, Formula 1 and the IAAF World Athletics Championships.
Adrian Corcoran, Chief Information Officer at Birmingham 2022 said, “The Commonwealth Games is one of the biggest multi-sport events in the global calendar, taking place in multiple venues across Birmingham, the West Midlands over 11 days of sport. That comes not only with significant operational challenges but also a high degree of expectation around the experience from our stakeholders that require a seamless performance across our technology estate. PTI have outstanding experience in this space, always thinking about the end user and how that impacts on the technology requirements, bringing us operational and spend efficiencies in the process. Particularly with the compressed planning timescales of these Games and limited access to venues due to the pandemic, PTI have gone the extra mile in bringing venue experience and knowledge to accelerate the planning and deployment to specific and iconic Games venues.”
Laurence Smith, Head of Venue Technology at Birmingham 2022 said: “It’s been as pleasure to work with PTI for these Games. Their sports and venue specific expertise, combined with major event delivery knowledge as well as their exceptional partnership approach, have proved a great asset to my team, and this will continue through Games-time. We are also pleased that PTI is contributing to our legacy and sustainability strategy by redeploying key Games infrastructure to enhance network capability at other sports venues, thereby providing a lasting benefit to sport in the UK.”
This appointment adds further momentum to PTI’s exciting start to 2022, with Birmingham 2022 joining Premiership Rugby, Gloucester Rugby, London Legacy Development Corporation and Hibernian FC as new clients this year and longer-term engagements with OakView Group & Co-op Live, the London Stadium, Wasps & Coventry Building Society Arena, the NEC Group and Edgbaston Stadium. PTI also announced earlier this year that it had extended its relationship with Bristol Sport & Ashton Gate Stadium for a further four years.
Mike Bohndiek, Chief Executive Officer at PTI says “The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is the largest event ever to be held in the West Midlands and one of the biggest events staged in the United Kingdom since Glasgow 2014 and London 2012 and the past decade has seen unparalleled growth in the technological demands of staging major events. We are really delighted to be able to bring our experience to ensure we help Birmingham 2022 set a new benchmark for major events.”
PTI launched its specialist IT Managed Services division in September 2021, believing that the importance of the core infrastructure in sports and entertainment venues has never been greater. The post-Covid world demands greater digital enablement and – whether in digital ticketing or click & collect food and beverage – the fan’s device is now their window to experience – but this can only be the case if the underlying technology stack can enable this.
PTI is a specialist digital transformation consultancy and its digital transformation pyramid – which unifies its three core pillars of Venue Technology, Data & Digital and Commercial Strategy – lays the foundation for the holistic digital transformation of sports and entertainment organisations and venues. It is this integrated, efficient approach which begins with strategic intent and is informed by insight and powered by the right technology infrastructure which creates significant commercial advantage over the long-term.

[Source: Aggreko] Industry leading mobile modular energy provider Aggreko is pleased to announce the renewal of its long-standing partnership with entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. Aggreko will support the world’s largest contemporary circus producer on a global scale at their Big Top shows, using their world-renowned mobile, temporary power supplies.

The contract renewal sees Aggreko continue to be a key supplier for major Québec based organisation until 2024. Aggreko will continue delivering world class mobile modular energy supplies across Cirque du Soleil’s cross-continental touring productions. Utilising progressive technologies Aggreko will co-ordinate reliable temporary power control, effecting the Big Top shows' lighting, sound, automation, and infrastructure.

Aggreko and Cirque du Soleil maintain a long-standing and successful partnership since 2012. Aggreko leads the temporary power supply and temperature control systems at some of Cirque du Soleil’s most recognised productions which include BAZZAR, LUZIA, Alegría, KOOZA and KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities. Aggreko previously provided Cirque du Soleil with innovative water-cooling systems within climate-controlled tents to help maintain the consistent environment needed for the unique high-risk performances.

Head of Sales at Aggreko Event Services, David de Behr, commented: “We are delighted to announce the successful re-launch of our ongoing relationship with Cirque du Soleil, and I am extremely proud of the global effort from the Aggreko Event Services team who will be supporting some of Cirque du Soleil’s most iconic productions.

“Aggreko and Cirque du Soleil share the common motivations for a high standard of service, and we are excited to see how the company’s inventive energy solutions provide reliable power supplies in such a fast-paced industry.”

Director of Global Corporate Alliances at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, Marie-France Chaput, added: “Aggreko has successfully provided a consistent energy supply for us at our international shows over the last ten years and it is fantastic to have a partner that is making sustainable switches within their services.

“The importance of a heavily monitored environment for our performers is crucial, and we are confident that Aggreko will continue to deliver a reliable energy service, leading to a positive experience for the performers and customers.”

[Source: Recast] Fans of one of the most exciting series in motorsport – WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup – can now watch race highlights and exclusive behind-the-scenes content from some of the sport’s biggest stars with the launch of a new WTCR Channel on subscription-free streaming platform Recast.
Audiences will have greater access to the sport than ever before as a result of WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup and promoter Discovery Sports Events joining the subscription-free, live, and on-demand streaming platform.
The WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup is the pinnacle of customer touring car racing and sits at the top of the TCR category ladder. The cream of the sport’s driving talent, including Yvan Muller, Esteban Guerrieri, defending world champion Yann Ehrlacher and Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport’s Tom Coronel will create exclusive content for WTCR’s Recast Channel on location from each race across the 2022 season.
Fans can also stream onboard camera sequences plus exclusive footage from leading WTCR teams, as well as highlights of each race.
The 10-round, 20-race 2022 championship runs through to November, with meetings taking place at some of motorsport’s most iconic venues across the globe. The season is already off to a flyer, with Mikel Azcona, of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, leading the championship after picking up a second win of the season at the historic Hungaroring in Hungary at the weekend.
The Spaniard will take a slender 10-point lead over Argentine Nestor Girolami into the next race as the championship’s attention turns to his home circuit at the famous MotorLand Aragón circuit near Alcañiz on June 25-26. WTCR fans can expect more exclusive content alongside thrilling highlights and on-track action on the Recast Channel.
Andy Meikle, Recast Founder and CEO, hailed the beginning of a significant connection with Discovery Sports Events. He said: "Together we're giving fans greater access to the sport they love in an affordable and flexible way.
"Recast will unlock new digital revenue streams for WTCR and Discovery Sports Events, whilst bringing fans even closer to the heart of the action each race weekend – it's win-win for all involved."
Jean-Baptiste Ley, WTCR Director, Discovery Sports Events, described the deal as ‘the latest firm demonstration of our significant, ongoing promotional push and commitment behind the WTCR’.
He continued: “Recast's unique platform will allow us to give WTCR fans even greater control and access to the series, including exclusive driver generated content and the best trackside action and commentary.
“Utilising Recast's flexible functionality to align with our existing broadcasting agreements, we look forward to bringing the best WTCR content to new and existing global markets, unleashing a wave of new racing fans to enjoy another fantastic season."
Fans will be able to use Recast’s subscription-free platform to stream exclusive interviews, in-car cameras and behind-the-scenes content from the top teams from the series, including Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, and Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport, to complement Discovery Sports Events race-by-race coverage.
Tom Coronel, Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport driver, said: “I want fans to go behind the scenes at WTCR events and they’ll see me being myself in my Tommy style. The content won’t just be about the racing but about my race car, the engine, the mechanics, the travel.
“They’ll get to understand what I do at race events from walking to the track from the hotel and what I have to eat. I’m going to show people the things they don’t normally see and I’m very excited to show Recast fans as much content as possible during race weekends.”
The launch of the Discovery Sports Events WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup Channel marks the latest high-profile Channel to join Recast, which has built an impressive portfolio of Publishers within sport and esports including Hibernian FC, Millwall FC, the World Curling Federation, and Formula Esports, with fans from across the world streaming affordable content every day across the platform’s 150 Channels.
The content offered across Channels ranges from live streams to on-demand content, including exclusive behind the scenes access to interviews and original content.
Recast, which is currently in beta, has secured £15 million investment to date from some of the biggest names in sport, business and venture capital.
Find all the WTCR content at WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup’s Recast Channel here. To find out more about Recast, visit the website.