[Source: SportAccord] Andy Edwards, the Chief Executive Officer of Nitro Circus, the world’s biggest action sports entertainment brand, has been confirmed as a speaker at this year’s inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

Edwards will participate in a panel session on ‘Rebranding – Opportunities, Challenges and Quick Wins’ at the event on the afternoon of Thursday, 12 December.

Edwards will discuss the development of Nitro Circus from the global action sport collective’s initial focus on the creation of content to the formation of the Nitro Circus live tour and the Nitro World Games. He will be joined by fellow panellists including Michael Miller, Head of Partnerships, Humana Inc., and Jim Scherr, CEO, World Lacrosse, with the session to be moderated by Elizabeth Pérez, the Emmy-winning Television Journalist and Presenter for CNN en Español.

Edwards, who was appointed Nitro Circus’ CEO in February 2019 after two years as President and 10 years after launch of the organisation, which he co-founded, said: “Nitro Circus has undertaken an extensive development and expansion programme in recent years which has seen it become one of the world’s leading live events brands.

“In this Panel Session at Regional SportAccord Pan America I’m looking forward to sharing our experiences and discussing rebranding beyond the more traditional, simple understanding of an organisation perhaps changing its logo or color scheme. I want to talk about how we can navigate the challenges of expanding an existing brand to diversify without travelling too far away from the ethos of the core brand.”

Nitro Circus creates electrifying live events, sport competition, and original content that inspires thrill-seeking fans worldwide. Co-founded by global superstar Travis Pastrana in 2003, Nitro Circus has since grown into a multiplatform phenomenon producing hit television shows, critically acclaimed documentaries and innovative digital offerings.

In 2010, the popularity of the collective led to the formation of the Nitro Circus live tour, which has travelled the globe, playing to sold-out stadiums on five continents. The company then introduced an innovative breakthrough in 2016 with the debut of Nitro World Games, completely rebooting action sports competition in the process. With over three million tickets sold to date, television programming that has aired in over 60 countries, more than 25 million engaged fans across social media and a burgeoning consumer products business, Nitro Circus is at the forefront of sports and entertainment.

Malcolm Hardman, Business Development Manager at SportAccord, said: “Nitro Circus is one of the most original and forward-thinking brands in world sport and we are delighted that Andy will bring his experience to the Conference programme at this inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019.

“Andy’s involvement in Nitro Circus’ transformation over the last decade will be of great interest to any organisations considering how they can adapt and continue to engage with sports fans in a changing world.” 

Edwards is the latest senior figure from world sport to confirm their attendance at Regional SportAccord Pan America, which takes place at Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center from 10-12 December, 2019.

Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and GAISF will officially open the Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 conference programme on Wednesday, 11 December. The tone of the conference will be set by a Keynote Address on The Changing Landscape of the International Sports World by Francesco Ricci Bitti, President, ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations). Other confirmed high-profile speakers  include Stephan Fox, President, AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), Vice President, GAISF; Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General, AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations); and Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations).

Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 will bring together the Pan American, Olympic and non-Olympic communities in one location, with the inaugural event set to attract sports commissions, regional, national and international governing bodies, sports ministries, rights-holders, cities and regions, commercial entities and agencies.

Registration is open for the event, hosted by SportAccord in partnership with Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sports Foundation, International Sports & Health Associates and MGO.

For information about becoming an Exhibitor or Partner, request a brochure or contact the sales team via info@regionalsportaccord.sport or +1 954 204 3081.

Follow Regional SportAccord via Twitter @sportaccord using #RSA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, and for media enquiries, email: mailto:info@regionalsportaccord.sport

[Source: SportAccord] Best practice strategies discussed at the International Federation (IF) Forum 2019 can act as a launchpad for positioning athletes at the heart of sports development, according to SportAccord and GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli.

Speaking in Lausanne at the conclusion of the three-day gathering, which is organised by SportAccord for International Sport Federations and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dr. Chiulli said that the vital topics discussed at the IF Forum would help to strengthen links between sport’s decision-makers and athletes.

Under a theme of ‘Athlete-Centred Sport’, delegates heard from a variety of experts on topics such as safeguarding athletes, financial wellbeing, athlete welfare and mental health, protecting clean athletes and strengthening the voice of athletes.

“Working together with our athletes is clearly the most effective way for us to develop our sports all over the world,” Dr. Chiulli said. “This involves working side-by-side with the athletes, listening to them and ensuring that our actions are helpful to them. Whether it is looking at the events calendar, empowering our athlete commissions or improving facilities for our competitors, I believe there is something we can all do.”

The importance of athlete commissions within IFs was highlighted by an engaging discussion that featured the IOC’s Head of Athlete Relations and Engagement, Kaveh Mehrabi, who spoke about the governing body’s International Athletes’ Forum.

Danka Barteková, the IOC Athletes' Commission Vice-Chair, detailed how the commission supports building an effective network of athlete representation and constantly engages with athlete representatives to collect feedback and provide support. Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of the FIS (International Ski Federation) also shared her perspective on the role of the FIS Athletes Commission, including the composition and election of its members.

Dr. Chiulli, reflecting on the IF Forum 2019, added: “I hope that our discussions will not end here. We will continue to work together for the good of sport worldwide, because we are the united voice of sports. The lessons here can be passed on to National Federations, to ensure alignment throughout sports. Good governance requires us to lead by example.”

A workshop on ‘Athlete Centred Governance’ was led by Jenny Wiedeke, Communications Director, FIS, with Engaging Coach and International Speaker Gabriela Mueller Mendoza hosting a workshop on ‘Tools and Strategies for Athlete Engagement’. Other speakers included Dr. Thomas Bach, President, IOC; Philippe Leuba, State Councillor, Department of Economy & Sport at the Canton of Vaud; Stephan Fox, President, AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport) and General Secretary, IMFA (International Federation of Muaythai Associations); Jeanette Kwakye, Olympian and Broadcaster; Virginie Faivre, President, Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games and Lausanne 2020 Athletes’ Council, Christophe De Kepper, Director General, IOC; Sébastien Gillot, Director, European Regional Office and International Federation Relations, WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency); Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, President, FIMS (International Federation of Sports Medicine) and Member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission – Medical and Scientific Group; and Susan Greinig, Medical Programmes Senior Manager, Safety Officer, IOC.

A special thank you goes out to  our IF Forum 2019’s Partners: Eurosport, MARSH, NAGRA, NEOM, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Deportivo and Sport Event Denmark, as well as Host City Partners Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud. IF Forum Partners had  the opportunity to engage and share knowledge with delegates via exclusive Partner presentations taking place throughout the Forum.

Attention has now switched to Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019, which will take place at Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center from 10-12 December, 2019. The event will bring together the Pan American, Olympic and non-Olympic communities in one location, attracting sports commissions, regional, national and international governing bodies, sports ministries, rights-holders, cities and regions, commercial entities and agencies.

Registration is open for the event, hosted by SportAccord in partnership with Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sports Foundation, International Sports & Health Associates and MGO.

For further information, email info@regionalsportaccord.sport or call +1 954 204 3081. You can also follow Regional SportAccord via Twitter @sportaccord by using #RSA2019 or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

Queensland’s calendar of activities features events of all genres from professional to mass participation sport, to arts and culture, music festivals and business events, across the length and breadth of the Australian state. Like Glasgow in 2014, Queensland’s Gold Coast hosted a highly successful Commonwealth Games in 2018.

As Gold Partner, TEQ will send a delegation to Host City 2019 led by CEO Leanne Coddington, who is giving a keynote Destination Showcase address.
She said: “We are very excited to partner with Host City and look forward to reconnecting with old and establishing new relationships with a range of entities across the conference and exhibition.

“Host City will provide us a great opportunity to share experiences, thoughts and learnings with industry leaders from around the world, while also showcasing what makes Queensland a great destination for successful major events, whether sporting, cultural or business events.”

Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director at Host City, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tourism and Events Queensland as a Gold Partner of Host City 2019, and particularly pleased to welcome Leanne Coddington as a keynote speaker. Tourism and Event Queensland’s focus on all kinds of events – sports, business and cultural – is an ideal match for Host City’s network.”

TEQ is a member of the International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH), with which Host City enjoys a Strategic Partnership.
Host City is delivered in partnership with EventScotland, its primary Supporting Partner.

Read Host City’s exclusive interview with Leanne Coddington here and in the next issue of Host City magazine.

About Tourism and Events Queensland
As the Queensland Government’s lead tourism marketing, experience development and major events agency, Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) identifies, attracts, develops and promotes major events that drive visitors to Queensland, contribute to the Queensland economy, raise the profile of Queensland and generate community pride.

Working strategically with event owners, rights holders and promoters, TEQ’s focus centres largely on growing the number of visitors from outside of Queensland to events on the calendar.

TEQ works closely with regional tourism organisations and local councils to assist event owners better connect with and promote tourism experiences, dining, entertainment and transportation to optimise the event experience of visitors.
https://teq.queensland.com/

Host City: How is interest growing internationally for competing in Teqball events?

Spencer Hidge: In just a few short years, Teqball has grown from a sport invented in the courtyard of an apartment complex in Hungary and played sporadically throughout Central Europe, to being officially recognised by the governing bodies of two continent’s Olympic Committees (Olympic Council of Asia and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa).

We received the seal of approval from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), declaring Teqball an official sport, just a year after the International Teqball Federation (FITEQ) was established and it really felt like the birth of the sport and the start of an ambitious journey towards the Olympic Games. It gave us the credibility we needed to take the next step in the evolution of the sport and a platform for us to have Teqball feature at future OCA events and to reach more people, not only in Asia, but the rest of the world. That sort of recognition can take 30 years or more, but we managed to do it in just under three.

We’re due to have the third Teqball World Championship in December, attracting players from around 50 different countries to compete for the doubles and singles titles. This has more than doubled since the first Teqball World Championship in 2017 and is attracting global media interest as more and more countries are represented.

We estimate there are around 5,000 regular Teqball players globally, with the figure growing all the time. We’re now hosting events around the world, including the recent African Beach Teqball Cup in Sal, Cape Verde and the upcoming 2020 Asian Beach Games. These are proving really popular among athletes and spectators and form part of our strategy to work towards gaining Olympic sport status.

Host City: You have some amazing ambassadors for Teqball – what do you think they see in the sport? 

Spencer Hidge: We’re really fortunate to have such high profile current and former footballers including our Teqers: Ronaldinho, Simão Sabrosa Robert Pires and Cafu to name a few, who genuinely endorse Teqball as they see the real benefit it has from a training and skill-enhancement perspective. Our Ambassadors not only play Teqball to enhance their skills, but enjoy Teqball in their downtime and we are delighted to have the likes of Neymar and Messi thoroughly enjoy playing Teqball.

The sport has become a key aspect of training at some of highest profile clubs, and offers a fun way to train without adding impact or stress on the body between sessions, which at the highest level we know can be incredibly taxing. Teqball can be played by people of all ages and abilities, which means it has wide appeal. In fact, a number of amputee footballers are using Teqball in their training too. Without knowing it, people are improving their coordination, concentration, touch and control of the ball.

Currently, nine Premier League clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton, Wolverhampton, Watford, Bournemouth, Southampton and Burnley, plus more in the La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga, use Teqball as a way of enhancing skill and training, a real credit to the impact Teqball is having across sport.

Host City: What potential do you see for spectator interest in Teqball events, both in the arena and on broadcast platforms?

Spencer Hidge: It’s an exciting sport to watch, with some incredible skill and flair on show including bicycle kicks and aerial spikes. The crowd reaction from those who have watched it live is indication enough that it keeps people on the edge of their seats. The games are also not too long, squeezing maximum action into a short space of time, making a tournament a really easy and enjoyable experience for spectators.

The third Teqball World Championships this year will be broadcast on Eurosport, reaching 54 countries throughout Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions helping us to grow awareness of the sport and showcase the skills of our elite players.

We’ve also made a deliberate choice to keep Teqball a mixed-gender sport, meaning men and women compete side by side. We’ve seen our mixed teams and female singles players do remarkably well at our international events, proving that there is no real barrier to success depending on your gender. This also helps us to attract both boys and girls into the sport from a young age, providing diverse role models for them to look up to. We also have a number of para-athletes who compete on the international circuit and provide inspiration for people of all abilities to get involved.

Host City: What are the requirements for hosting the Teqball World Championship?

Spencer Hidge: We have a number of core values at Teqball, which are all equally important to the delivery of the Teqball World Championship and identification of a suitable host city, who demonstrate their ambition to bring a legacy of respect, inclusion and strategy to their city.

Teqball is a sport with no limitations, and can be played by anyone, anywhere at anytime; therefore, the host city should mirror these values.

There are a number of key deliverables required by the host city, covering areas including; travel, accommodation, venue and infrastructure. For a detailed overview please contact our Event Partnerships Manager, David Watts on  david.watts@teqball.com who will be happy to share more information.

[Source: SportAccord] Sport’s most innovative and influential figures will put the issue of athlete welfare firmly centre stage after a stellar line-up of speakers was finalised ahead of the International Federation (IF) Forum 2019 in Lausanne.

Representatives of international sports federations, stakeholders, governing bodies, public- and private-sector organisations will offer vital insights as part of a packed agenda from 28-30 October 2019 at the Hotel Royal Savoy, with the conference focusing on ‘Athlete Centred Sport’.

The annual event is organised by SportAccord for international sport federations and its stakeholders. The IF Forum is also supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and several IOC officials have been confirmed on the conference schedule, alongside leading figures from across the global sports spectrum.

IOC President Thomas Bach will offer welcome remarks alongside Philippe Leuba, State Councillor, Department of Economy & Sport at the Canton of Vaud, before SportAccord and GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli provides the opening address.

A series of speakers, including many with experience of being under the glare of the sporting spotlight, will then provide a series of unmissable perspectives via sessions, keynotes and fireside chats, with topics including safeguarding athletes, financial wellbeing, athlete welfare and mental health, protecting clean athletes and strengthening the athletes’ voice.

Olympian, Broadcaster and Host, Jeanette Kwakye, will provide an Athlete Keynote Address, before Virginie Faivre, President, Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games and Lausanne 2020 Athletes’ Council, is the focus of a Youth Athlete Keynote Address.

Scene setters ahead of panel sessions will also be provided by Christophe De Kepper, Director General, IOC; Sébastien Gillot, Director, European Regional Office and International Federation Relations, WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency); Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, President, FIMS (International Federation of Sports Medicine) and Member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission – Medical and Scientific Group; Kaveh Mehrabi, Head of Athlete Relations and Engagement, IOC; and Susan Greinig, Medical Programmes Senior Manager, Safeguarding Officer, IOC.

On the final day, after a welcome and opening remarks from Stephan Fox, President, AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport) and General Secretary, IFMA (International Federation of Muaythai Associations), two workshops will take place. The first, on ‘Athlete Centred Governance’, will be led by Jenny Wiedeke, Communications Director, FIS (International Ski Federation); while the second on ‘Tools and Strategies for Athlete Engagement’ will feature Engaging Coach and International Speaker Gabriela Mueller Mendoza. A breakdown of the full conference programme at the IF Forum 2019 can be found here.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord, says: “The calibre of speakers underlines the growing importance of this event, and by putting the wellbeing of athletes at the heart of the discussion, the IF Forum 2019 will provide an essential platform for exchanging knowledge and ideas on a hugely important topic.

We are also grateful for the support of the IF Forum 2019’s Partners: Eurosport, MARSH, NAGRA, NEOM, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Deportivo and Sport Event Denmark, as well as Host City Partners Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud.”

IF Forum Partners will have the opportunity to engage and share knowledge with delegates via exclusive Partner presentations taking place throughout the Forum.

The IF Forum 2019 will bring together more than 300 leaders from over 100 International Sports Federations, with delegates discussing best practice in an intimate environment.

For further information about the IF Forum, click here or download the brochure here.

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

VIP speakers will kick off the opening conversations at Host City 2019 in Glasgow on 26-27 November with conversations that explore new paradigms of how rights holders, cities and brands are working together to create exciting events, and which areas of the major events sector are ripe for disruption through creative new partnerships.

Co-creation is also a big discussion point as a way of taking all stakeholders in major events with you. These eminent speakers will share invaluable insights into creative leadership and how to promote a culture of innovation and collaboration while staying ahead of the competition.

The opening conversations will be led by conference Chair:

• Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland

joined by:

• Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF)
• Ian Reid, CEO, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee
• Markus Stenger, Managing Director, DFB EURO 2024
• Antonio Arimany, Secretary General, International Triathlon Union

Paul Bush said: “I’m delighted to be chairing such an esteemed panel of speakers for the opening conversation of this year Host City conference. We operate in a dynamic and ever-changing world and as an industry we need to be agile, smart and brave to deliver meaningful major events for all. By putting collaboration and co-creation at the heart of the event delivery model, we can ensure that real transformational change, both socially and economically, is delivered for everyone.”

Sarah Lewis said: “FIS and the International Winter Sports Federations are constantly endeavouring to innovate and evolve our event properties. Partnerships with other stakeholders is a key component of our event strategy. I look forward to exploring these themes from the different perspectives of  cities, sports and business at Host City, which is always a valuable opportunity for the different organisation and entities involved with events to learn and exchange amongst each other.”

Ian Reid said: “I’m really pleased to be invited to be part of Host City 2019 and I’m looking forward to talking to attendees about the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, an event which is being organised by a group of partners, who have all come together to jointly create what will be the biggest sports and culture event ever to be staged in Birmingham and the West Midlands region.”

Markus Stenger said: “With the UEFA EURO 2024 we want to organize a EURO for everyone. We want everyone to get involved and participate for the good of the community.”

Antonio Arimany said: “I’m very happy to be able to attend and honoured to have been asked to speak at the event. We have seen time and time again that working closely with cities brings enormous mutual benefits and that is the message that I hope will be underpinning the conference.”

Host City: Scotland will host the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. Who were all the partners involved in securing this new event? Going forward, how important will partnership working be in creating and delivering this new event?

Paul Bush: The event is the vision of UCI President, David Lappartient, and we are extremely excited to be hosting the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. We worked in collaboration with the Scottish Government, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling to secure the event after the UCI announced its ambition to create this brand new cycling concept in 2018.

Collaboration will continue to be key amongst the current and future partners as we develop and deliver this event, especially as it will provide a visible focus to support the acceleration of a range of local and national policy initiatives across the areas such as of health, transport, sport and tourism.

Host City: Scotland has just successfully delivered The 2019 Solheim Cup, hailed the best-ever staged. How was it and what other major events has Scotland got on the horizon?

Paul Bush: I’m incredibly proud of what was delivered and could not have asked for a more thrilling finish! We set out four years ago to deliver an event that would take the Solheim Cup to the next level and Scotland has achieved that. Record crowds of more than 90,000 turned out to watch, making it the highest attended women’s golf event ever held in the UK.

We also set a new benchmark for accessibility and inclusion as well as the quality and scale of the infrastructure to support the event, including a dedicated family zone which significantly enhanced the event experience for parents bringing their children. It once again proved Scotland delivers on the international stage.

Looking ahead there’s lots to look forward to including the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup and the LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships both in Glasgow this November and December respectively. Next year Scotland hosts the UEFA EURO 2020 and World Men’s Curling Championships in Glasgow, LEN Junior Championships in Aberdeen and the Women’s British Open at Troon. Beyond that there is The 150^th Open at St Andrews in 2021, the Sprint World Orienteering Championships in Edinburgh in 2022 and the Orkney Island Games in 2023. Together with our annual portfolio of events and festivals, there’s a lot taking place in Scotland over the next few years.

Host City: What impact do you think the new P&J Live in Aberdeen will have on Scotland’s ability to host major events?

Paul Bush: Aberdeen’s brand-new events venue and arena, P&J Live, is going to have a big impact on Scotland’s events industry. It is a world-class venue and is the largest event complex in the North of Scotland with 48,000sqm of flexible event space and is expected to contribute an additional 4.5million visitors, £113 million of visitor spend and £63m net GVA to the Scottish economy.

Already the venue has attracted major artists and events, including most recently BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019, which will be broadcast live to millions watching on BBC One. It will be a great showcase for the venue, Aberdeen and Scotland.   

The VisitScotland Expo will also be held there next April. The two-day event is Scotland’s premier business to business travel trade event so again a great opportunity to showcase the venue and the region to key leisure buyers from all corners of the world.

Host City: Sports, business or cultural events – what is their relative importance to Scotland and how do you prioritise investment in each of these?

Paul Bush: All three types of events are equally important to us and it is not a question of prioritising investment in one type of event over another. We find taking a portfolio approach to events and festivals as outlined in our national events strategy works best for Scotland, our partners and the industry.

Taking this approach allows for a variety of large and small, fixed, recurring and one-off events to be identified and supported. It also ensures that over time a wide range of significant impacts can be delivered.

Host City: Scotland has hosted Host City since 2015. What are your expectations of Host City 2019 and its theme of “Innovate, Reformulate, Co-Create”?

Paul Bush: Scotland has a strong affinity with Host City and I’m delighted it’s returning to Glasgow for the 5^th consecutive year. I’m expecting another lively two days of thought provoking debate and discussion as we delve into this year’s theme, which is extremely relevant to the events industry as we need to continue to evolve and innovate in order to stay relevant especially in this ever-changing, dynamic and at times, unpredictable world.

Host City: How would you describe the main focus of Queensland’s event hosting strategy?

Leanne Coddington: As the Queensland Government’s lead tourism marketing, experience development and major events agency, Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) identifies, attracts, develops and promotes major events that drive visitors to Queensland, contribute to the Queensland economy, raise the profile of Queensland and generate community pride.

The It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar is the platform from which we market events and our goal is to continue to grow the value of the calendar in delivering real economic benefit for the state. In 2019, the calendar is expected to generate $800 million for the state’s economy – having more than doubled in value from $380 million in 2015.

Host City: How does TEQ plan to achieve these ambitious targets?

Leanne Coddington: While the ongoing acquisition of new high-value events will certainly help drive this growth, we also endeavour to continually optimise the outcomes of existing events on the calendar. Working strategically with event owners, rights holders and promoters, TEQ’s focus centres largely on growing the number of visitors from outside of Queensland to events on the calendar. Optimising the event’s own marketing plans and leveraging TEQ’s tourism marketing channels and assets are some methods we employ to do this.

Host City: What does the Queensland calendar of events typically look like?

Leanne Coddington: Queensland’s calendar of events features events of all genres from professional to mass participation sport, to arts and culture, music festivals and business events, across the length and breadth of Queensland, from the Gold Coast and Brisbane in the south east of the state to Townsville and Cairns in the north and the Outback in the west of the state.

The calendar reflects the diversity of Queensland as a tourism destination and is therefore a highly effective form of destination marketing in its own right. Whether it be Wagner’s Ring Cycle strengthening Brisbane’s reputation as a world class arts and cultural hub, the Quiksilver Pro showcasing the Gold Coast’s iconic surf breaks or the Airlie Beach Race Week showcasing the spectacular sailing in the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef, each event is a platform from which we can market our unique tourism experiences and also tells a story about the host destination.

Host City: How is the calendar promoted?

Leanne Coddington: Under the brand It’s Live! in Queensland we can augment the marketing efforts of our event partners, and raise the equity of Queensland as an event destination. Targeting key interstate markets including Sydney and Melbourne and international markets such as New Zealand, It’s Live! in Queensland is promoted across digital, print, television and at each TEQ-supported event.

Host City: Australia has long boasted a strong major event hosting reputation. How does Queensland compete against other Australian event destinations?

Leanne Coddington: Indeed, Australia has a great reputation when it comes to major events. We focus on leveraging our unique competitive advantages, centred around the diversity of event hosting destinations on offer in Queensland. The decentralised nature of Queensland means we have numerous destinations capable of hosting large international events – Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in the south east and Townsville and Cairns in the north of the State have all for example held world championship sports events.

Another competitive advantage is that our natural environment, ideal climate and laidback lifestyle makes hosting outdoor events possible all year round. This factor has certainly helped us carve out a reputation as a world class destination for endurance sport events such as triathlon, marathon and cycling.

And lastly, we are home to iconic tourism destinations and experiences. People love travelling here for an event, particularly participation sporting events and they love bringing family, friends and supporters with them because they can extend their trip and enjoy a holiday pre or post event.

Host City: How important is the broad appeal of the host destination to the success of an event?

Leanne Coddington: Very important. Events must be considered as experiences and a range of ingredients contribute to the delivery of a compelling event experience. While the quality of the event content itself and its delivery is key, perhaps the most important factor in delivering the success of a major event is the appeal of the host destination and how it engages with the event audience to augment the experience.

TEQ works closely with regional tourism organisations and local councils to assist event owners better connect with and promote tourism experiences, dining, entertainment and transportation to optimise the event experience of visitors. We’re also known for our friendly locals and our laid-back, friendly lifestyle is something we portray strongly under our tourism brand “beautiful one day, perfect the next”. We know that if we can optimise the event experience in this way, event visitors are far more likely to leave as advocates and come back again for a future holiday.

Host City: What is most important, attracting visitors from other states and countries into Queensland, or local community benefits?

Leanne Coddington: While TEQ’s strategy recognises the importance of both as ingredients to a successful event which deliver strong returns on investment, ultimately the attraction of visitors from outside Queensland carries the most weight in our event investment metrics. This is because it most closely aligns with the remit of TEQ. However, unless the event has a tangible benefit on the local community, the community is probably going to be less likely to engage with the event in a positive way. An event that is not engaged with the local community is unlikely to deliver a great experience for visiting attendees, therefore community engagement is certainly a consideration.

Host City: What would you say has been the most important impact of hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games for the Gold Coast and Queensland?

Leanne Coddington: The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games delivered many great outcomes for Queensland. For TEQ, the event provided a high-profile platform to showcase Queensland’s tourism experiences to a large international audience. It also showcased the Gold Coast and Queensland’s major event hosting capability and given its success, has provided us with a great reputation to leverage and secure more events into the future.

Host City: How did hosting SportAccord in 2019 help with your sports event strategy?

Leanne Coddington: SportAccord 2019 was a highly strategic event acquisition that was about continuing to build the legacy of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Hosting the key decision makers from International Federations, national sports organisations, the IOC, event promoters and the world’s sports industry media all in Queensland – many for the first time ever – provided the opportunity to showcase our competitive advantages and most importantly build long term relationships that will ultimately result in future high-value events secured for Queensland.

Host City: We are delighted to welcome Tourism and Events Queensland as a Gold Sponsor of Host City 2019. What are your expectations of Host City, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events?

Leanne Coddington: We too are very excited to partner with Host City and look forward to reconnecting with old and establishing new relationships with a range of entities across the conference and exhibition. Host City will provide us a great opportunity to share experiences, thoughts and learnings with industry leaders from around the world, while also showcasing what makes Queensland a great destination for successful major events, whether sporting, cultural or business events.

Leanne Coddington is giving a keynote Destination Showcase address at Host City 2019

[Source: SportAccord] Raffaele Chiulli, the President of SportAccord and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), has hailed preparations for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2020 on a visit to the event’s host city of Beijing, China.

Chiulli has travelled to Beijing along with Stephan Fox, President, AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport) and Vice President, GAISF; and Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord.

The visiting delegation has held meetings with various key figures behind SportAccord 2020 and the broader development of sport in China, including Zhang Jiandong, Vice-Mayor, City of Beijing; Xiaohui Fu, Secretary General, Beijing Olympic City Development Association; and Gou Zhongwen, Minister of the State General Administration of Sports and President, Chinese Olympic Committee.

With registration open for the 18th annual SportAccord event from 19-24 April 2020, discussions in Beijing have focused on the build-up to the highly anticipated global gathering at the China National Convention Center from 19-24 April 2020.

Chiulli said: “After being briefed on the impressive preparations by various stakeholders, we have been left in no doubt that plans are on track to deliver a truly memorable SportAccord next year. With six months to go, this trip has given us the ideal opportunity to gauge the level of excitement that is building ahead of what promises to be an unmissable event.”

Beijing will become only the second city, after Lausanne in Switzerland, to have welcomed back SportAccord for a second time, having staged the 2007 edition of sport’s most influential annual gathering a year before the city hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With Beijing set to become the first city to have hosted the Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2022, when the Winter multi-sport showcase arrives in the Chinese capital, SportAccord 2020 will provide a timely signpost for the international sporting community.

Chiulli added: “The organisers and supporters of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2020 have made no secret of the fact that the event is part of the long-term strategy of Beijing and China at large to promote and accelerate sports development. In our meeting with Minister of the State General Administration of Sports and President of the Chinese Olympic Committee Gou Zhongwen, we spoke at length about the positive role SportAccord can play in driving further progress in sport within China and worldwide.”

On a similar note, the Summit conference programme at SportAccord 2020 will focus on the theme of ‘Breaking Down Barriers in the Ever-Expanding World of Sport’, offering organisations that are seeking to expand their footprint in Asia a chance to learn from the sector’s most influential figures.

Numerous big-name speakers from the host country are being lined up to provide insights on the Summit conference programme, including John Sun, the CEO of Alibaba Group-owned AGTech.

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.

Attending SportAccord enables delegates to network with sporting leaders at the highest levels, access an extensive conference programme and experience the many opportunities on offer in one location at the world’s leading global sports business 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: SportAccord] Olympic gymnastics legend Nadia Comăneci has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at this year’s inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in December.

Comăneci became an international superstar in 1976 when, aged just 14, she became the first athlete to score a perfect 10 at the Olympic Games on her way to a haul of three gold medals in Montreal. The Romanian would go on to win a total of five Olympic gold medals and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1996.

Since her retirement from competition she has enjoyed a successful career in coaching and business with her husband via the Oklahoma-based Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy. She is also an inspirational speaker and philanthropist, as well as the Honorary President of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and Romanian Olympic Committee.

Comăneci, who has lived in the USA since the 1980s, will bring experiences garnered over four decades in both Europe and the Americas to a Fireside Chat that will kick off Day 3 of Regional SportAccord Pan America on Thursday, 12 December. Having forged a career in competition, coaching and administration, she will bring a unique perspective to a conference which has a theme of ‘A United Approach to the International Sport Landscape in the Americas’.

“I am tremendously excited to be taking part in the inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America in Florida this December,” Comăneci says. “This is a golden opportunity for the sports sector from across the Americas to come together, exchange ideas and collaborate on the biggest issues affecting the events that we love.

“I am pleased to see that the protection of athletes and social responsibility are among the conference programme’s major themes and I look forward to sharing my own experiences of being a young athlete propelled on to the world stage. I want to talk about what federations and rights-holders can do to ensure the wellbeing of athletes.”

Comăneci is the latest major name from the world of sport to confirm their attendance at Regional SportAccord Pan America, which takes place at Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center from 10-12 December 2019.

Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and GAISF will officially open the Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 conference programme on Wednesday, 11 December. The tone of the conference will be set by a Keynote Address on The Changing Landscape of the International Sports World by Francesco Ricci Bitti, President, ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations). Other confirmed high-profile speakers  include Stephan Fox, President, AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), Vice President, GAISF; Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General, AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations); and Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations).

Reflecting on Comăneci’s appearance, Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord says: “We are honoured to welcome Nadia - one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of sport – to Regional SportAccord Pan America. Her ‘perfect 10’ in Montreal remains one of the Olympic Games’ most iconic moments more than four decades on.

“With her vast experience of elite competition, coaching and sports administration, as well as her extensive charity work in the Americas and around the world, her Fireside Chat will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of a compelling conference programme.”

Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 will bring together the Pan American, Olympic and non-Olympic communities in one location, with the inaugural event set to attract sports commissions, regional, national and international governing bodies, sports ministries, rights-holders, cities and regions, commercial entities and agencies.

Registration is open for the event, hosted by SportAccord in partnership with Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sports Foundation, International Sports & Health Associates and MGO. For information about becoming an Exhibitor or Partner, request a brochure or contact the sales team via info@regionalsportaccord.sport or +1 954 204 3081.

Follow Regional SportAccord via Twitter @sportaccord using #RSA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. For media enquiries, email: info@regionalsportaccord.sport