SportAccord today announced that the Gold Coast located in Queensland, Australia as its next Host City when the sporting business community gathers for the 17th edition of the World Sport & Business Summit taking place from 5-10 May 2019 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Gold Coast has set the scene for blockbuster movies and many world-class sporting events including the recent 2018 Commonwealth Games. With this, it is no surprise Queensland’s most charismatic city has been drawing visitors for more than 50 years. The Gold Coast offers an array of top hotels and expansive resorts set along more than a dozen golden sand beaches. The Gold Coast has something for everyone, from dedicated sport enthusiasts to easy-going families and sophisticated foodies. 

Queensland Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said:

“This event will bring 1500 representatives from up to 100 countries, representing 500 different international sports federations, rights holders, organising committees, businesses and other sporting organisations to the Gold Coast.

“This is the most significant meeting of international sport representatives held every year and securing it for the Gold Coast shows the world that we have one of the foremost major events destinations on the planet.  

“Hosting SportAccord gives us unprecedented access to key decision makers and provides the opportunity to showcase our capabilities first hand. 

“The success of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games proved we have everything required to host large-scale, international sporting events. As a result of the Games we have a range of newly-built and upgraded world-class sporting venues.

“Hosting SportAccord is the next step in securing major international events for the city and our state which will bring benefits to Queensland for years to come.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the city was the perfect host for the major international convention. 

“This is a great demonstration of the partnership we have built with the State over the past years.

“Having SportAccord in our city will turbo charge the opportunities for the Gold Coast to further activate our sporting arenas, as well as our sports science and training facilities. 

“This is post-Games legacy in action and I can’t wait to welcome SportAccord.”

Last year’s SportAccord gathering was hailed as an event to remember for delegates during a week of top-level networking, meetings, conferences, new initiatives and business in Bangkok, Thailand. 
The event’s President Patrick Baumann underlined SportAccord’s credentials as ‘the most productive meeting place for stakeholders in world sport.’
Looking ahead to SportAccord 2019, Patrick Baumann, President of SportAccord and GAISF said:

“It is a pleasure to bring the SportAccord to the Gold Coast of Australia and I would like to thank the Government of Queensland for hosting SportAccord 2019. The 17th edition of SportAccord will be a special one, as it will help mark the one-year anniversary of the delivery of a successful Commonwealth Games and will provide the chance for our delegates to embrace all the qualities and opportunities the Gold Coast and Queensland has to offer.” 

Mr. Baumann went on to say: “It is a unique opportunity for the whole Oceania sports community to meet, interact and mingle with all international sports leaders in a focused and efficient way.”

Organisations looking to become industry partners or send a delegation to SportAccord 2019 can read and watch highlights in The Review magazine. These include the SportAccord Keynote Zarah Al-Kudcy from Formula 1 discussing cultural change through diversity and openness; the incredible success story of LaLiga shared by Grégory Bolle, Head of Global Sponsorship and Sales; and Queensland’s Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development, and the Commonwealth Games, Honourable Kate Jones who talked about ‘Making Relationships a Priority’ during the Closing Keynote Address at the CityAccord conference.

SportAccord is also host to the annual general assemblies and official meetings for the event stakeholders, with representation from all the GAISF international sports federations, associates and observers in attendance.