[SOURCE: European Championships Management] The European Sports Federation members of the European Championships Board are pleased to announce the start of the host venue selection process for the 2022 edition of the multi-sport event.
The European Championships is a major new multi-sport event every four years, which aggregates the existing senior continental championships of Athletics (European Athletics), Aquatics (LEN), Cycling (UEC), Gymnastics (UEG), Rowing (FISA), Triathlon (ETU), with a new Golf Team Championships (ET & LET), unified under a common brand.
The event will bring together Europe’s very best athletes in an exciting new format with the full support of Europe’s free-to-air broadcasters. The first edition will be staged from 1-12th August 2018, co-hosted by Glasgow and Berlin, and the second edition is planned for summer 2022.
The first step in the bidding process for 2022 is the distribution of the official Bid Information Document to interested parties, with a preliminary questionnaire to be submitted by the end of 2016.
The participating European Sports Federations will announce the 2022 hosts in November 2017. The European Championships Board has expressed its preference for all events to be staged in one city or region in a window between late July and August 2022.
The key highlights of the European Championships 2022 for a host city/region are:
- The opportunity to host 7 European championships with 13 disciplines across 12 days: Athletics (including road events), Aquatics (Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming and Open Water), Cycling (Track, Road/time trial, BMX, Cross Country Mountain Bike), Artistic Gymnastics, Golf, Rowing and Triathlon.
- Over 4,500 competitors contesting over 170 gold medals.
- A projected 250 hours of host broadcaster coverage showcasing the city’s sports venues, landmarks and tourist destinations.
- An anticipated 2,700 hours of television coverage broadcast on free-to-air public networks.
- An estimated cumulative TV audience of over 1 billion with many more opportunities to access content across digital and radio platforms.
- Millions of fans engaged on the road to 2022 across multiple social media and digital platforms.
- Approximately 700,000 spectators will have the chance to see the Championships in stadia, competition halls and at road and open water events.
- Attention from all the major media outlets with 3,500 media professionals expected to attend.
- A platform for a creative and far-reaching mass participation programme across all sports.
- Public, commercial partnership, educational, technology, cultural, sporting and economic benefits for the host city, region and nation, with strategic opportunities to utilise the European Championships in city regeneration and development programmes.
European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen, co-chair of the 2018 European Championships Board, said, “The 2022 European Championships will be an incredible opportunity for host cities considering the direct and indirect economic benefits. We believe the innovative and sustainable event is very attractive and affordable, not least because of its cost-efficient staging model which is very good value from a host city perspective in comparison to other multi-sport opportunities in the market."
Fellow co-chair Paolo Barelli, President of the Ligue Européenne de Natation (European Aquatics), said, “By bringing together our existing championships once again, without adding to a crowded sporting calendar, we – the participating European Federations – will further protect and enhance the rich history and heritage of our respective sports. Both the federations and our hosts will see the powerful benefits of aggregation in 2022.”
Colin Hartley, Glasgow 2018 Championships Director, said: “This sustainable new model for staging a multi-sport event helps us deliver on our long-term commitment to produce strong economic benefits – as well as sporting, cultural and social legacy – by attracting new audiences to Glasgow and Scotland.
“The beauty of this new concept is it brings key sports together in our city at one time with a far greater media profile than we could achieve from individual events. We have not needed to build new stadia or an athletes’ village and we are able to showcase our existing facilities and landmarks. This new event is a critical element of our strategy to continue to be one of Europe’s premier sporting destinations.”
The European Championships Board requests that parties interested in staging the 2022 European Championships email EC2022@europeanchampionships.com to receive hosting information. European Championships Management (ECM) is co-ordinating the selection process for the 2022 European Championships on behalf of the European Federations. For media enquiries, please contact European Athletics Head of Communications and European Championships Strategic Communications Working Group Chairman James Mulligan at +41 79 694 48 29, james.mulligan@european-athletics.org.
[SOURCE: European Championships Management]
