LAUSANNE, Switzerland – SportAccord today confirmed record levels of engagement from key players with over sixty-five nationalities already registered for the World Sport and Business Summit set to take place at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Center, Thailand from 15 – 20 April 2018.

With support from the highest levels, including the Host City and Nation Thailand, as well as from the sports community and industry, SportAccord is pleased to confirm all five Gold Partnerships for the 16^th edition have been taken. This includes 2017 host Sport Event Denmark as well as Sports Bureau Macau SAR Government who have signed once more. SportAccord also sees three new Gold Partner entries this year including Chungcheongbuk-do, Federation Internationale de Teqball (FITEQ), and Malaysia Major Events - a Silver Partner in previous years.

Organisations looking for opportunities to increase their visibility at the World Sport & Business Summit can become a Partner or Exhibitor by contacting the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 601 27 64.

Always a popular draw at SportAccord, record numbers of exhibitors have also signed up. For the first time, a collective delegation of ten cities from the USA have come together to continue to build momentum in the region. Al Kidd the CEO of National Association of Sports Commissions commented:

“Since I began working at the NASC we have methodically turned over every aspect of the organization to improve our offerings to fit our new operating mantra. The NEW NASC will be more inclusive to all organizations on the sports events and tourism value chain. To do so, we intend to revise all aspects of our business including governance, programming, membership resources, educational development and our new more inclusive organizational name - American Sports Events & Tourism Society.

Kidd went on to say: “To that end, we recognize the importance of our international friends and relationships and am proud to partner with SportAccord with our first unified marketing effort in support of our current and future relationships. Our delegation members see the opportunity created by the SportAccord team to bring a united US front to the international sports world.  Our goal is that this begins a more robust business exchange of marketing, competitions at the amateur and professional levels and operational partnerships to bring speculator International events to our communities.” 

Further opportunities for networking as well as relaxation have also been built into this year’s Exhibition space to enhance the delegate experience. These include ‘Meet and Greet’, a Media Zone, and a Relaxing Zone sponsored by Edmonton Events, where delegates will have the opportunity to experience a Thai massage.

Speakers’ Corner has also garnered considerable interest this year with sixteen organisations taking the stage in a bid to engage delegates with their latest offerings and opportunities.

SportAccord continues to attract an array of speakers and subject matter experts for its Conference Programme. New for 2018, HealthAccord joins the conference programme with strong representation from global health organisations and the world of Academia - at the highest levels. Also new to this year’s conference approach, LawAccord will connect the dots and host a city themed session for delegates, providing a 360º degree view when it comes to contract negotiation for event owners and host cities.

Organisations who wish to take part in SportAccord and experience all the opportunities it brings, should register as delegates ahead of the price rise on 19 March where the delegate rate will be CHF 3,000.

In its pursuit to become the ‘Sports Dream Destination’, delegates will also have ample opportunity to experience the wonderful culture, hospitality and culinary delights Thailand has to offer, showcased in the Thai Pavilion. On top of this, SportAccord will also host a Sports Festival. Many of the national federations will take part in sports demonstrations - open to both citizens and delegates alike.

Thailand, the land of smiles and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, has also attracted a record numbers of delegates bringing accompanying guests to the event.

Further networking events are also planned including a stunning Opening Ceremony at the Royal Thai Navy Convention involving the prestigious Royal Barge Procession as well as a Thai banquet of ‘tasters’ to complement the Thai experience for delegates.

As part of the Official Schedule, SportAccord will host well over 20 networking events and a popular 3-day Exhibition, as well as a full conference programme including: the Summit, CityAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord and HealthAccord.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #sportaccord, as well as LinkedIn and on Facebook.

Minsk, Belarus; 4 March 2018: European Olympic Committees (EOC) President Janez Kocijančič led a successful three-day visit to Minsk and was satisfied with the progress of preparations for the second edition of the European Games, which are to be held in the Belarussian capital from 21-30 June 2019.

President Kocijančič was joined by the EOC’s Minsk 2019 European Games Coordination Commission (CoCom), led by Chair Spyros Capralos and Vice Chair Zlatko Mateša, as well as a group of EOC experts. The EOC team also included EOC Vice-President Niels Nygaard and EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi.

Over the three days, President Kocijančič led the EOC team at a number of meetings to receive an update on the EOC’s flagship event, including one with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

Speaking after this meeting, President Kocijančič said he that he is eagerly awaiting the start of the second European Games: “The European Olympic Committees is fully satisfied with the preparations that have been made so far, and we are looking forward to the future with optimism and confidence. The Minsk 2019 European Games Organising Committee (MEGOC) has highly-qualified, welltrained, professional staff working hard to deliver an excellent second edition of the Games.”

President Kocijančič also congratulated President Lukashenko on the results of the Belarusian athletes at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, where they won two gold medals and one silver: “I would like to congratulate the Belarusian team for finishing 15th in the PyeongChang 2018 medal table. This was a great effort and reflects the high level of sporting competence here in Belarus. Belarus is not only a country that performs well on the field of play, it is also a country with world-class sporting infrastructure and organisation. Because of this, we are very confident that the European Games will be a resounding success.” 

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Health really matters for global citizens as well as stakeholders involved in the business of sport when it comes to our future. The inaugural HealthAccord conference: The Power of Sport – The Power to Change will discuss the long-term hard and soft gains, and address the challenges being faced across the entire sport ecosystem.

HealthAccord speakers and panellists will examine how better health is a key enabler, and helps to promote a healthy sports image. This in turn attracts commercial sponsorship, improves fan bases, and empowers athletes to give better sport performances, often extending their careers. Needless to say, this mitigates liability for sport, and athletes retire healthier and happier – with an increasing number of athletes being able to give back to sport.

Yannis Pitsiladis, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Brighton, and a Member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission will deliver an enlightening session on The Power to Change. Based on the premise we are ‘Born to move and why our future depends on it!’ this session will compare and contrast our ancestral origin with today. Delegates will hear how inactive lifestyles coupled with the way the world has evolved, will be detrimental to the future, unless we take charge. Commenting on why health matters, Prof. Pitsiladis remarked:

“The biggest threat to humanity is not artificial intelligence but the starvation of physical activity. Our future is in danger and it is all our fault.”

From an evolutionary biology point of view it is clear there is a mismatch between our body design and the world we have created. To correct this mismatch, we need to understand our past and find ways to match our body’s design to the new world we are creating in view of establishing a successful future – a future where physical activity is, like in our ancestral past, a main component of our daily lives.

Matteo Vitello, Business Relations Manager, Technogym will also provide a case study for the HealthAccord session, The Power to Change. Delegates will hear how this can be done for both sport and the corporate world. Vitello will share how the Technogym programme promoting Wellness in the community has been shown to improve health of the general population in their region. This is the first Wellness Valley in the world and this ecosystem can be replicated everywhere.

“Technogym is known all over the world as ‘The Wellness Company’ – a company that has helped to develop the concept of ‘fitness’ into a complete Wellness lifestyle. Living the ‘Wellness’ lifestyle means getting regular physical activity, the correct nutrition and having a positive mental attitude with everybody achieving their own balance in life. Vitello went on to say:

“Our mission is to help people live better and longer by adopting a healthier lifestyle with very simple steps.”

HealthAccord is scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday 19 April 2018 during SportAccord and is set to take place at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre. This builds on the success of the International Federation (IF) Forum 2016 where international sports federations gathered to discuss the power of sport to drive world health.

Co-Chairs for the new HealthAccord conference programme are: Dr. Margo Mountjoy, Chair, ASOIF Medical + Scientific Consultative Group, IOC Medical + Scientific Commission-Games Group FINA Bureau;

and Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, President, FIMS (International Federation of Sports Medicine) & Member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission – Medical and Scientific Group.

Organisations involved in the business of sport who wish to attend HealthAccord should register for SportAccord 2018 which gives them access to the entire conference programme. As part of the Official Schedule, SportAccord will host well over 20 networking events and a popular 3-day Exhibition, as part of the delegate experience.

Organisations looking for opportunities to increase their visibility at the World Sport & Business Summit can become an Exhibitor or Partner by contacting the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 601 27 64.

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Scotland’s 2020 vision for event hosting

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, shares his strategic vision of the next two years

Host City: Scotland has a great programme of major events coming up over the next two years – what are your expectations of these events?

Paul Bush OBE: There are a lot of great events taking place in Scotland in the next couple of years, and it comes off the back of a very successful 10-15 years where we’ve hosted some of the biggest and the finest events in the world, including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, The Ryder Cup, the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Champions, and the 2017 World Badminton Championships.

Over the coming years we will continue this trend with the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, The 2019 Solheim Cup, the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships, the LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships 2019 and UEFA EURO 2020.

With events playing a significant role in our visitor economy, this supply of events will ensure we continue to sustain and grow the sector while also delivering a positive impact both economically and socially for Scotland.

Host City: What kind of national assets will be used and developed over the next two years?

Paul Bush OBE: Through our national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, we try to maximise our assets for events, whether it’s our natural environment, our people or our built facilities. The events we have coming up over the next two years will really take advantage of these and ensure they continue to deliver a legacy for Scotland. For instance, the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and the European Athletics Indoor Championships will make use of a facilities built for 2014 Commonwealth Games including Emirates Arena and the SSE Hydro, while at Hampden Park we’ve seen the installation of new LED screens in the East and West Stands as part of the development work being done in preparation for EURO 2020.

We’ll also see the addition of new assets like the Olympic standard BMX track being built at Knightswood Park for the European Championships as well as the opening of the new V&A Dundee this summer. Both of these new facilities will be a fantastic addition to our existing facilities and present great opportunities for future events in Scotland.

Host City: What does the events and festivals sector bring to Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018?

Paul Bush OBE: The Year of Young People 2018 is putting Scotland’s young people in the spotlight, celebrating their talents, contributions and creating new opportunities for them to express themselves through a wide range of activity.

As part of the year, we’ve developed a nation-wide programme which, for the first time, is entirely co-designed by young people and the events and festivals sector. The programme includes both new events and new programme strands for annual events – all of which reinforce Scotland's position as the perfect stage for events.  

Collaboration and co-production with young people is at the heart of the year, and the events and festivals sector are playing a crucial role in providing a wealth of opportunities and valuable experiences for young people to express themselves through culture, sport and a range of other activities. From music festivals to science takeovers, film festivals to touring theatre productions, the sector is putting young people in the driving seat – putting the power into their hands and giving them a wonderful opportunity to bring different generations together as well as showing the world what they are made of throughout 2018.

Host City: How does hosting important conferences such as Host City and your own National Events Conference help EventScotland to achieve its objectives?

Paul Bush OBE: Hosting conferences like Host City and our own National Events conference are extremely important to us as it is an opportunity to bring the industry together to share best practice and look at the challenges and opportunities we’re facing, both on a local and global scale. Doing this helps us achieve our aim of developing a strong and dynamic events industry that is producing a portfolio of events and festivals that delivers sustainable impact and international profile for Scotland.

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Making its debut at SportAccord 2018, smart clothing and body sensor brands will hit the runway in front of a global audience with a daily Product Showcase to ignite the senses at this year’s World Sport & Business Summit.

With more and more players entering this market, a growing variety of products are arriving on the scene. Sports apparel and footwear continue to lead the way with garments that provide more in-depth physiological and biometric data than has previously been available for wristbands and watches.

On top of this, professional sports teams continue to adopt the technology with the body sensor market set to achieve 92.1 million1 units in 2022.

The SportAccord 2018 Product Showcase provides a unique opportunity for a limited number of brands to get in front of their target audience – the international sports federations – and steal a march. Fitness wearables market growth is being driven by professional athletes, teams and consumers looking to gain performance advantage. Athletes and teams were identified as one of the biggest drivers at the International Federation (IF) Forum in 2014.

Compression technology for quicker athlete recovery, moisture management, smart footwear, wearable patches, connected sports and fitness apparel, all have the opportunity to be on stage at SportAccord 2018. Interested brands should contact sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 601 27 64.

With an average audience of around 700 delegates during each Product Showcase, brands will have the opportunity to reveal new products and apparel in front of the global sports community - including media.

Taking place in the heart of the exhibition close to the SportAccord Café, there are multiple packages available to suit all budgets starting at CHF 3,000 – a steal when the current rate per delegate is CHF 2,500. This package includes One Showcase, two delegate passes, and an advert in ‘The Daily’ SportAccord newspaper (digital and print). Brands will also benefit from exclusive ‘promo’ shots to raise visibility for use in media and marketing campaigns.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said: “The Product Showcase is an exciting opportunity for sports apparel, smart clothing and wearables brands to gain exposure on a world stage.

“Years ago, professional teams had straightforward competition and training kits. Now, we’re starting to see devices integrated into their athletic wear for performance analysis. On top of this, smart sports apparel is being designed with superior comfort and performance in mind, for both consumers and professional athletes.

“Of course, ‘branding and sponsorship’ is also an important aspect for sportswear too – both on and off the field of play, and is part of the theme for this year’s conference programme. The SportAccord Product Showcase is a golden opportunity for a few brands to take part and engage with their target audience.”

Brands who are interested in taking part in the SportAccord Product Showcase set to take place from Tuesday 17 April to Thursday 19 April throughout the day, should contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 601 27 64.

Brands will also have access to the SportAccord Official Schedule including well over 20 key networking events, a full conference programme, and a popular 3-day Exhibition, as part of the delegate experience. SportAccord is also host to the Annual General Assemblies of its GAISF members.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #sportaccord, as well as LinkedIn and on Facebook.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Delegates attending this year’s LawAccord conference will hear from leading experts on the legal risks and business implications for hosting major global sports events.

LawAccord will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 18 April during SportAccord at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre and is particularly suited to GAISF International Federation members and registered delegates from cities, legal teams, and sports stakeholders.

The opening session will examine how rights are awarded to host major events and will recommend the legal steps to undertake for contract negotiation.

Delegates will hear from Catherine Ordway, Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne who will discuss how inter-agency collaboration is increasingly needed to be organised by bidding cities to support traditional sports integrity efforts.

A special joint panel session will follow with CityAccord on the most important commercial considerations when preparing to bid for an international event to void disputes and conflict, supported by case histories.

Legal and city panel experts include:

· Craig McLatchey OAM, Lagardère Sports/EKS

· Dr. Robert Kaspar, Assistant Professor for Sports Management, Seeburg Castle University

· David Simon, President, Los Angeles Sports Council

A scene setter outlining the Dos and Don’ts in contract drafting will follow by Jeff Benz, CEDS, JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator and former General Counsel of the United States Olympic Committee. This will run alongside commentary from Francisco Lima, Director Governance & Institutional Affairs from the International Equestrian Federation, on special issues arising from the movement of horses. A panel session will follow and seek to identify the ten most important issues for any hosting agreement, including risk allocation between the event owner and host city. Commenting on his involvement in major event bids Benz said:

“I am pleased to participate in the LawAccord and CityAccord joint session at SportAccord on Host City Agreements. Since my days as USOC general counsel through multiple event bids and hosting through today I have had the tremendous pleasure to work with a variety of parties in putting together the legal arrangements to conduct events in a variety of contexts. I am looking forward to sharing what I know about this subject and to deepening my knowledge learning from my fellow speakers and the audience. Putting together a solid event framework built on the basics business terms and legal agreements is the key to success in running events.”

This year’s LawAccord Keynote by Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), provides the essential annual update, a must attend for lawyers and sports administrators, where Reeb will share the most recent CAS cases and their impact on planning and decisions.

LawAccord Co-Chairs Stephen Townley, Active Rights Management (ARM) and Michael Lenard, ICAS, Vice President will announce the launch of the LawAccord global pro bono sports law firm of the year award 2019. This is supported by leading international academics Hayden Opie and Matthew Mitten as independent administrators for the award.

Host cities, as well as organisations and legal practices looking to attend LawAccord should register for SportAccord 2018 giving them access to the entire conference programme. As part of the Official Schedule, SportAccord will host well over 20 networking events, a 3-day Exhibition, and an extensive Conference programme to include: the Summit (Plenary), CityAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord, HealthAccord; as well as workshops delivered by Sportcal and Yutang Sports.

Organisations looking for opportunities to increase their visibility at the World Sport & Business Summit can become an Exhibitor or Partner by contacting the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 (0)79 126 08 42.

SPORTELAsia is the world’s leading sports media and marketing convention, which brings together the international sports business community and will be held in Singapore from 13 to 15 March 2018. We are pleased to present the programme of conferences:

TUESDAY 13 March

· YUTANG SPORTS PANEL - 14:00-14:30 - “The Media Rights and Sports Media Landscape in Chinese Sports Industry”

The roles of Chinese media in driving the growth of Chinese media rights market. How to achieve the best results working with them? Is there growing space for the Chinese sports media and media rights market? What are the main problems with the media rights market in China? What are the developing trends/directions in Chinese sports media? How to deal with the balance between traditional media like TV and new digital media? Advices for rights holders regarding working with Chinese sports media. Advices for Chinese sports media.

Moderator: Tingting Zhang, International Business Manager, Yutang Sports Speakers: Celine Shi, Vice President, Alisports - Arthur Wei, SVP, General Manager, Sina Sports

· ONE CHAMPIONSHIP KEYNOTE - 15:00-15:30 - “The Power of Martial Arts in Igniting Hope and Changing lives”

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, details how he escaped the clutches of extreme poverty growing up as a young boy in Thailand, to graduating from one of the most prestigious schools in the world at Harvard, and eventually building the largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship. The talk centers on the specific role martial arts has played in his life and how it powered him through the most difficult times. Sityodtong is a highly-successful entrepreneur with vast experience in various businesses. His wealth of knowledge and expertise, as well as the values which he holds dear, provides a sensational combination of business-savvy and determination. Listen to the story of how Sityodtong survived extreme poverty, changed his life, and is now helping others to change their lives for the better through martial arts.

Speaker: Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, ONE Championship

· SPORTELEXPERT PANEL - 16:00-16:45 in association with TV Sports Markets - “Success of European Football Rights in Asia”

In some Asian territories, the European leagues can realistically compete with domestic leagues, and it is important to establish why this is and for how long this can continue. The TV Sports Markets panel will look into what has created the interest in European football in Asia up to this point and will address issues each competition faces in competing for continued growth in the continent. This year will explain plenty about the current position of European football properties in Asia, with the English Premier League, Spanish LaLiga and Italian Serie A rights to be sold across the region between now and the start of the 2018-19 season. Can we expect to see increases in value for any or all of the leagues? China and India have often stood out as particular Asian markets where growth in interest in football is expected in the coming years. With the Chinese government supporting Chinese investment in football, it is important to ask whether China holds the key to Asian growth for all major football properties. Which other markets will be key for rightsholders in the coming years?

Moderator: David Cook, Reporter, Asia-Pacific - TV Sports Markets Speakers: TBC

WEDNESDAY 14 March

· ASN PANEL - 10:30-11:00 “Brands Want More than Audience Ratings”

Having a blue chip sports platform with a huge content footprint is, arguably, now hygiene for a large scale brand investor in sports. But it’s not the only defining quality that will swing a sponsorship. ASN - the utterly independent go-to sponsorship intelligence provider for Asia - will ask some of Asia’s challenger brands about their needs from a sports sponsorship and where sports promoters often go wrong with their platforms. Building on the topic in hand, the panel will also dive into the other metrics and insights that they need today, which in turn enable them to put together compelling renewal business cases for their C-suite.

Moderator: Ben Heyhoe Flint, CEO, ASN Speakers: Kate Geraghty: Director, Group Corporate Communications & Events, Fwd Insurance Group - Sean Davidson: Head of Marketing & Communications, Asia Pacific - Tata Consultancy Services, Ajay Mohan, Head of Marketing, APJ - Intel Corporation Singapore

· BRIGHTCOVE PRESENTATION - 11:30-12:15 “From Eyeballs to Value and ROI”

Why every viewer engagement on mobile is crucial for ROI. Viewers in Asia are just as likely to view live sports content on mobile as on a TV set. For sports rights owners, delivering content on digital platforms not only opens up new revenue streams from ads or subscriptions, but also unleashes a different set of challenges. Consumer choice and recommendation is driving video content discovery. Loyalty to channels or specific content can be easily disintermediated by social recommendation. In this context as linear TV channels negotiate away their exclusive rights, maintaining a direct relationship with the viewing audience is critical. Brightcove streams billions of videos every month for the biggest names in the sports, media and entertainment sector. Working with major media companies in Asia, Brightcove facilitates the ability for media companies to promote and interact with video content encouraging viewers to register. Registration and content consumption data provide insights for future promotional campaigns, as well as contribute to quantifying advertising and sponsorship value. Brightcove will share best practices on realising audience value from their experience serving more TV organisations in Asia than any other video platform.

Speaker: Greg Armshaw, Head of Media, Asia, Brightcove, inc.

· SPORTELTECH PANEL – 13:30-14:30 in collaboration with Sports Video Group “OTT & Piracy in Asia an indepth look at what to expect”

This highlight panel discussion tackles the challenges and opportunities related to OTT services in Asia and also piracy and content protection. The sports marketplace in Asia will be driven dramatically by the use of smartphones and tablets that are often more important than a TV set. That reliance on digital devices requires new ways of content creation, distribution and marketing and we will discuss how to develop a strategy best suited for the diversity of cultures in Asia. Apart of social media strategies, pricing models and more, the session will also take a look at recent developments in content protection technologies and services. More than ever, the digital landscape requires a disciplined and focused approach to content protection and anti-piracy activities. It is a complex area that requires constant attention and our goal to showcase the most effective solutions to protect content and revenues.

Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director, Sports Video Group Speakers: Maurizio Barbieri, Head of Sports Partnerships, Sea, Twitter Chris Wagner, EVP, Marketplace Strategy, Neulion - Bastien Casalta, CTO, TMG

· LALIGA PRESENTATION” -16:00-17:00 “How New Media impacts Football”

Join LaLiga President Javier Tebas for an onstage interview on how the changing media landscape is impacting one of the world’s most-watched entertainment products: football. Not only has the Internet drastically increased the number of channels, it has also changed how people consume it. Learn about the impact on rights holders such as LaLiga and also hear about the opportunities that new media provide.

Speaker: Javier Tebas, President, LaLiga

THURSDAY 15 March

· SVG SINGAPORE OTT WORKSHOP -13:30 -16:30 in collaboration with Sports Video Group SVG and SPORTEL are pleased to announce its first ever event in Southeast Asia: the SVG Singapore OTT Workshop.

The Southeast Asia marketplace is embracing OTT services at a very high rate thanks to the proliferation of digital devices and the internet. The event will be held on the afternoon of 15 March and is open to qualified end users and sponsors of the event. The event is free to all registered Sportel attendees and will provide deeper insights into getting the most out of your OTT offering and creating a more compelling OTT experience.

13:30-14:00: Developing Your OTT Strategy - What steps should you take to make sure your OTT plans align with the needs of your viewers and audience? Moderator: Chris Wagner, Neulion, EVP, Marketplace Strategy and Co-Founder Panelists: Tim Martin, Founder & CEO, Rugby Pass

14:00-14:25: Global Trends in OTT - What is going on outside of the Southeast Asia region with respect to OTT offerings? Chris Wagner, Neulion EVP, Marketplace Strategy and Co-Founder interviewed by Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director

14:25-14:40: Case Study

14:40-15:00 : Networking Break

15:00-15:30: Next-Generation Technologies: What’s Next in Audio and Video Experiences Understand new technologies that can make a difference for your viewers and help set your service apart from the competition.

Pankaj Kedia, Managing Director, Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories, inc. 15:30-15:45: Case Study 15:45-16:30: Stop Thief! Content Protection Strategies OTT services are under constant attack from those looking to illegally monetize the streams or to simply steal it and watch it for free. What steps can you take to protect your

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Host City: What are the hot topics on the agenda at SPORTELAsia this year?

Laurent Puons: It appears that the industry is very concerned about their media rights and current developments in OTT.  We have received many requests on these topics and have worked out a very good selection of panels that will shed some light on these issues, especially concerning the Asian territories.

Host City: From your perspective, how does the sport marketing and media industry in Asia compare with that in the rest of the world, in terms of technology use and market demographics?

Laurent Puons: Asia is the home of many exciting emerging markets and leading technology providers. Sports fans across Asia have a diverse variety of platforms to consume sports content, and the fact that the majority of the world’s population lives in Asia provides international stakeholders in sport with an opportunity like no other. The challenge of unlocking the potential of Asia is knowing which specific technology is the best for each sport, in each country and its respective culture.

Host City: Some are concerned that the audience for traditional sports is ageing; what kind of sports content will become more dominant in the future?

Laurent Puons: That is a good question and difficult to answer. It all depends on the available broadcast platforms. Sports television or media is dominated by traditional sports, led by European football and of course the networks must provide content their audiences want to see and their advertisers want to invest in. As these dominated slots are becoming rare, other sport suffers and lacks visibility. Due to new technologies and OTT platforms, new and dedicated channels can be built and offer fans the opportunity to see their sports on different platforms. I believe that MMA is on the rise and eSports is returning because of these new opportunities.

Host City: Why is it so important for event rightsholders to attend major conferences in Asia?

Laurent Puons: As mentioned before, more and more Asian nations are developing more media opportunities and in result of that it is important to be present in Asia to deal and control rights directly. For this reason SPORTEL helps the industry with this spring convention, enabling the elite rights owners to deal direct with different Asian territories and build their business. SPORTEL will always be upfront and centre when it comes to building business opportunities for the sports marketing and media industry. That is what SPORTEL is historically known for.

This article follows our involvement on a panel discussing the topic of “Creating entertainment hubs and cultural meccas” at the Host City conference and exhibition in November 2017.

The debate at the conference emphasised the importance of location integrity and matching strategic local cultural goals to event goals in the creation of successful “go to” events, wherever they are located in the world.

Our experience in all we do proves these conclusions. First up, Cirque was formed from within the long-established Montreal creative street entertainment community. This gave us artistic credibility and sector integrity from day one for our Circus inspired shows. This allegiance to Montreal and the strong “alternative street-scene” there has been core to our offer as we expanded and grew.

Our Head Office is still based in Montreal. As an Englishman when visiting this HQ, it also helps when immigration officials ask, “reason for your visit”. When replying I always mention, “work with Cirque”, which causes the officials to visibly swell with pride and wave me through!

Cirque has definitely added to Montreal’s cultural reputation. It often appears on lists of ‘the World’s most reputable cities’, vying for top 10 positions with cities that are far larger.

All Canadians, (not just those handling immigration,) now see the city as what Forbes magazine has termed the “cultural epicentre of the country.”

This claim for culture may not be so easy to extend to our other important entertainment hub– Las Vegas!

We have over 3,000 staff located there, running up to eight shows more suited to the unique “local cultural goals” that only Vegas can deliver. Our ‘Michael Jackson One’ musical plays to packed houses twice a day at the Mandalay Resort & Casino.

In the decade we have been in Vegas, Cirque has definitely contributed to the city’s long established “Big Show” entertainment reputation, even if this may seem at odds with the more bohemian Montreal hub.

Another core part of the Cirque offer is our touring shows. We have between six and eight shows on the road, at any time, performing shows all over the globe.

According to our twitter feed today (January 2018) we have shows in Rio, Beijing, London, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Dubai and Panama City.  They will remain in a city for between one week and six months and continually tour the globe for up to eight years.

These are a mixture of arena-based shows, such as the Albert Hall when in London, and performances under the big top. We have recently added ice skating arenas to this roster with our newest show based on ice, “Crystal”.

Every show is a self-contained mini village – a mobile entertainment hub, if you will.

Most recently Cirque has added a new provision to our offer - one that builds on our ability to create, stage and sell entertainment that is relevant to today’s media savvy and entertainment hungry consumers.

We are developing partnerships with locations, entertainment organisations or rights holders who wish to develop their own experiences, whether branded or not.

The NFL X on Times Square in New York is our most recent example of this offer. We have developed, in close co-operation with the NFL a four story, 40,000sq foot, interactive and immersive series of exhibits. Check out https://www.nflexperience.com

NFL X confirms those panel discussion conclusions. Firstly, the importance of location integrity and secondly, matching strategic local cultural goals to event goals.

The NFL X adds to the Times Square integrity by adding to its status as a “must-see” destination within one of the World’s most famous cities. It also fits within New York’s unique cultural offer – being brash, loud and original.

Nick Prichard is part of the Cirque du Soleil Global Alliances team. He is currently developing the new Experiential provision with a number of Host Cities, Sports Rights Holders and Brands. To find out more please contact him on nick.prichard@cirquedusoleil.com