[Source: SportAccord} SportAccord, the leading annual global gathering for sporting leaders involved in the business of sport, today confirmed its MediaAccord conference programme: Media’s Ever Important Role and Contribution to Sport and Society, taking place on Thursday 9 May 2019 in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

‘The rate of change in women’s sports is one of the most exciting trends in the sports industry,’ ran the headline in a recent Nielsen Sports Women’s Sports research report (2018) which covered 8 markets including Australia and New Zealand.

However, normalising sports for every woman and girl is still a big challenge for many countries around the world.

Jennah Wootten, General Manager Partnerships and Communications, Sport New Zealand said:

“Sport New Zealand is leading our sector’s response to a new central government strategy designed to empower women and girls to reach their potential through sport and active recreation.

“Like many other countries we have concerning underrepresentation of women and girls being physically active, occupying leadership roles and lagging behind men in terms of value and visibility.

“This new strategy has energised the sector and builds on recent successes such as securing the hosting rights for International Working Group on Women in Sport Conference 2022. It is an exciting time to be a female working in sport within New Zealand.”

During her MediaAccord case study, Jennah will share details of the new government strategy for New Zealand, its fresh initiatives and how the sport and recreation sector has responded to them, as well as the hardest obstacles to overcome in the future.

In the last few years, increasing numbers of professional leagues can now be found worldwide, and in Australia, women’s leagues such as the Rebel Women’s Big Bash and the Women’s Australian Rules Football League (AFLW), are attracting large audiences, stand-alone sponsorships and broadcast revenue.

While coverage of female athletes and women’s sport have increased considerably, there are still challenges for women working, or hoping to work, in sports media. What can be done to help create positive media guidelines with regard to gender equality in competition schedules and coverage?

What are some pro-active steps for ensuring better female representation within written, tv and photographer media circles? What is the media’s role in how female athletes are/should be portrayed? And, how can sports media best engage the public to promote a healthier, more active society?

A panel session discussing Women in Sport Media will address these challenges. Panellists taking part include: Clare Briegal, Chief Executive Officer, International Netball Federation; Belinda Clarke AO, Interim Executive General Manager Team Performance Cricket Australia; Tracey Holmes, Senior Reporter/Presenter, News Radio ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation); and Jennah Wootten.

This will follow with a debate on Major Event Bidding and Media and discuss how cities can get the public onboard with: Alain Mercier, Editor in Chief, Francs Jeux; Philip Pope, General Manager Communications, Queensland Rugby Union; Wayne Smith, Senior Sport Writer, The Australian.

MediaAccord will conclude with the Case Study: Brand Architecture and Social Media Monetisation for federations and athletes presented by Ben Parsons, Founder, Ministry of Sport & Playa Power.

In addition to MediaAccord moderated by James Pearce, Sports Broadcaster, BBC, a full conference programme will take place across the week with 4 additional conference streams: SportAccord Summit, LawAccord, CityAccord and HealthAccord.

Organisations can register for SportAccord and attend conference sessions as well as the many networking opportunities offered within the Official Schedule during the World Sport & Business Summit.

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord has announced the first confirmed speakers for its Summit conference: The Future of Big Data and Analytics, taking place from 8 – 9 May 2019 at the Gold Coast Conference & Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord commented:

“We have a strong line-up of speakers for this year’s SportAccord Summit sharing their views and expertise on why big data and analytics matter to sport, with sessions covering key touchpoints such as teams, athletes, brands, manufacturers and of course - fans.

“This year’s Summit places fan engagement and experiences at the heart of the matter and looks at the ways technology, content, media and entertainment interconnect.

“As technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, blockchain and others start to go mainstream, fans will be able to take a much more active role and feel richer for the experience.”

Global leaders from across the sporting industry are among the first speakers (in session order) confirmed for this year’s SportAccord Summit, including:

• Deon Newman (Keynote), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Vice President of Strategy, IBM Asia Pacific
• Darren Birch, General Manager - Growth, Digital and Audiences, Australian Football League (AFL)
• Nick Hockley, Chief Executive Officer, ICC T20 World Cup Australia 2020
• Chris Nunn, Managing Director APAC, Futures Sport & Entertainment
• Luke Bould, CCO & CMO, Football Federation Australia
• Sally Hancock, Managing Partner, Y Sport
• Matt Kamienski, Vice President and Executive Director - Presidents Cup, PGA TOUR
• Andrew Reid, General Manager, TEG Analytics and TEG Insights
• Barbara Kendall, Vice President, International Surfing Association (ISA), Non-Executive Director of ARRIA
• Heinrich Zetlmayer, General Partner, Blockchain Valley Ventures (BVV)
• Stephen Smith, CEO & Founder, Kitman Labs
• Ian K. Partilla, Vice President - Head of Global Revenue, GumGum Sports 
• Natalie Cook, 5 x Olympian and Gold Medallist – Australia, Beach Volleyball 

Delegates will also have the opportunity to discuss the Summit topics further with speakers and panellists on Day 2 during the five Summit Hub Breakout track sessions:

• Big Data and Fan Engagement
• Marketing and Customer Behaviour
• Athlete/Player Performance via Wearable Technology, Big Data
• Application of AI for International Federation (IF), Event, & Sponsor Performance
• Blockchain Technology in Sport

 In addition to the SportAccord Summit, the full conference programme includes 4 other conference streams taking place across the week: LawAccord, CityAccord, MediaAccord and HealthAccord.

Delegates can register for SportAccord and attend conference sessions and the many networking opportunities offered within the Official Schedule.

To become an Exhibitor or Partner contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 612 3070. To register as a delegate and watch past SportAccord footage visit www.sportaccord.sport.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook.

In the beginning, the event procurement process was nonexistent. Until, according to Harvey Goldsmith CBE, “A bunch of bean counters were brought in to say, hang on, can you evaluate the process? And then the procurement business started. This immediately knocked out smaller, innovative start-up companies who wouldn’t have a chance of getting into the procurement process.”

Legendary music promoter Goldsmith has staged countless major events – not least Live Aid – but procurement has not evolved much since this “big bang” moment when the process was first established.

“So, you would end up with the same two or three companies basically doing everything and unfortunately that’s pretty much true today,” he told delegates at the Event Production Show in London on 27 February.

“If you look at the companies that are out there producing major events, it’s the same companies. You’ll see the same people go from Olympics to the Millennium to New Year’s Eve at the Eye, to Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup – it’s a club of clubs!

“It’s unfair, it doesn’t let innovation in and it doesn’t let new creative ideas or people in, which is a problem. We need a procession of new people coming in.”

Goldsmith was joined on the panel by Simon Hughes, Vice President of the Business Visits and Events Partnership. “We don’t engage with people in procurement enough and they don’t engage with us enough. We need to have that conversation much more frequently," he said. "It does a huge amount of damage for startups and creativity, which are the key drivers for what you do.”

On the question of how innovative companies can get involved in major events, Goldsmith said: “You have to think in a different way. You’ve either got to team up with a company that is capable of jumping the hurdle of procurement, or package people together and come up with something that’s so different they have to take notice. It is a difficult issue today.”

One of the issues is the lack of a clearly defined route into a career in the live events industry. “The event entertainment business is a very insular industry, which strangely enough doesn’t encourage outsiders. There is no degree you can take to become a booking agent,” Goldsmith said.

“We are constantly asked how to break through into the business. The only way you can break through is to push yourself through. Before I did my first gig, I went into a shop I bought a little Vox amp to get backstage into gigs!

“The only companies that have got involved are the ones who have the confidence to push themselves through. You’ve got to have the confidence to find ways to get over the hurdles.”

Goldsmith said procurement processes do not favour UK companies. “As much I do believe that, as much as we have the best entertainment music talent in the UK, we also have the best behind-the-scenes talent by a long mile – so why do have to employ Americans and Australians to do our big events when there are companies in the UK and can do it better? The hurdles are different. It’s a very odd process and some terrible mistakes have taken place.”

He cited the London Olympic Stadium as an example of just such a mistake.

“One of the legacies of the Olympics is that there is a big stadium in Stratford that went through hell on wheels because of a complete, total, utter screw-up from the Mayor who did not knowing what he was talking about, to a current Mayor inheriting a bill of £200m more than should have been spent, and the most mismanaged process of operation I’ve ever seen in my life.

“There are lots of screw ups that go on and get buried. Everyone raves about the Silver Jubilee; if anyone cares to dig down deep enough and look at the economics you will find that financially they are disasters because they didn’t do the process properly and went to the same old teams.”

Financial disaster is one thing, but safety issues are quite another, and this is just one area where the sports and entertainment event sectors can learn from each other.

“We have seen the recent trial of those dreadful events in Sheffield,” said Goldsmith. “I remember many years ago doing my first ever concert at St James’ Park with Bruce Springsteen and refusing orders from the police, who were about to arrest me, to let the doors open, because I had walked around the exits and discovered that three quarters of them were padlocked.

“I went back to the management and said, why are these gates locked? They said, that’s what we do for a football match. I said, I don’t care what you do for football – there’s going to be 50,000 people standing outside this stadium until you unlock the gates. I can’t imagine what would have happened if there had been a problem there. But that’s what they used to do – their attitude for football was very different. 

“We have to have the same environment for sport as we do for entertainment, because they are visitor attractions and the same rules must apply.

“It’s quite strange because, until very recently sport events were looked upon as something was pure and sport-driven. What many sports forgot is that they are also entertainment, and if they are attracting a crowd, the same values go in sport as they do in music. There may be a band on stage – it’s no different from seeing your hero racing. You’ve got to give the customer the experience of high quality and therefore the rules we go by in entertainment remain the same.”

It’s not just sports and entertainment that can learn from one another; there needs to be more learning for business events, said Hughes.

“We had a decade of sport where we targeted specific major world sporting events and we were very successful at that. Perhaps we should be doing that more in the festival world, in the entertainment world and in the business events world – looking at the way UK sport has used major events as a vehicle for driving the UK into a competitive position and attracting new events to the UK.

“Let’s target the kind of things that we could bid to bring into the UK; or build on the events we are doing here and make them more international. Sports bids have been phenomenally well organized, that’s where there is great success and learning for bidding for other major international events.”

[Source: ASOIF] After almost 12 months’ work, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) today launched its report on the “Future of Global Sport”. The document aggregates the views of thought leaders and decision-makers from sport, business and government. It addresses political, social, technological, legal and economic influences, all of which are impacting International Federation (IF) decision-making and the model under which sport will be managed going forward. It also provides a historical overview of the foundations that underpin organised sport as we know it today and delves into the challenges currently being faced. The report concludes by laying out a vision for the future of sport over the next 20 years including key recommendations for the IFs and for ASOIF itself.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said on the occasion of today’s launch: “ASOIF has invested significant resources in this project and we believe the results will help IFs to better understand, anticipate and react to the changes and trends confronting them. In fact, some of the outlined future scenarios may serve as a wake-up call. This report invites us all to challenge our thinking at ASOIF and encourage our members to challenge their own.”

Key findings of the Future of Global Sport report include:

• IFs must demonstrate an exemplary standard of governance in order to maintain the confidence of the media, governments, business and the public at large while also protecting the integrity of their sports;

• IFs will need to develop a more proactive, creative, commercially driven and collaborative mind set, re-evaluating their role and strategies in favour of increased partnership with the private sector;

• IFs will need to embrace “digital” in earnest, transforming their business models, organisational designs and operational cultures;

• Today’s sporting event model will evolve so that true partnerships entailing closer cooperation and balanced risk-sharing among and between stakeholders, including business and government agencies will be a requirement;

• Athletes with sufficient following are gaining influence in today’s disintermediated media landscape and will need to be offered greater incentives to compete in established events;

• In order to attract new people to participate in and consume their sports, IFs must adapt their strategies to a changing society and to how, in future, people will discover and consume content;

• If they adapt, IFs will remain widely accepted as unique bodies effectively capable of governing and administrating their sports on a worldwide basis as custodians of the rules, training of judges, managing the events calendar and coordinating and funding global development initiatives etc; and

• It will become increasingly important to have an effective “umbrella” organisation working to promote and defend the Olympic IFs’ collective common interests given the range of major common challenges that IFs share but can never be expected to address individually.

Following-up on these findings, the report concludes with a blueprint for IFs to adapt and take advantage of the opportunities presented by today’s disrupted and competitive sporting landscape. This consists of ten recommendations for IFs related to two equally important themes of governance and entrepreneurialism.

The report will also provide ASOIF with guidance and a basis for prioritisation, particularly in relation to its work on establishing a solid future role for IFs, as the involvement of both public authorities (governments) and private business interests in sport continues to grow.

Click here to read the full report.

Host City: What can delegates expect at the upcoming SPORTELAsia conference – what are the big topics on the agenda?

Laurent Puons: I am definitely interested to learn more about the latest opportunities for each of Asia’s key sports business markets. Each market is unique and making their own path, which is fascinating. Some key themes across these markets will be understanding how local markets are adapting to the growth of OTT, how rights holders are unlocking value through digital and understanding the latest developments in esports.

Host City: Why are you hosting the event in Macau – what will the visitor experience be like there?

Laurent Puons: SPORTELAsia has not been back to the Far East since SPORTELAsia 2014 in Shanghai and a lot has happened in the industry since then. We need to be in the Far East this year and Macau is strategically located for our community to come together and do business in Asia.

Host City: How does this event compare to SPORTELMonaco?

Laurent Puons: SPORTELMonaco is our global convention, which has over 3,000 sports media and technology executives from across the world. It has been held in Monaco for over 30 years and is a fantastic representation of the state of the global industry.

SPORTEL Spring Conventions on the other hand are unique opportunities in strategic sports business markets, which provide our community with the opportunity to do business in new territories.

Host City: How and why is SPORTEL changing its event formats to serve the demands of the market?

Laurent Puons: I am looking forward to seeing some of our new initiatives come to fruition. As requested by our community, we have developed new tailor-made exhibitor packages and organised a number of esports conference programme events with some of the leaders of the industry, which I am really looking forward to.

[Source: SportAccord] Exhibitor uptake for the Gold Coast edition of SportAccord has risen quickly, just a few months after SportAccord officially opened its doors, inviting participation from organisations involved in the business of sport.

Taking part in the SportAccord exhibition provides unique experiences for the sporting community and this view is shared by Susan Sawbridge, Manager, New Zealand Major Events:

“SportAccord is the greatest annual opportunity for New Zealand to showcase its strengths, as an events destination, allowing us to connect with International Federations, other host cities and suppliers.”

The SportAccord exhibition is considered to be an important aspect of the World Sport & Business Summit and its attributes can be viewed via the Bangkok exhibition video tour. Its prime location together with the buzzing SportAccord Café, provides the ideal setting to have business conversations, as well as enjoy the many networking events on offer throughout the week.

Organisations looking to exhibit at SportAccord 2019 can review their options in the interactive floor plan and register for the Gold Coast edition of SportAccord ahead of the next price rise early March.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord commented: “The exhibition provides a dynamic platform and advantage for industry, cities and regions, as well as sporting bodies, to showcase their organisation - whether it’s to kick-start a new initiative or share latest developments.

“Each year we look at ways to improve and ‘localise’ the SportAccord exhibition, and this year is no exception. With the support of Host City Gold Coast, we will be revealing some new additions for SportAccord 2019.”

Exhibitors and delegates alike will be able to enjoy a host of benefits at this year’s stunning Gold Coast and Exhibition Centre including:

• Enhanced exhibition stands as a standard offering
• Comfortable meeting areas
• The lively and larger than ever SportAccord Café with lunch served daily to all delegates
• Exhibition cocktails and ‘get-togethers’ offering myriad networking opportunities
• Press opportunities
• Close proximity to the conference areas accessed via the exhibition hall

With cities, regions and industry evenly matched with international sports federations this year, the exhibition will have much to offer everyone.

To take advantage of all these opportunities and much more, organisations can register and exhibit for SportAccord 2019. The Official Schedule enables attendees to enjoy multiple networking events the popular 3-day Exhibition, access 50+ conference sessions, visit the Sports Festival and take part in cultural activities in Gold Coast.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook.

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to welcome the return of DB Schenker as Official Logistics Provider for the 17^th edition of SportAccord taking place from 5 – 10 May 2019 in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

As one of the leading supply chain management and logistics solutions providers worldwide,
DB Schenker has been a long-standing Delivery Partner for SportAccord. With dedicated multi-lingual teams located worldwide for the sport event industry, this puts DB Schenker in a strong position when it comes to supporting the needs of delegates.

Commenting on the longevity of the partnership, Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord said: “We are delighted DB Schenker has come on-board once more as the Official Logistics Provider for SportAccord 2019. Working closely with DB Schenker for many years has contributed to the smooth-running of our event operations.

“To have their loyalty, expertise and know-how is invaluable to our event, and as in previous years, SportAccord delegates will be offered preferential rates for Gold Coast. It goes without saying that it makes sense to use DB Schenker for the Gold Coast edition of SportAccord.”

To register as a SportAccord delegate, exhibitor or partner and take advantage of the Official Schedule, attendees will be able to enjoy over 20 networking events and the popular 3-day Exhibition, have access to 50+ conference sessions and the Sports Festival, taking place at the Gold Coast Conference and Exhibition Centre situated alongside the shores of Queensland’s stunning coastline.

Commenting on their involvement in global events including the Asian Games 2018, Christian Schultz, SVP Product Management Sports Events at DB Schenker said:  

“DB Schenker is one of the world’s leading global logistics provider, also when it comes to sports. We are not only part of the biggest sport events worldwide, but we make them possible in the first place.”

Delegates will also be able to meet the DB Schenker team during SportAccord 2019 at Booth No. 9 to discuss their future business needs and requirements.

With an ever-growing list of organisations becoming involved in SportAccord 2019, exhibitors, partners and delegates can contact the dedicated DB Schenker team at au.dl.tme.sportaccord2019@dbschenker.com to discuss the delivery of booths, exhibits and promotional material.

To become an Exhibitor or Partner contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 612 3070.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook.

For media enquiries, email the Media Relations Officer: jenny.edmondson@sportaccord.com

SportAccord

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

SportAccord is the only global sports business event attended by all the international sports federations and their stakeholders, who host their Annual General Assemblies during SportAccord.

These stakeholders include: ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations), AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations), AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) and Associate Members. SportAccord receives the full support of the International Olympic Committee.

Follow #SA2019 and #SA2020 on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr       

DB Schenker

DB Schenker is committed to providing innovative supply chain solutions that challenge the status quo. As a global industry leader with more than 140 years of logistics experience, DB Schenker is proud to support industry and trade in the global exchange of goods.

For further information visit www.dbschenker.com, dbschenker (LinkedIn)

For press enquiries, contact Mirko-A Kahre, mirko-alexander.kahre@dbschenker.com
+49 1523 75 79 468 (M), +49 201 8781 8726 (P)

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to confirm this year’s LawAccord conference programme: Key Opportunities, Challenges and Threats to Institutional Sport – From Within and Without, supported by a stellar line-up of speakers and panelists. LawAccord is set to take place on Monday 6 May 2019 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia.

Running for a full-day for the first time, Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said:

“Hosting SportAccord in Gold Coast has presented a wide variety of conference opportunities for the LawAccord programme this year. With so many influencers and stakeholders in the region, it was felt that a full-day’s conference followed by a networking cocktail, would give delegates more news and current thinking, and provide the perfect platform to discuss the day’s business and insights in welcoming surroundings.”

LawAccord is of particular interest to sport lawyers and administrators, international federations, cities and regions, as well as event hosts. Organisations and legal experts can register for SportAccord here and benefit from all the networking opportunities on offer.

Francesco Ricci Bitti, Acting-President of SportAccord and President of ASOIF will provide the welcome introduction and opening for LawAccord.

The Morning Keynote: Why Good Governance is Crucial to Sport Organisations will be presented by Malcolm Speed AO, former CEO of Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council. Speed is the Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University and Senior Fellow in the Faculty of Law at Melbourne University. A panel session discussing good governance will follow, led and moderated by Michael Lenard, Vice President, ICAS.

Other conference and panel sessions will cover: the fight against match-fixing; how to manage the emergence of rival leagues/competitions and other legal considerations supported by case studies; the annual CAS Update. A Fireside Chat with Sir Craig Reedie will also take place followed by an anti-doping panel session.

Commenting on the significance of this year’s LawAccord programme, Ross Wenzel, Partner, Kellerhals Carrard, and a LawAccord Steering Committee member commented:

“Kellerhals Carrard is delighted to be involved in putting together this year’s edition of LawAccord taking place at SportAccord 2019 in Gold Coast. The program addresses some of the most topical and significant issues that are affecting international sport today including the practical aspects of governance reforms, how to deal with the emergence of rival leagues and the changing landscape of the fight against doping in sport.

“We have been fortunate enough to line up world-class speakers, both from Australia and abroad, with hands-on experience of the regulation and administration of sport. These include the lawyers that led the FIFA and IAAF governance reforms, Sir Craig Reedie, President of WADA, Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the newly-formed International Testing Agency and Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“In view of the quality of the program and speakers, the Steering Committee took the decision to extend LawAccord to a full day with a networking cocktail to follow, giving attendees further opportunities to make the most of their time at SportAccord. We are looking forward to a lively, frank and multi-faceted debate around some of the key challenges facing sport.

As part of the Official Schedule, delegates will be able to take part in over 20 networking events, the popular 3-day Exhibition, and access 50+ conference sessions, become involved in the Sports Festival and many other social occasions taking place in Gold Coast, with plenty of opportunities to explore this beautiful region further.

To become an Exhibitor or Partner contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 612 3070. To register as a delegate and watch past SportAccord footage visit www.sportaccord.sport.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook.

For media enquiries, email the Media Relations Officer: jenny.edmondson@sportaccord.com

SportAccord

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

SportAccord is the only global sports business event attended by all the international sports federations and their stakeholders, who host their Annual General Assemblies during SportAccord.

These stakeholders include: ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations), AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations), AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) and Associate Members. SportAccord receives the full support of the International Olympic Committee.

Follow #SA2019 and #SA2020 on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr       

LawAccord

The Steering Committee for this year’s LawAccord conference programme are:

David Casserly, Barrister, Attorney-at-law, Partner, Kellerhals Carrard

John Hewitt, Event Operations Manager, Communications, SportAccord

Michael Lenard, Vice President, ICAS

Stephen Townley, Founder, Active Rights Management Limited

Ross Wenzel, Partner, Solicitor of Senior Courts of England & Wales, Kellerhals Carrard

With the Enlarged Steering Committee consisting of:

Hayden Opie AM, Senior Fellow (Melbourne Law Masters), University of Melbourne

Malcolm Speed AO, former CEO of Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council, Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, Senior Fellow in the Faculty of Law at Melbourne University

Olympic Games organising committees, Asian cities, international rightsholders and experts are all lining up to speak at the second Host City Asia conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beijing on 11th April.

The conference will once again open with the Beijing Olympic welcome. Other great speakers confirmed so far include:

• Hiromi Kawamura, Public Relations Secretary, Tokyo Organising Committee of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Laszlo Vajda, Senior Operations Advisor, Minsk 2019 European Games; Senior Expert, Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
• Zhao Xiaochun, Director-General of Shanxi Provincial Sports Bureau
• Kate Han, Producer, Riot Games
• Li Yidong, Director, Tanggangzi New Town Conference and Exhibition Centre, Anshan
• Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, International Association of Horticultural Producers
  (The International Horticultural Expo is set to attract 16 million visitors to Beijing this year)
• Kelvin Fang, Senior Media & Marketing Manager, FIBA China
• David De Behr, Head of Global Events, Aggreko
• James Patterson, Director, MI Associates
• Li Jiang, Executive Director, Yutang Sports
• Hailiang Chen, Principal Architect, Wanda Cultural Tourism Planning & Research Institute
• Daniel Cordey, Chairman, Association of Global Event Suppliers
  ...and many more.

The first Host City Asia conference last May was hailed as a “complete success” and its return to Beijing in 2019 is set to surpass all expectations.

View the agenda and speakers' biographies and register your participation here.

[Source: SPORTEL] For its upcoming spring market, the world’s leading sports media and technology convention returns to the Far East, in the vibrant city of Macao from 5th to 7th of March 2019 at the luxurious JW Marriott Hotel.

“We are very excited about this edition of SPORTEL because this event has not been held in the Far East since SPORTELAsia 2014, in Shanghai” stated Mr. Laurent PUONS, CEO of Monaco Mediax.

SPORTELAsia is now positioned as an elite industry event embracing the growth markets of China and throughout Asia, providing its international community a great platform for developing business and networking opportunities with Asian Pacific markets.

The shortlist of the currently registered companies has already been released. Among them: BEIN  PORTS, DENTSU, FIGHTSPORTS, INFRONT, ITTF, LALIGA, MATCHROOM SPORT, NBA, NETCO SPORTS, NEULION, PERFORM GROUP, SPORTRADAR, TMG, VIZRT… and much more

Conference Programme overview

TELSTRA E-SPORTS PANEL

The Rise of e-Sports - Opportunities for Growth

Esports is an exploding area of interest and revenue growth for sports media and marketing companies, with significant year on year growth in industry activity and maturity over the last few years. Asia leads this trend with an established video games and esports ecosystem and exciting new investments that are further accelerating the opportunities for growth.

OCEANS E-SPORT PANEL

e-Sports in China, Challenges and the Future

The status quo of Esports in China, the possible opportunities and the problems encountered. What is the future of Esports in the bigger sports family ? Could it be part Olympic family ?

YUTANG Media Panel

Working with Chinese media to raise the influence of sports properties in China

As China upgrade sports-related domestic consumption and encourage broadcasts of sports events, the market presents more potentials for sports properties and media and are very live.

How do sports properties and media work and collaborate with each other, to increase the influence of sports and sports broadcasts in China, to make more people become sports audiences, to contribute to business growth?

LaLiga PRESENTATION

For more information visit https://www.sportelasia.com/