Host City Asia returns to Beijing’s luxurious Four Seasons Hotel on 11^th April 2019 for an even greater gathering of stakeholders in hosting major sporting and cultural events.

Host City Asia is building on the “complete success” of its 2018 launch, with 200 event owners, hosts, organising committees and experts set to participate under the 2019 conference theme “Faster, Higher, Stronger: Growth through Event Hosting”.

Who attends?

• International event rights owners
• Asian event hosts
• Local Organising Committees
• Investors, sponsors, suppliers, marketers etc.

Agenda topics include:

• Impact of AI, big data and blockchain on the events sector
• Integrating event infrastructure planning into city plans
• Nurturing your city culture
• Growing engagement

• Creating healthier cities
• Growth through brands

View the full agenda and register your participation here.

[Source: Aggreko] Aggreko plc, the global leader in the rental of power, heating and cooling, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary Aggreko Events Services Japan Limited ('AESJL') has been awarded the supply contract in the category of 'Temporary Electricity Generation' by The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As part of the supply contract AESJL will provide temporary electricity (generation and distribution) systems to support the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. AESJL's extended scope of supply includes temporary medium and low voltage power systems across 43 competition venues, the Athletes Village and the International Broadcast Centre, ensuring reliable power for all stakeholders in the venues and uninterrupted television broadcast to millions of viewers.

The value of the supply contract is expected to be in the region of $200m, and reinforces Aggreko's confidence in its ability to achieve its mid-teens ROCE target in 2020.

Aggreko has a proven track record in supporting high profile events including this year's PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, European Championships in Glasgow and Ryder Cup in France.

Chris Weston, Chief Executive Officer said: "We are delighted to have secured what is one of the most prestigious event contracts won by Aggreko. Our experienced team will support the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee to ensure our role in the success of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games is flawlessly delivered."

Transport and mobility are part of the event experience, providing the first and leaving the last impression to all participants. It is with this in mind that Citec plans transport operations for some of the most interesting sport events worldwide.

The mobility concept and transport planning are key to the success of an event. Quite often, the complexity and interdependence of the transport plan and its operations are under-estimated: a complex set of ingredients to be mixed by experienced event transport delivery professionals.

Most recently, the Ryder Cup in France 2018 was a transport success for Citec. The latest appointments for Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Organizing Committee and UEFA Euro 2020 are further proof of Citec’s commitment and expertise.

The next European Ryder Cup in 2022 will be in Rome, and Citec has already started to work with the Italian Golf Federation to deliver a mobility plan by end of 2018 to initiate the work with public authorities.

The 42^nd Ryder Cup France 2018

For the first time in 20 years, the Ryder Cup took place outside of the UK. The 2018 edition was held in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 25km south of Paris, from 25 to 30 September. A total amount of 250,000 spectators came during the event week, with a peak of 60,000 visitors a day being transported to Le Golf National venue.

“This was the first time the Ryder Cup was organised in close proximity to a big metropolitan area,” says Stefano Manelli, Director of Citec.

Citec delivered the mobility and event transport operational plan, with a four-year process to get all the public authorities, transport operators and other stakeholders working together towards a common goal.

The project was carried out in close cooperation with Ryder Cup Europe, PGA European Tour, French Golf Federation and the relevant transport local authorities, such as Ile de France Mobilités and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. In the very last year, the Ryder Cup preparation was also seen as the best test towards Paris 2024 Olympic Games transport operations, where the Golf National venue will again host a worldwide mega event.

 “We could implement a holistic approach to mobility; great added value was in being involved immediately after the bidding process was over and France was successfully chosen. The French Golf Federation and Ryder Cup Europe operational management strongly supported the transport project as well,” says Manelli.

Analysing demand

Among the most important planning tools was accurate transport demand, which helped considerably during operations, allowing the correct amount of resources to be allocated to each origin-destination. With reliable planning scenarios, the design of transport malls and parking areas was simplified and optimised, allowing cost reduction.

A study was carried out to predict when and where spectators were arriving from, based on ticket-holder surveys and revised venue capacity figures. This data made it possible to adjust the need for additional operations on the day from train-and-ride and park-and-ride.

Another element was to set the size of the venue to the size of transport capacity. The notion behind this is “Level of Service”.

“This was a real achievement. Most of the time, this makes the difference between a good and a bad service,” says Manelli.

The project’s final goal was to identify all areas within Ryder Cup official locations with specific transport operations such as road closures and restrictions, traffic management and temporary deviations. All activities connected to this project aimed to find the correct balance between Ryder Cup transport operations and the need to minimise impact on residents.

The whole plan represented a total surface of 500,000 m² of transport operating areas. This could give an indication to future organisers on how many logistic resources and spaces are needed for such a big event.

Operational phase

A total fleet of 400 urban buses and coaches served the four park-and-ride (for a total capacity of 12,000 car spaces) and two official train stations in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Massy, operating four different RER lines (from/to Paris downtown), specially enhanced with 50 additional trains on the six days of operations (extra capacity of more than 100,000 passengers).

All flows reached two main temporary bus terminals on the edge of Le Golf National (East and West wing). Each terminal, specifically designed by Citec, managed up to 10,000 people per hour. During peak times, at the end of a competition day, each terminal was able to dispatch an average of 100 buses and 50 coaches.

1,000 people were directly involved in transport operations, including volunteers, drivers, parking stewards and operational managers, under the supervision of 12 Citec on-site managers coordinating transport, parking, traffic and security operations on their dedicated site.

The transition from planning to operations always requires deep and attentive work. The Citec on-site team was trained in the peculiarities of transport operations in two full-day training sessions. Site visits and liaison with the other providers were also part of the on-site training.

Contingency plans were also designed to face weather difficulties, overflows, bus breakdown and transport shortage.

Enzo Calabrò, operational project manager at Citec says: “European Tour declared that this edition was the ‘best transport ever for a Ryder Cup’ and we are extremely proud to have planned and delivered such successful transport operations for one of the most followed events worldwide!”.

Key learning

Transport planning and adopted solutions can be scaled up with regards to different levels of service, according to the needs of a specific event.

Transport can help to fit the venue to the scale of the area and adapt local supply to fit the event. Transport can offer innovative and pragmatic solutions to allow optimising the operational setup of the venue, especially now where most efforts are made on mega-events to keep these to a reasonable scale – not least according to the IOC’s “New Norm”.

Saan Trucking is a young independent company that originated in 2012 from Royal Dutch Saan, a family-based company with a great history in logistic services.

For the last couple of years, many touring-shows and complicated logistic projects have been trusted to our expertise. We strive for quality and continuity, which results in long term partnerships with our clients, the allocation of extraordinary one-off projects and a growing market share in fast trucking services. Our focus lies on the road in front of us, but our view is beyond the horizon.

Saan Trucking makes sure that live entertainment can be truly live. Any time, any place in Europe. We offer custom-made transport solutions for live entertainment productions. Our strength is characterized by high quality service and our engagement with our customers all along the road. With a small committed team, we provide the best trucking service for the best price.

We do many different types of live entertainment trucking projects; family entertainment, one-off projects, some smaller orchestras, sports events, music performances.

Disney on Ice

As one of the most popular family-entertainment shows in the world, Disney on Ice has been around for many years. This special show casts more than 50 well-known Disney-stars, performing over 30 sing-alongs from the entertainment company.

The show “100 Years of Magic” was touring Europe in the winter-season 2016-2017, performing more than 250 shows in 31 cities within 6 months. For this show, Saan Trucking was chosen to arrange the transports within the continent, deploying 22 trailers on average and driving over half a million kilometres. The show includes two ice-sets that move separately to the other equipment. The result is a production that requires three separate planning and routing operations that need to be overseen.

Holland Heineken House

Holland Heineken House is the national home of the Dutch Olympic Committee and the overseas home to all the Dutch athletes, families, fans and sponsors during the Olympic Games. In 2014 Saan Trucking was granted the full logistics operation for building the Holland Heineken House in Sochi, Russia during the Olympic Winter games.

This logistics project took about five months and covered the whole operation from planning until the return of all equipment to all vendors. Due to safety regulations and driving bans as an effect of the Olympic Games, we faced a tight timeframe to get all the equipment into Sochi. The operation consisted of loading on various locations, transfer, parking and just-in-time delivery at the venue.

We executed the transfer of 19 trailers from the Netherlands to Sochi using two ferry transfers. The first from Germany to Latvia was used to reduce turnaround time and economic reasons. A 2,500 km drive brought us to the second ferry; this ferry was mandatory due to a driving ban for the route to Sochi. Together with all the extra safety regulations, this was the biggest challenge for this job.

Thanks to our experience and extending network in Russia we concluded this project with a quick return home. The Holland Heineken House is a typical example of a close cooperation with our client and our experience with a-typical one-off projects.

Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier offshore race which is held every three years since 1973. It belongs to the largest sailing events in the world and it is considered the toughest sailing competition for teams. For the 2014-2015 edition Saan Trucking supported the official logistics supplier GAC Pindar with extra coordination, storage and flexible transport service.

We supported the race in three different ways. First, we provided full coordination and storage of an extra mast and accessories in a strategic location in Amsterdam. The mast should be 24/7 available if it was to be used as a substitute on one of the boats of the race.

Secondly, we transported several supplies from suppliers of the Volvo Ocean Race in the Netherlands to the start of the race in Alicante, Spain. Therefore, we used 10 trailers to Alicante, collect containers, lift-offs and one of the chassis was provided by us at the suppliers. Finally, we provided the transport for several stopovers in Europa, from Lisbon to the finish in Gothenburg, Denmark. Because of the tight race schedule, the challenge was to provide all the equipment in time. Therefore, we combined ferry and road transport, most of the time overnight.

The Volvo Ocean Race is a typical example of a successful sports event collaboration between the client, Saan Trucking and a third party in logistics.

Our fleet consist of tractors, box, softside and flatbed trailers, both mega and standard. All our trailers are equipped with the necessary facilities such as e-tracks at various heights, ratchet straps and load-bars. Recently we have expanded our fleet with five new trucks, all branded in our company colours to match with our current fleet.

We believe it’s not only about the trucks on the road, it’s about the people who drive the trucks. Our dedicated drivers speak fluent English and are very experienced in handling any live entertainment production successfully. Our drivers think beyond transport and provide additional services on site where possible. We offer transport solutions suitable to your needs. We put great care in personal contact with our clients, therefore you can contact us 24/7 by email and phone. If necessary, even in the middle of the night. So please do not hesitate to contact us about the possibilities of supporting your live event.

This article was contributed by Saan Trucking. For more information visit www.saantrucking.com

Opening the 2-day Host City 2018 conference, Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, reflected on the busy year it has been for the global events and festivals sector as well as looking at the opportunities and challenges facing the industry going forward.

He said: “The last 12 months has seen a packed calendar of major events across the world, kicking off with the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, followed by the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the FIFA World Cup in Russia and most recently the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

“It has also been pretty historic year for Scotland. We saw the opening of V&A Dundee, Scotland’s first ever dedicated design museum and the only other V&A museum anywhere in the world outside of London.

“We’ve also had our first themed year dedicated entirely to Scotland’s young people off the back of our bid to host the Youth Olympics that were recently held in Buenos Aires. As a legacy of that bid, and by putting our young people at the heart of Scottish society, the themed year has been one of the most successful things we’ve done.

“And one of the shining lights of the year was the inaugural European Championships with co-hosts Berlin. Those 11 days in Glasgow and Berlin were quite spectacular. There were many doubters and many doomsayers but it reached an estimated audience of 1.03 billion viewers and its success has created real momentum for the future that international federations need to look at.

“As a new event we didn’t have a manual on how the Championships should be delivered, giving us the opportunity to be innovative and find new ways of working. And while there were undoubtedly some challenges as we navigated our way down this new path with our co-host and the seven sports federations, overall the sector really responded, creating a delivery model that has caused real disruption within the events market.”

It is this delivery model that Paul believes we will see more of in the future.

“Already we’ve seen the 2026 FIFA World Cup awarded to the Unites States, Canada and Mexico as part of a joint bid and in 2020 the UEFA EURO 2020 will be hosted by 12 countries.

“In line with Agenda 2020, I think the International Olympic Committee need to be brave and give the Games to two or three countries. For me, it is the only way it will be sustainable in the future by spreading the benefit but also spreading and mitigating the risk.”

“Co-hosting across cities, regions or countries is an important trend for the future. It allows for more sustainable impact by using existing infrastructure as well as developing those social and cultural benefits across a much greater geographical area.

As well as new delivery models, technology was another area Paul believes will continue to have a big impact on major events in the future.

“Digital integration will also play a big part in the future of how major events are presented. We need to think how technology plays a part not only for the audience sitting in the stadium or concert hall but sitting at home whether that’s down the road from the venue or in a living room on the other side of the world.

“From augmented reality, live streaming to the availability of real-time data, all these tools are now at our fingertips to enhance the fan experience and drive greater engagement with an event.

“We’ve also seen the evolution of new events thanks to technology. The growth in esports and with it major live esport events, represents a massive opportunity for the sector. With an estimated 130 million competitive gamers who watch games online, and the huge growth market of esports, the alignment between traditional major events alongside an esport equivalent is massive.”

While it is an exciting time to be involved in the events and festivals industry, Paul strongly believes the sector still has more to do to ensure it articulates the short and long term legacy benefits if we are to continue to have meaningful impact.

“I know I said this at last year’s conference but I still believe we have a lot of work to do to truly showcase the impact hosting major events can have on a city and a country to our politicians.

“As an industry we can create impact across global governments like no other sector can. It is about ensuring a 360-degree holistic model approach to the planning and delivery of events, ensuring they are that are enshrined in policy whether its health, education, transport or sustainability. It is quite a change in mind-set moving forward.”

Concluding his opening remarks, Paul took a moment to remember two titans of the international sporting world – Mike Lee OBE and Patrick Baumann.

He said: “Their recent passing has come as a great shock to everyone. Over their careers they both made huge contributions towards the Olympic movement and they will be greatly missed.”

Host City is Europe’s largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, attracting a large number of senior representatives of cities and destinations from around the world, who are interested in sharing strategic and sustainable approaches to hosting the world’s greatest sports, cultural, business, science and entertainment events.

[Source: EventScotland]

In a keynote address, International Olympic Committee Vice President Prof. Dr. Ugur Erdener said:

“We – the rights holders, hosts organisers, International Federations and all stakeholders –all have to respond to and meet the new needs of the changing world. We must re-evaluate the content and formats of our major events to ensure that they are engaging and beneficial for future generations.

“As long as measures are taken to ensure their sustainability through creating greater value for hosts and partners alike, and by cooperating and collaborating with the hosts throughout the planning and delivery of the event, aligning with government policies to deliver long-term transformational change within society, the future of major events will continue to be a positive one.”

In his welcome address, Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland said:

“Looking ahead, I believe there are three key areas that will have an influence on the future of major events. Co-hosting events across cities, regions or countries is an important trend for the future as it will allow for more sustainable impact by using existing infrastructure as well as developing those social and cultural benefits across a much greater geographical area.

“Digital integration will also play a big part in the future of how major events are presented. From augmented reality, live streaming to the availability of real-time data, all these tools are now at our fingertips to enhance the fan experience and drive greater engagement with an event.

“And finally, it will be about ensuring a 360-degree holistic model approach to the planning and delivery of events, ensuring they are enshrined in policy whether it be health, education, transport or sustainability.”

Speaking on the opening panel, Ansley O’Neal, Olympic Programme Commission Manager, International Olympic Committee said:

“One of the exciting things we are looking at in terms of how we put together the sports programme is not just the urbanization of sports, not just the way in which sports are delivered in the future, but how you continue to appeal to an audience all over the world when sports are becoming more topically relevant within different regions.

“We as a property are looking at a broader content perspective – really trying to drive what’s happening on the field but also outside the venues.”

Alban Dechelotte, Head of Sponsorships & Business Development EU Esport, Riot Games said: “We are the new kids on the block, the future is now for us. We are young, digital and international. 85 percent of our audience is below the age of 25.

“We are building the same governance as every federation; the only difference is that we own the sports, the leagues and the broadcast. For us the future is to go deeper, not broader; instead of trying to go global we go local; instead of trying to be agile we are trying to build the governance that will lead us for decades.”

Dimitri Kerkentzes, Deputy Secretary General, Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) said:

 “The future for the Expo is really a question of being able to communicate the reasons why we want to have these events in these cities.

These are presence-based events – the only way to really experience it is to be present. That means a lot of infrastructure needs to be put in place, and we need to communicate to citizens why we are doing this. Are we just using the expo to catalyse it or are we seeing it as a benefit for the future of the region?”

Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, Rugby League World Cup 2021 said:

“The way we consume sport and entertainment is changing, therefore we have changed as organisers. We will stage our first ever Esports event during the World Cup to engage with Generation Z and millennials who wouldn’t normally engage with our tournament.

“Alongside the men’s competition we’ll run the women’s world cup, the wheelchair world cup and a masters tournament. And we will have a big cultural programme.  We are going to deliver all this at a time when the world is changing in front of our eyes.”

Dr. Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life said:

“Events, important in their own right, also have to be milestones in terms of the wider health, education, culture, sport agenda. Linking an event to other policies is a no-brainer – it helps the public understand why you are doing it."

Neil Carney, Project Director for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham City Council said:

“When we look to the future, it’s about a sense of partnership between organising committees, rights holders, host cities and suppliers. They are all competing with one another, so how do we create a safe space for those natural tensions? Events like this really do help with that – there are no other forums where we can have these conversations.”

David de Behr, Head of Sales Major Events, Aggreko Event Services said:

“Our role is to give federations and associations an alternative, to maybe change the concept. The ones which are in trouble are the multi-sports events. We have a lot of solutions to make them more sustainable, but we need to be part of the vision.”

Other speakers included top level representatives of Formula 1, National Olympic Committees, European Olympic Committees, Auckland, Victoria, UEFA, OECD, Eurovision Song Contest, GL events, AFL Architects, EBU, Cirque du Soleil, Coventry City Council, DF Concerts & Events, Rotterdam Ahoy, European Arenas Association, International SAMBO Federation, Nitro Circus, Red Bull Air Race, FIBA, UK Sport, World Archery, innsbruck-tirol sports, International Association of Event Hosts, London & Partners, Brno City and many more.

(Los Angeles, CA USA)  Following a packed September, which saw the debuts of both the You Got This world tour as well as the Nitro Rallycross competition, Nitro Circus is getting ready to heat up European arenas this winter. Now, with You Got This coming to Glasgow’s SSE Hydro on 21 November, Nitro Circus President Andy Edwards and other company executives will appear at Host City 2018 to detail the youth entertainment brand’s transformative year and its exciting plans for 2019.

To close out the event in high-adrenaline style, Nitro Circus and Host City invite conference attendees to the 21 November You Got This show at the SSE Hydro, as well as take a behind-the-scenes look at the stunt spectacular reviewers are calling, “a must see.” Meet action sports icon and Nitro Circus co-founder Travis Pastrana as well as other Nitro Circus stars. The VIP tour begins at 6:00 PM with the show starting at 7:30 PM.  For more information and to RSVP go here (deadline to RSVP is Monday 19, November) 

With the all-new You Got This tour, Travis Pastrana debuts as executive producer for the greatest, craziest, funniest show in Nitro Circus history. You Got This features multiple X Games medalists and several Nitro World Games champions attempting never before seen feats on a huge stage set. The new 17-metre tall Giganta ramp, incorporating a takeoff kicker that is three metres taller than anything Nitro Circus has toured before, launches BMX, Skate and Scooter athletes five stories into the air. “The tricks are getting out of hand,” Travis Pastrana reports. “The guys are throwing like nothing on this new ramp!”

Pastrana himself also leads an all-star roster of Freestyle Motocross riders who send it with jaw-dropping new tricks, and both sides will battle it out in FMX and Giganta competitions, both for prize money and - even more importantly - bragging rights. Look out for new crazy contraptions, too; who thought that a jet ski should fly? Without a doubt You Got This is totally wide open, with more thrills, more excitement and more irreverence than ever before. For a preview of the thrills Nitro Circus: You Got This has in store for Glasgow fans, go here.

For more Nitro Circus news, including tour updates, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and more, go to http://www.nitrocircus.com and follow Nitro Circus on Instagram and Facebook.

About Nitro Circus:

Nitro Circus, the world’s biggest action sports entertainment brand, creates electrifying live events and unbelievable original content that at once exhilarates, captivates and inspires thrill-seeking fans worldwide.  Co-founded by global superstar Travis Pastrana in 2003, Nitro Circus has since grown into a multiplatform phenomenon producing hit television shows, critically acclaimed documentaries and innovative digital offerings. That success gave rise to the Nitro Circus Live tour. Created in 2010, Nitro Circus Live has travelled the globe, playing to sold-out stadiums on five continents. The company introduced an innovative breakthrough in 2016 with the debut of Nitro World Games, completely rebooting action sports competition in the process. With over three million tickets sold to date, television programming that has aired in over 60 countries, more than 20 million engaged fans across its social media platforms and a burgeoning consumer products business, Nitro Circus is at the forefront of action sports and entertainment. For more information visit www.nitrocircus.com.

About Host City:

Host City Conference & Exhibition evolved from the network that grew out of the HOST City magazine, which is read by event owners, organising committees, cities and suppliers worldwide in their quest to host successful major sports, business and cultural events. It became clear that there was a need for an event that brings Cities, Rights Holders and Suppliers together to learn from each other's experiences of hosting sports, business and cultural events.

The inaugural Host City conference took place in London in 2014. A year later the event had doubled in size and grown to incorporate an Exhibition alongside the conference programme. The 2015 event was hailed as a big success and gained the support of leading industry figures across the board, including organisations such as the International Olympic Committee, the Commonwealth Games Federation, FIFA, International Federations, Capitals of Culture and World Expos.

2018 sees Host City returning to Glasgow for another year of growth where we will be welcoming attendees from cities and destination marketing organisations, cross-sector rights holders and suppliers from across the world. Host City is a Cavendish Group brand.

Register for Host City 2018 here to qualify for your VIP Nitro Circus experience. 

About the Cavendish Group:

A business publisher and meeting/events organiser with special focus on the emerging BRIC markets. Cavendish Group is a European business publisher and conference organiser with a focus on delivering business information to the fast-growing and emerging markets.

HRH The Duke of Kent has presented staff at JTA (Jon Tibbs Associates Limited) the highly prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade 2018.

The award 2018 “Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years” was presented by HRH The Duke of Kent at JTA’s headquarters in Kent on 1 November.

This is the second time JTA has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in four years, with the company winning its first in 2014.

HRH The Duke of Kent was accompanied by the Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L’Isle MBE for the formal presentation of the award.

JTA Founder and Chairman Jon Tibbs OBE welcomed the guests with a short opening speech, before HRH The Duke of Kent presented JTA with the award.

After being presented with the Queen’s Award by HRH The Duke of Kent, Jon Tibbs said:

“It was an honour to be presented with such a prestigious award from His Royal Highness in the office where JTA officially started 10 years ago.

Today was a truly special day for all the staff at JTA and a reminder to everyone of the value of their dedication and hard work.

This award is a reflection of our commitment and quality of service to our international clients, and we are fully aware that we are only as good as our clients’ success. We are so grateful for their continued loyalty to JTA.

“JTA is incredibly proud to be recognised as a growing British exporter. We are driven by the excitement of new challenges in new parts of the world, and we are determined to continue growing in markets we have yet to explore.”

Since receiving its first Queen’s Award in 2014, JTA has continued to grow its revenue and profits. Over 80 per cent of JTA’s core business comes from work with International Sports Federations, National Olympic Committees, Bid and Organising Committees, sponsors, and professional sports teams. This growth is aligned to the opening of a new JTA office in Los Angeles in 2016, the expansion of the JTA Design business in Alicante and the high number of retained international clients.

To help accelerate further overseas growth, JTA is in the process of opening new offices in Beijing and Lausanne. However, the heart of JTA remains rooted in the local community, with its headquarters based in Kent, where the company was founded nearly two decades ago. The company’s fast-growing core client-facing team is based in JTA’s central London office, where a young staff is dedicated to sustaining JTA’s reputation as a world leader in brand building, communications and international relations within the Olympic Movement and the wider world of sport.

Two global sporting events. Tens of millions of eyes on the action that unfolds. Two months apart.

How did Aggreko power both the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in such a short space of time, not to mention providing temperature control in two wildly contrasting climates?

It seems like an impossible task, but Aggreko’s event services teams are specialists in mobile and modular power, heating, cooling and energy services for good reason.

The Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games of 2018 took place in average temperatures of -4^oC. Power totalling 140 MW was provided using Aggreko’s containerised generators as well as around 985km of cabling – 100 times taller than the height of Everest. This was sufficient to power 20 venues, overseen by 95 of Aggreko’s experts on site to ensure a smooth project.

Just two months later, the portable power, temperature control and energy storage specialist deployed 30 MW of power, stretched across 1700km of Australia’s beautiful Gold Coast, for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. This involved 120 experts on site and 34 venues in balmy temperatures of 23^oC.

Both occasions were enjoyed by millions. Spectators packed the stands at both locations, enthralled by the thrills and spills of sporting competition. Behind the scenes, Aggreko were hard at work, optimising output, making sure that every variable was monitored and performing to its maximum.

To get to this point involved months of planning and design. The respective sites shared no common ground, and the teams responsible for constructing a plan had to consider plenty before finalising a directive for action.

During the Gold Coast Games there was much more space to cover than in Pyeongchang, but in Pyeongchang, the average temperature and ice-cold mountain winds would require special preparations for equipment to face this extreme climate.

Aggreko works closely with organising committees and this collaboration helps to highlight pre-existing systems, the functionality of the local grid and various solutions that can work around these potential pitfalls. This forms a partnership rather than a conventional business setup, where trust is created, and the supplier can get the best idea of exactly what is needed.

Each project is different and with Aggreko’s extensive experience in this sector, they have the expertise – and the modular products – to mould their specialist solutions to perfectly fit the varying requirements.

This is how Aggreko overcame the odds to offer these global events the reliability they craved, ensuring that its reputation for excellence in the field of events is maintained and warranted.

Host City: The theme of Host City 2018 is “The Future of Major Events”. What do you see as the biggest challenge and opportunity for the future of major events?

Niels Nygaard: It is clear that one of the biggest challenges facing any major sports event is overcoming the negative perception in the media and among the public that they are intrinsically financially unsound.

A lot has already been done in recent years to make improvements in all aspects of event delivery, but it will require more time and effort to reverse the negative discourse. The European Olympic Committees is fully aligned with the International Olympic Committee, Olympic Agenda 2020 and The New Norm, meaning that we are absolutely committed to lowering the costs and complexity of our events while improving their efficiency and sustainability. The onus is definitely on us to not only talk the talk but walk the walk when it comes to delivering the best possible events without gigantism, overspending and leaving white elephants behind.

Of course, one of the best ways we can do this is to host sustainable events that leave many positive and long-lasting benefits for the local communities – something we can then use as tangible proof in the debate. We hope that Minsk 2019 will become a touchstone for future discussions on the issue.

Host City: What impact do you expect the 2019 European Games in Minsk to have on the city and region?

Niels Nygaard: We certainly expect that there will be some level of cultural and socioeconomic impact on Minsk and Belarus as a result of the European Games. We see the Games as being a watershed moment in the opening up of Belarus to the rest of Europe and vice versa.

I think for many Europeans, not a great deal is known about the country – it hasn’t traditionally been on the shortlist of travel destinations on our continent. But that could very well change – in fact, Belarus was recently named by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 destinations globally to travel to in 2019. I think anyone who visits Minsk for the first time cannot help to be impressed by how beautiful the city is, how green, clean and safe it is, and how friendly the people are.

Fortunately, there will be next to no environmental impact on the city as these Games will be one of the most sustainable multi-sports events in history. This is because 11 of 12 venues used at next June’s Games are existing structures. The single venue that had to be built was that for beach soccer – an open-air facility seating 1,500 people that took only two months to construct.

And for sports fans it can’t get much better – the venues are state-of-the-art and are all within 30 minutes’ drive of the Athletes Village. It means that you can take in a number of different sports in the same day if you are so inclined, all in great comfort surrounded by passionate and knowledgeable local sports enthusiasts.

We believe Minsk 2019 can set an example for other multi-sports competitions in the future. There has been a lot of talk lately about how Games should be moulded around the host city and not the other way around. Well, look no further than Minsk 2019, which should become a prime example of how to host a major sports event without spending a lot of money.

Host City: Are there any areas of Games preparation that need particular attention right now?

Niels Nygaard: We are quite pleased with the way things are progressing so far, and get regular updates from our Coordination Commission and from the local organisers themselves. With 11 of the 12 facilities already existing, we have no issues with venue preparation – Minsk could hold the Games tomorrow if need be.

But in the lead-up to the Games we are asking our counterparts in Belarus to step everything up a notch in terms of organisation. In total, Minsk will host 22 test events ahead of the Games on 21 June, which will be a critical learning curve. They have proven to be excellent hosts in the past, but the European Games will be the largest event they have ever staged and it will require a great deal of flexibility and quick decision-making at all levels to be hosted successfully.

Host City: How is the candidature process for 2023 progressing?

Niels Nygaard: We had a good deal of interest in the 2023 European Games prior to our bid launch in September this year. This is why we were confident that even though our window for bid submissions is only 6 months, we are likely to have a strong pool of candidates from which to choose come 28 February.

By naming the 2023 Host City on the eve of Minsk 2019, we wanted to ensure that the 2023 Host City would have a full four years to prepare for their edition of the European Games.

The interest being shown in the 2023 European Games signals that this event is regarded as Europe’s premier sporting event. I believe it has a bright future and we look forward to seeing the Games evolve and improve over time.

Host City: With the European Championships having been successfully hosted in Glasgow this summer and another edition due to take place in 2022, how do you envisage the European Games coexisting alongside this new model?

Niels Nygaard: The two competitions complement each other well, with the European Games remaining Europe’s only continental Games, bringing together the best athletes from Olympic and non-Olympic sports and serving as qualifiers for the Olympic Games.

At the European Olympic Committees, it is our job to promote sport at all levels across the continent. We are pleased at the success of both our European Games and the recent European Championships, which are clear indications that sport is alive and well in Europe. If these events help to inspire people, especially young people, to take up a sport or get active then we can say that we are successfully delivering our mandate.

Host City: During the World Sailing Championships this year, IOC President Thomas Bach said that Denmark could organise a fantastic Olympic Games. Obviously 2032 is a long way away but can you envisage Denmark bidding and how might this work?

Niels Nygaard: We are of course flattered that the IOC President believes Denmark could organise Olympic Summer Games sometime in the future. I do not see it feasible for Denmark to host the Games alone, since we would have to build to many new facilities in sports where we are not strong today.

With reference to Olympic Agenda 2020, I could see Sweden, Norway and Denmark together could host the Games. This would require that the Governments and the people of Sweden, Norway and Denmark would like the three countries to have a much closer cooperation in political, business and cultural matters. In this case hosting the Olympic Games together could be a strong catalyst for such a stronger cooperation.

Niels Nygaard, President, National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark and Vice President, European Olympic Committees is speaking at Host City 2018 in Glasgow on 20-21 November. Register here today.