[Source: Commonwealth Games Federation] The BBC has signed up to be the Domestic Broadcast Rights Holder for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The deal means the corporation will broadcast Birmingham 2022 events on television and radio and provide online coverage for the home nations, offering unparalleled coverage of the UK’s largest sporting event since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The BBC has a long and proud association with the Commonwealth Games which dates back to 1954. With the longstanding history between the BBC and the Games, the organisation will bring an unrivalled experience of covering Birmingham 2022.

The deal marks a particularly significant moment as 2022 coincides with the BBC’s own centenary celebrations. The partnership also reinforces the BBC’s longstanding connection with Birmingham and the Midlands, as one of the oldest regional arms of the broadcaster.

The announcement comes on the day that Birmingham 2022 unveiled the Games’ medal event programme, confirming that the competition will be the first major multi-sport event in history to award more medals to women than men.

In addition, Birmingham 2022 will host the largest ever integrated para sport programme, as well as a record number of mixed events including diving, swimming relays and para-athletics relays.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held from 28 July until 8 August 2022.

Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin DBE said: “I am delighted that the BBC has taken up the domestic rights for the Commonwealth Games.

I believe this deal represents a huge vote of confidence in Birmingham as well as the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement.

We anticipate some of the world's highest profile athletes will compete at Birmingham, which will be an historic event for women’s sport, with more medals for women than men.

The BBC has demonstrated a huge commitment to women’s sport and with 2022 marking their centenary, I am delighted they are partnering again with Commonwealth Sport to help us generate huge levels of excitement and anticipation in the lead up to one of the biggest sporting events the UK has ever have hosted.

I am thrilled that the BBC will once again connect millions of viewers to the drama and excitement of the Commonwealth Games, bringing their world class production and analysis to homes and handsets across the UK.”

Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, said: “In a year when many major sport events have been postponed, this is welcome news for sports fans.

We are delighted to be broadcasting the Commonwealth Games.”

Birmingham 2022 CEO Ian Reid said: “This is a significant moment for Birmingham 2022 and we are very proud to be working with the BBC as the Domestic Broadcast Rights Holder for the Games.

The BBC’s record in covering major sports events is truly outstanding and we can’t wait to work with them on our edition of the Commonwealth Games.

Birmingham 2022 is the biggest sporting event to be staged in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the BBC is the perfect broadcaster to showcase our 19 sports and 8 para sports, the majority of which will be held in venues across Birmingham and the West Midlands, ensuring that the city and the region will be truly centre stage in 2022.”

Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: "This is another significant step towards the successful delivery of Birmingham 2022. It will be a fantastic year of culture and national celebration as we enjoy the Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Festival UK.

“I am delighted that the BBC will continue its long-standing heritage of broadcasting the Games, and I look forward to watching every moment of the action.”

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The Global Esports Federation announces the appointment of Sports Innovation Lab as Global Supporter, aimed at further enhancing the GEF’s mission to promote the credibility, legitimacy and prestige of esports. Through this global partnership, Sports Innovation Lab will develop the GEF’s global events portfolio, including the landmark GEFcon – the Global Esports Federation’s convention, thought-leadership and dialogue platform.

“We are proud to welcome Sports Innovation Lab as our Global Supporter in an effort to deepen our involvement with the stakeholders in esports, including fans worldwide on one global, inclusive platform,” said Chris Chan, President, Global Esports Federation.

“As the world’s convening platform for the esports ecosystem, engagement with players and athletes, as well as fans is paramount,” said HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Head of GEF’s Focus Group on Culture and Board Member, Global Esports Federation. “We continue to work towards elevating esports in the global arena, encouraging greater inclusion, interaction and participation within the world’s esports community,”

Sports Innovation Lab inspires brands to create breakthrough fan experiences through data-driven technology insights and industry-leading research – putting ground-breaking research into practice and ultimately providing exponential value to the end customer (the Fluid Fan).

“Sports Innovation Lab is honored to be named as a Global Supporter of the Global Esports Federation. We look forward to applying to the esports space and this partnership with the GEF the expertise and insights we’ve gained from our experiences in working with world-class organizations like the NFL and others,” said Angela Ruggiero, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sports Innovation Lab.

“Together, we will create and scale breakthrough fan experiences for esports globally to benefit the entire esports ecosystem.”

Sports Innovation Lab is co-founded by Angela Ruggiero, a global sports leader and Olympic Gold Medallist, advocate, entrepreneur, and advisor; and Josh Walker, former VP of Research at Forrester Research and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at General Catalyst. Learn more about Sports Innovation Lab at www.sportsilab.com.

[Source: British Rowing] British Rowing is delighted to announce that analytics leader SAS will continue to provide its world-leading analytics solutions to British Rowing until December 2021 through the rearranged Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer.

SAS will work with British Rowing to develop powerful data solutions across the business including the GB Rowing Team, as well as investing in grassroots rowing. Since becoming the Official Analytics Partner of British Rowing in 2014, SAS has helped British Rowing maximise the use of data to inform decisions across the whole organisation.

Commenting on the extension of the partnership, Andy Parkinson, British Rowing CEO said: “In challenging times for the sport, it’s fantastic that SAS has agreed to continue its support beyond the Olympics and Paralympics next year. Through this partnership, we’ve been able to significantly accelerate our understanding of our data and build infrastructure that is now helping us make decisions and optimise our long-term strategy.”

Charles Senabulya, VP & Country Manager, SAS UK & Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to continue our support for British Rowing in what are extremely challenging times for all organisations. Coaches and athletes have had to adapt, just like businesses, to remote training away from the water and communicating virtually rather than face-to-face. On a positive note the postponement of the Olympics and Paralympics until next year at least gives British Rowing more time to use analytics to uncover important insights from performance data.

Through the partnership, SAS’ advanced analytics software and consultancy are being used across broad areas of the business including membership analysis, competition ranking algorithms (the SAS Ranking Points Index) and performance data analysis. In recent years, significant progress has been made in building data-led models of performance data, helping British Rowing better understand the precise factors that can influence and affect an individual’s performance.

Nick Scott, Head of Performance Support explained how the partnership is helping the GB Rowing Team: “Rowing is an incredibly data-rich sport, but just having lots of data does not mean you will automatically find the next competitive advantage. With this latest SAS project, we are using advanced analytics to link and interrogate never before combined data sources to do two things - confirm what has made us successful in the past and find novel ways of optimising our training for the future.”

Taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023, the Championships is set to be the biggest single cycling event in history, bringing together 13 existing individual World Championship cycling disciplines into one mega event, for the first time.

The Championships is more than just an event and will celebrate the unique power of the bike and all it can bring to our everyday lives, whether it’s physical and mental health benefits, easing congestion on the road to help the environment, or simply making it easier for people to get around.

Underpinned by four key policy drivers - participation, transport, tourism and economy - the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be a catalyst for behavioural change across Scotland moving forward.

Trudy’s strong background and experience working on complex large-scale major events, designed to support government ambitions to deliver social and economic change, makes her the ideal person for the job.

Currently the Head of Event Management at Visit Victoria, Trudy will bring a wealth of event experience to the position having spent more than 20 years leading, planning and delivering major events in Australia and around the world, working with government’s, local organising committees, event hosts and international and national sports federations in the process.

In particular, her work on cycling events spans over twelve years and includes senior roles at the 2010 UCI Road World Championships, the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships as well as Cycling Australia. 

More recently she has spent over seven years working for one of the world’s leading events acquisition groups, Victorian Major Events Company (VMEC), now Visit Victoria, and was  pivotal in the establishment of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in 2015, now the opening one-day race on the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women's WorldTour calendars.

Trudy also has a strong cultural events background, taking over the reins of the all-night festival ‘White Night Melbourne’ in 2017 and overseeing the creation of supporting regional White Night events.

As CEO of the Championships, Trudy will have overall executive responsibility for the planning and delivery of the event. She will report directly to the Chair of Championships Board and will manage all the senior management positions including the Director of Sport, Director of Operations and Director of Commercial, Marketing and Communications currently being recruited. Trudy will take up her position on 26 October 2020 and will relocate to Glasgow with her family from Melbourne, Australia.

Paul Bush OBE, Chair of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said: “On behalf of all the partners, I would like to congratulate Trudy on her appointment as CEO of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and we look forward to welcoming her to Scotland very soon. This is another key milestone on our journey to the Championships and concludes a global search, much of which was undertaken at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Trudy’s vast event experience, particularly in delivering both UCI and mass participation cycling events, makes her the ideal candidate to establish and lead the Championships team. We have a bold ambition to use the event as a catalyst for significant change and progress in Scotland, by continuing to transform the nation and make cycling part of people’s normal, everyday lives and Trudy is the right person to help us achieve this.”

Trudy Lindblade said: “Playing a leading role in such an innovative and unique event will be a wonderful opportunity. This is particularly so as the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be the single biggest global cycling event to date, and one that has transformational change at its core bringing longer term benefits to Scotland through the areas of health, transport, education, sustainability and tourism.

“I look forward to working with all Event Partners as well as local towns and regions to showcase Scotland’s world class event delivery and tourism credentials to the world through the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.”

Trudy’s appointment follows last week’s announcement of the five Non-Executive Directors and one Co-opted member to join the Championships Board of Directors. 

Rupert Dickinson, Alexandra Innes, David Hornby, Nick Peel and Susan Ahern have all taken up their roles as Non-Executive Directors on the Board, while five-times BMX and Track Cycling World Champion, Shanaze Reade, will also be joining the Board this month as a Co-Opted Board Member.

The International Federation (IF) Forum, the annual event that brings together leaders from across the global sporting community, will be hosted by SportAccord in a fully virtual format next month.

In light of the challenges in relation to international travel and in-person gatherings in the context of the pandemic, the decision to switch to a fully virtual format was taken in order to give delegates sufficient time to adjust their plans ahead of the event in November.

With preparations having already focused on optimising the experience for virtual attendees as part of what was initially planned to be a ‘hybrid’ gathering, SportAccord is committed to delivering an outstanding experience for all participants, connecting the sporting world via technology, with all of the sessions streamed live online.

SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli said: “The SportAccord team has worked incredibly hard to facilitate a solution that would allow the IF Forum to be held in a hybrid format as intended but, due to the evolving situation, this is no longer appropriate.”

“While we will not gather together in-person this year, the strong programme and line-up of contributors means that the IF Forum will be a vital signpost for the global sports movement as the dust settles on a turbulent 2020 and thoughts turn to a brighter future.”

“All of sport’s custodians and decision-makers have an important part to play in coming together to inspire positive change whilst safeguarding against future challenges, and the IF Forum 2020 will serve as an essential starting point.”

Experts will discuss strategies to drive the recovery of sport following the Covid-19 pandemic whilst establishing game plans that sports leaders can put in place to mitigate challenges that may arise from possible unforeseen disruptions in the future.

Topics that will be debated will include crisis management, scenario planning, how to limit risk from a legal and financial perspective, law-related commercial considerations for IFs and how to stay connected and reassure athletes, fans and stakeholders in times of adversity.

The invitation-only IF Forum 2020 will bring together more than 200 leaders from over 100 International Sport Federations, with delegates, speakers and exclusive Official IF Forum Partners discussing best practices.

For further information about the IF Forum, click here or download the brochure here, and follow #IFFORUM2020 on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

For media enquiries, please contact: media@sportaccord.sport.

Rupert Dickinson, Alexandra Innes, David Hornby, Nick Peel and Susan Ahern all joined the 2023 Board in September, bringing with them a breadth of experience from across a range of specialisms and sectors including financial services and investment, consultancy, legal and legislative affairs, media, retail development and real estate. Rupert has also been appointed the Senior Independent Director and will be responsible for chairing the Audit and Risk Committee.

Five-times BMX and Track Cycling World Champion, Shanaze Reade, will also be joining the Board in October as a Co-Opted Board Member. Her years of experience competing at the international level will be hugely valuable to the group and the delivery of the Championships.

Commenting on the appointments, Paul Bush OBE, Chair of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said: “On behalf of the 2023 Board, I would like to congratulate and welcome our six new members. Their individual experience and expertise across a range of sectors and specialisms will be invaluable to the successful delivery of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland.

“The Championships will be a catalyst for change and progress in Scotland in making cycling part of the normal, everyday lives of people and the announcement of Shanaze and the Non-Executive Directors is a key milestone on this journey. I look forward to working with all them over the next three years.”

The Non-Executive Directors join the nominated Directors from each of principle funder and host partner organisations. They are:

•             Paul Bush OBE (Chair), VisitScotland

•             Billy Garrett, Glasgow Life

•             Danielle Every, British Cycling

•             Colin Edgar, Glasgow City Council

•             Stewart Harris, sportscotland

•             Steven Elworthy MBE, UK Sport

•             Bettina Sizeland, Scottish Government

The announcement of the new board members comes as the recruitment process for the three senior positions of Director of Sport, Director of Operations and Director of Commercial, Marketing and Communications at the Championships commenced this week.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and working closely with the UCI, each position will be responsible for devising and implementing the plans for their respective areas of responsibility and ensuring they meet the event’s policy ambitions.

On 8-9 December, Host City Conference and Exhibition goes virtual with the continued support of hosts EventScotland and Glasgow Life, tackling the 2020 conference theme “The Big Restart: Recovery with a Purpose for the Digital Age.”

Now in its 7th year, Host City is firmly established as the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events. The new virtual platform, hosted in Glasgow, brings together 1,000 event owners, hosts and organisers for two full days of unrivalled insight, exhibition, workshops, networking and business.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland said:

“I’m delighted that Host City is set to transfer the ethos and core values of its well established event into a new virtual format, enabling attendees from across the globe the chance to learn, share knowledge, and reflect on both the challenges and opportunities which the pandemic has brought with it.”

“There is no doubt these are hugely challenging times with uncertainty still on the horizon, however our industry has shown on many occasions that it is resilient and has great capacity and capability to adapt to any situation. This year’s conference, hosted once again from Glasgow in Scotland, will be more important than ever and will play a key role in keeping us all connected as we navigate through the new normal.”

Dr Bridget McConnell, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life said:

“This has been a year like no other for the industries working with cities to deliver events which support their communities, economic growth and tourism. The Host City conference is always a vital opportunity to learn and to grow and to share recent experience and best practice and this year will be vital for those industries and the recovery plans of cities everywhere. Glasgow is proud that Host City has chosen us as its base for the sixth time and look forward to the conference in December.”

Other speakers confirmed to speak at Host City 2020 include: Sir Craig Reedie GBE, Member, International Olympic Committee (IOC); Danuta Dmowska-Andrzejuk, Minister of Sports and Tourism, Poland; Fanta Diallo, Director of Sports, Youth and Community, City of Dakar; Ian Reid, CEO, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee; Emily Blitz, President Director, Conferences, International AIDS Society; Sven Bossu, CEO, International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC); Federico Addiechi, Head of Sustainability and Environment, FIFA and many more to be announced over the coming 2-3 weeks.

The 2020 conference theme covers 5 pillars: Covid Recovery; Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance; Digital Acceleration; Future Cities; and Partnerships.

Host City’s Conference Director Ben Avison said: “As this most challenging of years reaches a close, we are making Host City even greater and more accessible than ever for the international community of all stakeholders in major events. We look forward to sharing world-leading views on how to build a better future for the events sector.”

1,000 attendees can access main stage content and an exhibition area for free. Paying delegates will also be able to gain access to meetings, structured networking and interactive workshops focused on the key functional areas of event hosting, such as: infrastructure, mobility, security and safety, culture and ceremonies, technology, impact, sponsorship, games services, procurement, sustainability and engagement.

Host City is where representatives of host destinations, federations and rights holders, organisers, event suppliers and services from all over the world connect to discover opportunities and discuss major event hosting at this uniquely challenging moment in history.

Host City 2020 Conference and Exhibition is being supported by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland, and Glasgow Life.

Host City also works in strategic partnership with the International Association of Event Hosts, the Association of Global Event Suppliers, the International Association of Convention Centres and European Sponsorship Association.

To view the latest agenda, speaker biographies and sponsor information, go to www.hostcity.com

Register today for free!

For sponsorship enquires contact adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

For speaking opportunities contact ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: EventScotland] In three years, Glasgow and Scotland will open its arms and welcome the whole of the cycling world to its shores for the biggest single global cycling event in history – the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

The vision of UCI President, David Lappartient, this historic and innovative event will bring together 13 existing individual World Championship cycling disciplines into one mega event for the first time.

However, the Championships is more than just an event and to mark the three-year milestone, a video showcasing the ambition and vision of the event has been released celebrating the unique power of the bike and all it can bring to our lives.

The humble bike has the power to help with so many aspects of everyday life, whether it’s physical and mental health, easing congestion on the road to help the environment, or simply making it easier for people to get around.

The video celebrates the uniqueness of the bike by showing cycling is not only a sport but also a leisure activity and a mode of transport; making it something that everyone can watch and enjoy but also participate in – whatever their age or motivation.

Underpinned by four key policy drivers – participation, transport, tourism and economy - the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be a catalyst for behavioural change across Scotland from now until long after the event. By working in collaboration with cycling and wider partners to amplify and unify their existing work and activity, it will give everyone the opportunity to experience the freedom riding a bike can bring to your life. 

Paul Bush OBE, Chair of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “On behalf of all the partners – Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling – I am excited to share our vision and ambition for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships as we mark the three-year milestone until the event.

“From the outset, we knew we wanted to turn the traditional event delivery model on its head and put our policy ambitions for cycling in Scotland at the centre of our decision-making process alongside event delivery.

“By working in collaboration with cycling and wider partners to champion the unique power of the bike, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will not only be a great event that reinforces Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events, it will also be a catalyst for significant change and progress in Scotland – continuing to transform the nation and make cycling part of the normal, everyday lives of everyone.”

Since the event was awarded to Glasgow and Scotland last year, the world has united to face the threat and huge disruption of COVID-19 and while we continue to deal with the global pandemic and the tragedies that have unfolded, the increased use of bikes during the lockdown, has provided a vision of a future where the bike can provide solutions to issues such as congestion, pollution, health and fitness, and mobility.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “It’s testament to our reputation in staging major events that Scotland will host the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, the biggest global cycling event in history. This new event gives us a great opportunity to use the power of the bike to help meet our transport, health and environmental aims, as well as supporting the events industry through its recovery.

“As part of Scotland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen thousands of people embrace the benefits of cycling, and I hope that the excitement generated as we build up to this major event will encourage even more people to get active on their bikes.”

The release of the video also reaffirms the commitment of the key partners – UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life, UK Sport, British Cycling, and VisitScotland together with its EventScotland team – to create a blueprint for how future events can be delivered taking policy led approach.

UCI President David Lappartient said: “This unique project for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships carries with it the values of unity, sharing and openness, which are particularly relevant in the current troubled period due to the global health situation. Three years out from this mega event, which will bring together athletes from all disciplines in front of a large and enthusiastic audience from Scotland (Great Britain) and further afield, the UCI joins the organisers in celebrating this significant date in the countdown to what promises to be a one-of-a-kind cycling festival.”

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “As a top five sporting city and world-leading festival and events destination, Glasgow is looking forward to welcoming thousands of athletes, participants, and spectators to our incredible city in three years’ time.

“The inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will allow us to once again showcase Glasgow and Scotland on a global stage, further cementing our position as the perfect location for major events. However, more importantly, the event will also provide local cycling activation and a range of programmes for people to get involved in cycling and celebrate the power of the bike.

“We’re looking forward to the journey with all event partners over the next three years as we prepare to welcome the first-ever 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.”

Simon Morton, COO of UK Sport, said: “We are proud of our role in helping to bring major sporting events to the UK and I’m excited that our position as a destination of choice for world class competitions is continuing with what will undoubtedly prove an exciting spectacle for fans at home and abroad.

“Seeing the world’s elite cyclists competing in Scotland so soon after a hugely successful World Championships in Yorkshire last year will be a very special moment. I am convinced this event will provide a huge boost to cycling as a sport while also helping to create sporting moments which allow us to reach, inspire and unite more people across Scotland and beyond.” 

British Cycling Chair, Frank Slevin, said: “At British Cycling we know that major events provide a wonderful platform from which we can inspire so many more people to get on their bikes, whether that’s to race, ride with friends or simply get around. With just three years to go until the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, we are looking forward to working with our fellow event partners to ensure that the energy, enthusiasm and legacy of the Championships is felt all across Scotland for many years to come.”

[Source: AnyBrand] HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03 Swiss based technology has been tested effective against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in the laboratory and the ISO tested 18184, which is added to the fabric during the final stage of the textile manufacturing process.

COVID-19 has been shown to spread through air-borne transmission. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that containing the virus at source and point of entry, with a face covering, significantly reduces this risk of contamination. HeiQ Viroblock treated materials destroy viruses on contact, significantly reducing the chance for re-transmission through touch, also increasing the effectiveness of face coverings by a factor of 20.

AnyBrand founder Colin Graham states:

“The new every-day problems we face need high tech and sustainable solutions. Partnering with HeiQ allows us to do this with a unique and invaluable edge.” 

“We don’t have the cure all solution, but we do have a ‘silver bullet’ that could make the all-important difference to minimise the social distancing requirement that has decimated the live events sector.”

“We believe our brandable face coverings present live events with a better chance of accelerating the reopening of its doors with higher capacity audiences, when used alongside other COVID-19 safety measures.”

Carlo Centonze, CEO of HeiQ Group, said: 

“We are pleased to partner with AnyBrand in the UK to develop life-saving products and applications for our technology.” 

The products are certified as safe and sustainable. All ingredients are cosmetic grade (INCI), bio-based, re-useable, lasting at least 30 gentle washes at 60°C, and recyclable.

The first face coverings have arrived in the UK this week and AnyBrand is geared up to deliver large quantities of a variety of specifically branded, reusable face coverings within weeks.

[Source: AIPH] The AIPH Virtual Expo Conference on 30 September presents an excellent opportunity to learn more about hosting or being involved with an International Horticultural Expo 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.

Billions 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 2021 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.

These Expos will be submitting their progress reports on the 30 September. Rather than a physical international conference, AIPH is using a unique 3D system to host a virtual online meeting of delegates from around the world.

We are very grateful to PERA Event for their Headline Sponsorship of the conference. The company is also an AIPH preferred partner specialising in event management for International Horticultural Expos.

The registration price is just 55 GBP. Participants receive a link to create an avatar to enter this virtual environment. In this interactive form, they will be able to talk to other delegates starting from 8am (Central European Summer Time), and all from the safety of their device.

AIPH extends its thanks to AGES (Association of Global Event Suppliers), the UK’s Department for International Trade, ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability), IAEH (International Association of Event Hosts), ULI (Urban Land Institute) 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 more than ever 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.”

For more information on this event, visit the International Virtual Expo page.