Registration for the World Choir Games 2020 closed on December 2, with a record 542 choirs from 69 countries and regions registering. This is more than ever before in the 20-year history of the event.

Every two years since 2000, INTERKULTUR has invited the world to the Olympic Games of choral music: the World Choir Games. Each time hosts like Austria, Korea, Germany, China, the USA, Latvia, Russia, and South Africa have brought a new and unique atmosphere to this largest international choir competition in the world. In 2020 Flanders in Belgium will be the next welcoming host for 21,000 singers from all over the world.

Expectations are high for these 11th World Choir Games. The host country Belgium is sending 133 choirs to the event, which will showcase Belgian choral traditions to their international guests. Other countries with an outstanding number of participating choirs are China (82), Russia (52), South Africa (39), and the USA (29). All these countries have previously hosted the World Choir Games.

“It’s our special pleasure that so many choirs from former host countries of the World Choir Games decided to follow the event to Flanders next year,” said INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch.

“It shows us that we’re on the right track: Once infected by World Choir Games fever you can’t resist of participating over and over again. The World Choir Games 2020 will be the largest event so far, and I’m really looking forward to seeing people from all over the world bringing their music and voices to Flanders.”

Ticket sales for the Opening Ceremony of the World Choir Games 2020 also opened on December 5. The event takes place in the Sportpaleis in Antwerp on 5 July, marking the festive opening of the World Choir Games 2020 with a fascinating music show on stage. Participating choirs already have a seat reserved; all others can purchase their tickets here.

[Source: www.interkultur.com)

[Source: EventScotland] EventScotland and Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a meeting between the two organisations at Host City 2019.

The sixth Host City Conference and Exhibition was the ideal place for the signing of the agreement as 300 representatives from some of the world’s leading event cities, destination marketing organisations, cross-sector rightsholders, organising committees and suppliers gathered together for two days. The conference and exhibition included plenary presentations, panels, VIP dialogues and workshops on how to attract, bid for and host secure and engaging events with positive long-term legacies. The MOU will see EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, and TEQ work in collaboration over the next three years, sharing information and insights into the securing and delivering of major sporting, cultural and business events.

It will also build on the strong relationship both Scotland and Queensland developed during their respective hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018 as both organisations look to build meaningful social and economic impacts for their country and region through event tourism.

Areas of collaboration outlined in the MOU include information sharing, event bidding and prospecting, impact measurement, delivery capability, and strategy development.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for events and our reputation as a world-leader in event delivery has seen us secure and deliver some of the world’s biggest events, including The 2019 Solheim Cup and the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023.

“Events play a key role in our society by helping to bring strong social and economic benefits to the whole country. We are delighted to be signing this MOU with TEQ that will allow both organisations to flourish through the regular sharing of knowledge and insights into this incredibly dynamic and exciting industry.”

TEQ CEO Leanne Coddington said the partnership would prove beneficial to both parties.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard over the past decade to build Australia’s most diverse events calendar that sees unique events held in Australia’s best destinations from the Gold Coast to Cape York and the Outback,” Ms Coddington said.

“Events not only drive visitors to Queensland but also contribute strongly to the economy in their own right, whether they be large-scale sporting events, business events, cultural events or community events.

“We look forward to collaborating with EventScotland in the coming years as we continue to build the value of the It’s Live! in Queensland calendar.”

The signing of the MOU also comes at an exciting time as recruitment for key positions to oversee and deliver the 2023 Cycling World Championships will shortly commence.

Paul Bush added: “It has been an exciting year for the events industry, especially for us here in Scotland. During my opening keynote address on day one of Host City 2019 I touched on the impact of three aspects on the events landscape this year – the growth of women’s sport and women’s events; contingency planning; and audience engagement.

“Unlike any other year I believe we have seen the tectonic plates of the world sporting events shift, collide and indeed, totally reshape. We have seen record crowds and TV audiences for major international events including The 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles and the Women’s World Cup in France.

“We’ve also seen pay parity and equality and diversity continue to be topical subjects and while we’ve seen great strides in the last 12 months, there is still much work to be done within the equality and diversity agenda as sport still lags society.  As an events industry we can and should take a lead whether its gender balance, LGBTQ, BAME or disabled representation; providing the platform for all people from the field of play right up to the boardroom.

“The year has also raised a number of interesting scenarios within the area of contingency planning. While some organisers like the Cricket World Cup got it spot on, others did not, and it is an area we need to focus our minds and give further consideration to ensure we are not left wanting.

“We have also seen a seismic change in audience and fan engagement, with some events like World Athletics Championships failing to ignite the interest of locals, leaving stadiums unfilled while others like the Women’s Netball World Cup in Liverpool and England women’s football team’s recent match against Germany playing to sell-out crowds.

“With the world changing at a rate of knots, as an industry we need to respond at the same pace to the many variables that now exist.”

300 delegates and 30 exhibitors from all around the world gathered in Glasgow over two days to hear a range of high-profile speakers from the fields of sport, culture, business and medicine deliver discussion and debate around the theme “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-Create”.

Speakers tackled a vast array of different topics including the drive for sustainability, community engagement, creating partnerships, addressing equality imbalance and adapting events to meet the needs of the digital era.

In her keynote address, Dame Louise Martin DBE, President, of the Commonwealth Games Federation, underlined how vital it has become for different parties to co-create and reformulate to deliver the best events possible.

She said: “Now more than ever, it is essential for rights holders and federations to collaborate with host city partners and stakeholders to develop sustainable, impactful, world-class and community-relevant events that engage and benefit the widest possible audience.

“I feel extremely optimistic about the future of Commonwealth Sport. There is still much to be done but we are very confident, although never complacent, about the positive impact and huge success that can be derived from Birmingham 2022 and beyond.

“The three pillars of this conference – Innovate, Reformulate, Cocreate – map almost exactly to three of our four strategic objectives. The one not covered is our final pillar in the strategic plan: our collective impact. That fundamentally drives our vision.

“Let’s make sure we widen the conversation beyond delivery and collaboration to our wider purpose. Let’s think not just about our models but our meaning.”

One of the best examples of co-creation in event planning was the 2018 European Championships co-hosted by Berlin and Glasgow.

Stefan Kuerten, Executive Director at Eurovision Sport, gave some insight into the process.

He said: “We had to do something for European sport. There was a risk in a few sports of the level of interest in their European Championships going down. So we put seven of them together to create a new event.

“We looked at cities that might be interested and two stood out: Glasgow and Berlin. They both had the same complaints and questions about sharing the event. But they understood that sharing was better as it helped reduce the cost. Both cities discovered that one plus one didn’t make two but three.”

Sven Bossu, Head of Innovation, ESTRO (European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology), revealed that planning medical events also requires co-operation with others and the need to engage with the local community.

He explained: “Our yearly congress welcomes 6500 people for four days. But we had to ask if it was having a positive impact on patients in that region. And the answer was no. We couldn’t end our annual congress, but we wanted to reinvent the process for selecting a host city.

“Of course, we wanted it have all the functional things we needed for a conference. But we also wanted to integrate a project that could be shaped and managed to have an impact on cancer patients in that region.”

Emily Blitz, Director of Conferences of the International AIDS Society, added: “Ours is a scientific conference. But because of the nature of HIV it goes beyond scientists to the people most affected.

“At our conference we also have an exhibition and programme that’s open to the local community. It means we can leave a little bit of the experience behind. It makes it more of a global village where research meets the real world.”

Frederik Nemeth, Chief Financial Officer of the Roskilde Festival Group, revealed how events must start to reflect the wishes of a more climate-conscious younger audience or pay the ultimate price.

He said: “The average person coming to our festival is 24 years old and they want to change the world and have no carbon emissions.

“And if we don’t fix that problem the festival will close within the next 10 years. The people won’t come to our event. So we need to address that issue.”

Mandy Keegan, Director of Media Operations at Expo 2020 Dubai, underscored the importance of varying an event’s focus for each of its target markets.

She said: “The biggest issue facing major events today is how you engage with such a wide variety of people around the world. At Expo 2020 Dubai we have so many things happening over the six months of the event. We need to tell our story to so many different types of people. We’re expecting 150000 visitors every day and we need to make it relevant to all of them.”

Markus Stenger, Managing Director of DFB EURO 2024, spoke about the important of co-creating the tournament in conjunction with different parties.

He said: “Everyone is aware that Germany is able to host big major events with infrastructure. But if we want to be successful, we have to deliver more. We’ve really focused on talking to stakeholders but also on listening. What are their demands, hopes and issues? We want to make it a tournament that brings out the best in everyone with transparency, integrity and sustainability.”

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, opened the conference with a keynote speech on his key takeaways from the world of sport in 2019.

He said: “Pay parity for me remains a topical subject in the events world. While tennis may have parity, the majority of other areas in our industry do not. At a recent men’s golf event in the USA the winner earned $1.5m. On the same weekend, at a European women’s tour event the winner got 23,000 Euros. Even here at the home of golf we have some work to do.

“All events require contingency planning but 2019 for me has raised a number of interesting scenarios that should require further consideration. The destruction and tragic loss of life caused by Typhoon Hagibis during the Rugby World Cup left many wanting, exposed and acting in haste.

“In my personal view, it lacked a detailed contingency plan that the event, sport, athletes, media, and supporters should have been afforded.”

Ian Reid, chief executive of the organising committee, spoke about the need to make the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games relevant to the area’s demographics.

He said: “We worked closely with the Federation to create a product that we hope will resonate with the people of the West Midlands. We are really focusing on youth, as Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe.

“So, our sports programme will have beach volleyball and three-on-three basketball, while we want to introduce city centre hubs that work around that with DJs and live site programmes to resonate with a demographic that perhaps hasn’t always engaged with the Commonwealth’s sports programme in the past.”

Dr Bridget McConnell CBE, chief executive of Glasgow Life, also emphasised the need to take local communities with you on the journey that is event planning.

She said: “In the next couple of weeks Glasgow will be awarded the accolade of the world’s top city for festivals and events. And it’s out already that we will be European Capital of Sport in 2023. That’s recognition of Glasgow seeing culture, sport and events as a way to regenerate the city.

“But I think this conference has to be aware of the very real challenges facing cities like Glasgow which is pressures on public funding for other priorities such as social care and education. The losers will often be the kinds of services like the ones we are delivering.”

David Lappartient, President, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) spoke about the need to co-create to deliver the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.

“Having strong partnerships is fundamental. If you want to be a huge success everyone has to be on board. And we have been working together with Glasgow to really co-create this.

“Cycling has reacted well to this new vision. We have disciplines that are totally different. But all of them use a bicycle and they are proud to be part of the same event.”

David de Behr, Head of Sales at Aggreko Event Services, spoke about the possibility of co-creating events that provide sustainability solution.

“The Solheim Cup was a huge success and that will change dynamics in the future. Do you bring events together to be sustainable? Could you have the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup at the same time and venue? Men’s and Women’s World Cup also? That is something to think about if you want to be sustainable.”

Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF), said: “From the context of co-creation in the six FIS ski and snowboard disciplines which are on the Olympic Winter Games programme, they have diverse characteristics and wide range of cities, resorts and venues.

“Co-creation and partnerships are different depending on locations. So the model can’t be one size fits all. You have to find different ways of working together to achieve successful events. That's the key.”

Sir Craig Reedie GBE, Member of the International Olympic Committee, gave a heart-warming answer to the question of legacy definition.

“At London 2012, we rebuilt a scene of industrial devastation and turned it into a magical venue. Figures produced six months ago showed that within the six boroughs surrounding the London Stadium since the end of the Olympic Games there have been 125,000 new jobs. I don’t know what the definition of legacy is but that’s pretty high in my book.

“And there is supposed to be another 135,000 more jobs planned by 2030. So, I’m sure when the IOC get their minds around that they’ll be happy with that.”

Around 300 delegates heard high-profile figures, including David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Sir Craig Reedie GBE of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Ian Reid, CEO of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, outline their vision around the theme “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-Create” on the first day of the conference.

In his keynote address, Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, spoke about the three topics that he felt had left their mark on the events landscape this year: the growth of women’s sport, contingency planning and audience engagement.

He said: “The Women’s World Cup in France had 1.12bn TV viewers with an average audience of 8.1m for the final. Megan Rapinoe, the USA star, shone a light on equal pay, equality and diversity issues in sport.

“Are the Tectonic plates of world sporting event shifting, colliding or being totally reshaped? In my humble opinion the answer to all three is ‘yes’.

“The events industry can and should take the lead on gender balance, LGBTQ, BAME and disabled representation to provide that platform for more people, from the field of play to the boardroom.”

Speaking on the opening panel of the conference, Dr Bridget McConnell CBE, chief executive of Glasgow Life, said that event planners need to keep working with and consulting with their local communities.

She said: “Our watchword has always been 'engage' and that underpins the whole approach in Glasgow. That is crucial to our future success. And that includes not only with event organisers, but also with decision-makers, influencers, politicians and our communities. 

"It’s usually taxpayers’ money that pays for a lot that we deliver. So if they don’t see the relevance, embrace it, volunteer at events, or be inspired to take up sport then in times of increased pressure on spending of public funds there will be a big question mark over how relevant we can continue to be.”

Ian Reid echoed that sentiment as the organisers reach out to find out what their local community wants from a Commonwealth Games.

He said: “We are really focusing on youth as Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe. So our sports programme will have beach volleyball and three-on-three basketball, while we want to introduce city centre hubs that work around that with DJs and live site programmes to resonate with a demographic that perhaps hasn’t always engaged with the Commonwealth’s sports programme in the past.”

Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF) said: “From the context of co-creation in the six FIS ski and snowboard disciplines which are on the Olympic Winter Games programme, they have diverse characteristics and wide range of cities, resorts and venues. Co-creation and partnerships are different depending on locations. Some events take place in important capital cities.

“For example the next Winter Olympics is in Beijing. But we also have important events at small mountain resorts where there are more people organising them than live there. So the model can’t be one size fits all. You have to find different ways of working together to achieve successful events. That's the key.”

David Lappartient delivered insight into co-creating the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, the first to include all cycling disciplines competing together.

He said: “Having strong partnerships is fundamental. If you want to be a huge success everyone has to be on board. And we have been working together with Glasgow to really co-create this.

“Cycling has reacted well to this new vision. We have disciplines that are totally different. But all of them use a bicycle and they are proud to be part of the same event.”

Sir Craig Reedie GBE spoke about the London 2012 Olympic Games and the legacy that it left behind.

He said: “Figures produced six months ago showed that within the six boroughs surrounding the London Stadium since the end of the Olympic Games there have been 125,000 new jobs. I don’t know what the definition of legacy is but that’s pretty high in my book.”

Singing unites nations. A very international audience will make this experience first-hand at the Opening event of the Host City conference and exhibition in Glasgow on November 25th, where the Scottish Gaelic choir ALBA will perform as an ambassador of the World Choir Games – the world’s largest international choir competition.

Earlier this year ALBA and its conductor Joy Dunlop represented Scotland at the TV choral talent show “Eurovision Choir 2019,” an international choir competition inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest and the World Choir Games. The show took place in Gothenburg and marked the Opening of INTERKULTUR’s European Choir Games 2019, which aired live to 10 European countries at prime time. For its performance at “Eurovision Choir” ALBA was awarded the International Award at the Scottish Gaelic Awards on November 19 as the group that “best promotes Gaelic outside Scotland”.

The enthusiastic group of singers drawn from all over the country, who make up the ALBA choir sing in Scots Gaelic, the indigenous language once spoken all over Scotland, will provide a lively program showcasing Gaelic language and tradition as a prelude to the Host City Conference in Glasgow.

INTERKULTUR will be part of the well-known Host City Conference in order to promote the idea of the Choir Games, to inspire people of all ages, cultures, and ethnical backgrounds to experience the power of music as a universal language – turning the respective host cities into one huge festival stage full of voices and international atmosphere.

About INTERKULTUR

INTERKULTUR is the world's leading initiator and organizer of international choral competitions. In over 30 years since the organization was established, more than 10.000 choirs and roughly 435.000 male and female singers from 107 nations have taken part in the World Choir Games and INTERKULTUR's regional choir competitions. Since 1988 a total of 230 competitions and festivals have been held, cities like Barcelona, Vienna and Hoi An have been hosting various competitions for years. The famous World Choir Games are held every two years on different continents. The 11^th World Choir Games 2020 take place in Flanders, Belgium with Antwerp and Ghent as host cities.

About Host City

Host City conference and exhibition brings together cities and sports, business and cultural events for two full days of unrivalled insight, networking, workshops and business on 26-27 November at the Technology & Innovation Centre in Glasgow.

This is where representatives of host destinations, federations and other rights holders, organisers, event suppliers and services from all over the world meet to discover opportunities and discuss the challenges of major event hosting.

www.hostcity.com

At London 2012 Paralympics, Steven Hawking stated, “We are all different, there is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being, but we all share the same human spirit”. What is important is that we all have the ability to create; to use this stage to show the world that regardless of difference, there is always something you can succeed at.

How is this relevant to Host City? I’m talking about the purple pound. This is the spend by disabled people and their families in the UK, which is a mind-blowing GBP 249 billion per year. To put this into perspective, the GDP of the entire New Zealand economy in 2017 was GBP 160 billion. The UK events sector is worth GBP 42.3 billion, so a failure to tap into this disability market is an opportunity missed.

Rick Hansen, a Canadian Paralympian said “my disability is that I cannot use my legs. My handicap is your negative perception of that disability, and thus of me”.

So, I’m here to change negative perceptions of me and my disability. My company helps your business tap into the purple pound by ensuring that you build environments in which people with different abilities can thrive, and by improving the appeal and accessibility of your products and services to customers with disabilities.

We advise how to make your events accessible; how to make your events appeal to the purple market; and finally, how to tap into the creativity of that group to help improve your events.

As a London 2012 Games Maker, I was part of the generation inspired. To paraphrase Stephen Hawking, I used my ability to create, to inspire difference. Let Enabling Abilities help inspire us purple people – and think how your business could expand if you tapped into this as yet untapped market.

This “lightning talk” was delivered at Host City 2018 in Glasgow in November 2018. Thomas Williams is speaking on the panel “Titanic Disasters and Herculean Feats” at Host City 2019 in Glasgow on 26-27 November

Host City 2019, the largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events, is delighted to be working with Strategic Partner and Silver Sponsor, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) – the world’s leading alliance of public service media.

We spoke with Franck Choquard, Head of Content & Servicing at Eurovision Sport, which is a division of the EBU. With contracts with 25 Federations representing 20 sports, Eurovision Sport’s coverage equates to 30,000+ hours broadcast from 200+ events a year, 75 per cent of which feature women-only or mixed events – including 30 European Championships and 30 World Championships.

Host City: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the broadcasting sector today?

Franck Choquard: As for any other actor within the entertainment industry, the overall broadcast sector is today facing a “digital revolution” in the way the various audiences are consuming content.

It is no longer possible to have one single linear TV approach to reach them all audiences,  we need to adapt our offering to the various communities we have – using the right platform (linear TV, OTT, social media etc…) with the right content.

More than ever, within this increasingly fragmented offering, it is important for national broadcasters to understand that editorial enrichment and targeted content delivery are key drivers for success.

Host City: How would you describe the main objectives of Eurovsion Sport’s digital strategy?

Franck Choquard: Our content strategy (we prefer this terminology than using digital), is based around  two pillars:

• Offer European audiences free access to the best sporting content through our Members’ platforms, be it on linear TV or through innovative direct to fan (D2F) experiences – our Members being Europe’s leading public service media organisations
• Be the premium partner for International Federations and host cities, not only guaranteeing the widest possible audience free-to-air in Europe but also generating new and innovative business models that serve to increase their event / content value

Host City: What kind of partnerships is Eurovision Sport establishing to develop this strategy?

Franck Choquard: We are building partnerships within three dimensions to achieve this strategy:

1. With our Members and Federations, working together to offer a shared promotion strategy and building common D2F (direct-to-fan) ecosystems, to better engage audience and generate additional value to all stakeholders
2. With technology partners (such as Dazzl or Livelike) allowing us (and our members) to enrich fans’ engagement within their digital ecosystem
3. With some of the key actors within the FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet) to amplify our reach and coordinate our various stakeholders’ messages

Host City: What role do you think technology can play in reducing the footprint of major events?

Franck Choquard: Technology has a key role to play in this regard. The virtualisation and possibilities that technology can develop in the near future should enable productions to have only essential staff on site (editorial, producers, journalists) while engineers and technicians will be able to operate remotely, reducing the need for working areas, power, etc. Remote operation and virtualisation will also allow the delivery of more content to publishers for them to enrich the offering to their communities.

Host City: What are your expectations of Host City 2019?

Franck Choquard: I’m looking forward to fruitful exchanges with peers and colleagues from the International Federations and Organising Committees etc. that will be present; it looks like a great line-up. It will be exciting to further discuss how the integrative approach and working better together can enable us not only to have a better common strategy to increase the value of our events, but also to build sustainable models for the future.

The European Broadcasting Union is co-producing a session at Host City 2019 on “Building better digital and sustainability strategies” at 12:10 on 27^th November

Host City: What are your expectations of Host City 2019 and its theme of “Innovate, Reformulate, Co-Create”?

David Lappartient: For an International Federation such as ours, with its extremely varied and packed international calendar, Host City provides a meeting place where the organisers of major events and host cities, regions, and countries can come together. We are delighted to be playing a part this year, alongside the EBU.

The theme of this year’s event,"Innovate, Reformulate, Co-Create", ties in perfectly with our philosophy. In line with our strategic roadmap, Agenda 2022, we are striving to increase the appeal of our sport, which could well involve changing or launching new formats. As well as better meeting the expectations of broadcasters and the public, these formats can, as part of our activities, more effectively respond to today’s key social issues, such as the promotion of gender equality, and make a contribution to a sustainable future.

Host City: What is the rationale and inspiration behind combining all the different cycling disciplines in one single UCI Cycling World Championships that will be hosted for the first time in Scotland in 2023?

David Lappartient: We want to bring all our best athletes together for a single event held at one venue every four years, in the year before the Olympics: the UCI Cycling World Championships, which will celebrate virtually all of our disciplines.

In 2023, more than 2,600 cyclists in 13 disciplines and representing 120 countries will fight it out for the legendary rainbow jersey. It will be an amazing sporting event for the athletes and a memorable festival of cycling for the people of Glasgow and Scotland and for visitors.

Host City: How important was partnership work in creating this new event? Who were the main players involved and how did you work together to achieve this outcome?

David Lappartient: There is no question that this mega event, which is without precedent in the history of our sport, presents us with a massive yet exciting challenge. The competitions will take place at venues both inside and outside the city, indoors and outdoors, including roads, which involves managing traffic.

And when it comes to hosting the athletes, national delegations, TV crews, media and the fans, it takes a great deal of coordination and a close partnership between the stakeholders – the UCI, the organisers, the host broadcaster, the local and national authorities, and many others besides.

Therefore, the expertise available amongst all the host partners in delivering major events of this nature was extremely attractive to the UCI as the event owner.  The leadership of the Scottish Government and their attitude to being innovative and willingness to take on the challenge of the first edition of a new event has been vital to the success of the project. 

Host City: We have seen how hosting major cycling events has driven a surge in participation in the sport in Yorkshire. Do you anticipate similar increase in Scotland following the championships there?

David Lappartient: Absolutely. Scotland is a hotbed of cycling that has produced some great champions. The likes of Graeme Obree, David Millar, Chris Hoy, Craig Maclean (now a coach at the UCI World Cycling Centre), Callum Skinner, Katie Archibald and her team pursuit colleague Neah Evans, Jack Carlin and Neil Flachie have all made history in our sport.

Glasgow, which is a regular destination for the UCI Track World Cup, receives regular praise for actively promoting elite cycling and cycling for all. In recognition of that and the work it does to encourage people of all ages to get out and ride, we awarded it the UCI Bike City Label in 2019. Our mega event will allow Glasgow and Scotland to move to the next level in the development of cycling as a means of transport, a health-enhancing activity, and a leisure pursuit.  

Host City: There is a very interesting partnership between the UCI and Zwift, who are mapping UCI events onto their active esports platform. Can you tell me a bit about the benefits of this partnership to the UCI?

David Lappartient: Cycling Esports presents a wonderful opportunity to develop cycling. It is a new way of practising our fast-growing sport that enables more athletes of all levels to train and take part in competitions, regardless of the weather outside and where they live. It is also an engaging way of improving people’s health by encouraging them to cycle indoors whatever their surroundings, such as urban environments or areas where people cannot cycle due to the terrain.

In teaming up with Zwift, our Federation can reach out to a new and fast-growing community and increase the appeal of our sport by bringing this new discipline into the fold. In the meantime, it can also bring in the necessary safeguards to ensure that competitions are founded on integrity and credibility.

Come to Host City 2019 on 26-27 November to hear UCI President David Lappartient and Eurovision Sport’s Head of Cycling Frederic Sanz’ keynote Case in Point: “Co-creating the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships”

[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.