Super League Triathlon (SLT) is gearing up for the start of its 2019 Championship Series as the eyes of the multisport world turn to Jersey.

The Channel Island is one of the original SLT venues and has been further improved for this year’s event on September 28-29 to deliver one of triathlon’s most thrilling race weekends that will be watched around the globe.

Super League has reinvented the swim-bike-run format to produce short, sharp and hugely engaging races that are made for broadcast and a modern-day global sporting audience.

Jersey and SLT have formed a winning partnership as part of Super League’s ongoing collaborative efforts to recognise the uniqueness of all venues and provide value to the wider community who buy into the hosting.

It all starts with a desire to be part of the community, ensuring there is not widespread disruption to the host city and creating an amphitheatre feel around an 800-metre loop, so spectators are up close and personal with the action.

Also key to Jersey or any host city is a guarantee of world’s best athletes who are committed to not only achieving their sporting potential but also engaging in Super League’s extensive outreach programme.

The athletes spend the days building up to the weekend of racing in local schools and communities, providing role models to inspire health and wellness, social integration and diversity, and when the event goes live Jersey is seen across the world as a lifestyle destination.

And that’s all before you consider a few of the numbers. Nielsen Sports report that a Super League race is picked up by 104 broadcasters reaching 1.16 billion households with a media value of nearly £14 million.

There has also been huge growth in Super League’s digital footprint with an expectation that global reach from an event will grow to 42 million in 2019.

Super League remains focussed on delivering direct economic benefits to a host city – with Jersey estimated at around £1m last year – while also providing the intangible advantages that come via being associated with a globally recognised and game changing sports brand that aims to fit seamlessly into the local community and its culture.

Super League Triathlon has 2019 races planned in Jersey on September 28-29 and Malta on October 19-20. For more information visit superleaguetriathlon.com

[Source: Super League Triathlon] 

Michael D’Hulst, CEO of Super League Triathlon, is speaking at Host City 2019 in Glasgow on 26-27 November, under the conference theme “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create”

Can Scotland go Dutch? That’s the question British Cycling Policy Manager, Nick Chamberlin, will put to delegates when he speaks at this year’s National Events Conference on 9th September at Gleneagles Hotel.

Joining a stellar line-up of internationally renowned speakers and presenters, Nick’s presentation, “Let’s change the way we move – Can Scotland go Dutch?” will highlight the unique opportunity available to Scotland in hosting the biggest ever festival of cycle sport: the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. Will this ground-breaking major event create the chance for Scotland to follow in the footsteps of Holland and become a cycling nation?

Nick said: “I’m delighted to be speaking at this year’s National Events Conference. In 2023 Scotland will once again welcome the world and deliver another ground-breaking major event, the UCI Cycling World Championships, but does the event offer more than just a great spectator experience? I look forward to discussing with delegates the opportunity for Scotland to follow the example of the Dutch and embrace cycling for everyone and to adopt transport polices to allow short car journeys to be replaced with bikes instead.”

With just under a month to go, Nick is the latest speaker to confirm his attendance at the flagship industry conference for the Scottish events & festivals sector, which will address the theme Embracing Innovation, Delivering Change. Other confirmed keynote speakers include:

• Bruce Dewar, CEO & President Lift Philanthropy Partners
• Dr Beatriz Garcia, Director, Impacts 18 / European Capital of Culture Research Programme
• Helen Marriage MBE, Director, Artichoke
• Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs,
• Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events

There is also a range of breakout sessions with sector experts covering up-to-the-minute topics relevant to the industry, including:

• Events and Sustainability with Jonathan Smith, GEO Foundation Founder & Executive Director and consultant to The Solheim Cup, Dan Withall, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Property Manager, and Lachlan Kirk, Resource Efficient Scotland Implementation Advisor.
• Visitor & Audience Trends with Chris Greenwood, VisitScotland Senior Tourism Insight Manager, and Cimeon Ellerton, The Audience Agency Chief Product Officer
• Broadcast Innovation with Jason Wessely, Sky Sports Golf Executive Producer, Jack McGill, CEO QTV, and Ali Russell, Formula E Director of Media & New Business
• Data Drive Innovation with Joshua Ryan-Saha, University of Edinburgh’s Data Driven Innovation Lead for Tourism & Festivals, Lyndsey Jackson, Deputy CEO Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Oliver Davis, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society Head of Marketing & Development, and James McVeigh, Festivals Edinburgh Head of Marketing and Innovation

With the conference taking place alongside the 2019 Solheim Cup - the biggest women’s golf event in the world - conference delegates will have the unique opportunity to go on a ‘behind the scenes’ tour and hear from some of the key people delivering this major international event.

The conference will provide delegates with a first-class opportunity to hear from experts, network with industry peers and share their event experiences, plus enjoy the fabulous surrounds of the Gleneagles resort. As part of the delegate pass, there are free courtesy coaches from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “I’m delighted to have Nick join us at this year’s National Events Conference to share his insights into how Scotland can capitalise on the amazing opportunity the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships presents beyond just delivering a world-class event.

“This year’s conference is shaping up to be one of the best yet and to have the opportunity to host it within a major international event is something truly special. With places selling fast, I urge anyone in Scotland’s events and festivals sector who is yet to sign up to do so now. It promises to be a great day filled with lots of helpful information and insight as well as a great opportunity to network with industry peers in the amazing surrounds of Gleneagles Hotel.”

Delegate places cost £145 + VAT and can be paid online or by invoice. With only a few weeks left before registration closes, remaining places are selling fast so make sure you BOOK NOW to secure your spot and preferred breakout choices. Visit www.nationaleventsconference.scot

[Source: EventScotland] BT Sport and Premier Sports presenter, Emma Dodds, is set to host this year’s National Events Conference at Gleneagles Hotel on Monday 9 September, joining a stellar line-up of confirmed speakers and presenters, including Bruce Dewar, Dr Beatriz Garcia and Helen Marriage MBE.

An established sports presenter and media professional who has worked for an array of broadcasters, Emma’s extensive experience across flagship sporting events makes her the ideal host for the Conference, which will take place alongside the world’s greatest women’s golf event – The 2019 Solheim Cup.

Emma’s experience includes the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, Football and Rugby World Cups as well as Golf Majors, Tennis Grand Slams, and the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup.

She said: “I’m delighted to be hosting the 2019 National Events Conference at the world renowned Glenealges Hotel. There is a great line-up of speakers and presenters and sitting alongside The 2019 Solheim Cup, the conference will be a great opportunity to look across the events landscape and see the opportunities and challenges that are facing it. I look forward to seeing you there.”

Designed for those working to create, deliver and support Scotland’s cultural and sporting events, the conference will consider innovation, change, future opportunities and challenges across the sector under the title, Embracing Innovation, Delivering Change.

With over half of the tickets sold, don’t miss this first-class opportunity to hear from industry experts, share your own experiences and meet industry colleagues all the while enjoying the fabulous surroundings of the Gleneagles resort.

For further information, including the full programme of speakers and breakout sessions, and to secure your delegate place NOW please click here.

[Source: ESA] The European Sponsorship Association, the membership body that works to inspire, unite and grow the sponsorship industry across rights holders, brands and agencies, is now accepting entries for its prestigious 2020 ESA Awards.

The Awards will see industry professionals across Europe rewarded for their best-in-class sponsorship campaigns at a glittering ceremony at The Brewery in London on 26th February 2020.

View the full list of categories for 2020.

Andy Westlake, ESA Chairman comments:
“The ESA Awards have always presented us with entries that show us what a dynamic and exciting industry we’re part of – work that continues to innovate, consistently puts great creativity at the heart of the output and with a focus on delivering results. As a result, we see a wide range of campaigns that deserve the highest sponsorship industry recognition. I’m excited to see what this year has in store!”

Jackie Fast, ESA Awards Committee Chairman adds:
“I urge anyone involved with sponsorship to enter the ESA Awards.”

Jackie goes on to explain:
“The ESA Awards are designed for Europeans to benchmark their work, raise their profile, see their world-class campaigns honoured, enjoy celebrating the best of the best at the final ceremony, and, crucially, win business.”

The 2020 ESA Awards rewards successful sponsorship campaigns across all sectors – community, culture, digital, entertainment, media, purpose-led, research and sport – by assessing their business objectives and campaign results. The ESA Awards celebrates great achievement, not just big budgets, ensuring that all campaigns have an equal chance of winning. The early bird deadline for entries closes at midnight on 6th September 2019.

All campaigns receive the same expert critique and are judged purely on merit against a comprehensive criteria-based matrix. Our esteemed judges bring insight, direction and robust evaluation to the judging programme. With a two-stage process of judging – both online and face-to-face – being an ESA Awards judge provides you with the opportunity to both witness and award Europe’s best sponsorship work of 2019.

Anyone interested in being an ESA Awards judge should complete an application by Friday 20th September 2019.

Watch last year’s ceremony and winner interviews and find out more about the 2020 ESA Awards.

 

The European Sponsorship Association is a Strategic Partner of Host City 2019, the largest meetings of cities and sports, business and cultural events, taking place in Glasgow on 26-27 November

[Source: SportAccord] ‘Athlete Centred Sport’ has been unveiled as the theme of the International Federation (IF) Forum 2019, giving custodians of sport the opportunity to explore the game-changing benefits of putting athletes at the heart of their strategies.

The IF Forum 2019 is organised by SportAccord for GAISF members and supported by the International Olympic Committee to tackle global matters related to the Sports Movement. The IF Forum will bring together more than 200 leaders from over 100 International Sports Federations from 28-30 October 2019 at the Hotel Royal Savoy in Lausanne.

The annual three-day gathering is also limited to a small number of industry partners and gives them exclusive access to an authoritative networking environment and recognition as a supporter of the Sports Movement.

Safeguarding athletes, protection of clean athletes, athlete welfare, future financial wellbeing and strengthening the voice of athletes will be among the topics under discussion during the IF Forum 2019 conference sessions, workshops, keynotes and fireside chats.

With attendance strictly limited to the International Sports Federations and the event’s Partners, delegates will discuss best practice in an intimate and inspirational environment, strengthening links within the global sports family as they gain a greater understanding of their role in supporting athletes and how they can benefit from ‘Athlete Centred Sport’.

Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), said: “As we approach the 13^th edition of the IF Forum, the event continues to grow in importance, having become a vital gathering for the family of International Sports Federations to learn and network in a relaxed setting that encourages a healthy exchange of ideas.

“A sport cannot flourish without its athletes performing to their potential, so it is fitting that the focus of the IF Forum 2019 will be on how to nurture and strengthen relationships between International Sports Federations and athletes, who are sport’s most important stakeholders.

“It is paramount for the future growth of International Sports Federations and sport that athletes’ voices are heard and the development, interests and lives of such individuals are supported outside as well as inside the competition arena.”

Kit McConnell, Sports Director at the International Olympic Committee said: “We have seen the Olympic Movement not only recognise the value of the athlete voice but increasingly bring athlete representation into the core of their decision making structures in order to shape the future of sport. This has mirrored the increased focus of all partners in supporting athletes on and off the field of play.

Putting athletes as a focus of this year’s IF Forum reinforces this focus and, in line with Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations, ensures that we keep athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement and build on other key steps such as the launch of the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration, the recent International Athletes’ Forum and the ongoing work of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.”

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

The IF Forum 2019 will also feature numerous other opportunities for Partners to engage directly with sport’s decision-makers, including VIP functions and social activities for networking.

To discuss partnership opportunities and take advantage of exclusive access to the IF Forum, contact Malcolm Hardman of SportAccord +41 (0)79 945 89 34 or email malcolm.hardman@sportaccord.sport

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

Sarah Lewis, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) updated Host City about developments in China immediately following meetings with the IOC Coordination Commission and Beijing 2022 Olympic Games Organising Committee.

“The drive and commitment in China is unparalleled, not just to organise outstanding Games, but to develop winter sports as a mainstream sporting activity, recreation and industry,” she told Host City.

China’s winter sports push has led to a major expansion of sports facilities, with 742 ski resorts and 596 ice rinks by the end of 2018, according to an IOC statement. The Beijing 2022 Organising Committee has cited a 16 per cent year-on-year growth of the winter sports industry in China to USD 53.6 billion in 2018, creating 1.5 million jobs to date.

The number of events being hosted is growing accordingly, with 8.15 million people taking part in 4,401 district level, municipal and national level winter sports events in Beijing alone during the 2018-2019 season.

“Beijing 2022 is delivering on its vision to engage 300 million people in winter sports, and we can see real benefits resulting from the various actions that are being undertaken across the country,” IOC Coordination Commission Chair Juan Antonio Samaranch said. “We have heard about some impressive developments that exemplify the vision for winter sports in China in terms of mass participation, elite sport and tourism. This progress is very encouraging for the long-term future of winter sport, both in China and internationally.”

The first test event for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup (Downhill & Super G), taking place on 15 and 16 February 2020, as part of a programme of 19 Olympic test events and 5 Paralympic test events. A local organising committee called “Experience Beijing” has been formed for the test events, with venue teams already moving to the Yanqing region and working closely with the FIS to host a successful competition.

Zhang Jiandong, Vice-Mayor of Beijing and Executive Vice-President of Beijing 2022, said that, with the first test event scheduled for February 2020, Games preparations had entered a new phase, with the focus shifting to operational readiness, and that the Organising Committee would step up work in all areas. “We will work closely with the relevant government offices to promote winter sports and attract more people, especially young people, to take part,” he added.

Strategic cooperation with Sina Sports

The IOC Coordination Commission visit to Beijing was immediately preceded by the signing of a strategic cooperation between FIS and Sina Sports for the promotion of snow sports in China.

“Our new partnership with Sina Sports complements the Get Into Snow Sports (GISS)-China programme focusing on beginner level,” Sarah Lewis told Host City.

The partners will also cooperate on the Sina Alpine Ski Cup mass participation skiing competition series in China, which will be officially endorsed by FIS. A “FIS Destination” will also be installed on Sina’s Weibo media platform, one of the biggest social media platforms in China, featuring coverage of FIS events and promoting FIS activities in China such as Get Into Snow Sports.

The Sina Alpine Ski Cup, created and initiated two years ago by Sina Sports, has quickly become the largest mass participation ski event in China. It will be the first such Alpine Skiing series to receive official FIS endorsement and will its organisation will be supported by the Chinese Ski Association. FIS anticipates the event will quadruple in size for the upcoming season.

The Get Into Snow Sports (GISS)-China grass roots beginner courses are being executed through FIS’s educational entity, FIS Academy, and in partnership with the Chinese Ski Association to complement their recreational and ski instructor programmes.

The FIS media channels on Weibo will feature various coverage of FIS events, promoted by Sina Sports alongside the Sina Alpine Ski Cup.

The reach and track record of Sina Sports is evidenced by sports events that they have already developed with 3x3 basketball and futsal.

“Sina Sports is delighted to be entering into this cooperation with FIS and receiving the first-ever mass participation skiing event endorsement from FIS. We are proud to support FIS initiatives in China, including official competition events as well as the Get Into Snow Sports (GISS)-China program, in order to jointly promote winter sports in anticipation of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics”, said Sam Li, Head of International Business Strategy for Sina Sports.

Sarah Lewis OBE is speaking at Host City 2019, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, on 26-27 November in Glasgow

[Source: IOC] The Beijing 2022 ticketing programme will harness Alibaba’s technological and data expertise, ensuring a fully digitally enabled ticketing programme and modern user experience that allows fans to purchase and redistribute tickets securely. The OCOG will be responsible for the overall planning and delivery of the ticketing programme.

The appointment of Alibaba has been made with the objective of securing a single provider to deliver ticketing services and operations over several Games editions, reducing costs and the complexity of hosting the Games in line with Olympic Agenda 2020’s recommendations on efficient turnkey solutions. As a result, OCOGs will benefit from the opportunity to have a continuity of service through the provision of established systems and delivery experience, alleviating the need to design, engineer and deliver a solution for each individual Games edition.

Timo Lumme, Managing Director, IOC Television and Marketing Services, said: “The ticketing solutions provided will drive further innovation at the Olympic Games, enhance the spectator experience and reduce costs for organisers, delivering on the commitments made by Olympic Agenda 2020.”

Chris Tung, Alibaba’s Chief Marketing Officer, added: “We are proud to extend our partnership with the Olympic Games, beyond e-commerce and cloud, by supporting the Beijing 2022 ticketing programme. We look forward to leveraging our technology to help provide streamlined, digitally-enabled ticket sales services to create a seamless ticketing experience for fans around the world.”

In addition to existing work with the IOC on the development of its digital strategy and ecosystem, Alibaba’s expertise in engaging Chinese consumers and ownership of Damai, one of China’s largest ticketing platforms, makes it perfectly positioned to become the Beijing 2022 Ticketing Systems and Services Provider.

The 109 events in seven Olympic winter sports will take place from 4 to 20 February 2022 in the three competition zones of central Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to confirm the International University Sports Federation (FISU) is the first Gold Partner to sign-up for the 18^th edition of SportAccord in China. The next annual SportAccord event is set to take place in Beijing from 19 – 24 April 2020 and organisations can now register and take advantage of the pre early bird rate (CHF1,500) available for a limited period only.

FISU, founded in 1949, organises world-class sports and educational events for university students, promoting the pursuit of excellence in mind and body. These include the Summer and Winter Universiades - the largest global multi-sports events for university athletes.

The 30^th edition of the Summer Universiade (3-14 July 2019) recently took place in Naples to great acclaim. The USA rank top for the number of gold medals won followed by China in the All-Time Summer Universiade Medal Table. Chengdu in China is the host city for the 2021 Summer Universiade, and was officially awarded the 2025 World Games during SportAccord 2019.

Raising the bar and becoming a Gold Partner for the next SportAccord event taking place at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, Paulo Ferreira, Director General for FISU commented:

“SportAccord 2020 in Beijing is set to be a confirmation of just how important China has become to the world of sport. It is a city that FISU has a great affinity for, with the Summer Universiade having been hosted in Beijing in 2001, shortly before the attribution of the 2008 Olympic Games.

“As a SportAccord Gold Partner, FISU is proud to once again help bring international sport’s leadership to one of our favourite places.”  

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said: “We’re delighted to welcome FISU onboard as a Gold Partner for the first time. Their commitment and investment demonstrate that the SportAccord platform provides excellent visibility for international sports federations, particularly at this level. We very much look forward to working with FISU in the lead-up to SportAccord 2020 in Beijing.”  

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.

To raise visibility still further, organisations can become an official partner or exhibitor and discuss these investment opportunities with sales@sportaccord.sport.

The SportAccord 2019 Review magazine looks back at some of the many highlights that took place across the World Sport & Business Summit in Gold, Australia.

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

[Source: Glasgow City Council] Stunning images of Glasgow and Scotland were promoted to a TV audience of more than 1.4 billion during the staging of the hugely successful inaugural European Championships last summer.

The official evaluation of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships revealed the substantial national and international exposure enjoyed as the multi-sport mega event was broadcast on free-to-air channels across 43 European countries.

And with online and social media coverage included, the audience for the 12 sports across Glasgow and co-host Berlin, who staged the Athletics, reached a massive 2.9 billion in the key tourism and business market of Europe.

In total the media exposure for Glasgow and Scotland was worth more than £250 million in PR value as millions of sports fans enjoyed the 11 days of Aquatics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon.

Highlights included a massive 1.4 million viewers tuning in to watch British swimming hero Adam Peaty break his own world record in the 100m Breaststroke at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre. At the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome Scottish cyclist Katie Archibald’s silver medal win in the Individual Pursuit was watched by a staggering 2 million viewers.

Across the UK the BBC reported an average audience of more than 1 million with a total reach of 20 million, in excess of established events such as the Rugby Six Nations, and just below the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The BBC also reported that the event attracted a higher female and younger audience than many other sporting events.

Across Glasgow and Scotland more than 560,000 people, more than double the projected number, attended a sport session, a Festival 2018 offering or visited the hugely popular George Square and ‘GO LIVE! at The Green’ live sites. 

Final attendance figures show 137,000 tickets for sport were issued, packing each of the 12 venues with roaring crowds to support the new champions of Europe. More than 54,000 attended free sporting events such as the Cycling Road Race on the streets of the city, and the Open Water Swimming at the stunning Loch Lomond.

In total 97 per cent of spectators from Glasgow were proud that their city, renowned for the warm welcome of its residents, was hosting the mega event.

3,103 athletes representing 48 countries competed during Glasgow 2018. Russia topped the medal table, followed closely by Great Britain. The event included numerous memorable experiences with new European champions crowned in 187 medal events and two world records were broken in the Swimming.

The athletes were accompanied by 3,760 accredited officials and delegates. In addition to the value of the worldwide PR exposure for Glasgow and Scotland, an independent economic assessment showed significant amounts of expenditure from these visitors and participants in the event, as well as millions of pounds of contracts won for Scottish companies.

As a result of hosting the European Championships there was just over £34 million of additional spend in Glasgow and Scotland, and an estimated £24 million of contracts awarded to Scottish companies, with £8.5 million of those going to companies based in the Glasgow City Region.

Significant effort was made to create social and community benefits by the organisers. Team 2018, the 3,600 invaluable volunteers who were key to making the event such a success according to those surveyed, were a diverse workforce, exceeding targets for the number of Scottish and Glasgow residents (representing every local authority areas in the country), new volunteers, including significant numbers of people aged under 26.

Around 50 per cent of the volunteers said they we would do more volunteering as a result of taking part in Glasgow 2018. Another 17 countries were represented across Team 2018.

Continuing the delivery of sporting and cultural legacy created by the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, was also a key objective of the event. More than 20,000 people took the opportunity to try one of the sports across all Glasgow 2018 venues and approximately 30,000 people said they learned more about healthy lifestyles as a result of visiting ‘GO LIVE! at the Green.’

Alongside the sport, Festival 2018 was a world class cultural festival which created a vibrant live city experience, with 2,400 artists and performers contributing, alongside more than 5,600 voluntary and non-professional performers. In total more than 370,000 people visited a Festival or Live Site.

Minister for Sport, Joe FitzPatrick MSP, said: “The incredible broadcast numbers achieved by the Glasgow 2018 European Championships are great news, and mean people around the world had the chance to see Scotland demonstrating the nation’s ability to stage top-class sporting events.

“The competition will have far-reaching effects – not just in terms of showcasing our country and culture around the globe, but also in inspiring a whole new generation of athletes.

“The success exceeded our expectations and I congratulate all involved in this event.”

Councillor David MacDonald, depute leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Yet again I want to say thank you to the athletes, volunteers, spectators, media, officials and amazing home crowds.

“These final broadcast numbers illustrate only too clearly the massive benefit the staging of events bring to our city as we showcase what we have to offer to visitors and investors across Europe and beyond.”

The International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH), the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) and the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) are the first Strategic Partners to support the development of Host City, the largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events.

Host City Expo & Conference is a “one-stop shop” for the owners, organisers, hosts and other stakeholders of sports, business and cultural events. Now in its 6th year, the 2019 event takes place in Glasgow on 26-27 November and highlights the need for the sector to Innovate, Reformulate & Co-create.

Through the Strategic Partnership programme, Host City and the supporting organisations have opportunities to:

• co-produce the event agenda, with a combination of keynotes, panels, presentations, workshops and side meetings
• increase opportunities to enlist new members
• increase access to the event for all stakeholders in major events
• consolidate the major event hosting community around this unique focal point

Rick Traer, IAEH Co-Director and CEO of the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance said: “The partnership with Host City provides a platform to deliver against a number of our strategic objectives, including the opportunity to share best practices, promote a standard set of event impact standards and to build a network of individuals and organizations involved in hosting major events around the world.”

Daniel Cordey, Chairman of AGES said: “The partnership with Host City is a win-win situation and offers benefits at different levels for us. Our members get additional opportunities to meet industry professionals and the Association is co-organising interesting thematic talks embedded in the Host City event programme.”

Andy Westlake, ESA Chairman said: “ESA is excited to be partnering with Host City in November, as we think it’s important to explore how we can continue to enhance the contribution of sponsorship for major event host cities and organising committees. Sponsorship of course helps to drive additional revenue and offset major event budgets, but it also significantly enhances the spectator’s experience, contributes powerfully to the event marketing agenda and will often leave a strong and long-lasting grass roots legacy afterwards. We’re looking forward to being part of the discussion”

Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City said: “The launch of the Strategic Partnership programme is an important development for the Host City community. We are delighted to have the world’s leading associations joining us to further consolidate this unique focal point of all the various stakeholders involved in staging the world’s greatest events. We are very grateful to IAEH, AGES and ESA for their support in developing Host City and look forward to welcoming their members to Host City 2019, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events.”

About Host City

Host City Expo & Conference 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. Participants are encouraged to use Host City as a platform to develop, workshop and announce new events, partnerships and formats.

www.hostcity.com

About IAEH

The International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH) exists for representatives of international destinations to collaborate to generate the best possible value from hosting major sporting and cultural events and provide a voice for ‘not for profit’ hosts of events.

IAEH provides a platform for members to learn from the successes and challenges of major events, share knowledge and generate greater long term social and economic benefits from hosting events.

www.eventhosts.org

About AGES

The purpose of the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) is to build up awareness for industry-specific aspects and to promote and defend the interests of its members in the international event marketplace.

The objective is to become a professional and business-oriented association which offers to share and manage valuable information related to the temporary infrastructure industry in order to streamline business for buyers and sellers.

AGES wants to develop a roadmap together with governmental bodies and key stakeholders to create procedures, standards and other tools to facilitate interaction and business with event suppliers, and through this contribute to lowering the burden on future organisers.

www.ages.international

About ESA

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to inspire, unite and grow the sponsorship industry for the benefit of its members. ESA does this through education, guidance, representation, the recognition of excellence and the sharing of best practice and performance.

ESA’s reach encompasses all types of sponsorship activity from sport, broadcast, education, charity, the arts and culture through to environment and the community. Its membership includes sponsors, rights holders, agencies and consultants, professional advisors and suppliers.

www.sponsorship.org