I am writing in regard to SportAccord 2020, to provide an update on the status of our upcoming event in Beijing, China given the current Coronavirus outbreak.

Our thoughts are with the people of China and families affected by the outbreak. SportAccord is monitoring the situation and we are following the recommendations provided by the Chinese Authorities, the World Health Organisation, and other leading health authorities around the world. We are also fully aware of the recommendations on travel and restrictions imposed by airline companies and governments. 

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and share any developments regarding SportAccord 2020. Please rest assured SportAccord will continue to do what is in the best interests and safety of all our delegates.

Sincerest regards,

Raffaele Chiulli
President
SportAccord and GAISF

SportAccord

SportAccord brings together international sports federations and organisations involved in the business of sport. The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. It engages international sports federations, athletes, industry, rights holders, organising committees, cities, government, agencies, media, technology, legal teams, medical professionals, inventors, and subject matter experts – represented at the highest levels.

SportAccord is the only global sports business event attended by all the international sports federations and their stakeholders, who host their Annual General Assemblies during SportAccord. These stakeholders include: ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations), AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations), AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) and Associate Members. SportAccord receives the full support of the International Olympic Committee.

Follow #SA2020 on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr.    

[Source: Aggreko] Aggreko has cemented its position as a green supplier of temporary power, heating and cooling solutions after being certified to the Carbon Trust Standard and achieving certification to ISO 50001:2018 international standard for energy management.

By implementing ISO 50001, Aggreko has committed to reduce its energy consumption, minimise its carbon footprint and promote sustainable energy usage. This includes applying both internal and external guiding principles including the integration of energy reduction considerations and increasing fuel efficiency in our fleet and solutions offerings for its customers.

Replacing the Carbon & Energy Management and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS), the Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s leading independent certification of an organisation’s achievements in managing and reducing carbon emissions. By accrediting Aggreko to the Standard, the Carbon Trust has independently recognised the company as taking a best practice approach to achieving real year-on-year reductions.

As part of its commitment to both accrediting bodies, Aggreko will significantly reduce its power-related carbon emissions. With this pledge in mind, the company has also switched its electricity contract to 100% renewable electricity, with all annual electricity demand required to supply Aggreko’s Service Centres being generated by offshore wind generators.

Aggreko is also reducing carbon and energy use internally by reviewing its vehicle fleet, and has already taken steps to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions using vehicle tracking, driver training, more electric plug-in vehicles and work planning using technological innovations.

Furthermore, the company provides generators that work with alternative greener fuels such as natural gas, biofuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil, or HVO. This includes providing remote monitoring technology on equipment to improve efficiency, regularly reviewing products to ensure compliance with latest emissions standards. It is also developing renewable energies including modular PV and hybrid solutions that consist of different technologies, batteries and modular solar panels.

Chris Rason, UK Managing Director at Aggreko, said: “Delivering sustainable growth and limiting the impact our business has on the environment is extremely important for Aggreko. As a business, we have made a number of commitments and by implementing ISO 50001, and getting the Carbon Trust Standard, we will ensure that we continue to improve our energy efficiency.

“The Carbon Trust Standard will allow us to monitor and manage our energy performance to help aid year-on-year reductions. Through verified environmental impact data, regulation compliance will be ensured, which in turn will help our customers. Working with the Carbon Trust closely will allow us to benchmark our performance and, perhaps most importantly, identify opportunities for improvement and implement these.”

Chris Rason concluded: “Aggreko has a vision to be the greenest provider of temporary power equipment and our aim for the next year is to help customers become greener. As a business, we are taking active responsibility to limit the impact our business has on the environment and we look forward to seeing the positive changes these real commitments through certification will have.”

For more information, please visit www.aggreko.com.

[Source: Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy] H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), described hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 as 'transformational' for Qatar and the entire Middle East during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting Davos 2020.

Al Thawadi held a number of bilateral meetings, took part in a panel discussion where he explored the economic prosperity in the Middle East with a number of notable figures, and conducted interviews with global broadcasters such as CNBC, CNN and Astro Awani on the sidelines of this year's forum.

During an interview with CNBC presenter Hadley Gamble, Al Thawadi said the tournament had the power the unite people from across the world.

"Major sporting events – particularly football and the FIFA World Cup – provide incredible opportunities for bringing people together," said Al Thawadi. "If you look at the recent FIFA Club World Cup, we had people in Qatar from five continents engaging with each other and celebrating football. It was a true festivity."

Al Thawadi continued: "We also appreciate the value and power of sport in building bridges between people from every walk of life. The recent Gulf Cup, held in Qatar, was a fantastic example. It was the first time Bahrain won the tournament and the emotion of the fans was incredible.

"Sporting events can be truly transformational and something that leaves a legacy – not only for us but for generations to come. We're working hard to ensure that everyone appreciates the powerful tool we have in bringing people together and the unique opportunity we have been granted. In an age where divisiveness and nationalism are on the rise, we must work to use these platforms to showcase our common humanity and celebrate our shared values and harness this once in a lifetime opportunity."

In line with this year's sustainability theme at WEF, Al Thawadi also discussed the tournament's sustainability credentials during the interview, noting the launch of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Sustainability Strategy this week – the first to be planned and delivered jointly by FIFA, the host country and the local organisers. Al Thawadi also reiterated Qatar's commitment to hosting the world's first truly carbon neutral tournament in 2022.

Speaking about tournament preparations, Al Thawadi said 2020 would be a busy year for the SC. Qatar will host the CAF Super Cup in February and the FIFA Club World Cup™ in December 2020, welcoming thousands of fans from around the world to the region once again. Al Thawadi noted that two stadiums will be unveiled during the first half of the year, Education City and Al Bayt, and that all tournament infrastructure will be delivered by 2021.

Al Thawadi also took part in a panel discussion at a Qatar Investment Authority event on the sidelines of this year's WEF Annual Meeting. Titled 'Perspectives from Qatar: The Reality of Economic Prosperity in the Middle East', Al Thawadi joined fellow panelists H.E. Ali Bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Qatar's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mirek Dusek, Deputy Head of the Centre for Geopolitical and Regional Affairs and Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum, and Henry Lawrence Culp Jr., CEO, General Electric.

Bilateral meetings were also held throughout the week with figures including Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman, World Economic Forum, Will.i.am, entertainer and tech entrepreneur, David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, Ian Bremmer, CEO of Eurasia Group, and Mirek Dusek, Deputy Head of the Centre for Geopolitical and Regional Affairs and Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum.

The WEF Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, is the foremost creative force for engaging the world's top leaders in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional and industry agendas at the beginning of each year. 2020, which marked the forum's 50^th year, attracted 3,000 participants from around the world and aimed to give concrete meaning to "stakeholder capitalism", assist governments and international institutions in tracking progress towards the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, and facilitate discussions on technology and trade governance.

See the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXI1nTqxmzY&feature=emb_logo

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord has unveiled five Principal Media Partners for its World Sport & Business Summit 2020 in Beijing, ensuring quality coverage of sport’s No.1 annual global gathering.

SportAccord has teamed up with iSportconnect, SportBusiness, Sportcal, SportsPro and Yutang Sports due to their exceptional coverage, reach and expertise within the global sports industry.

The news organisations will provide media and marketing support for SportAccord 2020, including in-depth reporting from the event, which will take place from 19-24 April at the China National Convention Center. Aside from providing breaking news, bulletins and feature coverage, the Principal Media Partners will also be able to conduct interviews via video and podcast formats, with high-profile attendees set to provide significant interest.

The news organisations have been granted key rights, including recognition in marketing material and sponsored signage in high-visibility areas, as well as publication distribution on dedicated stands. They will also have the opportunity to host workshops and will play a key role at the heart of the bustling SportAccord 2020 Media Zone, which is set to attract hundreds of media representatives from China and worldwide.

iSportConnect is considered to be the world’s largest private sports business network. iSportconnect moved up a tier to become a Principal Media Partner at SportAccord 2019 in Gold Coast.

SportBusiness is stepping up from Media Partner status at SportAccord 2019. SportBusiness provides unique news, analysis, data, consulting and events for executives in the business of sport.

Sportcal has supported SportAccord since its inception in 2003. Sportcal is a world-leading market intelligence service, providing news, data, reports and insights into the competitive world of sport.

SportsPro is a leading sports business media company in print, digital and events. SportsPro delivers up-to-the-minute news, analysis, opinion and in-depth reports across multiple platforms.

Yutang Sports delivers sports market intelligence and sports marketing through its media outlet and sponsorship agency, offering insights into the Chinese and international sports industries.

John Hewitt, Event Operations Manager, Communications, SportAccord said: “The high-level meetings at SportAccord 2020, as well as the Summit, CityAccord, HealthAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord conference programmes that will attract key decision-makers in the business of sport. Delegates will be also be introduced to the inaugural InvestAccord conference programme which will focus on connecting tech start-ups with investors in sport.

“We are delighted to have lined up an established selection of Principal Media Partners, all of whom have been involved in SportAccord for several years. Their coverage – before, during and after the event – will provide a vital platform for the key messages, insights and news developments in relation to the highly anticipated SportAccord 2020 in Beijing.”

The annual World Sport & Business Summit is a six-day event attended by leaders of the global sports community. It is the only global sports business event attended by all the international sport federations and their stakeholders, who host their Annual General Assemblies during SportAccord.

In October, CNN was unveiled as the Top Media Partner for SportAccord 2020, as well as the inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019, that took place from 10-12 December at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2020 in Beijing, the 18th annual SportAccord event. Organisations can become an official partner or exhibitor and discuss these investment opportunities with sales@sportaccord.sport.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2020, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook. For media enquiries, email media@sportaccord.sport.

Source: EventScotland] Applications for the position of Chief Executive Officer of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships close at midnight this Friday (24 January).
 
The successful candidate will have overall executive responsibility for the Championships by leading a world-class team in the planning and delivery of the event. The role requires strong leadership experience, a multi-disciplinary track record of overseeing mega sporting events, outstanding stakeholder relationships, an understanding of operating within public sector organisations, and an entrepreneurial spirit.
 
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, said: “This is an exciting next step in the setting up of the organisation that will organise and deliver the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships here in Glasgow and Scotland. The Championships will be the biggest cycling event ever to take place, combining 13 existing individual cycling world championships into one mega event for the first time and needs a world-class leadership team to deliver our vision and ambition for the event. So, if you think you have what it takes to be part of the biggest cycling event in history then we want to hear from you before this Friday's deadline.”

Apply here

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a hugely influential global event. Although only 3,000 delegates are invited to the conference, 30,000 others are attracted to the Swiss resort of Davos every year to get involved in fringe activities. This takes it into the realms of the large-scale events showcased at Host City.

And it’s not just scale that links WEF with the world’s biggest sports and cultural events – it is the scope and reach of the event’s content. The themes of WEF20 are all extremely pertinent to the stakeholders of major sports and cultural events.

Take the first theme, “Healthy Futures”. A major objective of major sports events is for on-field performances to inspire people to be more active and improve public health. Major events can also have a catalytic effect on the healthcare sector – the standard of medical provision in Beijing improved as a result of hosting the Games in 2008, for example.

The next question of “How to Save the Planet” will be as complex for the delegates flying into Davos as it is for the owners, hosts and organisers of major sports, business and cultural events. Many areas of business and society are rapidly increasing their focus on sustainability, and major events are no exception. It will be fascinating to see how the world’s most powerful business and government leaders at WEF20 set out their approach to this challenge. Large scale event organisers must also play a greater role in the rapid transition that is so urgently needed to prevent runaway climate change and environmental degradation.

The third and related theme, “Better Business” focuses on how industries can “shift their time horizons, look beyond short-term profits, and transform themselves into sustainable and inclusive organisations.”

It’s not just businesses that struggle to take this long view. Democratic governments cannot be certain of any power beyond the typical 5-year electoral cycle. In contrast, the timelines of major event organisers are extremely long – 13 years from bid to delivery, in the case of Los Angeles 2028 – and the aim of the organizing committees is not to generate profit.

Major events can also be trailblazers for inclusion and equality – the 2021 Rugby League World Cup for example will be hosting women’s, disabled and men’s events concurrently for the first time. Perhaps global business leaders could learn something from such projects.

Next, WEF20 takes a look “Beyond Geopolitics”, promoting the power of cross-border cooperation to tackle big global challenges. International cooperation is crucial to the success of major events, from knowledge transfer initiatives between past and future hosts to new initiatives such as Paris 2024’s agreement to support the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games.

And the prospect of multiple countries hosting major events is now becoming a reality. The 2026 World Cup takes place in USA, Canada and Mexico. The 2022 Commonwealth Games is primarily staged in Birmingham, UK, but India could host Shooting and Archery at the same time. While this possibility has arisen through sporting demands, could it pave the way for pan-global events that could help “save the planet” by localizing audiences?

Leaders at Davos will also be grappling with how to deploy and develop “Tech for Good”. Robotics, AI, IoT and Data (RAID) are converging to disrupt all industries – and sports and entertainment is no exception. At worst, such technologies pose an existential threat to humanity; at best, they are revolutionizing the way sports and entertainment are experienced. In a world of esports, virtual influencers and OTT media consumption, what does this mean for our traditional communities of rights holders, broadcasters, stars and fans?

Discussion about “Society and the Future of Work” at Davos will focus on the displacement and disruption of human labour by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but also touches on the impact of technology on societies and communities. Sports and culture have a huge role to play in place-making and civic pride; it would be great to see this brought to the fore at WEF. The 15-hour working week envisioned by Keynes has not come to pass yet, but if it does, organized leisure will no doubt play an even greater role in what it means to be human.  

Finally, delegates at Davos will visualise “Fairer Economies”. While they are not in a position to directly redistribute wealth, major events already play a massive role in rebalancing economies. The Games staged in East London, Glasgow and Birmingham – with some of the highest levels of deprivation in the UK – all bring a major local economic impact. The cities / capitals of culture Hull 2017 and Coventry 2021 inhabit similar socioeconomic spaces (look out for Bradford 2025!)

I’m not suggesting that major sports, business and cultural events have any greater power to change the world than the government and business leaders converging in Davos. But it is interesting to note how pertinent the WEF themes are to Host City, and vice versa. If we can build a dialogue between our sector and the wider world of business and government perhaps we can help build a better world together. Now – where’s my invitation?

[Source: AISTS] Each year, the International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS), offers a Future Female Leader in Sport scholarship, open globally to women pursuing a career in the sports industry, or looking to advance their careers. The deadline for the next scholarship is 1 February 2020.

The AISTS is home to the World’s No.1 Sports Management Master Program (Eduniversal rankings) and located in the heart of the Olympic Capital, Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Academy was co-founded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the degree is signed by three leading Swiss universities; EPFL, University of Lausanne, and University of Geneva.

Each year the scholarship – which has a value of CHF 14,950 (EUR 13,817, 50% of the tuition fee) – is available to a promising female leader.

“It’s no secret that there is a lack of women in leadership positions within the sports industry,” says Claude Stricker, AISTS executive director. “We’re proud to offer the AISTS Future Female Leader in Sport Scholarship, to help address this imbalance and assist an inspiring woman in achieving her goals within the industry.”

The AISTS Future Female Leader in Sport Scholarship was established in 2011 by the June Canavan Foundation in honour of June Canavan, an AISTS alumni who tragically lost her life in a plane crash in 2009. 

Due to limited funding, 2013 was the last year the scholarship was offered by the June Canavan Foundation. However, the AISTS re-established the scholarship with the unchanged aim of rewarding a female applicant committed to ethical sport leadership. 

Previous recipients of the scholarship include Thayssa Plum from Brazil who currently works as senior media relations manager at FIFA

“It’s important that there are scholarship programs like the AISTS Future Female Leadership in Sport,” says Thayssa. “In my case, it’s pretty simple. It changed my life. Every girl has dreams, but not all of them have the same means. Reaching out to them, supporting their dream and making things possible is the push they need to succeed.”

Other recipients Rida Ahmed who currently works in Athlete Relations & Engagement at the International Olympic Committee.

“The AISTS Future Female Leader in Sport Scholarship was the reason I was able to make it here and learn so much  about the industry and make so many connections,” says Rida.”The scholarship has so much potential to help other who want to transition into the field and I look forward to seeing the journeys of future applicants. “

To apply for the scholarship or to find out more about the AISTS Master of Advanced Studies in Sports Administration and Technology please visit https://aists.org/education/masters-degree/about-the-degree/

[Source: Aggreko] The interactive tour harnesses the latest 3D technology to develop an immersive experience that demonstrates what it takes to power global events of scale. Viewers can experience the process from generation to transmission, demonstrating the complexity of solutions required so that spectators and competitors can enjoy their favourite events without interruption. 

Supporting a project of scale requires complex infrastructure and meticulous planning to ensure the delivery of reliable, flexible power. Aggreko’s decades of experience and strong track record means it has developed an operational playbook and the skills needed to provide power solutions for projects of any scale, whether it is the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, a remote mine in West Africa or a construction site in central Manhattan. 

To give an idea of the complexity involved, at this year’s Rugby World Cup, Aggreko provided a total of 32.5 MVA of electricity to power the 12 match venues and international broadcast centre. More than 1.8 million tickets were sold for this year’s tournament, with a record 99.3% attendance and an estimated 400 million people tuning in worldwide, making this the most watched Rugby World Cup in history. Clearly, the need for a constant, reliable stream of power was paramount. 

To see exactly what’s involved in powering events of scale, the interactive tour can be viewed here https://www.aggreko.com/en/sectors-and-services/events 

Aggreko recommends using Google Chrome in order to get the most out of the experience.

[Source: IOC]

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched a new guide to help the sports community address plastic pollution.

The guide, entitled Plastic Game Plan for Sport, was published in collaboration with UN Environment and includes contributions from World Sailing. Referencing successful examples from across the sports world, it provides guidance to event organisers on creating an effective plan to reduce plastic waste. This includes key steps such as eliminating single-use plastic items, reducing the amount of plastic used, reusing plastic items and recycling.

“Plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges facing our environment today and sport – like any other industry – has an urgent responsibility to address it,” said Marie Sallois, IOC Director of Corporate and Sustainable Development. “The IOC’s Plastic Game Plan for Sport aims to provide sports organisations, event organisers, athletes and fans with clear, step-by-step guidance on how to eliminate plastic waste from their operations and everyday lives.”

The guide’s recommendations include introducing reusable or compostable cups and tableware at events, providing water refill points, recycling bins and reducing the use of ‘hidden plastic’ such as merchandise, signage, branding and ticketing. In addition, the guide encourages event organisers to leverage their reach to raise awareness of plastic pollution. It also offers tips for athletes and fans on how to cut down their own plastic waste and inspire others to do the same.

In line with Olympic Agenda 2020 – the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement – the IOC has committed to driving sustainable practices across the International Sports Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and the wider sports community. The IOC itself is reducing waste at its headquarters and is working with suppliers to ensure materials used at its events are sourced responsibly.

In June 2018, the IOC joined the UN Environment's Clean Seas campaign to fight plastic pollution in the oceans, calling on the entire Olympic Movement to follow suit. Eleven IFs, four NOCs and three commercial partners have so far committed to the initiative, putting concrete measures in place to reduce plastic waste.

In September 2019, the IOC supported the Big Plastic Pledge campaign, launched by Olympic sailing champion Hannah Mills. The campaign calls on athletes and fans to reduce their use of single-use plastic. Almost 200 elite athletes have signed the pledge so far, committing to reducing plastic use in their own lives and encouraging others to do the same.

The Plastic Game Plan for Sport is the latest installment in the IOC’s ‘Sustainability Essentials’ series, which provides practical guidance on key aspects of sustainability for NOCs, IFs and other sports organisations. Previous guides in the series include Introduction to sustainability, Sports for climate action and Sustainable sourcing in sport.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has described a proposal from Commonwealth Games India (CGI) to host a Commonwealth shooting event and potentially an archery event in India during 2022 as “innovative” that could set “manageable precedents”.

“The proposal will be reviewed and considered in January and February by the CGF and discussed with Birmingham 2022 Delivery Partners,” said David Grevemberg CBE, CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation in a statement issued to media including Host City.

The UK city of Birmingham is hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

“Key aspects of this assessment will be to ensure that the proposal conforms with our rules and regulations, is operationally deliverable, sets manageable precedents for the Commonwealth Games and ultimately adds value to athletes and the Commonwealth Sports Movement," said Grevemberg.

“We would like to thank the CGI, the NRAI, the Government of India and the entire sporting community of India for their leadership and significant efforts taken to submit an innovative proposal with the ambition of strengthening Commonwealth Sport.”

The CGF also said the proposal is supported by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the Government of India, the International Shooting Sport Federation and World Archery.

Tom Dielen, Secretary General of World Archery expressed his support in a letter, shared with Host City, to Dr. Nalinder Batra, President of the lndian Olympic Association and President of Commonwealth Games India.

“World Archery is giving its full support to this proposal to have an Archery competition in India as part of the Commonwealth Games friendship programme,” Dielen wrote.

A CGF source told Host City that the “Commonwealth Games friendship programme” referenced by World Archery is not an official term but a working title for India’s proposal.Dielen also suggested “adding the mixed team events which will also feature in Tokyo 2020”.

“World Archery would recognise the event for World Records as well as enter it on the World Ranking. We will promote the event among our member associations and provide the necessary technical assistance.”

The Archery Association of India (AAI) is currently excluded from world sport over governance issues.

“We are currently facing some issues with the Indian Archery Association but these should be resolved during the coming months and we will work with the newly elected President to make this event a success,” Dielen wrote. 

“In the meantime, we will continue the dialogue with the Commonwealth Games Federation to include Archery in the programme of Commonwealth Games.”

The CGF also confirmed to Host City that the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) have fully backed the proposal and would recognise and ratify the potential shooting event, if held.

Shooting, which is an optional sport for host cities, was dropped from the Games by Birmingham 2022 in 2018 and Archery followed suit in 2019.

India had threatened to boycott the Birmingham 2022 Olympic Games over the exclusion of shooting. But on 30 December 2020, India’s participation was confirmed in a statement by CGF President Dame Louise Martin DBE.

"Following a useful and constructive CGF visit to India in November, we felt confident and reassured that the athletes and sports community of India places huge value and importance on the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Sport Movement,” she said.

"We are delighted that India have expressed an ambition to host another Commonwealth Games in the future."