Glasgow has signed a formal agreement to stage the 2018 European Triathlon Union (ETU) European Triathlon Championships as part of the inaugural 2018 European Championships.

The ETU event gives the chance for athletes from across a wide range of ages to be part of the 2018 European Championships – a new multi-sport event that brings together some of Europe’s leading sporting competitions.

Approximately 160 triathletes will head to Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire for three elite events (men’s, women’s and mixed relay) and 1,200 age group participants will also get the opportunity to represent their nation on the same course.

ETU president Renato Bertrandi said: “I am delighted that triathlon has been invited to be part of this new development. Triathlon is no longer a new sport but it is one of the youngest and still growing. We see whole families now attending races and the message from our sport is clear, ‘triathlon is inclusive, triathlon is good, triathlon is a way of life’.

“I was unable to attend the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but many of my technical officials were there and from their first-hand accounts and from watching the coverage on TV, it is clear that not only were the Games a huge success but also that the city was one of the most welcoming. The athletes enjoyed the atmosphere there and the public were fantastic.

“I am also very pleased that our sport, based upon inclusivity, has traditionally seen Age-Group athletes racing at the same venue for championships and 2018 will be no different with thousands of athletes, from 16 to over 80 years of age, racing the Sprint Distance, making the journey to Scotland and to Glasgow to be part of this great sporting celebration.”

Colin Hartley, Glasgow 2018 Championships director, added: “Glasgow’s sporting reputation has never been higher having delivered some of the world’s most prestigious events in recent years. We are determined to build on that position in 2018 and deliver an outstanding European Championships.

“Triathlon will be at the very heart of the European Championships and we will do all that we can to continue the proud traditions of the sport, elevating the status of European triathletes. At the same time we are looking forward to staging the Age Group Championships, giving people of all ages the chance to represent their country.

“The triathlon course at Strathclyde Country Park proved popular with athletes and spectators alike during the 2014 Commonwealth Games and by working closely with our partners at North Lanarkshire we will ensure it will be even better this time around.”

Scottish triathlete Marc Austin, who staged a memorable race at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Triathlon event, said: “It's fantastic that the European Triathlon Union have signed the Host City agreement with Glasgow 2018. It's certainly going to be one of the biggest triathlon events we've ever seen in Scotland. It's just great to have these big events coming to Scotland.”

To be staged every four years the European Championships will combine the existing European Championships of athletics, aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon and a new team golf event. The first edition will be held in the summer of 2018 in a unique sporting partnership between Europe’s leading sports federations, host cities Glasgow and Berlin, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

As part of the inaugural European Championships in 2018 approximately 3,025 athletes will visit Scotland for six events (aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon) while a further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin as part of the European Athletics Championships.

The event will build on Glasgow and Scotland’s track record of hosting major international events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Ryder Cup and 2015 World Gymnastics Championships.

The European Championships is being held for the first time in 2018 in a unique partnership between Europe’s leading sports federations, the Host Cities of Glasgow and Berlin and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). This sporting partnership will create a new event on the world stage elevating the status of European Champions and attracting a potential television audience of up to 1.03 billion across the continent, with a wider audience via digital platforms.

To be staged every four years the European Championships will combine the existing European Championships of Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon with a new Golf team event. Glasgow is Host City for all events with the exception of Athletics, which takes place in Berlin.

Around 3,000 athletes will visit Scotland during the Championships while a further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin.

And organisers have today agreed on an 11-day sports programme (2-12 August 2018), with 10 days of television coverage starting on Friday 3 August. The news comes just two months after the EBU confirmed that over 35 of its members, including the BBC, have now signed up to show the first edition of the new multi-sport concept in 2018.

Other EBU members already signed up include VRT (Belgium), HRT (Croatia), DT (Denmark), YLE (Finland), RTE (Ireland), NOS (Netherlands), NRK (Norway), TVP (Poland), SRG SSR (Switzerland), and SVT and TV4 (Sweden). The level of coverage for the inaugural European Championships is also enhanced by a deal with Eurosport.

As part of the confirmed sports programme synchronised swimming will now take place at Scotstoun Sports Campus in Glasgow, allowing the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh to focus on delivering a world-class diving competition. The move means both diving and synchronised swimming will benefit from enhanced broadcast coverage.

The 11-day sports programme contains two action packed weekends that will see venues across Glasgow and Scotland come alive as Europe’s finest athletes do battle in a bid to be crowned European champion.

Aileen Campbell, Scottish Government Minister for Sport, said: “The Championships are an excellent platform to showcase to a global audience just how good Scotland is at hosting major events, and the fact we are going to have 11 action packed days of sport only adds to that spectacle.

“We have an outstanding track record of successfully hosting events watched across the world and I’m sure that people across Scotland will welcome athletes and give them an experience that they’ll never forget.”

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Excitement is building ahead of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, with the final sports programme ensuring that Glasgow will continue to shine on the global stage.

“The fact that the city will be hosting an event watched by a potential television audience of one billion people is a golden opportunity for us. We will use the magical moments that the athletes, our fantastic home crowd and our many visitors will create to showcase everything we have to offer as a visitor destination.”

European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen, co-chair of the European Championships Board, said: “The European Sports Federation members of the 2018 Board are fully supportive of having an overall programme that will deliver a schedule packed with exciting finals and gold-medal moments for television. We all believe in the power of aggregation and the benefits for our sports that come from bringing our championships together in this exciting new event.”

Fellow co-chair Paolo Barelli, President of the Ligue Européenne de Natation (European Aquatics), said: “The sports programme in Glasgow will start with a number of qualifying rounds on Thursday 2 August before a packed weekend of sport on television starting on Friday 3 August. This optimised 10-day television program will create a fantastic viewing experience with audiences able to follow finals in multiple sports across the day and evening, with great storytelling opportunities for broadcasters. Indeed, it will intensify even further the power of aggregation that this European Championships provides.”

Stefan Kuerten, Director of Eurovision Services and Sports Rights, said: “We are very happy with this exciting 10-day television schedule for the 2018 European Championships. In a multi-sport event, you can choose between the different sports and the opportunity to follow your national athletes across a variety of sport.

“Television and radio channels will be able to switch from one highly attractive sport to another without interrupting their program and digital platforms will propose a large choice of content which will accommodate all viewers. Furthermore, it creates a close synergy between Glasgow and Berlin, with broadcasters able to crisscross between events in both cities as they follow their respective national medal hopes.

Glasgow 2018 will build on Scotland’s track record of hosting major international events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Ryder Cup and 2015 World Gymnastics Championships.

Download the programme for Glasgow 2018 here: DOWNLOAD PROGRAMME

Visit www.glasgow2018.com for further information on the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and to register for priority access to tickets, which go on sale this summer. 

[Source: EventScotland]

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations’ (ASOIF) Olympic and Multi-Sports Games Consultative Group (AOMSG) held its first meeting of 2017 and top of the agenda was the International Federations’ (IFs) increasing role in the preparations of Olympic Games as well as Youth Olympic Games.

In the light of Olympic Agenda 2020, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) strategic roadmap for the Olympic Movement, IFs are required to be more involved in the planning and delivery of the Olympic competitions, including the transfer of some technical responsibilities from the Olympic Games Organising Committees (OCOGs) to the IFs.

This comes after a number of IFs expressed concern over venue standards during the run-up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In April 2016, the gymnastics federation, FIG, held its Rio test event and concerns were raised over power outages, the scoring system and missing equipment at a temporary training venue.

The ultimate goal is to better utilise IFs’ growing events expertise and thereby ensure seamless organisation and a reduction of costs of the Olympic Games, for instance when it comes to venue design and development or the integration of IF workforce personnel into the OCOG.  

IOC experts joined in the AOMSG meeting to update the group on the preparations for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held next year in Buenos Aires and about future plans for the development of the event.

During a detailed review of the YOG concept last year, driven by Olympic Agenda 2020, IFs gave important feedback on their experience with the first two summer YOG editions.

The IOC will deliver a report to all ASOIF members during a dedicated working meeting in Lausanne in April.

Expo 2020 Dubai will award 47 construction contracts worth $3 billion in 2017 as preparations for the Middle East’s first world expo continues to gather pace.

A further 98 non-construction contracts totalling more than $98 million will also be distributed before the end of the year. These will range from legal advisory services to event management and merchandising.

The construction contracts for 2017, which are open to local, regional and international businesses, include the third and final infrastructure package for the event’s support areas.

Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, said: “We are committed to working with leading businesses from across the world in order to deliver an exceptional event of this scale, on time and on budget.

“This is particularly true when it comes to the development of the physical site, which will live on long beyond 2021 to become an anchor for the UAE’s developing knowledge economy in Dubai South.

“But just as importantly, the non-construction contracts to be procured this year will allow us to spread the investment made in the Expo as far as possible and enable local, regional and international businesses of all sizes to be part of what will be the most inclusive and international event in Expo history.”

In 2016, Expo 2020 Dubai awarded more than 1,200 contracts, investing more than $544.5 million in the economy. This included the appointment of an Orascom-Besix joint venture at the end of the year to develop the deep infrastructure at the Expo site in Dubai South. Once complete, the site will cover 4.38 square kilometres and host up to 300,000 people a day between October 2020 and April 2021.

Ahmed Al Khatib, vice president of real estate and delivery, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “While 2016 was an important year for design, 2017 is when the momentum of construction will really build, ahead of international participants beginning work on their pavilions in 2018.

“These important contracts will help us meet our target of completing the majority of construction with a year to go before Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors in October 2020, providing the opportunity for all-important readiness testing.”

[Source: SportAccord Convention] SportAccord Convention today announced the Sports Bureau of Macao SAR Government will be a Gold Partner again for this year’s 15^th edition taking place from 2 – 7 April 2017 in the waterside city of Aarhus Convention Center in Denmark.

Commenting on its Gold Partnership, Mr Pun Weng Kun, President of Sports Bureau of Macao SAR Government said, “We are honored to return again as one of the Gold Partners, as we look forward to enhancing Macau’s profile as an active sport city, making contributions to the positive growth and development in the global sport industry and being a significant part of the success of the SportAccord Convention.”

The Sports Bureau of Macao SAR Government seeks to promote sport at all levels with athletes and citizens alike. It focuses on creating the necessary conditions for the development of sport and plays an active role between sports associations as well as encouraging citizens to lead a healthy lifestyle, promoting the positive message, “Let’s exercise for our health” as a good habit.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord Convention said, “We are pleased to welcome Macau for their tenth anniversary year as a Gold Partner. Their strategy and objectives for enabling people to participate in sport from grassroots to elite levels, as well as hosting international sport events, makes Macau a key contender as an international sports destination.” Hatt went on to say, “With interest high for this year’s Convention, as well as Aarhus being on the radar of many organisations around the world as European Capital of Culture for 2017, we’ve seen a sharp rise in registrations to take advantage of this halo.”

Held in a different city every year, the annual SportAccord Convention is a unique opportunity for key decision-makers from sport and industry to meet, network and strategically shape global, regional and national agendas. An exclusive 6-day event with 1500 delegates expected to attend in just under 6 weeks, organisations who want to take advantage of the world’s premier and most exclusive annual event and get involved in the business of sport, are registering as exhibitors or delegates daily at www.sportaccordconvention.com.

The SportAccord Convention is also host to annual general meetings of governing bodies, will welcome a delegation from the International Olympic Committee, and its 3-day conference programme focused on ‘Innovation In Action’ promises to share cutting edge business ideas and fire the imagination of delegates.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – SportAccord Convention today provided an update on the Plenary Conference programme ‘Innovation in Action’ including speakers, additional sessions, and partners. SportAccord Convention will be held from 2 – 7 April 2017 at the Scandinavian Center in Aarhus, Denmark, this year’s European Capital of Culture.

With sport being the fastest growing sector in the entertainment industry, it also holds a unique place in the hearts and minds of supporters. Thanks to our Top Media Partner Dow Jones, Tom Glick, CCO of City Football Group will share his insights into how the club has opened the door to innovation, to build loyalty and grow support as well as commercial success, in a scene setter focused on ‘Innovation in the Business of Sport’.

Commenting on the Group’s strategy, Tom Glick said, “At Manchester City and all our City Football Group clubs, we have a passion for innovation and for connecting with our fans everywhere in the world; whether in stadium or wherever they follow our clubs. Our fans are increasingly global, increasingly digital and increasingly mobile and we are delighted to be working with world-class partners who are helping us to find new ways to engage them.”

Continuing the theme ‘Innovation in the Business of Sport’, a panel will consider the risks of moving too fast for fans, balanced against the dangers of getting caught up in the wake of other, faster moving clubs, sports, and competitions. The session will address how sponsor engagement, digital, data and in-stadium technology, enables sport disciplines to deliver even more to meet fan expectations and draw so much more in return.

The Panel lineup includes:

• Ishveen Anand, Founder & CEO, OpenSponsorship
• David de Behr, Head of Sales, Major Events Division, Aggreko
• Tom Glick, CCO, City Football Group
• Fiona Green, Director & Co-Founder, Winners

The Panel for the session focused on ‘Innovation – A permanent change revolution, or an opportunity to reset your sport?’ is now confirmed and will look at how sports are using innovative approaches within their specific disciplines to advance both the sport itself as well as expand who is able to participate.

Panel members includes:

• Mark Barfield, Technical Manager, UCI
• Johannes Holzmüller Head of Football Technology Innovation Department, FIFA 
• Angela Ruggeiro, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Sports Innovation Lab and Chair of IOC Athletes' Commission
• Chris Wells, Communication Manager, World Archery

David Eades, Journalist and Anchor for BBC World will moderate the sessions. Further details of the Plenary Conference as well as the LawAccord programme can be found at www.sportaccordconvention.com.

SportAccord Convention is the world’s premier and most exclusive annual event at the service of sport. It is focused on driving positive change internationally and dedicated to engaging and connecting; international sports federations, rights holders, organising committees, cities, press and media, businesses and other organisations involved in the development of sport. The Convention is host to annual general meetings of governing bodies as well as bid cities, and once again, will welcome a delegation from the International Olympic Committee.

Knowing your customer is essential for any business, whether that’s a sports or entertainment organisation staying attuned to the feelings of fans or a media organisation understanding the mindset of its viewers, readers and listeners.

In the digital age, customer data has grown exponentially. But who owns the most data? The retailer is the first port of call for most customers, so online retailers are sitting on a massive digital resource that has the potential to expand the reach of any content-producing organisation – particularly when sports and entertainment is increasingly distributed globally via a single channel: the internet.

The agreement between the International Olympic Committee and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is a perfect example of a partnership between an organisation dedicated to world-class content and another dedicated to reaching customers, in the world’s biggest and fastest growing market.

The deal, announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos and negotiated by Shankai Sports and Michael Payne, who set up the IOC’s TOP sponsorship programme in the 1980s, is highly innovative. In joining as the latest TOP Sponsor, Alibaba is said to be providing around US$1bn of financial support to the IOC over the next six Olympic Games. Alibaba becomes the IOC’s official provider of Cloud and e-commerce services as well as partnering with the IOC’s online Olympic Channel.

The sponsorship deal is said to have been conducted independently of Alisports, which already partners with a number of other sports organisations to deliver sports directly to fans via Alibaba’s own online channels.

Retailers are traditionally not producers of content, but they are starting to occupying this space. Amazon is already distributing online television direct to its customers – and if the e-commerce giants do start to launch their own sports events, the pressure on traditional sports organisations to assert the authenticity and integrity of their own properties will get even more intense.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – SportAccord Convention has announced first details of the Plenary Conference programme ‘Innovation in Action’ taking place in this year’s European Capital of Culture, Aarhus, Denmark from 2–7 April 2017.

SportAccord Convention is the world’s premier and most exclusive annual event at the service of sport. Held in a different city each year, the Convention takes place over six days and is focused on driving positive change internationally and dedicated to engaging and connecting; international sports federations, rights holders, organising committees, cities, press and media, and organisations involved in the business of sport.

“We have a great event lined up for delegates at this special 15^th anniversary edition of the SportAccord Convention and we’ll see a number of speakers make their debut at the Plenary Conference,” said Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention. “Innovation is at the hub of any successful organisation and this year’s conference programme will enable delegates to explore and experience the innovative ways business leaders are making decisive decisions to keep their organisations ahead of the game and in the hearts and minds of fans.”

Day 1 will kick-off with a keynote to address why organisations must innovate to remain relevant. This will follow with a conference session examining whether innovation is a permanent change revolution or an opportunity for organisations to reset their sport. Other sessions will focus on the business of sport and includes how one English Premier League football club opened the door to innovation, to build loyalty and grow support, as well as commercial success. A panel will consider the risks of moving too fast for fans, balanced against the dangers of getting caught in the wake of other, faster moving clubs, sports and competitions. Delegates will also hear how some International Sports Federations have used innovation to great effect in their sport discipline.

Day 2 will begin with a presentation from Tokyo 2020 on their plans for hosting the next Games and why it will be the most futuristic sporting event to date. Panel sessions will examine whether technology is a friend or foe when it comes to dictating the direction of sport and how organisations can embrace beneficial technological change and meet generational expectations without losing the very essence of sport. A technology health-check for the sports movement will also provide updates on key developments in the areas of digital and social media, wearable devices, 3-D and VR content, drones, and more, with experts who can share the latest technology, best practice and answer questions.

The Convention provides organisations involved in the development and business of sport with a unique opportunity to meet and network on a global scale with over ninety percent (90%) of the delegation being key decision-makers and in a position to take action. The majority of delegates, partners and exhibitors return each year, ensuring the Convention is part of their business strategy. With over seventy percent (70%) of exhibitor space sold, and just under two weeks to go until the delegate pass is due to rise to CHF 2,500 on 6 February, organisations can become involved at SportAccord Convention as a delegate, exhibitor or sponsor and register at www.sportaccordconvention.com

Source: SportAccord Convention

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – SportAccord Convention has announced its Silver Partners for the 15^th edition of the Convention taking place from 2 - 7 April 2017 in the Scandinavian Center Aarhus, Denmark. This year’s Silver Partners include:

• Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance – created through a partnership with the Canadian Tourism Commission, CSTA has over 400 members including 142 municipalities and 200+ national and regional sport organisations, as well as product and service suppliers. One of its key objectives is to market Canada internationally as a preferred sport tourism destination.
• Edmonton Events – established as a strategic partnership between the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Tourism, is focused on attracting major events to the region. Edmonton Events provides a single point of contact, offering services and expertise from event inception, bidding and marketing, to operations and legacy.
• EventScotland – part of VisitScotland, and building on Scotland’s reputation as a major events destination, its refreshed vision is aimed at making Scotland ‘The Perfect Stage’ for events.
• Malaysia Major Events – a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, MME was established to promote, facilitate and stage international events as the venue of choice for the region.

Welcoming on-board this year’s Silver Partners, Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord Convention said, “We’re delighted to welcome our Silver Partners to this year’s special edition. As regional event and hospitality experts and hosts, they are well aware of the benefits and exposure SportAccord Convention provides them as a host city.” Hatt went on to say, “With Aarhus being the European Capital of Culture for 2017, this setting enables all our partners and exhibitors to really shine and take advantage of the opportunities and interest surrounding our event and the Host City.”

Aarhus, the city that never sleeps, has a monumental year ahead with a cultural programme to keep everybody entertained. Filled with museums, and iconic buildings like ARoS offering panoramic ‘rainbow’ views, or the stunning new waterside library ‘Dokk1’, an ambitious project which successfully manages to marry two Danish cultural traditions - being accessible to all generations and social classes, as well as being functional within a beautiful design. The bustling streets are packed with independent shops, cafes and restaurants, where Aarhus (and the surrounding area) also hold the prestigious title of European Region of Gastronomy 2017.

Over one thousand organisations attend the SportAccord Convention to network and discuss the business of sport. With just under one week to go before the delegate pass rises to CHF 2,500, and the exhibition proving as popular as ever with 85% of booths now sold, organisations still considering whether to become involved should take action and register as a delegate or secure a booth at www.sportaccordconvention.com. For those who would like to go the extra mile and benefit from this unique opportunity, a couple of Bronze partnership opportunities remain.

SportAccord Convention is host to annual general meetings of governing bodies as well as bid cities, and once again, will welcome a delegation from the International Olympic Committee.

The SportAccord Convention official schedule will also include a plenary conference, City Forum, LawAccord and MediaAccord and this year’s overarching theme is ‘Innovation in Action’. These sessions are intended for International Federations and organisations who want to get up to speed with the latest thinking, as well as hear the news and views of sporting leaders from around the globe.

To become a delegate or exhibitor at SportAccord Convention register at: www.sportaccordconvention.com

Source: SportAccord Convention

[Source: SIGA] A series of high profile delegates, headed by European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen, today called for active and sustainable sports governance reform at the inaugural SIGA Sport Integrity Forum.

The Forum was held in the historic Chartered Accountants’ Hall – the headquarters of SIGA member, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Representatives from over 100 organisations from the international sports community attended, with high profile delegates from sport (international federations, clubs, leagues, national governing bodies and regional confederations), government, international and regional organisations, civil society and the commercial and professional services sectors.

Hansen began the high-profile Forum with a keynote address in which he described the corruption and doping scandals seen across a number of sports in recent years as “betrayals of sport’s values and of the trust of millions of people, young and old.”

Read Host City’s exclusive interview with Svein Arne Hansen here

He went on to highlight the significant progress that has been made both by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and European Athletics in integrity and good governance. Hansen concluded: “I see SIGA as being from the sport movement and that it and European Athletics have common interests. Therefore, I want to wish you all the best with your project and I hope to work with you in the future.”

Hansen also took advantage of his address to reveal that he is asking that in future “we will store the doping control sample for any European record for a minimum of 10 years to allow for retesting when technology improves.”

The Forum’s three panel discussions on good governance in sport, financial integrity and sports betting integrity featured prominent and influential leaders from the world of sport, united in their belief that all of sport’s stakeholders should work in partnership to bring about real and lasting reform.

The debate was geared towards identifying solutions to the problems sport currently faces and the role SIGA can play in supporting organisations implement reform. Speakers included Lars-Christer Olsson (Chairman, EPFL), Nick Bitel (Chair, Sport England), Kimberley Morris (General Manager, FIFA TMS) and Thierry Pujol (CEO, Française des Jeux) among others.

Speaking after the Forum, the SIGA Council said: “The first ever SIGA Sport Integrity Forum has been a great success and a significant step forward. We enjoyed three panels of very high quality with excellent interventions from the audience. But this Forum would not have been such a success without the contribution and efforts of everyone involved. SIGA as an organisation is completely reliant on the expertise and contribution of its members. We are built on the principles of collaboration and partnership as we recognise that real change is only possible if we work together.

“The panel discussions today highlighted the scale of the work that is ahead of us but they also reinforced the need for an organisation like SIGA to act as a bridge and bring together like-minded organisations from across the sports industry. SIGA is here to stay and we are committed to bringing about real change. Today we have shown that we can talk the talk but now we must walk the talk.”

The Forum was concluded by Chairman of the International Cricket Council Anti-Corruption Unit, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, and Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) President Brian Lewis who expressed their support for SIGA and called on sports organisations to adopt SIGA’s Universal Standards.

Read Host City’s exclusive interview with Svein Arne Hansen here