[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord has announced that Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ) will be a Silver Partner of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit for the next three editions of the global sports industry’s most influential annual gathering in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The long-term partnership will begin with next year’s highly anticipated event from 23-28 May at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo in the dynamic city of Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ) played a vital role as a Host City Partner in the successful delivery of SportAccord 2019 in Gold Coast, Australia, which took place just a year on from the acclaimed 2018 Commonwealth Games in the same city.

SportAccord 2019 was recognised at a prestigious annual awards show for the Australian events sector in May 2020. SportAccord 2019 was selected as Platinum Award winner for Best Event at the 2019 Meeting & Events Australia (MEA) State and National Awards and also scooped the overall Government Event of the Year and Queensland’s Event Legacy Award.

“We are immensely grateful for the support of Tourism & Events Queensland,” SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt said. “TEQ proved to be an outstanding Host City Partner for SportAccord 2019 and we are delighted to be working with the organisation as a Silver Partner as it focuses on driving the state’s considerable post-SportAccord legacy opportunities.”

Leanne Coddington, CEO of Tourism & Events Queensland, said: “We are looking forward to building on the legacy of SportAccord 2019, which represented an unprecedented opportunity to showcase our world-class hosting capabilities. We are working hard to convert significant interest in Queensland into future events across the state and our SportAccord Silver Partnership will play a central role.”

The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. As the only global sports industry event attended by all International Sport Federations and their stakeholders, SportAccord also brings together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.

Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 in Ekaterinburg, the 19^th edition of SportAccord’s flagship annual event. Organisations interested in becoming an official partner or exhibitor can contact SportAccord to discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport, with SportAccord also offering an interactive exhibition floorplan and 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2021 exhibition space.

You can follow SportAccord’s portfolio of events via Twitter @sportaccord or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

Dragongateway, a company with an all British Management team, is leading an international consortium to launch a pandemic management solution called Rebuild The Chain (RTC). RTC Sport and Entertainment are two COVID19 mobile-led applications aimed at bringing sports fans and audiences back to live sport and entertainment. RTC is a suite of COVID19 back-to-business solutions which includes Government, Sport and Live Entertainment applications deployed across entire countries, professional sports leagues, Festivals & live events respectively.  RTC satisfies economic and emotional needs to rebuild and future proof businesses against COVID19 and future pandemics.

In brief, RTC Sport and RTC Entertainment create a ‘Safe Zone’ or COVID free zone around a venue(s) in which no person or surface is COVID infected.  The two applications are similar in that they harness the speed, efficiency and accuracy of rapid test kits (98.6% accuracy), a mobile app, appropriate PPE and the security of blockchain technology.  The latter meaning that not only is fan/audience data GDPR compliant it is also absolutely secure.

With a global network of contacts and suppliers, RTC offers all the latest COVID safety tech such as thermal cameras, sanitiser mist tunnels and so on to ensure the public feels as safe as is currently possible. At events, real-time test kits mean consumers’  ‘safe status’ is uploaded immediately to their smartphone to be checked by stewards at a Green Zone checkpoint and again as they enter the venue at ticket collection.

Sonya Kapur, a Dragongateway Director, said: “We aim to enable fans and audiences to safely return to the sports, festivals and concerts they love.  We plan to target major professional sports and their leagues such as the Premier League and major events such as the Olympics, Euros or World Cup test events.  From the world of entertainment, we can create safe zones for Festivals like Glastonbury, arena tours, concert venues and even b2b conferences/exhibitions like Consumer Electronics Show or Mobile World Congress.”

She continues. We are currently in contractual discussions with several countries to deploy RTC Government across entire countries. So our ambitions within sport and entertainment in the UK, Europe and even further afield are well within our capabilities.  All our applications will be modified to reflect local government guidelines and client needs.

The application of Blockchain technology is just one of the reasons which differentiate RTC from its competitors. Data safety remains a hot topic amongst consumers and continues to fuel debate around the Government’s Track and Track application.

A spokesman for Accubits, the specialist behind RTC’s blockchain capability, said, “RTC the pandemic management platform from Accubits Inc., is a focused privacy platform that ensures decentralised data storage and data security. The data governance policy of the platform ensures that all data is encrypted and securely stored on infrastructure as per the data laws of the government implementing it.”

This holistic approach to create RTC, the pandemic management solution, stems from a collaborative approach taken by five international companies led by Dragongateway; and includes Accubits Inc, FutureTech, Nexus and LL Consultancy.

SportAccord 2019 was selected as Platinum Award winner for Best Event in Australia at the 2019 Meeting & Events Australia (MEA) and also scooped the overall Government Event of the Year and Queensland’s Event Legacy Award. The winners were announced at the MEALIVE 2019 Award virtual event held at ICC Sydney Studios.

Coming just a year after Gold Coast became the focus of the sporting world when it staged the 2018 Commonwealth Games to great acclaim, SportAccord 2019 benefited from receiving the full support of the Queensland Government via Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) as it welcomed over 1700 delegates to the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre last May.

The 2019 edition of sport’s most important annual gathering featured multiple high-profile networking events, a three-day exhibition, and more than 50 conference sessions with over 100 speakers and panellists from the worlds of sport, business and politics, including H.E. Ban Ki-moon, the former United Nations (UN) Secretary General.

SportAccord and GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli said: “We are grateful that SportAccord 2019 has been recognised by Meeting & Events Australia for what was such a productive and enjoyable week in Gold Coast, Queensland. The recognition only solidifies the value of hosting SportAccord to cities, regions and countries and the legacy impact of our event.”

“The awards are a testament to the dedicated work of the local organisers and the incredible contribution of Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and the partners, suppliers and volunteers who made SportAccord’s first visit to Oceania such a success. The Gold Coast and Queensland were a magnificent host and its people truly embraced the event.”

The next edition of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit will take place in Ekaterinburg, Russia from 23-28 May 2021.

As the only global sports industry event attended by all International Sport Federations and their stakeholders, SportAccord brings together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.

Registration is open now for SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021, which will be held at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo convention centre. Organisations can become an official partner or exhibitor and discuss these investment opportunities with sales@sportaccord.sport. Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord and keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

[Source: IAEH] Aiming to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to event hosts, the IAEH surveyed its 41 member organisations across 22 countries from Asia, Middle East, Europe and the Americas

Survey feedback showed;

• • Significant impact of cancellations and postponement across the world
• • 80% of members don’t yet have a date for when they expect ‘stadium’ events with an audience to re-commence
• • Only 3 countries, and none in Europe and the Americas, already have guidance in place for staging spectator events in future
• • The first events to return are expected to be;
  • – Professional sports/arts events behind closed doors
  • – Small local events with limited attendance
  • – Festivals and events which integrate an online presence
• • Event hosts are actively supporting the event sector, through funding, multi-stakeholder collaboration and digital innovation

Continuing this discussion on the impacts of COVID-19, the IAEH will be hosting a free virtual ’round table’ webinar on response strategies. IAEH members from Canada, United States, Scotland, Japan and New Zealand will be discussing  the current status and mid to long term solutions to mitigate the damage while supporting the recovery of the industry in the months and years ahead. (Register and join on 10th June at noon (BST)).

The events industry has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sporting, cultural and business events have been banned around the world to avoid further spreading of the coronavirus. IAEH members, who are not-for-profit organisations that represent cities, regions and countries that host major events, have been dealing with many postponements and cancellations, and working to mitigate the damages to the whole industry.

THE IMPACT

Postponements and cancellations
The damage caused by event postponements and cancellations varies according to the location and size of the host organisation but all have been affected. Members reported that events scheduled to take place even after this summer (Northern Hemisphere) and, in some cases, all the way until early 2021 have been postponed or cancelled.

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED

Participants were asked to list the biggest challenges imposed by the COVID-19 crisis and some positive lessons learned from these difficult times.

The three biggest challenges created by COVID-19 as reported by IAEH members are:

1. 1. The economic impacts of event postponements and cancellations, including job losses and expected future cost increases due to social distancing requirements.
2. 2. The uncertainty about the short and long-term future, including current and future travel restrictions, making planning very difficult.
3. 3. The shift in priorities of both individuals and organisations during the current crisis and in the post-pandemic world.

Lessons are certainly being learned through dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. When asked about anything positive they could take from this experience, members highlighted the following:

1. 1. New ways of working and communicating that can have a positive impact not only reducing organisations’ expenses but also to the environment (e.g. positive climate effects with less travel).
2. 2. Creative and innovative solutions that have been used to address the problems caused by the pandemic but that can be carried forward and applied to the industry post-pandemic. This includes a wider use of technology and the digitisation of events.
3. 3. New and strengthened collaboration between local/national stakeholders, the results of which include revision of contracts, particularly force majeure clauses and insurance policy improvements.

THE RECOVERY

WHEN ARE EVENTS RESUMING?

This survey’s results also show the uncertainty of the situation which makes planning for the future a big challenge. The large majority (80%) of members who participated in the survey reported that there is no planning date for ‘stadium’ events with an audience to re-commence.

Different kinds of events may resume at different times. Members reported that the first events to return are likely to be:

1. 1. Small outdoor events where physical distancing rules can be respected.
2. 2. Professional sports or performing arts without an audience. Domestic competitions of individual sports such as golf, tennis and BMX could also be allowed soon.
3. 3. Cultural, business and even sport events that are able to go online. Event digitalisation is a new trend and proving to be a valuable solution at least until social distancing rules are fully eased.

NEW SAFETY MEASURES AND PROTOCOLS

When events and larger gatherings are to be allowed again, new guidance on safety measures and protocols, such as hygiene standards and health checking, will need to be implemented. Survey participants highlighted the work of their governments in defining the new norms and reported that these had not yet been published at that time. Only 3 countries, and none in Europe or the Americas, have measures already in place, but those are being continuously updated to reflect the current situation in the specific location.

NEW WAYS OF SUPPORTING THE INDUSTRY

IAEH members indicated that they have established new ways of supporting the event industry in response to COVID-19. This included:

1. 1. Funding to support event organisers or organisations servicing the events industry.
2. 2. Initiatives to support events to go digital place including local/national media campaigns to generate engagement and alternative sources of revenue from virtual events.
3. 3. Cooperation between stakeholders to access local/national support initiatives seems critical. Members reported that new associations and platforms are being created to address the crisis and guarantee that the response is well coordinated.

IAEH members also reported a shift in event support objectives from focusing on events that drive visitation to focusing on events that primarily drive community benefits and showcasing opportunities

For this survey’s technical information and questions/comments please email admin@eventhosts.org.
The full results of the 2020 IAEH Members’ Survey is available for members only at www.eventhosts.org/resources/.

[Source: SportAccord] The movement’s most influential global gathering will reunite the international sporting community with an unmissable event from 23-28 May 2021.

As the only global sports industry event attended by all International Sport Federations and their stakeholders, SportAccord will also bring together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.

With 2,000 of the sporting world’s most influential decision-makers set to congregate in a stunning city that bridges Europe to the west and Asia to the east, SportAccord 2021 will offer a unique and exclusive networking environment for exhibitors who are seeking to make new connections and strengthen relationships.

A range of stand options, ranging from 9m² to 27m², are available within the engaging exhibition hall at the state-of-the-art IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo convention centre, flanked by SportAccord Stakeholder offices and meeting rooms situated on the mezzanine just a short distance away. Visit the website to view the SportAccord exhibition interactive floor plan or click on the following to view a 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2021 exhibition space.

The hall itself will be a natural hub of activity at the heart of the event, and the vast majority of organisations that had planned to exhibit at SportAccord this year have already confirmed that they are committed to having a presence at the event in Ekaterinburg.

The exhibition space will feature a significantly larger SportAccord Café than in previous years, as well as a Network Zone (Including speakers’ corner), Meet & Greet Zone, Recharge Zone and a Media Zone, enabling even better networking opportunities.

Ekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city by population and GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product), is home to numerous professional teams across a wide range of sports and will host games during the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship before staging the 2023 FISU Summer Universiade, having previously hosted 2018 FIFA World Cup matches and the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships.

With more than 40% of exhibitors at recent editions of SportAccord being cities and regions interested in hosting sporting events though, numerous cities – inside and outside Russia – will have a highly visible presence in the exhibition hall.

“With the sporting world looking forward to coming together again in a stunning setting, we are anticipating strong interest in exhibiting at this hugely significant edition of SportAccord in 2021,” SportAccord Business Development Manager Malcolm Hardman said.

“We have a range of stand options available and, as there has been a very positive response since the delegate registration process opened for SportAccord 2021 last month, we would advise those interested in benefiting from such tremendous exposure in the exhibition hall to get in touch soon.”

Head of Directorate of the Local Organising Committee Dmitry Putilin said: “SportAccord 2021 represents an outstanding opportunity for cities that are seeking to boost their event-hosting portfolios to enjoy unparalleled access to International Sport Federations and the global sports industry’s most important figures and organisations.”

Organisations can also become an official partner or exhibitor and discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport .

You can follow SportAccord’s events via Twitter @sportaccord or you can keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

[Source: IOC / Tokyo 2020)The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo, held a conference call this morning to discuss the constantly changing environment with regard to COVID-19 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

They were joined by Mori Yoshiro, the President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee; the Olympic Minister, Hashimoto Seiko; the Governor of Tokyo, Koike Yuriko; the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission, John Coates; IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper; and the IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi.

President Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and what it is doing to people’s lives and the significant impact it is having on global athletes’ preparations for the Games.

In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.

The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the situation in the rest of the world deteriorating. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is "accelerating". There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.

In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. doing to people’s lives and the significant impact it is having on global athletes’ preparations for the Games.

In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.

The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the situation in the rest of the world deteriorating. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is "accelerating". There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.

In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

[Source: WorldSkills] On Friday, 21 February 2020 the President and Chair of the Board of WorldSkills, Jos de Goey, suddenly passed away at the age of 56. His contribution to the development and promotion of skills and skills excellence in the Netherlands, Europe, and the across the world was huge. Following many years on the WorldSkills Board, Jos was elected WorldSkills President at the General Assembly in August of 2019.

The WorldSkills Constitution and Standing Orders lay out the procedure to be followed in the event of a casual vacancy in the post of President between scheduled elections. Accordingly, the Board appointed one of the Board members as Acting President until the next scheduled Presidential election date.

Chris Humphries has a long and distinguished record in the world of vocational training and skills. A highly experienced senior manager, chief executive and chair, he was chair of the UK government’s Skills Task Force for three years from 1998, also chairing several charitable NGOs with a particular focus on tertiary and higher education.

Most recently he was chair of the University of West London for nine years until 2018. As a chief executive, Chris was Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce from 1998 to 2001, and Director General of City & Guilds from 2001 to 2007.

His final executive role was as the founding Chief Executive of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, advising the four UK governments on policy and practice between 2007 and 2010. He joined the WorldSkills movement as the Chair of WorldSkills UK, and while in that position led the successful bid in 2006 for WorldSkills London 2011. As a WorldSkills Honorary Member, he was subsequently involved in the development of the Vision 2025 strategic plan.

“This is an incredible honour and I want to sincerely thank the Board for their vote of confidence in me today, and for their willingness to support me as Acting President of WorldSkills,” said Chris Humphries. “I was not elected as President by the General Assembly last August, Jos was, and he set out his aims and priorities in support of his agenda at that time. I look forward to working closely with all WorldSkills Members and partners to ensure our continued success, and to deliver the legacy Jos intended.”

The coronavirus pandemic is the defining crisis in the modern sports event industry.

Like me, you will have had the conversations with colleagues, clients and assorted sector experts, where you go in search of precedents. We want to gauge how bad this is, to put some sort of order on the chaos as it unfolds.

That list probably that starts at the 2007 banking crisis, then 9/11, and on through a catalogue of natural, human and economic disasters until you get to the Second World War.

So, make no mistake, this is a massive moment, the implications of which we’ll be living with for years, probably decades.

We are all waiting for the heroes of the medical and science community to do their work and report back. So anyone trying to offer solutions or predict the new normal for the sports market is not to be trusted.

But here are some things that are true:

1. Sport is important

Economically, culturally, socially. Sometimes we take it for granted or argue over attempts to quantify its importance. But even the anti-sport brigade can see and feel the impact of its absence. Its roots in communities are broad and deep.

2. Host cities are under appreciated

Most of the early industry conversation has been about the second level impacts on sports rights holders’ relationship with broadcasters and sponsors. Do not forget that government money drives the sports economy.

The sector’s biggest financial investor is not the media, corporate sponsorship nor the fans who buy the tickets. The single biggest contributor to the sports economy is the public sector, which pays out tens of billions of dollars every year globally, mainly via city and national governments which pay hosting fees and associated costs to put on major events.

3. The sports event market is oversupplied

An uncomfortable truth, but there will be a shakeout in the event sector. The calendar will be different. The market will look anew at which events really matter and which are ‘nice to have’.

4. There will be huge losses

Across the sports event sector, small and medium sized supply businesses will cease to exist. People will suffer real hardship at every level. We must act as a community to help in any way we can. We are interconnected.

5. Economics is not fair

Events that do not deserve to go under will vanish. Others will get lucky and survive, even thrive. Success and failure will be allocated in an inefficient way. We are conditioned to think in narrative stories that suggest a logical chain of cause and effect. But the reality is closer to messy chaos. It always is.

6. There will be those who suffer more and those who suffer less

The next few months are an opportunity. That is how capitalism works, it is brutal and simple. As businesses fail their assets will be feasted upon by others. There will be people whose careers will be made over the next few months. Amid the debris there will be some very undervalued events, relationships, rights and brands going for a song.

7. Radical ideas will become mainstream

Virtual sports events, esports, remote fans. Some of the stuff we have been talking about as ‘future gazing’ will make commercial sense for the first time.

8. Governments will make expensive mistakes

Government money is the engine of the event sector. Those in charge of the public purse will allocate funds to try to help. This process is inexact and unreliable and it will make some of us angry. Who will they choose to bail out, who will they leave alone?

9. Trust takes time

Some rights holders enjoy long-term relationships with their host cities, broadcasters and commercial partners that have reaped broad and real mutual benefit for years, even decades. Others are short-term, transactional relationships of convenience.

10. Number one cannot be repeated enough – sport is important

In our 14 years as an active player in the sports industry, The Sports Consultancy and TSC Legal have worked throughout some of the biggest shifts the industry has seen, some of which have been seismic in scale. It is true that we’re in new territory and there are few precedents to compare to where we are today.

Yet our experience has taught us that global sport is a resilient, endlessly creative and supportive community, and we’ll come out of this stronger.

As sponsorship professionals, we put relationships, be they brand-to-brand or with our audiences, at the heart of everything we do. Central to these relationships is humanity: knowing what people need, why they need it and how to fulfil that need in a genuine way. 

With mass sport and entertainment event cancellations and businesses across Europe moving to work from home, now more than ever, we need to find ways to stay connected and do what human beings do best: adapt. 

Over the last week, we’ve seen wholesale changes from automotive manufacturers working with the government to repurpose factories and tool up to produce ventilators to LVMH’s perfume arm using their skills to make hand sanitisers. 

We’ve seen sports brands changing to fit the new needs of their customers, as Peloton and the Nike Training Club extend free trials and add at-home workouts to their apps or Borussia Dortmund livestreamed ‘digital fan viewing party’ allowing them and their partners to keep in touch with fans.

We’ve also seen media tastemakers like The Drum, shifting with impressive agility, as their usual SXSW commentary from the Soho-based Drum Arms shifted to a web-based festival on the apposite topic of digital transformation. In true Drum style, they also managed to recreate their intimate, almost conspiratorial, heard-it-here-first vibe, despite only being connected to their audience through a screen: https://www.thedrum.com/digital-transformation-festival

In times like these, in work as in life, relationships come first, so influencers not brands are the likely first port of call for consumers (also known as people, including me) to seek advice, find solace and relatability, so to survive we, as organisations, more than ever need to humanise the way we communicate. 

My particular interest this week has been how small, medium and even large multinational organisations are changing the way they communicate with one another, starting with LinkedIn. There’s a big shift from me to we, which, to my mind, is good news exactly when we need it!

My bet is that those who cooperate with, support and talk to one another will thrive. Now is a time for community building and collaboration, not putting your arm round your homework or selling on toilet rolls to the elderly at a mind-blowing mark up (shame on you!)

Below are some examples I enjoyed over the course of last week.

1.         Make confident moves, your way. Independent Record label Defected Records, known for bringing people together through music in their own unique way, stayed true to form and didn’t wait for government mandates. They regrouped, worked out what was best for their long-term business, culture and staff and took positive action postponing all events and sending their team to work from home. Not only did they take this bold move, they proudly announced their decision and reasons to shut up shop in a public statement: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jameskirkham_defected-have-called-it-early-were-taking-activity-6644201765761888256-pM4x  

They even showed their team set up and ready for business as usual in their new settings (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jameskirkham_the-defected-records-insta-stories-right-activity-6644321106369097728-6yQe) before launching their Defected Virtual Festival: https://www.nme.com/news/music/defected-records-announces-virtual-music-festival-in-wake-of-coronavirus-outbreak-2627828

2.    Support and inspire through new communities. Start-up skincare brand By Sarah whose purpose is “to empower conscious living” were straight out of the starting blocks sharing a link to a WhatsApp community that anyone could join that would provide constant company, tips for your new home-based lifestyle and stability at this time of change: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lauren-murrell_covid19-community-helpeachother-activity-6645285039691182080-9UEY

3.    Embrace the blank slate. With no live football taking place, League Two football club Leyton Orient FC seized the chance to be on a level playing field with the largest clubs in the land and kicked off a global call to join an inter-club, inter-league FIFA tournament: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josh-stephens-b940855a_leyton-orient-on-twitter-activity-6645294744324845568-qHMm  

With well over 100 teams signing up, 3.9k retweets and 17.7k likes on Twitter (when they regularly get only one or two) they even used the popularity to call for new partners on LinkedIn and in the last week have announced both a renewal and a new deal! Go the Os.

4.    Put a human face on it. Energy giant BP isn’t known for being the most accessible organisation and takes its share of flak (not always fairly), but their new CEO (who is also active on Instagram @bernardlooney_bp) has put his head above the parapet and not only to highlight the good deeds BP is doing.  

He’s been discussing the current situation in the first-person, showing his personal set up, casual work gear and even used an emoji! A shout-out to both the BP workers who can’t decamp home and the wider everyday heroes in society – doctors, nurses, police, teachers shows a human quality and awareness that we should all keep front of mind: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bernardlooneybp_last-week-i-explained-that-everyone-at-bp-activity-6645634611365982209-KgQc 

5.    Help us understand. A personal favourite when it comes to comms thought leadership for their Trust Barometer, Earned Brands report and crystal ball amongst others, is always global PR leader Edelman. Finger on the pulse, they started releasing easily digestible blogs week ago to handle crisis comms, specifically relating to the COVID-19 situation.  

However, they surpassed themselves in my eyes two days ago when they released their 10-country Trust Barometer Special Report, acknowledging that the annual thought leadership piece they release at the start of each calendar year and dine out on for the next twelve months may no longer be accurate in these unprecedented times, yet now more than ever we need to know how to build trust among uncertainty: 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/edelman_edelman-trust-barometer-special-report-on-activity-6646049798766108672-S04z

As the global situation continues to evolve, it’ll be interesting to see how they stay on top of the crisis, but I’ve no doubt that with their insight and experience they’ll help us all to make better informed choices as it unfolds.

Needless to say, WeAreFearless are doing everything we can to ensure business as (or better than) usual, as well as cultural and commercial continuity, all of which can be followed here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearefearless/. If you have other examples, share them in the comments section, or with katie@wearefearless.com

European Sponsorship Association is a Strategic Partner of Host City

[Source: British Cycling] The British Cycling Race Series – an eight-week series of races and workouts on popular online training platform Zwift – has been designed for people to have fun and stay active during the global uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic.

Those wanting to pit their form against the best of British won’t have long to wait as group rides led by the Great Britain Cycling Team, including with women’s academy squad Team Breeze, are set to be introduced.

Great Britain Cycling Team women’s endurance academy coach, Emma Trott, said: “We’re in an entirely unique situation that means there’ll be no racing for a while, but it’s important that we try to find some sense of normality in all this. For us, that’s training and staying connected not just with each other, but the cycling community. 

“Moving things online is a really fun way of keeping that connection and we’re all looking forward to people joining us over the next few weeks.”

All races are 30 minutes long and will be hosted on different courses, running from 24 March to 14 May.

To join a British Cycling Race Series virtual road race or time trial on Zwift, click here. Follow this link to join a workout. Visit the Zwift website to sign up for a seven-day trial. After your trial period ends Zwift costs £12.99 per month and is free for under-16s