[SOURCE: SportAccord Convention] SportAccord Convention is delighted to share details of the City Forum which forms part of City Day on Tuesday 4 April, taking place at the Convention Center in Aarhus, Denmark, this year’s European Capital of Culture. This year’s SportAccord Convention will have well over twenty cities present, and the 2024 bid cities presenting their short introductions at the afternoon session of the ASOIF General Assembly.  

The ever popular City Forum will focus on Legacy Planning and Successful Hosting Strategies. City Forum is intended for cities, International Federations, stakeholders, sponsors and service providers, who work together to host the best international sports events. Organisations who would like to take part in the City Forum and take advantage of City Day should register at www.sportaccordconvention.com before the delegate fee increases to CHF 3000 (plus VAT) on 15 March 2017.

Jacob Larssen, Director of the Danish Athletic Federation will hit the ground running and share his insights on ‘Mass participation events and how to prioritise a city’s legacy’. The session will determine the event outcomes for cities that are most important to their community, sporting partners and stakeholders, and look out the best ways to communicate what they want to accomplish to these audiences.

With cities under increasing pressure to deliver on their legacy agendas, the session, ‘Promises to Keep: The truth about Legacy Planning’, will examine what structures and safeguards can be put in place to keep the promises made during the bid city process.

Commenting on this year’s City Forum programme, Don Schumacher, Executive Director of the National Association of Sports Commissions said, “Since its inception City Forum has offered content prepared specially for host city organizations. With the balance of SportAccord Convention focused on broader industry issues, the chance for cities and other governmental units to focus on mutual problems and opportunities makes it a highlight for me.”

When it comes to hosting strategies, there are many dynamics for International Federations to consider when determining what to look for from a host city. The first Hosting Strategy session will discuss some of the key considerations for sports federations when they evaluate their requirements for a host city including technology, viewer and participant expectations, economics, the environment, and the sport themselves – which change regularly and sometimes dramatically.

The concluding session at this year’s City Forum: ‘Think creatively as an event host,’ will explore how a city can best play to its strengths when bidding for and hosting events that are becoming larger and more complex with every passing year.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention said, “City Forum provides a unique opportunity to hear from industry leaders on a variety of cutting-edge topics, while interacting with city representatives from around the world. I consider it a must-attend event for any city engaged in bidding for or hosting a major sporting event.”

City Forum will be preceded by City-to-City. This event is for cities and regions only and will focus on two subjects which have gathered momentum in recent months: (1) How cities can engage with their populations regarding hosting events (2) Whether sport events really are a proper tool to help increase participation in a specific sport.

SportAccord Convention is a high profile gathering of key decision-makers focused on the business of sport and building on the opportunities this brings. The 6-day Convention includes the Plenary Conference, LawAccord, MediaAccord, the Exhibition, as well as the Opening Ceremony and Closing Event.