[Source: SportAccord] Today’s announcement is especially exciting as tomorrow marks the three-year countdown to the start of the Ekaterinburg 2023 FISU World University Games in the Sverdlovsk Region of Russia.

As a SportAccord 2021 Gold Partner, FISU is playing a key role in supporting preparations for the sports industry’s most influential global gathering at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo from 23-28 May next year. For FISU, SportAccord 2021 will provide a timely signpost in the build-up to the FISU World University Games. The FISU World University Games are the largest global multi-sports events for university athletes and the Ekaterinburg 2023 edition will take place from 8-19 August 2023, about seven months after the winter edition that will be held in Lake Placid, USA, in January the same year.

The city was awarded the World University Games following a unanimous vote by the FISU Executive Committee a year ago, underlining the sporting pedigree of a dynamic destination that bridges the continents of Europe and Asia. As part of its growing portfolio of international sports events, Ekaterinburg hosted FIFA World Cup 2018 matches and the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships, and will also stage games during the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship.

Situated on the banks on the Iset River, Ekaterinburg is Russia’s fourth-largest city by population, and is a hotspot for tourism and business, as well as sport, as the home to numerous professional teams.

“When Ekaterinburg was awarded the World University Games, FISU described the city as one of Russia’s most vibrant hubs, and we agree with those sentiments,” SportAccord Managing Director, Nis Hatt says.

“Ekaterinburg is a wonderful city that has sport at its heart and will provide plenty of attractions and interests to keep delegates entertained and engaged for what I’m sure will be an outstanding SportAccord next year. Today is a significant milestone for our valued Gold Partner, and we wish our friends at FISU well as their preparations ramp up ahead of the Ekaterinburg 2023 FISU World University Games.”

FISU President, Oleg Matytsin said: “FISU is pleased to continue the partnership with SportAccord, one of the most important events in the world of international sports. As a founding member of GAISF and an active member of ARISF, the International University Sports Federation continues to strengthen its position within the international sports movement and looks to lead the way in many areas. Moreover, this next edition of SportAccord will be special for us, as it is being held in the host city of our summer edition of the FISU World University Games in 2023.”

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.

[Source: AIPH] The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) has reviewed upcoming International Horticultural Exhibitions, that falls under its approval, due to the COVID-19 pandemic repercussions. Considering the time it takes to prepare a high-quality A1 International Horticultural Exhibition and the difficulties in continuing preparations during the pandemic, AIPH has recommended that Expo 2021 Doha Qatar be moved to a future date.

With a theme focused on greening the desert and improving the environment, the Government of the State of Qatar has therefore agreed to postpone the Horticultural Expo which will now open in October 2023. The Horticultural Expo will be hosted at Al Bidda Park and is expected to attract millions of visitors in the context of climate water and soil being indispensable and scarce resources, in addition to a list of objectives that were set in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.

Commenting on the change, AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe says, “Although Expo preparations are well underway in Doha, it is necessary to postpone the opening to allow more time for international participants to visit Doha, select their locations and prepare the construction and activities they need. AIPH believe that this date change will ensure that the Expo can be delivered to the highest possible standards. This will be the first AIPH Expo to take place in the Middle East and we are very excited about what it will achieve to stimulate city greening and sustainable development in a desert region.”

The Minister of Municipality and Environment for the State of Qatar, His Excellency Abdulla Bin Abdulaziz Al Subai welcomed the revised dates and commented: “ Throughout the COVID – 19 Pandemic the State of Qatar implemented strategic measures to address the economic and social impact of the pandemic, having said that and as we recognise the severe impact of the pandemic globally, we welcome the revised dates suggested by the AIPH for the Horticultural Expo. The State of Qatar is always committed to delivering world-class events, and this will not change for the A1 World Horticultural Exhibition happening for the first time in our region. Qatar looks forward to welcoming the global horticultural sector to share knowledge and experience in support of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

As Expo 2021 Doha Qatar has been recognised by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation in charge of Expos, the change of dates requires approval from the BIE’s 170 Member States. The Secretary General of the BIE Dimitri S. Kerkentzes indicated: “I welcome the AIPH’s recommendation and Qatar’s resolution to move Horticultural Expo 2021 Doha Qatar to 2023, and I am confident that the change in dates will be approved by our Member States. For the host country and all participating countries, the new dates will allow the necessary time to adjust and adapt their plans to ensure the Middle East’s first Horticultural Expo is a resounding success in 2023.”

The Secretary General of the Expo in Qatar Mr Mohamad Ali AL Khoury welcomed the decision of the AIPH and reiterated on the importance of hosting this event for the first time in the region by saying: “The State of Qatar has always been the hub for World Class International events, we are committed to delivering a one of a kind experience to the global community and the citizens of Qatar and the region. We are continually working to ensure the readiness of Qatar to host the A1 Horticultural Expo, and we will continue with these efforts to deliver a premier one of a kind event.”

International Horticultural Expos foster cooperation and knowledge sharing between countries addressing crucial issues related to healthy lifestyles, green economies, sustainable living, education and innovation.

Hosted in Qatar for the first time in the region, the A1 Horticultural Expo will last for six months starting October 2023. It will include participants representing countries and International Organisations as well as Cities, Companies, Civil Society and NGOs.

For more information about International Horticultural Expos visit http://aiph.org/

At a time when the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games would have just been launching the opening ceremony, IOC President Thomas Bach gave an upbeat prognosis for the delayed mega event via a video message.

"It can and will be the great comeback festival of sport to the international scene,” he said.

"These Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 in 2021, can, should and will be the light at the end of the tunnel that all humankind is in at this moment.

"We are living a period of great uncertainty. Then at the end of this very difficult period for humankind, the Olympic Games can be a great symbol of hope, of optimism, of solidarity and of unity in all of our diversity.

The disruption caused by Covid-19 creates unique challenges for all event organisers and staging the Olympic Games will be a challenge even with an additional year of preparation time.

"This is a mammoth task because we cannot prepare Olympic Games as we are used to. In fact, we have to prepare for multiple scenarios of Olympic Games. We have to take all of this into account – what could happen, what may happen.”

Safeguarding health

The safety of athletes is the guiding principle in the delivery of the Games, Bach said.

"This is the top priority – the Olympic Games will respect and safeguard the health of all of the participants.

"We want to prepare these Games, adapt it to the circumstances of the crisis at the time, while ensuring for everybody the Olympic spirit, because this is what makes the Olympic Games so unique, uniting the entire world. This spirit has to be and will be reflected.

"All the adaptations we may have to make will not affect venues, sports or the athletes, so we can give the athletes the stage to shine that they deserve.”

Tokyo 2020 as a post-Covid role model

Toshiro Muto, CEO of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee also gave a video message, in which he suggested that this dark cloud might have a silver lining.

“It is rather difficult for us to expect that the coronavirus pandemic will be contained, but if we can deliver the Tokyo Games and Paralympics ‘with coronavirus’ I think the Tokyo Games will become a role model for the next Olympic Games or other various international events,” he said.

“I strongly hope that this will make a mark – this will become a legacy for the history of mankind.”

The video messages were shared on 23^rd July 2020. Credit: IOC, via sources: https://sportstar.thehindu.com/videos/tokyo-olympics-symbol-of-hope-covid-19-pandemic-thomas-bach-toshiro-muto/article32169344.ece# and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkzI8NeG3bY

[Source: SportAccord] 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.

International Sport Federation and Partner registration is open for this year’s edition of the annual IF Forum, which is organised by SportAccord for International Sport Federations and their Stakeholders is supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Further details about the IF Forum 2020 conference programme, speakers and participants will be announced in the coming weeks.

SportAccord and GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli said: “The IF Forum will be a vital signpost for the global sports movement in a turbulent 2020 and thoughts turn to a brighter future. As an integral part of communities worldwide, sport will play a crucial broader role as societies and economies emerge from the Covid-19 crisis."

“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 in Lausanne will serve as an essential starting point.”

The invitation-only IF Forum 2020 will bring together 300 leaders from 125 International Sports Federations, with delegates, speakers and exclusive Official IF Forum Partners discussing best practice in an intimate environment.

Presentation slots have been scheduled over the course of the programme as part of exclusive rights and benefits available to Partners of the invitation-only event.

The IF Forum 2020 will also feature numerous other opportunities for Partners to engage directly with sport’s decision-makers, including VIP functions and social activities for networking.

To discuss partnership opportunities and take advantage of exclusive access to the IF Forum, contact our Sales Team by email at sales@sportaccord.sport or by phone at +41 21 612 30 79.

For further information about the IF Forum, please download the brochure here or visit: https://www.sportaccord.sport/if-forum.

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

Follow #IFFORUM2020 on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

[Source: SportAccord] The agreement strengthens FITEQ’s presence at the global sports industry’s most influential annual gathering, with SportAccord 2021 taking place from 23-28 May next year at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo in a dynamic and stunning sporting city situated at a crossroads between Europe and Asia.

FITEQ, which was founded in 2017, was a Gold Partner of the 2018 SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in Bangkok before serving as a Bronze Partner for the inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America in Fort Lauderdale last year.

The governing body of Teqball – a football-based sport that is growing rapidly worldwide and is practised by some of world top footballers and teams – was granted Observer Status by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) Council in January. FITEQ was also previously recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia in 2018 and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) in 2019.

FITEQ, based in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne, Switzerland, will be able to use its SportAccord 2021 Gold Partnership as a platform to build on its primary mission – to develop Teqball globally by supporting the establishment of national federations and uniting the sport’s international community.

SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt said: “We are delighted to have this Gold Partnership with FITEQ, the governing body of a sport that is widely regarded as among the most forward-thinking and innovative in our industry today.

“In a short space of time, FITEQ has already made tremendous progress in establishing itself, and the exciting sport of Teqball, at the heart of the international sports movement. We are looking forward to working with FITEQ in the coming months as preparations accelerate ahead of what will be an unmissable SportAccord 2021 in Ekaterinburg.”

FITEQ General Secretary Marius Vizer Jr said: “Our partnerships with SportAccord in the past have been highly successful and a Gold Partnership in Ekaterinburg will further enhance our efforts to connect with sports leaders from around the world and form strategic alliances that will support the global development of teqball. SportAccord is one of the most important events in the sports calendar for FITEQ, as it enables us to meet with stakeholders from across the global sports industry and share our vision for the most exciting and fastest growing sport in the world! Russia is also a key growth market for teqball and being a Gold Partner in Ekaterinburg will also give us the opportunity to connect with key stakeholders in Russian sport.”

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.

[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.