The International Olympic Committee’s latest strategic reform programme, Agenda 2020+5, recommends that virtual versions of Olympic sports should be considered for inclusion in the Games, only if they require a comparable level of physical activity.

But at the 137^th IOC Session, one IOC Member called for the Olympic umbrella to be extended much wider, to encompass the full scale of the opportunity of gaming.

Following addresses from IOC Members Christophe Rolland and Gianni Infantino, on the recommendation to encourage the development of virtual sports and further engage with the gaming community, Yelena Isinbayeva, IOC Athletes’ Commission Member asked: “Why don’t we try or even think about including competitions like Counter Strike or Dota into the Olympic programme?

“We used to discuss about virtual sports many times, since the very beginning of computer sport before it grew in popularity. And we’d say, if the Olympic movement doesn’t take it under its umbrella someone else will.

“And now we can see the size of the competition for Counter Strike – it’s huge competition, with a huge amount of prize money and with huge number of participations around the globe. Online, it can be a billion people watching around the globe – and I was one of them, because I was interested to find out what people are watching. And I would say it is really impressive when you understand the rules.”

The need to encompass Esports is clearly not lost on the IOC. In his address, Jean-Christophe Rolland said: “It is a fantastic opportunity that the IOC and the Olympic Movement want to seize in virtual sports – I should even say have to seize.

“Technology continues to develop at an incredible pace. The games… become more and more realistic and the platforms on which they operate become more accessible. Therefore the numbers of people engaged in these virtual forms of sport continue to grow incredibly fast.”

Gianni Infantino highlighted the catalytic effect of the pandemic. “The impact of Covid has introduced many challenges, but it has also accelerated many existing trends. Throughout Covid-19 the gaming industry has continued to grow, highlighted by a 30% growth in gamers, 75% growth in gaming usage and the industry being worth over US$150bn in 2020.

“This growth has been mirrored in virtual sports, where several IFs, including my own, have accelerated our investment and focus on virtual forms of our sport to engage with young people and hosted official virtual competitions.”

“Fully reflect the physical activity”

Rolland stressed the importance of the roles and responsibilities of IFs in establishing virtual and simulated forms of sports, citing the example of rowing on ergometers at the recent 2021 Virtual Indoor Rowing Championships.

“It is exciting that this recommendation opens the possibilities for IFs to look at potential proposals to include their respective physical virtual sports in the Olympic programme in the future. To be clear, this is only considering those virtual sports which fully reflect the physical activity of the actual sport and are fully governed by the respective IF. They will be considered as a discipline of the sport within that IF.”

“Virtual sport must be linked to physical activity,” added IOC Member William Frederick Blick. “In Uganda, the ergometers are used when the weather is bad. I’ve also attended a competition where they used ergometers to promote the game within the city. This is probably the right way to go; it should be linked to physical activity.”

But Isinbayeva highlighted that competitive gamers also undergo rigorous physical and mental training. “They train in the gym – training can be eight hours a day like a normal athlete – because they have to be physically prepared to sit for eight hours or more in front of the computer and play the game. Of course they train their concentration, their mental health, because only strong mental athletes can participate on that.

Incentives and digital natives

Isinbayeva also stressed the need to make traditional sport more attractive to future athletes. “Yes, of course we need to offer them better conditions; we have to share our values, we have to show them what they will get if they practice or choose more traditional sport.

“But I see the tendency that more youth really want to compete in Counter Strike, because they can get money faster than participating in Olympic games and gaining sponsors. They can start to compete there, if I’m not wrong, from age 16 – and from age 18 they can earn good money if they are in the right team.”

“Every generation of young people has embraced the new technologies and entertainments of their time,” said Infantino. “This current generation has embraced video games and digital entertainment. The IOC digital strategy is focused on reaching out to young people around the world on their platform in their language.

“The object of the recommendations is therefore direct engagement through virtual sport and gaming to encourage sports participation and promote the Olympic values, with a special focus on youth.

“The upcoming Olympic hosts in Paris 2024, Milano-Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 also have a clear focus of reaching out to digital natives in innovative ways, including through the opportunities that virtual sports give to reach out directly to literally anyone anywhere any time.”

Rolland said: “With this additional doorway we will be able to reach out to these young athletes and young audiences at the mass participation level and enlarge the community of people connected to sports. It will also ensure that at the elite level the competitors can be assured they are competing in a well-regulated and well protected competition environment free from manipulation of any kind. And finally, it will allow an official level of regional and global events as these events continue to develop.”

IOC Member Sarah Walker, who sits on the Commissions for Athletes and Digital & Technology, said “As someone who’s into gaming and virtual sport I think there a really cool opportunity for new and young audiences to be interested in the Olympics but also to learn about Olympic values and everything that the Olympics can provide for younger generations. I’m looking forward to how this recommendation evolves and incorporates the engagement with younger generations.”

“Act as soon as possible”

Competing for their attention will be not be easy. “In the future it will be a huge challenge to the Olympic movement, to the traditional sport, this computer sport, which is not less interesting than the Olympic Games,” said Isinbayeva.

“So, to be competitive to this, we have to offer them a better condition – or we can take them under our umbrella, if it’s possible. We don’t know if they will accept this, because being on the Olympic programme has many conditions and restrictions – the qualifying process, the number of participants, the countries, I don’t know – but why don’t we even think about it, why don’t we try? We definitely have to act as soon as possible otherwise we will lose this chance.”

Ultimately, strategy is just as important as speed. “Over the past few years we have taken the first steps into this world of virtual sports and the current context has certainly reinforced the relevance,” said Rolland. “The opportunities are incredible if we approach it with clear strategy and direction.

“The new Olympic Agenda 2020+5 recommendation shapes this direction and we look forward to seizing these vital opportunities, the changing landscape of technology, society and sport bring to us.”

The virtual AIPH International Horticultural Expo Conference on 16 March attracted over 140 delegates online from over 50 countries worldwide, eager to listen to future International Horticultural Expos’ progress reports.

There is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the progress of these enormous events, but through adversity came stories of strong leadership, agile planning and the overwhelming spirit of resilience.

International Horticultural Expos showcase beauty and creativity, with a magnificent Expo park attracting many international participants, who build their pavilions lasting up to six months and captivating the imagination of many millions of visitors domestically and internationally. Although Covid-19 is here for the long haul, these open-air events are looking positively to the future. Every International Horticultural Expo is carefully regulated, steered, and monitored by AIPH, and the period from now until 2027 includes ten AIPH-approved expos.

The conference, on the Hopin platform, began with a progress presentation from Floriade Expo 2022 Almere. There is just one year to go until the opening. “The landscaping and planting in Almere continue, while the real estate and infrastructure near completion”, reports Chief Operating Officer for the Expo, Mr Sven Stimac. He speaks of the positive response from more than 40 countries confirming diplomatic participation in the 2022 event and more than 50 partnerships from the horticulture sector. Everything is continuing to plan, with a healthy and sensitive focus on Covid-19 prevention measures for the event in the Netherlands. Interest from people is increasing, as Mr Stimac reports more participation online in the Floriade Knowledge Programmes webinars than were initially planned for the physical seminars.

Considering the time it takes to prepare a high-quality A1 International Horticultural Exhibition and the difficulties in continuing preparations during the pandemic last year, it was agreed that Expo Doha Qatar moved from 2021 to 2023. In the progress report given by Mr Mohammed Ali Alkhoori, Secretary General of the Expo, he showed that the timeline’s shift has not put a dent in its ambitious event and legacy plans for the 179-day event theme Green Desert Better Environment.

The plans for the World Horticultural Exhibition Yokahama 2027 are “blossoming” in their early stages. Mr Soga Koji, Director-General of Kamiseya Development and World Horticulture Exhibition, and his team are working in partnership with the government to develop a master plan for the event. The venue area is nearly 100 hectares of landscape and takes inspiration from satoyama’s cultivation philosophy – derived from the Japanese words for the village (sato) and mountain (yama). The central theme is Scenery of the Future for Happiness, with four sub-themes aiming to generate new values based on horticulture and to pass on a growing legacy.

It was very clear from the presentations that the coronavirus pandemic has made progress very difficult, “but not impossible,” asserts Mrs Lan Zhou, Vice Director, Yangzhou Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Expo 2021 Yanhgzou opens in China in just a few weeks, on 8 April 2021 and continues until 8 October 2021. Mrs Lan Zhou stresses, “We have overcome many obstacles. Many people have been working very hard. We have managed to make the unimaginable happen.”

She continues: “When we made our application, we expected four million visitors would come [domestic and international] however international travel is still under strict regulation. We do hope in the latter half of our event, people can come to visit. The Department of Medical Health has worked out all the policies in place for population control and disease prevention.”

Being large in scale, AIPH International Horticultural Expos naturally draw investment into new parks and infrastructure, which become permanent additions to the city and improves residents’ quality of life. The progress report given by Expo 2021 Hatay perfectly demonstrates this action. There are two sites, Antakya and Iskenderun, on either side of a mountain, and these areas will show the rich horticultural production of the area. The organiser, Mr Hakan Arslan, explains how the transport between sites will be free and working 18 hours a day, during the event and the infrastructure will be a legacy afterwards.

Mr Harun Guzel gave many examples of how they are stimulating the horticultural industry and the Turkish landscape in Kahramanmaraş for Expo 2023 and working with and for the local people’s benefit.

Sustainability is an integral element of AIPH International Horticultural Expos and part of our philosophy. Suncheonman International Garden Expo has a grand ambition in 2023 to realise an exhibition where the entire city becomes a garden city in Korea.

Reports from our newest approvals from 30 September 2020 have been working hard on preparation. International Horticulture Exhibition Chengu 2024 has been improving the infrastructure around its Expo Park. And the organisers of Expo Izmir 2026 predict its Expo park will attract a significant number of tourists and expect 4.7million visitors.
Euroflora has had to postpone the 12th Edition in Genoa from 23 April to 8 May 2022. The organisers are planning a one-day event in September 2021 dedicated to the promotion of worldwide horticulture.

The AIPH Expo Conference presented an excellent opportunity to learn more about hosting or being involved with these major international events. AIPH is very grateful to Gold Sponsors for the conference – IGMPR and PERA Event, and our event and media partners.

If you would like to know more about the benefits of hosting an International Horticultural Expo, please contact us. We would also welcome discussions with suppliers at major events to explain the AIPH Preferred Partner programme and how your business can benefit.

Recordings of the presentations are available to watch online at www.aiph.org/event/the-expo-conference.

This article was written by Rachel Wakefield, Communications Executive and Associate Editor, AIPH

[Source: www.interkultur.com] This week we received good news from Dr. Tim Sharp, representatives of the United States in the World Choir Council: He joins noteablemask.com as a spokesperson and thus supports the way back to live rehearsals and performances.

“Now that a vaccine is available and we know the science, we need to get back to choral singing,” says Sharp. “Group singing is part of our very soul. This is why I am pleased to partner as a spokesperson with noteablemask.com – so we can return to live rehearsals safely.” 

Tim Sharp is the past Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association and serves as Artistic Director of the Tulsa Chorale and as Director of Innovation at the Center for Community Arts Innovation in Nashville. He is on the Board of Directors for the International Federation for Choral Music and member of the Advisory Board of the World Choir Council.

Sharp is working with noteablemask.com in a campaign called “Join Your Voices,” which offers choral leaders a decision-making protocol with a responsible pathway for returning to live rehearsals and performances. The protocol is available as a free download at noteablemask.com/joinyourvoices   

In the return to live singing, individual face masks are critical. Such a face mask must capture the aerosol particles produced by a singer, but it must also allow a singer to inhale as freely as possible. 

According to Sharp, who has tried several singing masks, the Noteable mask is the one that provides the most viable option for group singing when used in conjunction with CDC guidelines. He is recommending Noteable as the face mask of choice for groups returning to live rehearsals. 

“When I heard that Tim Sharp had chosen our mask, I was thrilled,” said Tom Lough, inventor and developer of the Noteable mask. “We want to help with the safe return to live choral singing, and we are glad our mask and the ‘Join Your Voices’ campaign can be part of that recovery.” 

The Noteable singing mask has been independently tested by aerosol engineers at Colorado State University and Baylor University, and is made in the USA. For more information, see noteablemask.com.

[Source: PR Newswire] Bally's Corporation, a leading U.S. provider of land-based gaming and interactive entertainment, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Monkey Knife Fight (MKF), the award-winning, fastest-growing[1] gaming platform and third-largest daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator in North America. The all-stock transaction makes Bally's just the third sports betting company in the U.S. to have a fantasy sports segment. In 2020, MKF, which offers its loyal users a dynamic and creative slate of daily sports and e-sports contests, was ranked by SponsorUnited as the sixth most-searched and tenth fastest-growing brand in sports and entertainment.

Bally's acquisition of MKF is the latest step in the company's long-term growth and diversification strategy to become the first truly vertically integrated sports betting and iGaming company in the U.S. with a B2B2C business model. Importantly, it complements Bally's recent media partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group and its pending acquisition of Bet.Works, including its proprietary technology stack.

"With this acquisition, we are pleased to enter into the high-growth DFS market. Monkey Knife Fight is a unique asset that we look forward to incorporating into Bally's constantly growing omnichannel portfolio of land-based casinos and iGaming platforms," said George Papanier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bally's Corporation. "As with all of the properties and services that fall under the iconic Bally's brand, we are committed to providing a best-in-class DFS platform to sports fans around the country."

With approximately 180,000 registered users and 80,000 depositing players, MKF's distinctive, user-friendly gaming platform will become an integral component of the "Bally's Interactive" division, as well as contribute to Bally's growing player database. MKF will support Bally's plans to develop a potential sports bettors database in states such as California, Florida and Texas, which are expected to account for 20-25% of U.S. sports betting revenues (according to Wall Street analyst research estimates). It will also enable Bally's to build a player database in Canada, a market that is expected to authorize sports betting in the near future. In addition, the acquisition will lead to Bally's developing new and engaging content with MKF for its customers.

Papanier continued, "The MKF acquisition will allow Bally's to leverage both its current customer database as well as DFS's collection of depositing players. These assets will also provide Bally's with a significant advantage in launching its own B2C sports betting operations."

Additionally, Bally's intends to combine MKF's expansive geographic presence, which spans 37 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, with Sinclair's significant media footprint, including its portfolio of 21 regional sports networks, to engage sports fans across the U.S by providing unique DFS offerings.

"Since our inception, we have distinguished ourselves from competitors by providing the best experiences for our valued players, forming strategic partnerships with teams, ownership groups and players unions, and acquiring strategic assets to bolster our position in the market," said Bill Asher, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Monkey Knife Fight. "I am immensely proud of all we have accomplished over the past three years at MKF and am confident that the talented Bally's team has what it takes to continue to grow and develop what is already a great business."

As part of the acquisition, MKF is set to receive immediately exercisable penny warrants to purchase up to approximately $50 million in Bally's common shares (subject to adjustment) at closing, and (2) contingent penny warrants to purchase up to approximately $20 million in additional Bally's common shares on each of the first and second anniversaries of closing, for a possible total of up to approximately $40 million. The contingency relates to MKF's continued operations in jurisdictions in which it operates at closing. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

Many event organisers are having to adapt and are turning their attention to the prospect of virtual event delivery. This is a chance to hear from three who have already successfully done so in recent months, finding out about how they chose which digital platform to use, the challenges they faced, the actions they took to address these and how they managed to navigate through a very different operating environment.

Hear from Ben Avison, Editorial and Event Director at Host City and Cavendish Group, who will be chairing the webinar and providing insight into the virtual Host City conference delivered in December. He will be joined by Caitlin McNaughton, Communications and Partnerships Manager for Melbourne Fringe who delivered their online festival in November and Lesley Shaw, Producer at Celtic Connections who delivered their digital-first festival in January as they each share their experience and learnings gained from the successful online staging of their recent events. 

The webinar will tackle a range of issues from functionality and look and feel, to rights handling, international distribution issues and monetisation. There will be an opportunity for participants to submit questions in advance and on the day; if you would like to submit questions in advance, please submit these when prompted during the webinar registration process or by emailing information@eventscotland.org.

Register here.

[Source: EventScotland, 19 March] The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the organisers of the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships have unveiled their ambitious brand identity for this prestigious new event on the UCI International Calendar taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023. 
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be the biggest cycling event in history bringing together 13 individual World Championships events for the first time with the world’s top cyclists and para-cyclists competing for the coveted rainbow jersey in disciplines including road cycling, track cycling, mountain bike, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, trials and indoor cycling. 
The Championships will also be a catalyst for collaboration and positive change across the country through the ‘power of the bike’, inspiring people to ride bikes more often for fun, exercise and to move around.
The new brand identity, which has been created by Glasgow design agency Stand, seamlessly combines the professionalism and credibility of the UCI with the warm, friendly welcome of Glasgow and Scotland – both working in harmony just like a bike and its rider.
The ‘squiggly bike’ as the host identity has been designed to encompass a feeling of playfulness, inclusivity and positivity, acting as a lasting symbol of the event and what it aims to achieve for communities right across Scotland. 
It also incorporates the UCI rainbow in its design, which in a first for a UCI World Championships, will remain in place after the event, with the UCI approving the ongoing use of the rainbow colours in support of the wide-ranging policy ambitions of the event to develop cycling in Scotland. This means the people of Scotland can take the ‘squiggly bike’ to their hearts as a lasting inspiration to celebrate the power of the bike long after 2023. 
Cabinet Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “The Scottish Government is pleased to be working with the UCI to host the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. Hosting this mega-event is a game-changing opportunity for cycling in Scotland.
“The brand identity being launched today reflects Scotland as a nation – bold, inclusive and innovative. I am sure the ‘squiggly bike’ will prove popular with cyclists across the country and become a widely recognised symbol of cycling in Scotland.
“It is a major endorsement of Scotland and our ambition to be one of the world’s top cycling nations to have approval to continue using the UCI rainbow after the event as lasting inspiration and a continued celebration of the power of the bike.”
The event identity has been developed to uniquely differentiate this new combined UCI Cycling World Championships from the individual discipline UCI World Championships and will be used for the future editions in 2027, 2031 and beyond.
UCI President David Lappartient said: “The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will bring together, for the first time in the history of our sport, several thousand athletes from different disciplines and five continents in an unprecedented celebration of cycling in Glasgow and across Scotland. The event logo and visual identity we are unveiling today illustrates the excellence and universality of the UCI World Championships combined with the expertise, hospitality and vision of our hosts. This unique event will leave a lasting legacy in Scotland for generations to come and will make history in the UCI and our sport in all its forms – competition, leisure and transport.”
While the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will put Scotland’s elite cycling on the map, it will also be about real stories of everyday champions inspired to everyday triumphs.
Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “As one of the top five ultimate sporting cities in the world, and the UK’s only UCI Bike City, Glasgow is delighted to host the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. We’re pleased to see a nod to the city’s famous Squinty and Squiggly bridges in the squiggly bike logo and in the continued legacy of the event.  
“Scotland has produced some of the world’s finest elite riders and, while this is an important part of our country’s history, our civic pride comes from building and managing world-class and Olympic sporting venues which are open to everyone from children to adults, and from grassroots level to professional athletes. 
“This is the true power of the bike, inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to get out and realise or rediscover the pleasure of keeping fit and healthy – both mentally and physically – in the lead up to and long after the 2023 World Championships.” 
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, said: “This is a great day for everyone involved with the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships as they reveal their brand identity to inspire people across Scotland. 
“UK Sport are investing £4million of National Lottery funding into the Championships to demonstrate our commitment to bring more of the world’s biggest sporting competitions to our shores and how, through world leading innovations and collaborations they can have long lasting positive social and economic impact.
“The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships present an historic first for the sport and it is an honour that Scotland has been tasked with delivering them. We know from experience from working on the biggest sporting events in the country that these Championships will truly make a difference to the communities involved and this is a key moment in engaging with them.” 
In addition to the unveiling the new brand identity, the organisers have also launched a new website – www.cyclingworldchamps.com - for those keen to find out more about the event, its ambition and sign up to be part of the journey.  
The Championships is being delivered in collaboration between cycling’s governing body the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow Life, UK Sport, British Cycling and VisitScotland with its EventScotland team, with the partnership creating a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative and distinctive.

[Source: Interkultur] The World Choir Games, also known as the Olympics of Choral Music, will be held exceptionally in October/November. "Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures. Corona will not get our choirs down! The Games will go on!": the Flemish government and INTERKULTUR decided to postpone the World Choir Games for a second time.

Minister Jambon explains: "Many people have sacrificed a lot and made efforts to get through pandemic last year. Also our thousands of choir singers in Flanders and all their enthusiastic fellow singers from all over the world. We have already had to postpone a fantastic event - the World Choir Games - once. Now, however, the summer period is also coming too soon. Choirs want to be able to rehearse, practice and work together towards the event for a few months, but that is not yet possible. Also, the numbers are still uncertain, even for many foreign choirs."

However, INTERKULTUR and the Flemish government have come together in the determination to give a perspective to the international singers also in these extraordinary times. With the decision to let the World Choir Games exceptionally take place in autumn, the Flemish government and INTERKULTUR react to the overall positive dynamics around the World Choir Games.

The decision to postpone is a decision about giving perspective, according to Minister-President and Minister of Culture Jan Jambon: "We are delighted that all partners have agreed to a feasible date, so that in 2021 we can still bring this top event to Flanders. It is a bright spot for many passionate singers at home and abroad who have been deprived of their stage for so long. I have felt an enormous urge to make this event happen, even in these special times.”

The health, welfare and safety of the participating choirs, the supporters who travel with them and the many fans and visitors in Flanders are and remain top priority. And although the scale of the event will obviously have to be adjusted, and some parts of the program will have to be reviewed again, all parties involved are welcoming this development as a turning point after a particularly difficult period. It will be a special – rather emotional – moment for everybody that will leave many deeply moved.

INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch: “After months of restrictions, overcoming the crisis now seems within reach. I am very pleased that together with our partners in Flanders and especially through the personal support of Minister-President Jambon, we have found a good way to let the 11th World Choir Games 2021 take place with the greatest possible security for all participants. This fall we will show to everyone: The international choral world is back and will finally sing on a world stage again!”

The World Choir Games will have an innovative virtual component in addition to the live event. It was also the corona crisis that led to the move to the virtual. Koor&Stem drew up a digital concept for the development of a 'Virtual Village' for the World Choir Games. This tool enables all the choirs that are unable to participate in the 11th edition, to still actively participate in the Games. It involves not only streaming of the main events, workshops and concerts, but also international meetings and even competitions!

The Flemish Government, INTERKULTUR and Koor&Stem are ready to work together with the cities of Antwerp and Ghent to make the 11th edition of the World Choir Games from October 30 to November 7, 2021 an unforgettable event! They are convinced that all sponsors and partners will help compose this musical story. Together, they aim for nothing less than the best edition ever in the history of the World Choir Games.

All the details regarding the autumn edition of the World Choir Games 2021 are now available at www.wcg2021.com.

Pinnacle sailing league SailGP has partnered with Aggreko, the world-leading provider of mobile modular power, temperature control and energy services, as the championship prepares to become fully powered by clean energy by 2025.

Through the partnership, the delivery of all event operations over the next three seasons will become increasingly sustainable.

SailGP has already achieved the Carbon Neutral International Standard, joined the UN Climate Neutral Now Initiative and met the international sustainability standard ISO20121.  

“We are extremely excited to work with Aggreko – a company that shares our belief that innovation and technology is critical to drive the sustainability agenda and transition to a cleaner future, powered by nature,” said Fiona Morgan, Director of Purpose and Impact at SailGP.

“We look forward to working together to test and innovate on solutions to reduce emissions across our global events and share a blueprint of clean events so others can learn and follow.”

Starting next month, SailGP will deploy a hybrid solution from Aggreko that comprises solar power, battery storage and thermal generation. Further into the partnership, Aggreko will work with SailGP to lower emissions further by introducing green grid distribution and alternative fuels such as bio-methanol and hydrogen, as they become available.

Robert Wells, MD at Aggreko Events Services said: “At Aggreko, we greatly admire SailGP’s commitment to sustainability, inclusivity and innovation – values that we proudly share. This partnership brings us one step closer to delivering sustainable sporting events globally, and we are excited that Aggreko continues to demonstrate reliable innovative energy solutions for world class events such as SailGP.”  

Aggreko has itself committed to reduce local emissions and diesel usage by 50%  and become Net Zero by 2050.

SailGP aims to set new standards for major event delivery as the first climate positive sports and entertainment property.

As part of its Race for the Future purpose-driven agenda, SailGP champions “a better world powered by nature”, with a focus on accelerating a transition to clean energy.

Taking place in some of the world’s most iconic harbours, anticipation is growing for the opening event of SailGP Season 2, with the Bermuda Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess kicking off April 24-25.

National reopening plans, pent-up customer demand and digitalisation will all contribute to the revival of the live events sector, according to Joe Berchtold, President of Live Entertainment.

The head of the world leading event promoter cited the UK government’s announcement of a roadmap to lifting lockdown in England as a great enabler to reopening the events business.

“The UK is the leading example of what’s working well. They got out fast with the vaccines. They came out with a plan last week,” he told Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on 4^th March.

Subject to the progress of the virus and vaccination, the UK aims to remove all lockdown restrictions in England in a phased approach by 21 June. “Because we have those dates, we can make an informed decision. It has a big impact on consumer side.”

The announcement of the roadmap created a rapid surge in sales of festivals, with Live Nation selling 170,000 tickets in three days, including Creamfields and Reading and Leeds which sold out rapidly.

“We needed a 90-day plan that gives the ecosystem the ability to plan.

“We’re waiting for that in the US, or if not on a state-by-state basis,” he said. “It looks like the south is moving fast. And there are more aggressive plans from some of the big states like California and New York; others are more conservative."

Fortunately outdoor events, which reopen soonest due to the lower risk of transmission, serve the promoter’s biggest customer base. “The benefit for us is the large volume of fans. our most valuable customers are our fans in amphitheatres and our festivals. That’s the best way for us to economically get moving.”

With pressure building on both the supply and demand side, Live Nation’s post-pandemic strategy is to drive more fans into its ecosystem and monetise more effectively.

“We are looking at an elevated supply and demand as we come out of this. We have a very large pent up supply issue,” he said, highlighting a roster of big name artists who have been unable to tour during the pandemic.

“You have latent demand of people wanting to see artists. 95% of fans want to go as soon as they can – so we’re going to have an accelerated supply and demand dynamic.”

Although Live Nation’s revenues were hit dramatically in 2020, their cost base has also reduced.

“We’ve took $950 million out of our cost base last year, and we’re putting $750 million back in. So that’s making us nimbler and more effective.

The promoter is also looking for new revenue streams.

“We’re looking into streaming. There are fans out there that are not going to be able to go to the show, if it’s not in their city or if it’s sold out, who will buy a stream. We can very efficiently provide our thousands of artists with the option of adding a stream to a show or a  tour.

“Most people want to go to the show rather than stream, which reinforces the value of the live proposition. But there are a lot of people who just can’t make it. so it opens the scale of distribution on a global basis. For most artists it will be integrated into touring – an additional element of their live show.”

The pandemic is also accelerating the deployment of digital ticketing. “People will go into the venue on a ticketless basis. This will improve the fan experience and reduce friction. If you reduce friction, you’ll sell more food and beverage and merchandise. That will have direct benefits for the fan, for the venue, it helps us to know and understand our fans, to add value to the sponsors – so the whole system starts to work better.

“Across the whole business, we’re finding ways to do it better.”

Future growth will also be driven beyond the UK and the US. “We’re doing this on a global basis in 40 countries. We have teams in all the markets, taking a market by market approach.

“We are excited about new markets and how they come out of this.”

These comments were made in conversation with Ben Swinburne, Head of U.S. Media Research at Morgan Stanley

[Source: AIPH] The AIPH Virtual Expo Conference on 16 March presents an excellent opportunity to learn more about hosting or being involved with our major horticultural events and to network with expo organisers, city representatives interested in hosting an expo, urban developers, AIPH members, NGOs, international city and environmental organisations and suppliers to major events.

Millions are spent on developing these international spectacles that can have the ability to stimulate the development of entire cities and transform the international reputation of hosting regions. Each exhibition attracts many international participants and millions of visitors, lasts up to six months, with sites ranging from 25 to 500 hectares in size. Every Expo is carefully regulated, steered, and monitored by AIPH.

The period from now until 2027 already includes AIPH approved expos in China, Turkey, Qatar, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan with more to be approved in upcoming meetings. The following Expos will be submitting their progress reports on 16 March.

A1 World Horticultural Expos: The World Horticultural Expos include Expo 2022 Floriade (the Netherlands); Expo 2023 Doha (Qatar) and World Horticultural Exhibition 2027 Yokohama (Japan).

B International Horticultural Exhibitions: The International Horticultural Exhibitions include 2021 Yangzhou (China); Expo 2021 Hatay (Turkey); Expo 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Turkey) and Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo (South Korea).

There will also be news about Expos going through the approval process including International Horticultural Exhibition Chengdu 2024 (China) and Expo İzmir 2026 (Turkey).

There will also be progress news from the organisers of the International Horticultural Show Euroflora 2022.

The ongoing impact of safety measures against coronavirus means that rather than a physical international conference, we shall be using the multi-faceted Hopin platform to host this online international event where delegates from around the world can meeting real-time.

We are very grateful to our Gold Sponsors IGMPR (creators of themed floral and horticultural attractions) and PERA Event (specialising in major event management) for their support of the conference. These companies are also AIPH Preferred Partners. IGMPR Director Ibo Gulsen will be giving a presentation about creating a unique floral event within your Expo.

Registration is free and you will be able to network with delegates and sponsors starting from 7am (GMT), and all from the safety of your home office device.

AIPH extends its appreciation to AGES (Association of Global Event Suppliers), Major Events International, Biophilic Cities and media partners HOST CITY and FloraCulture International magazine.

AIPH Secretary General, Mr Tim Briercliffe, comments, “We are delighted to welcome our Expo organisers and all delegates to the AIPH Expo Conference. AIPH approved expos are beautiful events, which are enjoyed by millions of visitors wherever they are staged. Cities around the world are looking to further develop their green credentials and urban spaces, as well as driving the appreciation and benefits of plants and flowers in the built environment. In addition to seeing the interesting progress of our approved Expos, attendees will be able to network with delegates and learn more about how staging an International Horticultural Expos can bring great benefits to the host city, not just during the Expo itself, but for years to come.”