Host City: Host City 2019 takes place in Glasgow on 26-27 November, with theme of “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-Create”, in recognition of the fact that many major events are evolving and emerging through creative partnerships. To what extent are FIS and other Winter IFs innovating, reformulating and co-creating events?

Sarah Lewis: Collaborating with other stakeholders for the FIS major events, namely the World Championships, is fundamental to utilise the respective capacities to deliver the best possible event. We aim to continually evolve and be innovative, whereby it fundamental to respect the sport and ensure its DNA remains intact.

Partnership is normal practice for major FIS events, both within the FIS disciplines as well as with other stakeholders. For example, the three Nordic disciplines of Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined are staged as one Nordic Event that provides permanent action. Since the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Freestyle Ski and Snowboard are combined at major events and increasingly as part of the FIS World Cup series, in order to maximise the many synergies with the venues and operations.

I’m looking forward to interesting exchanges and discussions at Host City on innovating, reformulating and co-creating events where many different event stakeholders can contribute their own and shared perspectives.

Host City: The theme of SportAccord 2019 was “The Future of Big Data and Analytics”. What opportunities do you see from big data and analytics in skiing and other winter sports events?

Sarah Lewis: The main and important opportunity is to establish a direct online relationship and interaction with the 15 million online followers of the FIS disciplines, which is a key asset for the development of digital activities as well as sponsorship opportunities. Our objective at FIS is to create a digital ecosystem to serve viewers and fans, which will open up new commercial opportunities for the stakeholders.

Host City: What were your impressions of Gold Coast and Queensland as a host destination, as they consider applying to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games?

Sarah Lewis: Just as well you specified Summer Games, as the likelihood for the Winter edition would be tricky even with a very “New Norm” concept! The Commonwealth Games in 2018 have provided an excellent basis for future Olympic Games and during SportAccord there was certainly great enthusiasm expressed from the sports leadership, political authorities and tourism.

Host City: The growth of the sports industry in China is reflected by the growing number of conventions taking place there – with World Winter Sports Expo, Host City Asia and now SportAccord taking place in Beijing. What impact do you think the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games is having on the growth of winter sports in China?

Sarah Lewis: The catalyst of Beijing 2022 is already having a momentous effect on the growth of winter sports and even globally for the industry and tourism. China has a long cold winter and significant mountain regions and the country is now exploiting the potential of winter sports tourism and recreation for the benefit of the health of population, especially children, to combat the concerns about an increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

The legacy of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games was established by the Government already at the outset with its candidacy to use the Games as a spur to develop winter sports for the general population and the economy, through developing tourism and winter sports industry.

Host City: How would you describe Santiago’s journey towards hosting the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Santiago has been highlighted in Latin America for its good quality of life, safety, connectivity and most recently was ranked as the most technological city in Latin America. Chile is a country that has been growing very rapidly in the previous decades, and has a very open economy, with Free Trade Agreements with more than 60 countries worldwide. The country is generally recognized as one of the most developed and stable economies in Latin America.

The sports community has been growing very quickly as well, with notable international results like becoming Copa America Champions two years in a row and two Olympic gold medals in Tennis. Hosting the Pan American Games was going to happen eventually.

Host City: What were the decisive factors in being awarded the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Political stability, economic stability and already existing sport infrastructure where probably at the top of this list. The country’s love for sports, and everything sports represents, was also probably very high.

Santiago’s connectivity is also a big positive for athletes and visitors of the games; close to 70 per cent of disciplines will take place in five main venues, including where the athletes’ village will be, which are very well connected to public transportation buses and subway.

Host City: How much new infrastructure do you need to build?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: There isn’t very much new infrastructure that we need to build, if you compare Santiago 2023 with Lima 2019 for example, which is hosting the Games this year, because we have many venues which are a legacy of the Santiago 2014 South American Games.

New infrastructure that has been announced are a new Hockey fields and a new Paralympic pavilion. The athlete’s village in Ciudad Parque Bicentanario is the largest and most urgent infrastructure project to be started. The project will be 100 per cent privately funded. The Ministry of Housing is in charge of leading the public tendering process, which should kick-off in the coming months.

So, the existing infrastructure is a very good starting point, but some investment will be needed to prepare the city for the Games four years down the road.

Host City: What is public support like for the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Public support– starting from President of Chile – is very high. Everyone is very eager to make it happen as the country has never hosted an event of this magnitude. The Santiago 2014 South American Games were already a big party in the city and country – with full stadiums and lots of interest from the community – which showed the city and country’s interest in these type of sporting events. Santiago 2023 will be the biggest sporting event in our county’s history and Chileans are ready to participate in one way or another .

In November Santiago is hosting the COP 25 Climate Change Conference – this is the biggest event we’ve done in a while and will be a good opportunity to learn how an event of this magnitude works in Chile.

Host City: Are the opportunities mainly for local or international suppliers?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: We want to help the local community and thousands of local businesses – but also invite international suppliers. We haven’t hosted an event of this magnitude in the past and there’s a lot of expertise we will need to import. We want to learn from that.

One of the legacies we want to leave is developing local talent in the organization of mega events. We are developing talent within the country, but part of the legacy we want to leave is to bring outside talent into the country. So, it’s going to be a mix of local and international.

This is basically the planning stage, making sure we have the right team and people, that the stadiums and the baseline is compliant with Pan American Games standards, and start working on Gantt chart from today until October 2023 and make sure it happens in the best and most seamless way.

We are assessing what needs to be done in next four years. Right now we are working on branding, mission and values. We are also reviewing the sports programme, speaking to potential sponsors and starting to work on our legacy programme.

Host City: How are sponsors engaging with your legacy programme?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Chile has the sixth highest incidence of childhood obesity in the world – and the highest in Latin America. Improving these figures is an important part of the legacy programme.

We want to tailor the experiences of sponsors in a way that helps them connect with consumers in a very different way, but at the same time positively impacts the lives of millions of Chileans through  sports, volunteering and legacy programmes.

The Pan American Games take place in Santiago in October 2023, with approximately 10,000 athletes from 41 nations competing in 39 sports. It is followed by the Para Pan American Games in November.

[Source: SportAccord] New President Raffaele Chiulli of SportAccord and GAISF hailed the successful Gold Coast edition of SportAccord and the many accomplishments achieved during an action-packed week, was down to the ‘energetic participation’ of everyone involved in the 17th edition of SportAccord. President Chiulli went on to say:

“The success of SportAccord 2019 proves the importance and commitment of our organisation to our stakeholders and members, delegates, exhibitors and partners involved in the sport landscape. SportAccord will continue to adapt to the needs of our delegates and provide a platform that allows us to gather and move forward on the activities and collaborations crucial to the development of our sports, athletes and fans, ensuring a voice for everyone.”

Held in the Oceania region for the first time, SportAccord 2019 followed hot on the heels of the XXI Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast – billed as the Games of Firsts.

The SportAccord Review magazine looks back at some of the many highlights that took place across the event.

Delegates were treated to a traditional Aussie welcome when SportAccord 2019 was officially launched with an Opening Ceremony welcoming a global gathering to include: 1700 delegates from 830+ organisations, including 109 international sports federations, 176 cities and regions, and over 80 nationalities present.

At the annual General Assembly Raffaele Chiulli was unanimously elected as President of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) at SportAccord. President Chiulli’s ‘Work Programme’ for GAISF comprises 4 pillars, aimed at addressing the needs of its members and the wider sports movement, and building on the services it offers.

H. E. Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary General of the United Nations, Chairman of the IOC Ethics Commission and Honorary President of 2019 Chungju World Martial Arts Masterships, delivered the Welcome Address at the SportAccord Summit conference, and highlighted the ‘transformative power of sport’ as well as the importance of big data and analytics. Commenting to The Daily, Mr Ban said: “SportAccord can play an important role in solving the problems and developing and promoting a sporting community through Conferences, Summits, Sports Festivals and other events, helping to disseminate the values of sport and a healthy community to people worldwide.”

The SportAccord Summit theme focused on ‘The Future of Big Data and Analytics’ with technology and learning being the key focus this year. Delegates heard how technology can influence ‘the spirit of sport’, and IFs were encouraged to forge brand partnerships and collaborate on big data, this being instrumental in helping to drive fan engagement.

The SportAccord Conference programme saw nearly 100 speakers participating in the event across: the Summit, LawAccord, HealthAccord, CityAccord, and MediaAccord.

Following its debut in Bangkok, the 3-day SportAccord United Through Sports Festival took place in Kurrawa Park in the Gold Coast, and enabled 5,000 children to try around 60 different sports with federations. The United Through Sports Youth Conference highlighted the need to continue to build on the outstanding legacy from Bangkok, with several projects being identified during the SportAccord Sports Festival in the Gold Coast.

The SportAccord event platform was used by World Lacrosse, the global governing body, to unveil its new name, logo and brand. Other exclusives at SportAccord came from: UK Sport confirming London will host the World Skate Street League Skateboarding World Championships and Birmingham will host The World Trampoline Championships in 2023; Gracenote offered its first look at the virtual medal table forecast for Tokyo 2020; and the Commonwealth Games Federation returned to meet representatives from the 2018 Games, to continue to learn from their experiences, in preparation for the best possible Games for Birmingham and the West Midlands.

The organisers of the Gold Coast’s biennial Pan Pacific Masters Games used the SportAccord platform to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the team behind the Kansai 2021 World Masters Games in Japan.

The World Academy of Sport released research findings on the challenges for student-athletes maintaining a dual career; and the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) announced Moscow will host the first University World Powerlifting Championship. IPF also attracted many delegates to their exhibition stand to test their strength, including IF Presidents and dignitaries including H. E. Ban Ki-moon.

At the International World Games Association’s (IWGA) General Assembly during SportAccord, the Chinese city of Chengdu was confirmed as host of The World Games 2025. “By signing a contract with one of the most forward-looking and dynamic cities in China, we have signalled our arrival as a major power in international sport,” IWGA President José Perurena told The Daily.

At other General Assemblies, AIOWF praised the 2026 presentations given by both city candidates, Stockholm-Åre (Sweden) and Milan-Cortina (Italy) via video at SportAccord 2019, and acknowledged the progress being made for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

ASOIF took the opportunity to discuss their recently published report, ‘Vision for the Future of Sports 2019 to 2040’, which sets out 10 recommendations under the themes of governance and entrepreneurialism. ASOIF’s President Francesco Ricci Bitti also advised IFs to use the SportAccord platform to continue discussions with the Tokyo 2020 delegation.

At the AIMS General Assembly, President Stephan Fox’s continuing role as the Alliance’s representative on the GAISF Council was confirmed. Stephan Fox is also the Vice President of GAISF, and a leading supporter of the SportAccord United Through Sports Festival – one of the key highlights of SportAccord.

More high-level meetings took place including the ARISF General Assembly, where President Raffaele Chiulli confirmed the presence of President Bach from the IOC was ‘a very strong sign of his appreciation for what ARISF members are doing’.

Raffaele Chiulli was also confirmed President of SportAccord at its General Assembly.

Looking forwards to future events, in an exclusive interview with iSportconnect, Raffaele Chiulli shared his vision for the expansion of SportAccord into regional saying ‘relevance is the aim’. Regional SportAccord Pan America will take place for the first time, from 10 to 12 December 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

The Pan American sports business event will bring together around 500 delegates from 400 organisations, representing over 30 cities and regions, over 15 industry sectors and more than 40 international and regional sports federations. Event accreditation is priced at USD $1,500 and organisations who would like to take part can register here for Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019.

The 18^th edition of SportAccord will return to Beijing, China from 19 – 24 April 2020. The key decision makers in sport will gather at the China National Convention Center for a week of networking and meetings. Organisations can register and take advantage of the myriad opportunities, high-profile events and social occasions being organised for SportAccord Beijing.

To take part in either event, organisations can register online or contact the sales team to become an exhibitor or partner. 

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

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to confirm Raffaele Chiulli was unanimously elected President of SportAccord at the SportAccord General Assembly which took place on Wednesday 8 May 2019 in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Dr Chiulli is President of UIM (International Powerboating Federation), President of ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations) and leader of GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations).

Commenting on his new appointment as President of SportAccord, Dr Raffaele Chiulli said:

“I am proud to have been unanimously elected as SportAccord President.

“Sport has never been more relevant as a means of bringing people together around the values of inspiration, unity and respect. I am very excited by the scope for us to do more really valuable work in the future.

“SportAccord is a powerful brand, going from strength to strength and widely known as the place to connect. It is a great platform for learning and sharing, which brings together International Federations and the wider sports world. And our gathering here in Gold Coast will be one of the biggest and most relevant of the year.

“SportAccord includes the United Through Sports festival, which brings sport directly to youth and local communities, ensuring a positive social legacy for our events. This year’s edition featured IOC President Thomas Bach, H.E. Ban Ki-moon, eighth Secretary General of the United Nations, HRH Prince Feisal of Jordan, and other leaders of sport and civil society, alongside more than 250 children and young people representing 150 schools throughout Queensland.

“This year we launch SportAccord regional conventions starting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in December and we can look forward to much more in the future.”

SportAccord focuses on driving positive change internationally and dedicated to engaging and connecting; international federations, rights holders, organising committees, cities, press and media, businesses and other organisations involved in the development of sport.

Host City: The theme of Host City 2019 is “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-Create” - what are your expectations of this event? 

Nellie Kim: To be an active participant in a big sports forum is, indeed, one of the greatest incentives to the person to continue developing their natural talents and enlarge the boundaries of their personal achievements. In this respect, all that relates to the organisation of big and inspiring events is a point of interest for us.

To share experiences and to hear about the innovative ideas of all the stakeholders in the sector – be they representatives of city councils, national governing bodies, business, potential, or actual sponsors, event organisers, technical experts and all the parties contributing to the success of major events – is vital for us as the world’s governing body for gymnastics. Learning from each other and sharing experiences is one of the key factors of becoming better and reaching higher.

Host City: As Chair of the Innovation Commission at FIG, what are you doing to bring new ideas, formats and disciplines such as parkour into gymnastics?

Nellie Kim: The idea about introduction of the parkour into the FIG programmes belongs to our President Morinari Watanabe who was personally involved in the development of the project.   

In his official report from May 2019 he stresses on the fact that the future belongs to urban sports, like cycling with BMX, basketball with 3x3, volleyball with beach volleyball, as well as skateboarding and climbing etc. So, gymnastics has come up with parkour. Urban sports are booming, and we must keep in pace with this process.

Parkour World Cups have already been successfully held in Chengdu, China, and then in Hiroshima, Japan, where it was part of the Urban Sports Festival that attracted a big crowd of spectators.

As for the proposals the Innovation and the Ambassadors Commissions which I am chairing, we have submitted to the attention of the FIG authorities a number of projects over the last few months, some of which are:

- Changes to the Olympic Games 2024 Qualification Programme;

- Live streaming from the Qualification stage of the FIG World Championships using our IRCOS system;

- The Innovation Commission is exploring possibilities to include new disciplines into the FIG programme.

Host City: How is the Ambassadors’ Commission helping FIG to engage young people in its events and their co-creation?

Nellie Kim: The most direct approach to this matter is of course, the Volunteer programme applied by many of our member-Federations. 

We, at the Ambassadors’ Commission also pay specific attention to the fact that there is no bigger inspiration for any child or young person than meeting their sport idols in person.  Meetings with young gymnasts and fans is only one of the long list of Gymnastics Ambassadors’ activities prior and during the World Championships since the programme was introduced in 2017.

The role of Gymnastics Ambassador has already been taken by legends like Nadia Comaneci, Kyle Shuffelt and Svetlana Boginskaia in artistic gymnastics; Alina Kabaeva and Maria Pertova in rhythmic gymnastics, Alexander Moskalenko and Irina Karavaeva in trampoline, to name but a few. I was nominated as Ambassador of 2^nd European Games, which will be held in Minsk in June 2019.

Many of our greatest champions from the past also visit clubs and conduct workshops in various countries across the globe to promote gymnastics and to inspire young people. 

Big attention should also be given to continue promoting Gymnastics as the base for all other sports. This means Gymnastics like it existed in the schools in the past and helped children to develop basic body skills, discipline and healthy habits for the rest of their lives.

At the same time our ”Gymnastics for All” division caters for people of any age, from toddlers to old age, giving them the chance to enjoy organised classes and even take part in a massive international event called Gymnaestrada which is held every four years and attracts tens of thousands of people from all over the world.

Host City: And how is FIG raising the profile of women and disabled people through its events?

Nellie Kim: At the 2018 FIG Congress the decision was taken to have at least 30 per cent women amongst elected authorities, and this was a big step forward.  Because of the specifics of our sport, the majority of our athletes are female, and it is only very logic to apply their experience and knowledge after they have ended their sports career.  In this respect our FIG Women’s commission is very active. It has recently organised the Women in Leadership Forum held right after the FIG Council meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia in May.  To add to all this, our President Mr Watanabe is the President of the IOC “Women in Sport” Commission.

As for Gymnastics for people with physical impediments – several of our national member-federations develop this discipline. Here again, in charge is our “Gymnastics for All“ commission which comes up with projects encouraging the progress of Disability gymnastics and promotes the best practices in the field. The FIG President wanted to move even further and has asked our commission to study the problem and look at the possibilities for gymnasts with disability to participate at the Paralympic Games.

Host City: The FIG World Championships in Glasgow in 2015 were hailed as a new benchmark in event presentation. What is FIG and its host cities doing to reach even greater heights?

Nellie Kim: Yes, the World Championships in Glasgow demonstrated several novelties which became a norm in the organization of major gymnastics events across the world in that the entertainment flavour of the competitions was strongly interwoven with the traditional technical requirements of our sport.  The scale of Glasgow 2015 World Championships was possible due to the enormous support from the UK Sports Governing Bodies, the Glasgow City Council and British Gymnastics.

However, not many countries in the world enjoy and can rely on such enormous financial support, marvellous venue, logistics in place and professional expertise in every respect, as they were demonstrated in Glasgow 2015. 

To draw the most rational and applicable ideas, the FIG conducts a “Transfer of knowledge” meetings from one Local Organizing Committee to the next. However, I must stress the fact that the organization of each World Championships is a prerogative of the relevant National Federation. Sadly, many of our member-federations have the enthusiasm, the ideas and the knowledge, but do not enjoy the above-mentioned attributes for success.

Nellie Kim is speaking at Host City 2019, which takes place in Glasgow on 26-27 November. View the full agenda and speaker line up

One of the world’s leading influencers in policy innovation around major events, Bruce Dewar, has been confirmed as the first of two keynote speakers for this year’s National Events Conference: Embracing Innovation, Delivering Change.

Bruce, a key IOC advisor on legacy development and President and CEO of Vancouver based LIFT Philanthropy Partners, will provide the Scottish events and festivals sector with valuable insight into the importance of developing and delivering wider policy impacts as part of major events during his presentation ‘The Game is Changing: Policy Innovation and Social Impact for Major Events’.

He comes with a wealth of experience in social innovation having helped British Columbia leverage the hosting of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games into a lasting legacy for the region through 2010 Legacies Now; known now as LIFT.

Bruce said: “Hosting major events can provide so much more than just a great spectator experience. They can be the catalyst for long-term social change, creating benefits and impact on issues that are important to the citizens in the host community and the country.

“Over the last decade I have seen first-hand game changing social impacts and the importance of policy innovation. I’m looking forward to coming to Gleneagles this September to share some of my learnings and insight with the vibrant Scottish event industry.”

He joins Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, who will deliver the day’s opening remarks, setting the scene for the day, and VisitScotland Director of Events, Paul Bush OBE, as the other confirmed speakers at the conference.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Scotland’s has built a strong reputation as a leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major events. As we gear up to deliver our next major event, The 2019 Solheim Cup, there is no better time or place than Gleneagles for the industry to come together to forge new partnerships and to make future plans to help ensure that Scotland continues to be the perfect stage for the world’s major events.” 

Aimed at people working in Scotland’s events and festivals sector, including the arts, heritage, sport and wider cultural activity, this will be the sixth biennial National Events Conference. Building on the success of previous years, this year’s conference will consider innovation and change, plus future opportunities and challenges across the sector.

It will provide up to 250 delegates with a first-class opportunity to hear from industry experts and share their own event experiences, plus plenty time to meet industry colleagues.

Taking place at the world-renowned Gleneagles Hotel on 9^th September, the conference will kick off an action week of the Scottish events and festivals industry as it runs alongside The 2019 Solheim Cup, the pinnacle of women’s golf.

The Solheim Cup will see the best golfers from Europe and the USA go head-to-head over three days of intense competition, attracting tens of thousands of spectators and reaching a global broadcast audience in the millions. Conference delegates will have the unique opportunity to see behind the scenes of one of the biggest sporting events in Scotland this year.

Paul Bush OBE, said: “As the world’s eyes turn to Scotland once again, the National Events Conference will kick off a stellar week for Scotland’s events and festivals industry ahead The 2019 Solheim Cup.

“I’m delighted we will be joined by both Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Bruce Dewar as we consider innovation and change as well as the future opportunities and challenges for our sector. I know Bruce will provide some fascinating first-hand knowledge and insight on social innovation and the importance of delivery social legacies from major sporting events, which is an important area for our industry as we look to deliver more meaningful impacts beyond the field of play when hosting major events.”

Tickets for the conference are now available, with a limited number of early bird delegate places available at the discounted rate of £90 + VAT. To register and take advance of the early bird off, visit www.nationaleventsconference.scot.

[Source: EventScotland] Events professionals are being offered exclusive behind-the-scenes access to one of the world’s biggest women’s sporting events with the launch of the official Observer Programme for The 2019 Solheim Cup, taking place from 9 – 15 September at Gleneagles in Perthshire.

The Observer Programme for The Solheim Cup, the biggest and most prestigious event in women’s golf, will take place on the 10^th and 11^th September at Gleneagles and will provide participants with an exclusive opportunity to gain valuable insight into how Scotland has planned and delivered the major sporting event.  

It will include a range of information sessions covering the core functional areas, as well as visits across the site during which participants will hear first-hand from those who have played a leading role in the event’s planning and delivery, including IMG who have the responsibility for staging and promoting the event on behalf of The Scottish Government and VisitScotland. Observers will also learn about some of the challenges faced, how these have been overcome and how best practice has been adopted.

Open to event professionals and organisers, the programme will be of interest to potential Solheim Cup venues and hosts, key players in the sport and event industry, and those with responsibility for major events including rights holders, national governing bodies of sport and other national agencies.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “The 2019 Solheim Cup Observer Programme is a fantastic opportunity to get a comprehensive ‘behind the scenes’ look at one of the biggest and most exciting events in women’s sport. Participants will not only be able to experience how the event is delivered but will also benefit from invaluable knowledge sharing and best practice. I would highly encourage those interested to register today.”

The Solheim Cup is the pinnacle of women’s golf and will see the best golfers from Europe and the USA go head-to-head in the most exciting, competitive format in golf. This year, the event will take place at Gleneagles from 9 – 15^th September and is anticipated to be the biggest European edition of the biennial tournament to date. 

It will be the third time Scotland has hosted the prestigious event and is part of Scotland’s ongoing commitment to the development and promotion of the women’s game having hosted the likes of Women’s British Open, The Curtis Cup and the Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) Ladies Scottish Open as part of its diverse major events portfolio.

The 2019 Solheim Cup will showcase the stunning assets of Scotland, the Home of Golf, and will also build on the legacy of the successful 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. The event aims to be the most inclusive and family-orientated ever, and will focus on driving junior and family participation, inspiring the next generation of children in Scotland to take up the game.

More details available at: https://static.visitscotland.com/pdf/sc2019observerprogramme.pdf

The closing date for booking is 30th June.

Cost of the programme is £550/pp and includes a drinks reception and dinner on Tuesday 10^th  September, and one night’s accommodation, breakfast and lunch at The Gleneagles Hotel on the 11^th September.

For more information and to book your place on the Observer Programme, please email anais.armengaud@eventscotland.org

VIP speakers at Host City 2019, taking place in Glasgow on 26 and 27 November, today urged the major event hosting sector to unite under the conference theme: Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create.

Now in its 6th year, Host City is firmly established as the largest meeting of Cities and Sports, Business and Cultural events. Participants are encouraged to use Host City 2019 as a platform to develop, workshop and announce new events, partnerships and formats.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Host City 2019 will be another great opportunity for the major events sector to come together and share best practice as well as discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

“The major events industry is evolving rapidly as technology and customer expectations continue to have a big influence on how events are delivered. This year’s theme: Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create provides the perfect platform to discuss how we can work together to embrace change, so we can continue to deliver social, policy and economic benefits for the host city and country.

“Scotland’s experience in delivering bold, ambitious and innovative events is widely recognised and we look forward to sharing this with our industry peers in November.”

Dr. Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life said: “We are looking forward to hosting another wonderful Host City conference and exhibition in Glasgow. The need for cities to innovate, rethink and partner to develop their event strategies has never been greater, and Glasgow continues to lead the way on this front. It’s a pleasure to be speaking at Host City again where event hosts, owners and organisers will discuss these topics and much more.”

David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) said: “I’m proud to be speaking at Host City 2019. The UCI has certainly welcomed the innovative approach that led to the creation, with Scotland, of the UCI Cycling World Championships that debuts there in 2023. Creative dialogue between cities and rights holders is essential to stage events that benefit the communities that host them.”

Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of FIS (International Ski Federation) and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) said: “I am delighted to be speaking and participating at Host City 2019. FIS and the other International Winter Sports Federations are constantly endeavouring to innovate and evolve our event properties and the concept of co-creation is increasingly important to all event organisers. I very much look forward to exploring these themes in more detail in Host City, which is always a valuable opportunity for cities, sports, business and cultural events to learn and exchange each other’s objectives and perspectives.”

Dame Louise Martin DBE, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation said: “I am delighted to be speaking at Host City 2019 about how transformation, innovation and partnership are at the heart of the Commonwealth Games delivery model.  Now more than ever, it is essential for rights holders and federations to collaborate with host city partners and stakeholders to develop sustainable, impactful, world-class and community-relevant events that engage and benefit the widest possible audience.”

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

Host City is the annual international conference and exhibition that brings together host destinations, federations and rights holders, organisers, event suppliers and services from all over the world for two full days of unrivalled insight, networking, workshops and business.

Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City said: “The conference theme – Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create – clearly reflects the thinking and behaviour of the smartest players in the sector today. New partnerships and technologies are fundamentally disrupting the traditional orders of major sports, business and cultural events. We urge everyone in the sector to come to Host City to forge new partnerships, share ideas and create initiatives alongside the best of peers.”

To view the latest agenda and confirmed speakers go to www.hostcity.com, where delegates can save £300 by booking before 31 May.

Host City 2019 Expo & Conference is being supported by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

For sponsorship enquires contact adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

For speaking opportunities, partnerships and media enquiries contact ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: ASOIF[] The General Assembly of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) convened today at SportAccord in Gold Coast, Queensland (Australia), and elected Marisol Casado (International Triathlon Union), Ingmar De Vos (International Equestrian Federation) and Morinari Watanabe (International Gymnastics Federation) as Council members for a four-year term of office. Whilst Marisol Casado was re-elected for another term of office, Ingmar De Vos and Morinari Watanabe will replace José Perurena (International Canoe Federation), whose mandate had also come to an end, and former FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann who tragically passed away last autumn. During a moment of silence, the General Assembly remembered Patrick Baumann and his outstanding contributions to sport and the Olympic Movement.

Marisol Casado was elected President of the ITU in 2008 and became an IOC Member in 2010. She is also a Council member of GAISF. Ingmar De Vos was elected President of the FEI in 2014. An IOC Member since 2017, he is also a GAISF Council member and GAISF representative on the WADA Executive Committee. Morinari Watanabe was elected President of the FIG in 2016. An IOC Member since 2018, he is also a member of the Tokyo 2020 Executive Board.

The future of global sport and the role of International Federations (IFs) were key topics on the agenda of the General Assembly. ASOIF’s report on the “Future of Global Sport”, launched in February this year, received very positive reactions during the meeting. A number of member federations stated that the report recommendations had gained momentum within their organisations and will be discussed at their upcoming Executive Board meetings.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “The future of global sport, the role of IFs and their governance are all intertwined. By examining these three aspects at the same time, we aim to strengthen our member federations and help them tackle current and future challenges in a fast-evolving world. I am very glad to hear they have started to make use of the report findings in their daily work and implement some of the recommendations.”

On the topic of IF governance, ASOIF members agreed on the procedure of the third governance review, to be conducted between late 2019 and early 2020, with the declared objective to see at least 26 of the 28 full ASOIF members score 120 points (out of a maximum of 200 points). In order to support this process, the ASOIF Governance Support and Monitoring Unit (GSMU), established in late 2018, will continue to help IFs achieve progress in good governance.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organising Committee shared their plan for their one-year-to-go celebrations on 24 July this year and reported that they had released lately their competition schedule (session by session) to the general public. The recent launch of the ticketing sales website was hailed a success as well, with already more than two million ID registrations clocked by 31 March 2019. Tokyo 2020 also promised to collaborate closely with the IFs regarding the upcoming test events which will be important to fine-tune operations for Games time.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee presented their new Event Delivery Model to leverage IF expertise for an optimal and cost-efficient Games delivery. They have already started to work closely with the ASOIF Olympic and Multi-Sports Games Consultative Group (AOMSG) and the IOC Sports Department and will also closely consult with each IF on their expectations for the Games’ delivery throughout the preparations.

During the report from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ASOIF member federations were informed about the preparations for the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games, strengthening the solidarity funding model for athletes, and the IOC’s Gender Equality Project. Based on the recommendations from the project, ASOIF has proposed to establish a new advisory group which will specifically focus on the topics of gender equality and diversity.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) updated the General Assembly about the latest status of the investigations related to Russia, ongoing governance reforms within the organisation as well as WADA’s work on a strong Compliance Monitoring Program and the 2021 Code and International Standards framework.

The General Assembly also approved the Olympic revenue distribution model for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is delighted to confirm five Bronze Partners for the Gold Coast edition of the World Sport & Business Summit set to take place from 5 – 10 May 2019. This year’s Bronze Partners have all renewed their partnerships for SportAccord 2019 and include: Chuncheongbuk-do Province, Commonwealth Games Federation, the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), and Visit Victoria from Australia.

SportAccord brings together international sports federations, cities and regions, and top decision-makers from the global sports community. Over 50% of those attending use the World Sport & Business Summit platform to share breaking news, or drive sporting initiatives and key strategies.

Chuncheongbuk-do Province is gaining attention as a centre for martial art. The Province has international organisations related to martial art such as International Center of Martial Art (UNESCO-ICM), World Martial Arts Union (WoMAU), and World Martial Arts Mastership Committee (WMC). The 2019 World Martial Arts Masterships (August 30 to September 6), approved by the Korean government, will be held in Chungju City, Chungcheongbuk-do Province under the patronage of GAISF.

The Commonwealth Games Federation’s most recent event on Gold Coast was billed as the “Games of Firsts” – historic first-ever medals for five Commonwealth islands and states; an equal number of medals for women and men for the first-time at a global multi-sport Games; and a ground-breaking Reconciliation Action Plan to acknowledge, respect and support Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander communities. The next Commonwealth Games will take place in Birmingham, England from 27 July to 7 August 2022.

The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance is a non-governmental, member-based, capacity building organisation promoting sport tourism as a grassroots economic development initiative at the community level. The CSTA services over 500 members across Canada, including 150 municipalities, 300 national and provincial sport, multi-sport and major games organisations and a variety of other sport and tourism industry partners. Sport tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry in Canada with approximately $6.8 billion in annual spending by domestic and international visitors. Once again, Team Canada will be hosting their popular annual cocktail evening on Wednesday 8 May, Pool side at The Star Grand, (official Headquarter hotel for SportAccord).

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is the world governing body for basketball. It is an independent association formed by 213 National Basketball Federations throughout the world and recognised as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). FIBA are the official sponsor of the SportAccord 2019 pen.

Visit Victoria is the primary tourism and events company for the State of Victoria in Australia. Its primary objective is to build Melbourne and Victoria into Australia’s number one tourism destination by delivering strong and sustainable growth across priority markets. Since Visit Victoria’s establishment, the region has hosted more than 450 business events, 70 major events and over 180 regional events.

Commenting on the Bronze partnerships, Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord said:

“We are delighted to welcome back our Bronze Partners for this year’s edition of SportAccord in Gold Coast, all of whom have been partners for several years. We appreciate their continued involvement, support and loyalty and wish them all the very best at the 17^th edition of the World Sport & Business Summit.”

SportAccord enables attendees to enjoy multiple networking events and access to 50+ conference sessions. The high-profile event gives organisations the opportunity to increase their visibility by becoming a Partner. Organisations can find out more about becoming involved in Gold Coast by taking a look at this year’s recently published interactive Preview e-magazine and contact sales@sportaccord.sport.

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