[Source: ASOIF] The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) today released a position paper titled “The solidarity model of organised sport in Europe and beyond - A stable platform for collaboration”, aimed at contributing to a better understanding of the role International Federations (IFs) play in the global organisation of sport, and to a more informed debate on its future.

Primarily addressed to public authorities in Europe and beyond, sport organisations and the business sector, this paper was developed against the backdrop of ongoing discussions at European level on how to best safeguard values-based sport while IFs regularly face challenges to their operations, including proceedings and lawsuits in various territories. In particular it aims to provide a proactive and constructive response to the Resolution on the key features of a European Sport Model recently adopted by the European Union’s Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council. The Resolution asks the sport movement to support the key features of a European Sport Model which reflects the worldwide solidarity model of organised sport. It also calls upon the sport world to further explore and continue ongoing discussions with all stakeholders and acknowledge the diversity of approaches and new developments across different types of sport, in line with values-based organised sport.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said about the new position paper: “In our ever-changing world, the relevance of sport keeps growing. Every day, new stakeholders become involved in the sport sector. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it renders the role and activities of IFs, and the Olympic Movement at large, more complex. This situation also makes it more urgent to safeguard the values of the solidarity model of organised sport while still embracing progress and new ideas. I am convinced that the two can go hand-in-hand.”

He emphasised: “However, public authorities, sport organisations and the world of business must all work together if we want to tap the full potential of sport. Our paper aims to go beyond declarations, setting out solutions that we believe are fast, solid and sustainable.”

The document explains the role and diversity of IFs as worldwide governing bodies of their respective sports; it outlines the solidarity model of organised sport and details its key features; and it looks at other models of sport organisation, recent trends and developments which keep transforming the world of sport, providing both opportunities and challenges. The proposed framework at the end of the paper contains clear commitments on how IFs, public authorities and commercial entities can work together efficiently, expanding on the recent reflections of the European institutions and beyond.

Click here to download the document.

[Source: Aggreko] Aggreko has further confirmed its commitment to reaching net zero emissions by beginning the transition from diesel to greener fuel sources in its fuel management services.

The organisation’s ongoing phaseout is part of its pledge to cut the amount of the fossil fuel used by the organisation by 50% before 2030 and reduce local air quality emissions from its fleet by a similar figure. Specifically, Aggreko intends to phase out offering diesel with its fuel management services from April, instead solely providing hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

The move is part of the global temporary equipment supplier’s ‘Greener Upgrades’ initiative, which also includes a multi-million-pound investment in new products and technologies, alongside alternative fuels.

Speaking on the switch, Chris Rason, Managing Director Aggreko Northern Europe, said: “The need to be sustainable has long shifted from a vague preference to an absolute priority for all businesses, and this sentiment continues to be reinforced through action.

“For example, at COP26, proposals have been floated to force UK firms how they will reach net zero targets set for 2050. However, despite this shift to a ‘prove it’ culture when it comes to decarbonisation, complacency and greenwashing sadly still remains at a time when organisations need to begin taking steps toward a greener future.

“It is for this reason why we have put great effort into developing efficient and sustainable technologies that can replace existing, polluting energy sources without disruption. This continued investment has allowed us to begin the transition from diesel to HVO for our fuel management systems, passing decarbonisation gains onto our customers while maintaining or improving equipment performance.”

Aggreko has previously trialled HVO as a ‘drop-in’ fuel in controlled conditions using its own generator fleet – a rarity in testing conditions – and demonstrated significant emissions benefits. Further scientific studies have also shown the fuel produces up to 90% less greenhouse emissions, including 33% lower levels of fine particulates compared to diesel. Alongside this, 30% less hydrocarbons and up to 9% fewer nitrogen oxides are produced, and the amount of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons produced was also reduced.

“It cannot be doubted that the transition to net zero will be difficult for all organisations, regardless of their place in the supply chain, and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution,” Chris concludes. “However, this does not mean that businesses can stand still – far from it, in fact.

“By identifying areas in which pragmatic choices may be made for quick and effective sustainability gains, organisations can reduce the size of the challenge ahead. Opting for greener fuels is an excellent example of this, which is yet another reason why we have made this choice to transition our fuel management services onto HVO.”

To find out more about Aggreko’s new sustainability initiative, Greener Upgrades, click here.

[Source: 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships] A senior delegation from cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, has visited Scotland to check in on plans to stage the world’s biggest cycling event in Glasgow and across the country in August 2023.

UCI President David Lappartient and Director General, Amina Lanaya, received a warm Scottish welcome during their two-day visit as they reviewed a number of venues for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and met key partners and stakeholders associated with the delivery of the historic event.

It was their first official visit since it was announced the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships would be held in Glasgow and across Scotland, bringing together 13 existing UCI World Championships into one mega event for the first time.

The group visited the Glasgow BMX Centre in Knightswood, where fans will see the world’s best compete in high-speed sprint races across a purpose-built racetrack, while also taking in the city’s iconic George Square, which will provide a stunning backdrop for the road race finishes in August 2023.

They also met with key partners including Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson, who chairs the Scottish Government’s 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Cabinet Group, Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council as host city for the Championships as well as representatives from British Cycling and UK Sport.

David Lappartient, UCI President, said: “The inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships are less than 18 months away, and I am delighted to see the work that has been carried out so far to ensure the success of this historic event. The rainbow jersey battles will take place in spectacular venues in Glasgow and across Scotland, and it has been fantastic to visit some of the sites this week. Our discussions with the organisers have been positive and exciting, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in the lead-up to this ground-breaking mega event for cycling.”

Paul Bush, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome David and Amina to Scotland for the first time since the historic decision was made to host the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland.

“We are proud the UCI has entrusted us to host the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and having David and Amina here to see and hear about our progress is a great milestone. Alongside our partners at Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, British Cycling and UK Sport we are committed to delivering a Championships that will be truly ground-breaking for cycling.”

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will welcome more than 8,000 amateur and elite cyclists from more than 120 countries with more than 190 UCI World Champions crowned.

More than one million spectators are expected to attend the Championships, with a global TV audience of around one billion making it one of the Top 10 watched sporting events on the planet.

The 13 UCI World Championships included in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are: BMX Freestyle Flatland; BMX Freestyle Park; BMX Racing; Gran Fondo; Indoor Cycling; Mountain Bike Cross-country; Mountain Bike Downhill; Mountain Bike Marathon; Para-cycling Road; Para-cycling Track; Road; Track; Trials.

To date, five venues have been announced in Glasgow, with Dumfries & Galloway (para-cycling road) and Stirling (time trial) also hosting events across Scotland. Additional venues and locations elsewhere in the country will be confirmed in the coming weeks and months to ensure a pan-Scotland delivery and to capture the imagination of the entire country.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships were confirmed for Glasgow and across Scotland as a result of significant previous experience hosting high-profile sporting events. Glasgow and Scotland have become a sporting hotspot by welcoming unforgettable competitions such as UEFA EURO 2020 matches, the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the multi-sport Glasgow 2018 European Championships as well as cultural events including the world-renowned Edinburgh Festivals.

Since the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, participation sessions at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome have experienced positive uptake and cycling numbers have risen across Scotland. It is hoped the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships can continue the increase of pedal power in Scotland, inspiring the next generation of riders across a variety of cycling disciplines.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are being delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, UK Sport, British Cycling, Glasgow Life and VisitScotland. The partnership aims to create a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative and distinctive.

The UCI, cycling’s world governing body, currently stages annual World Championships in each of its disciplines across the year in different host cities around the world. The UCI Cycling World Championships will bring these championships together every four years, the year prior to the Olympics, starting with the inaugural event in 2023.

2023 UCI Cycling World Championships

From 3-13 August 2023, the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships will be hosted in Glasgow and across Scotland. It will be the single biggest cycling event in history, bringing together 13 existing individual UCI Cycling World Championships into one mega event.

This historic and innovative event will welcome 2,600 elite cyclists, including para-cyclists, from more than 120 countries and crown over 190 UCI World Champions. It will be a must see, must attend, much watch event as all these cyclists vie for the iconic rainbow jersey.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is more than just an event. It will be a catalyst for behavioural change across Scotland by giving everyone the opportunity to experience the freedom riding a bike can bring to their lives. By working in collaboration with cycling and wider partners, it will amplify and unify existing work and activity across health, transport, tourism and participation.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, UK Sport, British Cycling, Glasgow Life and VisitScotland with its EventScotland team through 2023 Cycling World Championships Ltd, with the partnership creating a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative and distinctive. www.cyclingworldchamps.com

About the UCI

Founded on April 14, 1900, in Paris, France, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing body for cycling. It develops and oversees cycling in all its forms and for all people: as a competitive sport, a healthy recreational activity, a means of transport, and also just for fun. The UCI manages and promotes the nine cycling disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, cyclo-cross, trials, indoor cycling and cycling esports. Five of these are featured on the Olympic Games programme (road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle), two in the Paralympic Games (road and track) and four in the Youth Olympic Games (road, mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle). For more information: www.uci.org

VisitScotland

VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland. The organisation’s key objective is to contribute to Scotland Outlook 2030, the national tourism strategy ambition of pursuing a sustainable and responsible tourism agenda. This will be supported by five overarching strategies: Marketing, Events, Quality and Sustainability, Inclusive Tourism, International Engagement. Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/. Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh). For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com For information about business tourism in Scotland go to businessevents.visitscotland.com. Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews 

Glasgow Life

Glasgow Life is a charity working for the benefit of the people of Glasgow. We believe everyone deserves a great Glasgow life and we find innovative ways to make this happen across the city’s diverse communities.  Our programmes, experiences and events range from grassroots community activities to large-scale cultural, artistic and sporting events which present Glasgow on an international stage. Our work is designed to promote inclusion, happiness and health, as well as support the city’s visitor economy, in order to enhance Glasgow’s mental, physical and economic wellbeing. For more information on our work, see http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk

UK Sport

UK Sport’s Major Events Programme is projected to invest almost £40 million of National Lottery funding through to 2025 to support the bidding and staging of major events on home soil, as well as providing specialist support to organisers. Events are supported not only for their likely performance impact on British athletes, but also to maximise wider sporting, social, cultural, and economic benefits. In addition, UK Sport also invests major event funding on behalf of Government including £9m into the 2019 UCI World Road Cycling Championships and £15m into the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

British Cycling

British Cycling is the national governing body for cycling as recognised by the UCI – the international federation for the sport. Based in Manchester at the National Cycling Centre, British Cycling works across all levels and six disciplines of the sport (BMX, Mountain Bike, Cyclo-cross, Road, Track and Cycle Speedway), from providing the support and encouragement people need to get riding their bikes for the first time, to being home to the hugely successful Great Britain Cycling Team. Continued success at the highest level is inspiring a boom in participation across the nation. There have never been more opportunities to ride a bike, be it for fun or sport, and British Cycling is at the heart of this growth. British Cycling also works hard to represent cyclists’ interests at all levels, including campaigning on important issues including road safety. As a membership organisation, British Cycling provides a suite of benefits and support to its members who currently number over 150,000. All membership revenue is invested back into cycling.

Host City 2022 builds on the phenomenal success of recent digital editions and anticipates a welcome return to face-to-face content, exhibition and networking in the Technology and Innovation Centre, where Host City was staged from 2015 to 2019.
By 2019, Host City attracted 350 delegates and 35 exhibitors to Glasgow. Host City’s growth continued online through the pandemic, reaching 500 to 1000 attendees in 2020 and 2021. The brand is also expanding globally, with the second Host City Americas taking place online on 29 June.
Host City 2022 is supported by EventScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau Scotland and Glasgow for the eighth consecutive year.
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland said: "EventScotland has a strong partnership with Host City and we are delighted to be continuing our support of the conference as we welcome it back to Scotland and Glasgow in 2022.
"Over the last 22 months the global events industry has shown its ability to adapt, respond and innovate and as we move forward with optimism, Host City 2022 will once again provide the ideal platform for cities and sport event businesses to come together and share new ideas and best practice.
"We look forward to seeing everyone in person this November."
Dr. Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, said: "We’re delighted to welcome Host City back to Glasgow for the eighth time, and for the first in-person event since 2019.
"Like all other cities across the world, Glasgow is intensely focussed on our recovery from the pandemic and a key factor in that recovery is hosting major international events. We’ve got a strong track record in that regard and that’s why we’re, once again, the ideal hosts for the 2022 conference.
"We’re very much looking forward to welcoming all delegates and organisations to the city later this year."
In his opening address to Host City 2021, Ivo Ferriani, President of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) and SportAccord said:
"After this invitation I am very much looking forward to come to Scotland. I will come to meet my great maestro Craig Reedie but also my great friend Kate Caithness, President of the World Curling Federation. For sure I cannot wait to visit you in Glasgow, because you are role models for all of us."
Host City’s owner, Cavendish Group is also staging its second Host City Americas event online on 29 June, under the tagline Where Events and Tech Meet.
Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City said "Since its move to Glasgow in 2015, Host City has grown immensely, in both physical and online formats. Two Asian editions and our recent expansion into the Americas have also helped to increase our reach.
"There is immense pent-up demand for the events industry to meet face-to-face in 2022, and there is no better forum than Host City in Glasgow on Scotland’s perfect stage.
"We anticipate an extremely lively gathering on 15-16 November 2022. And with many pressing global issues on the agenda, we can look forward to important exchanges that shape the course of major events for good."
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About Host City
Host City is the event and media brand that connects the owners, hosts and organisers of major events.
Through its conference, exhibition and online publishing platforms, Host City shares best practice within the international community of international sports, business and cultural events.
Host City events are renowned for the highest level of speakers, content and networking.
For more information visit www.hostcity.com or email ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: Commonwealth Sport] The Global Esports Federation and the Commonwealth Games Federation have today unveiled three major titles for the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships that will take place in Birmingham this summer.

DOTA 2 (Valve), eFootball™ series (KONAMI) and Rocket League (Psyonix) will be featured at the event at the International Convention Centre (ICC) this August 6-7, with all three titles featuring a Women Category and an Open Category. 

Showcasing the excitement of the upcoming Commonwealth Esports Championships, students from across the UK played Rocket League during today’s CGF Executive Board Meeting in Birmingham. The demonstration was attended by President of the CGF, Dame Louise Martin DBE and CGF Chief Executive Officer, Katie Sadleir; the President of the GEF Chris Chan and Chair of GEF’s Coordination Commission for the CEC2022, Chester King. 

“We are proud to feature some of the world’s leading esports titles on stage in Birmingham’s International Convention Centre (ICC) over the weekend of August 6-7. We look forward to creating the opportunity for players and athletes from across the Commonwealth to shine on a truly global stage at this historic inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships,” said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF.

"Alongside the GEF, we are delighted to unveil three major titles for the Commonwealth Esports Championships in Birmingham this summer. There is no doubt this innovative and exciting event will create new learnings and opportunities for us to further explore esports. The Commonwealth has a combined population of more than 2.4 billion with over 60% of them under the age of 30. This is a vital group for the Commonwealth Sport Movement to engage with, and esports can be an important part of this work due to its huge popularity and reach with young people across the world,” expressed Katie Sadleir, CEO of the CGF.

Commonwealth Games Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "Esports has connected millions of young people across the Commonwealth, providing entertainment and a vital sense of community.

“The Commonwealth Esports Championships is a major vote of confidence in the West Midlands’ and UK’s thriving esports industry and an exciting chance to look at how this can be brought into the Commonwealth Sport Movement.”

The Commonwealth Esports Championships will feature exciting demonstrations showcasing Active Esports and the powerful technologies that support the convergence of sport and esports. The Commonwealth Esports Forum – a global convention of diverse thought leaders and idea creators – will be held at the same venue on Friday, August 5, 2022. 

The event today comes after first Team Preparation Guide (TPG) meeting for the event was staged last month. The meeting led by the GEF was joined by leaders from the GEF, CGF and British Esports Association. It was attended by representatives from over 60 Commonwealth nations and territories, including the GEF’s Member Federations who are set to compete in Birmingham. The organising team briefed the delegations on arrangements for participants and have since commenced team selections and preparations.  

About the Global Esports Federation

The Global Esports Federation promotes the credibility, legitimacy, and prestige of esports. We convene athletes, players, the world’s publishers, developers, industry partners and sporting organizations on one inclusive platform. We encourage and support the connection between esports, sport and technology. Our mission calls for the development of visible initiatives that are in service to the world’s esports community. We are grateful for a collective of strategic partnerships that bring to life this mission. www.globalesports.org

About the Commonwealth Games Federation

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games, and for delivering on the vision of the Commonwealth Sports Movement: to build peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities globally by inspiring Commonwealth Athletes to drive the impact and ambition of all Commonwealth Citizens through Sport.

About the Business and Tourism Programme (BATP)

The Business and Tourism Programme (BATP) aims to leverage the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to embed positive perceptions of the West Midlands into the international imagination, driving long-term economic benefits across the region, fostering civic pride. Focusing on tourism, trade and investment, the three-year programme will catalyse the West Midlands’ growth strategy, cementing the region, and wider UK, as a globally sought-after location to visit, invest and live in. Its work will focus on nations and territories across the Commonwealth.

[Source: E-Bike Grand Prix (EBK GP)] E-Bike Grand Prix (EBK GP) is today announcing the appointment of Richard Bate, a global health and safety expert, to oversee delivery of the new international race series.

Richard joins from Formula E – a single-seater motorsport for electric cars – where he served as the Head of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE). During his tenure, Richard delivered the world championship for five consecutive years, and secured the ISO45001 – an international standard for health and safety.

Richard will lead HSE at EBK GP, in his role as Chief Safety Officer, bringing more than 30 years’ experience delivering successful international sporting events, including three Olympic Games and numerous cycling events including Tour de France. His career has also involved working in several other industries, including TV, film and music, having completed global tours and festivals with headline acts. In addition, Richard spent a decade working for the BBC on hit show Top Gear delivering safety on their live global stadium shows.

In his new role at EBK GP, Richard will oversee the delivery of all health, safety and environmental aspects of the race series, ensuring the first-class safety of competitors, staff, suppliers, guests and spectators. He will also be responsible for event permitting, construction safety, traffic management, fire and medical provision.

Richard will continue serving as Vice President of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the leading global organisation for health and safety professionals, and as Fellow of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM); an educational charity and professional body for those managing risk in all its forms.

Richard Bate, new Chief Safety Officer, said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining E-Bike Grand Prix, which is a great opportunity to bring together my expertise in health and safety, sustainability and passion for cycling to creative better environment within the greater context of sustainability”.

Andy Moss, Chairman of EBK GP, added: “It is a huge privilege to have the calibre of Richard join our innovative new series. His experience in the world of sport and his enthusiasm for EBK GP will act as a further catalyst for the series’ success.

“Richard brings with him a wealth of knowledge that will not only ensure compliance and best in class safety levels, but also elevate the championship with world class operations”.

EBK GP is a new international cycling sport showcasing ground-breaking E-Bike technology while working with global host cities to raise awareness of climate change challenges, inspire citizens and promote cleaner, greener, healthier cities.

The appointment of Richard follows a spree of hires at EBK GP, including Sandy Ma joining as Chief Operating Officer and Mark Barfield as Director of Sport.

Due to begin later this year with a showcase event in Dubai, the EBK GP series will take place in 10 cities around the world across 2023. South Korea and the UAE have recently been confirmed as the first two countries participating in the global race series.

[Source: Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES)] With the increasing demands on infrastructure, the limited lead-time and the ever louder call from an increasingly sceptical public for cost effective and sustainable solutions, temporary event infrastructure – often described as event overlays – has become an indispensable factor for event organisers and city authorities.

And yet, the event suppliers’ industry has been challenged by respected commentators suggesting that “organisers often do not understand your business”. In March 2019 AGES stepped forward to take up that challenge with the publication of the “Practice Guide for the Planning, Procurement and Delivery of Temporary Infrastructure for Major Events”, Part I General Information. Development of the response has continued, and AGES now releases a second volume to the Guide, Part II Technical information.

This latest volume has been elaborated by a group of authors and overlay professionals, each with profound international experience in their field, coordinated, guided, and supervised by AGES.

The Guide, as a whole, provides an inclusive, encyclopaedic reference for event organisers, building authorities, governmental bodies, students, educators and educational establishments; in fact, all those involved in event infrastructure. It offers introductory and contextual information, general information, and technical information, to become the international advisory document.

In particular, this 300-page volume includes the sections, Products, Services and Regulatory Framework, providing technical and illustrative information and references and deals with the large majority of the temporary works categories and technical services used by organisers of large events.

Each volume of the “Practice Guide for the Planning, Procurement and Delivery of Temporary Infrastructure for Major Events”, Part I General Information and Part II Technical Information is now available, at  https://www.ages.international/shop/ which also offers informative previews of both publications.

About AGES

The Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) is a none-for-profit organization based in Switzerland which was formed 2014 to become the label for quality and reliability for temporary and demountable infrastructure works for major events.

The worldwide members are market leaders and front runners in the development of new products and services; each has a unique track record and outstanding work experience. Together they provide services worth over EUR 2 billion each year.

AGES wants to address the capabilities of the industry to organizers of large sports events, governmental bodies and building authorities to enhance and expand opportunities for hosting to a wider pool of venues, cities and nations; to facilitate interactions between hosts and industry, and to improve the viability, sustainability and cost- effectiveness of solutions through the creative use of temporary infrastructure.

For more information visit  www.ages.international contact Daniel Cordey, Chairman at info@ages.international or by telephone +41 79 407 06 06.

Beijing 2022 has been hailed for setting new standards in engagement by Ivo Ferriani, President of GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations).

“Following 19 days of exciting winter sports action, I would like to congratulate the IOC, Beijing 2022, athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers for delivering a successful Olympic Winter Games and inspiring millions of people in China and around the world to engage in winter sports,” he said.

“I understand that the Opening Ceremony was the most watched broadcast in China in a decade; this is fantastic news for the future of ice and snow sports in China.”

Worldwide, the Opening Ceremony attracted achieved more viewers than any previous Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony.

Throughout the Games, more hours of broadcast coverage were made available than at any previous Olympic Winter Games edition. In China, broadcast coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 reached over 600 million people through TV alone.

The IOC said the Games also achieved record coverage through digital platforms, with “billions of engagements across digital platforms, including Olympic and Rights-Holding Broadcasters’ properties”.

Ferriani said: “With more than 2.7 billion comments about the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on the IOC’s social media platforms, I have no doubt that millions more people will participate in winter sports activities as a result.”

More than a thousand journalists were accredited for the Games, in addition to close to a thousand other accredited members of the press from 520 organisations, plus 3,607 accreditations granted to representatives of rights-holding broadcasters.

The Games was delivered in the most challenging of circumstances amid the Covid 19 pandemic.

 “I can speak from experience and say that the closed-loop system was very successful and there was a fantastic Olympic spirit throughout the Games,” said Ferriani. “This would of course not have been possible if it wasn’t for all the hard work behind-the-scenes and everyone coming together to deliver a safe and secure Olympic Winter Games.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the GAISF Members of Olympic winter sports for your hard work and efforts to provide the best possible support for your athletes.”

At an thank-you event organised at the Big Air venue in Shougang Park in Beijing, the IOC’s Beijing 2022 Coordination Commission Chair, Juan Antonio Samaranch, thanked the thousands of Beijing 2022 workforce and volunteers.

“You and all your teams have done incredible work to tackle the different challenges. You have always been responsible, responsive and efficient to all our requests,” he said.

“Thanks for your strong commitment and dedication. You ensured that these Olympic Winter Games were memorable.”

With 45 per cent of athletes being female and 55 per cent male, Beijing 2022 also set a new standard as the most gender-balanced Olympic Winter Games.

Cai Qi, president of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, said: “As the first city to host both summer and winter Olympic Games, Beijing 2022 will go down in history. We will continue to work with the IOC to spread the Olympic spirit, enhance inclusiveness and mutual understanding, promote friendship and solidarity, and jointly shape a better future.”

The way sport content is consumed is changing dramatically, and this is changing the business of sports events. PwC’s Sports Survey 2021 revealed the top “key market force” in the sports industry to be the transforming media landscape.

“We want to invest around the change,” George Pyne, Founder & CEO of Bruin Capital told SportsPro Activision conference. “The pandemic is accelerating the adoption of all things digital, which if you’re investing in technology is a good thing.”

The pandemic has presented challenges as well as opportunities.

“Portfolio companies are having a hard time hiring people and not meeting with clients – and there are supply chain issues. But strategically we feel good about the long-term technology change that’s taking place today.”

Bruin bought data-driven sports marketing agency Two Circles before the pandemic. Other recent acquisitions include Deltatre, TGI and OddsChecker. Bruin also bought golf simulation technology Full Swing, which experience mixed fortunes due to the pandemic. “Home simulators sailed off the charts, but golf was one of the sports that people could still do as it was outside.”

But Bruin’s investments have generally been well placed at this time of transition. “All our companies had a good tailwind. It’s working for us, being in the tech space – tech is disrupting life and for sure will disrupt sports.

“When I started Bruin we wouldn’t have been so tech focused. Our focus is growth, so where in the sports ecosystem can you find returns? We find the best place is in technology. We’ve landed on technology because of the growth credentials.”

High risk threshold

Pyne offered an insight into the needs of startups.

“When you’re looking for capital, you need capital that’s patient, easy to work with and can help you grow. When you are a startup you need to be able to pivot, to adjust, to be nimble and adapt to what’s going on around you.”

Investing in startups is a high-risk business. “In the startup space, most don’t make it. If you have 10 companies, about three are going to make it. It’s about investing in technology and people you believe in.

“Your threshold for risk is quite high. We don’t expect all to be successful – it’s the level of success you’re looking for.”

Pyne empathises with the disappointments that everyone in business faces from time to time. “I’ve been fired by a client, I’ve missed a budget, I’ve failed. Every day isn’t a sunny day. We are good to be around when things go bad – that’s the Bruin secret sauce. If you’re not a people business, you can’t be successful.”

From 2006 to 2014, Pyne was President of Sports and Entertainment and Board Member of IMG. “Having the experience of running a company, we are way more empathetic to CEOs. If you’re a CEO or management team, we are able to open doors. And equally importantly when things don’t go well, we understand. Those things are important to CEOs and CFOs.

“What works for me is three-year plans. It’s not just about money, but ideas. Check in once a month on strategy and numbers and you’ll never really fall apart. We have great CEOs, they run the businesses, we’re just here to help; we’re on their side.

“It’s based on trust, integrity, doing what you say you’re going to do – and how you handle it when things go wrong. Nobody’s perfect, we try to address our mistakes in the best way possible.”

New and emerging technologies

Technologies are emerging at an unprecedented rate – but which ones are here for good?

“NFT is probably here to stay. Cryptocurrency and the blockchain looks pretty sticky too.

“Sport reflects life and is going to follow the trends – all those trends are being enabled through global technology and sport will follow, which is good. I embrace innovation.

“If you look at Microsoft and Activision and the impact of the metaverse – that is the new frontier. There are going to be big winners and big losers and a lot of value created. There are going to be some big enterprises that come out of those categories.”

“NFTs and crypto is very exciting, but I’m more into the data and lifetime buy of the consumer. There are so many ways to interact with consumers through data and there are so many opportunities to be great in that area.”

“The relationship between club and consumer will define success in the future.”

Which perhaps brings us to the real reason that technology is such a huge growth area – it connects people with their passions.

“Golf is a passion point and Full Swing is satisfying that passion point – we love a good passion point in a partner.

“Our focus now is on TGI and Full Swing, helping them to do well. Somewhere along the way this year we’ll probably find a new technology platform to invest behind.

“It’s all about people. Technology without people is nothing.”

This article is based on the live Q&A by SportPro’s Editor-at-Large, Eoin Connolly

Alibaba Cloud, founded in 2009, is a global leader in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, providing services to thousands of enterprises, developers and government organisations in more than 200 countries and regions. Committed to the success of its customers, Alibaba Cloud provides reliable and high security cloud computing and digital technology capabilities as part of its online solutions.

“We are focusing on sustainable development and innovation,” Kevin Li, Head of International Sports Industry Department, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence said at Host City on 7 December 2021.

According to IDC and Gartner, Alibaba Cloud is the number one public cloud provider in China and APAC, and number three in the world.

In January 2017 Alibaba Cloud became the official cloud services partner of the Olympics.

“Since then we have been continuously supporting to drive the digital transformation of the Olympics,” said Li.

In 2018 Alibaba unveiled the cloud data centre for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and OBS Cloud with Olympic Broadcasting Services. In 2019 Alibaba Cloud became the official partner of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games and helped to support the first Asian games on cloud. And in 2020, Alibaba Cloud announced its support of Le Club Paris 2024 to enable fans to interact and engage with the Olympics. And in 2021, the most important milestone was to support Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which was delivered for the first time on cloud.

“Our teams are working to provide cloud technology support to Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, which will take place in February 2022. As a worldwide Olympic partner we share a vision with the IOC of using cloud technology and digital intelligence to improve the decision making of Games operations and create unique digital journey experience of Olympic sports fans.

“We believe technology will make the Games more inclusive and accessible to people of different genders, races and age around the world, all united by the Games."

Breakthroughs at Tokyo 2020

“When we look back at Tokyo 2020, breakthroughs in digitalisation were made at every moment fuelled by leading cloud-based technologies through Alibaba Cloud in partnership with IOC,” said Li.

“Alibaba helped IOC to integrate official digital channels of the Olympic games into the new olympics.com platform.

“Alibaba and the IOC released the cloud press conference platform, enabling the media to easily watch all press conferences on the cloud.

“We launched the cloud intelligence heatstroke prediction system with the Tokyo organising committee, to reduce the probability of a heatstroke.

“Alibaba Cloud supported OBS to launch the Olympic broadcasting cloud for the first time, using cloud technology to fully support ultra high definition and high dynamic Olympic broadcasting services.

“Through the digital cloud cheer platform, Make the Beat, we can cheer on the cloud and encourage athletes from all countries.

Digital operation, competition, communication and experience

“When we overview all these digital innovations based on practices by Alibaba Cloud in the Olympic Games, we can identify four domains in more general sports digitalisation. The four domains are: digital operation, digital competition, digital communication and digital experience. Each domain is composed with corresponding business solutions for specific stakeholders respectively.

“Digital operation will improve the operational efficiency of organising committees to make the events more sustainable. Digital competition will strengthen the position of athletes are at the heart of the Olympic movement both on and off the field of play.

“Digital communication is aimed to reorganise accounting workflow through digital technology. Olympics.com is one of the fruitful achievements. The converged media channel has delivered extended engagement for all fans during the Olympic Games, which will reinforce and promote the Olympic values which are more important and powerful than ever.

“Digital experience will establish the seamless Games journey experience to improve fans’ engagement before, during and after the Games.”

More value to host cities

“As TOP partner, Alibaba Cloud keeps collaborating with stakeholders of Olympic Games from Pyeongchang, Tokyo and Beijing to the coming Milano-Cortina, Paris and Los Angeles Games to support IOC’s digital strategy to facilitate the successful Games delivery and strengthen the uniqueness and universality of every brilliant Olympic Games.

“These practices could deeply involve the TOP Partner’s expertise and resources into the programmes and activities of the Olympic movement.

“Alibaba Cloud stands with the IOC, organising committees, IFs, sponsors and other partners to make digital technology – especially the cloud, which is hosting all core Games services – as a powerful source to enable the events to be more connected, more efficient, more secure and more engaging.

“It will be helpful to establish dynamic sports games with unprecedented experience and a reduced carbon footprint of the Games.

“Digital solutions rely on cloud technology that bring more value to the host cities of Games. From the faster sports industry development to more efficient city operations it is expected that host cities will witness the smart capability, building and developing of transportation, touring, medical, governance and many other aspects.

“Alibaba Cloud can work such digital magic into our cloud products and services, the comprehensive cloud solutions will create value and be the enabler of sports industry digitalisation. Cooperating with other sports partners, fans and stakeholders globally, I believe we can seize opportunities of digitalisation and contribute to shaping the post-pandemic world by working together with the sports community to strengthen the Olympic values.

“Stronger together: let us send our best wishes to all athletes and fans of the coming Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.”

This article is based on Kevin Li’s presentation, The digital transformation of the Olympic Games, at Host City 2021