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.

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.

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