I am very proud to see the achievements of Super League over the last three years.

In 2019 we decided to grow the organisation, build out a team in London and, in arguably one of the hardest times for the event industry, we have truly established ourselves as an organisation that has substance.

We have extended our content offering, added a second series with the Arena Games and put together our best ever Championship Series in iconic venues featuring a new team concept.

Looking back and reflecting on 2021 as I am, I feel I also really need to take into account 2020 given the way the world has gone.

When you look at the triathlon landscape it makes me very proud. To deliver three Arena Games events – an entirely new concept – during COVID times was exceptional, as well as delivering our most exciting Championship Series since we launched in 2017.

To put it into context within our sport, the PTO has done many great things but in terms of events it also has a new concept and in three years have partnered on one event with Challenge and delivered one themselves. Many Ironman races have been cancelled including Kona and even World Triathlon’s schedule has been impacted.

Iconic locations

We brought the Championship Series back in iconic venues: London, Munich, Jersey, Malibu. We had the best in the world racing for four weeks back-to-back and the Series for both male and females was won on the last run of four weeks of racing!

Over the last two years SLT has grown from a great concept to a brand, and a league that has substance, a solid fan base, broadcasters invested in it and athletes committing to it.

Any organisation, even if the idea is the greatest and the team is strong, needs maturity to show substance, and without substance even a great idea and a strong team can fail.

Big things to come

For the Arena Games we are now partnering with World Triathlon to drive this into the next Olympics.

What does that mean? That a young, dynamic organisation can deliver a concept that is considered even by a traditional organisation such as a governing body as part of the future of the sport. Also that the Super League as an organisation has enough substance for World Triathlon to jump on to the boat with us.

It adds kudos and credibility and enhances the offering for sponsors, partners, hosts and investors that want to come on board.

Behind all of this sits an organisation that not only delivered these events, but has never failed to deliver.

From a media perspective the Championship Series was deemed thrilling to the last. The broadcast feedback was unanimously positive and in terms of PR and digital we have continued to grow substantially and can now claim to be the most engaged triathlon property.

It’s been a challenging couple of years for everybody, but Super League has emerged from it far stronger and ready for a very bright future, which is an incredible achievement.

The 8^th Host City conference took place online from Glasgow, Scotland on 7-8 December, bringing 85 incredible speakers to a global audience of more than 500 to “Refresh, Regenerate and Reconnect” the events industry.

In his opening address, Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland said: “Across the spectrum we are having to rethink out of necessity across a range of areas –  bidding, commercial viability, sponsorships rights, legacy impacts in a Covid-19 world, content distribution, media rights, the re-ordering of calendars due to postponements and cancellations.

“This climate of consistent uncertainty has once again accelerated us all to work in different ways, developing a range of resilient responses, innovation, spirit, and adaptation.”

Dr. Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life said: “One of the most heartening aspects of the last few years has been our sector’s capacity for creativity, adaptation and innovation. The events’ industry is fundamentally rooted in a solution-focused approach, and that has never been more in evidence than over the last two years.

“The other heartening aspect has been the ongoing hunger for live events and the speed which audiences have both returned.”

Sir Craig Reedie GBE, Honorary IOC Member said: “Sport has shown great resilience. Sports events and their host cities have overcome a long list of difficulties.

“The International Olympic Committee, the IOC, managed to refresh, regenerate and reconnect with Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Games in July this year and will do so again for a second time in Beijing next February.”

Anita DeFrantz, IOC Member and LA28 Board Member said: “The greatest challenge going into Tokyo 2020 Games was trust. We needed the trust of the athletes, the organising committee and the Japanese people because there was great fear of being in a pandemic. I was so amazed at the joy of the athletes in the village. The trust was well placed; the Olympic movement did not create a super spreader.”

Looking ahead to 2028 she said, “The beautiful thing about Los Angeles is we don’t need to be transformed – we have all the venues we need.”

Ivo Ferriani, Executive Board Member, IOC and President of GAISF, IBSF and AIOWF said: “When I was introduced to the Host City brand by my collaborator Dr. Marco Mazzi, Vice-President, International Sports Travel Agencies Association (ISTAA), I was immediately impressed.

“Sport is one of the most important pillars to restore stability to the tourism industry and support society during this difficult time. Sport helps us to move forward.”

In his keynote presentation, Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games said: “Our vision is a mix of the Olympic agenda, where the new norm provides cities with an increased flexibility in designing the Games to meet long term development goals; and then it’s about what we want to do with those Games. For Paris, it’s very important that these Games become a unique opportunity to enhance the role of sport in society.”

In his keynote presentation, Vincenzo Novari, CEO, Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games said: “We have to create events and attention and engagement not only for one month of competition, but for a time of four years. We cannot think that the attention and the commitment of our major sponsors could be only for one limited time.”

In her keynote speech, Katie Sadleir, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Federation said: “It’s going to be a spectacular event in Birmingham next year. This will be the first multisport carbon neutral event.

“We’re really keen to make sure the Commonwealth doesn’t just take place in our major nations. We want to see the full members having the opportunity. So we are encouraging people to looking at co-hosting in cities, countries or regions. We’re looking for creative solutions. We’re also working with the Global Esports Federation on an esports strategy. “

In a keynote Q&A Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski, Executive Board Member, International Olympic Committee said: “The Olympic Channel is handling a side of the Games which is more vibrant, creative and attractive. Our approach has attracted a lot of younger audiences.”

Presenting The New Approach to Selecting Olympic Hosts, Octavian Morariu, IOC Member, Chair, Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, International Olympic Committee and President, Rugby Europe said: “The host election process needed to change because, in the past, cities trying to outbid each other resulted in excessive expenditure. Lobbying sometimes led to ethical issues. In the words of the Olympic president, there were too many losers.

“The sweeping reforms of Agenda 2020 were designed to reflect the modern priorities of the Olympic movement.”

In his keynote address, Lord Sebastian Coe KBE, President, World Athletics said: “This is the right moment to harness the power of our sport to bring positive change.

“It is not just what happens to a city or community during an event, but what is left behind that helps communities choose healthier lifestyles and create partnerships for years to come.”

On the opening panel, the scale of the impact of the pandemic was summed up by IOC Member and Finance Commission Member Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, who said: “Every aspect of life will never be the same, personally and professionally. That’s why our President took the bold step of taking the Agenda 20+5 roadmap.”

Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) said “The biggest impact has been the way the pandemic has acted as a catalyst. IFs have been slow to adapt but one of the few positives from this period is that it has accelerated the way IFs look at how they should be placed for the future.

“In the past my members were approaching cities with the same model, now it’s much more of a partnership and a willingness to take an innovative approach.”

Paul J. Foster, CEO, Global Esports Federation said: “We spent this period with one foot on the accelerator, the other and the brake and both hands on the wheel! We thought we could do more than stage just prestigious events. We realised we had responsibilities around health and wellness, our connection with education and youth as we think about the future of work and how we can contribute to the development of cities – and also societal impacts such as bringing down unacceptable barriers to inclusion and prosperity.”

Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, Rugby League World Cup 2021 said: “We have all tried to master the art of managing uncertainty. Having to be nimble and developing a high degree of resilience. Events in the future can look to opportunities from the crisis, seeing sports as a force for good and to influence policy makers. Events with a purpose are here to thrive – what happens off the field of play is as important as what happens on the pitch.”

Speaking on the panel Diversity and Integrity in Leadership, longstanding IOC Member, FINA Vice President and activist Sam Ramsamy said: “Sport has changed forever; the components have become highly commercial. We have to consider sport as entertainment, whether we like it or not. That is what fans want. It is important that we have at the foremost end diversity and inclusion to take the entire grouping forward with us.”

Jamaican swimming champion Michael Gunning said: “As a young boy learning to swim there were no people of colour around me - that role model was missing. I enjoyed breaking the mould and doing something that not many people like me did.

“Jamaica has strict laws about being gay. It's heart-breaking – if I showed affection to the same gender I would be sent to prison. Athletes have to come together; I want to help inspire people and show that it's OK.”

On the panel Partnership Approaches to Event Hosting, Trudy Lindblade, Chief Executive Officer, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships said: “We have the benefit of it having never been done before, so it’s been cocreation from the start. We’ve pulled our commercial rights together to share the risk and the reward.”

Sustainability was a recurrent theme of the conference. David de Behr, Head of Sales Aggreko Event Services, Aggreko said: “In the last year Aggreko has brought out its energy transition strategy and we support our customers on their journey to decarbonise in the future.

“What we do now is try to reduce the energy needs of our customers. 90 per cent of our work goes into this, without risking the critical supply for the event. This means difficult discussions with the rights holders and organisers – but it’s a positive evolution for us.”

Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH - International Association of Horticultural Producers said: “The themes of our events really tie into the message of sustainably. The theme of the Beijing 2019 Expo, where we had 10 million visitors, was ‘Live Green, Live Better; in Almere next year it will be ‘Growing Green Cities’; in Doha 2023 it will be ‘Greener Desert, Better Environment'.”

Laura Lopez, Director, Conference Affairs, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said: “My top tip is: be like Glasgow! That was a key element in making our event a success. We had the most people we’ve ever had at a COP – more than 38,000. One of the reasons we had so many people coming to COP26 is that they had assurances they would be taken care of.”

On the workshop on Defining event impacts and promoting positive outcomes, Joel Lavery, Strategic Lead Major Sporting Events, West Midlands Growth Company said “As we were looking at the Commonwealth Games, Birmingham was keen to measure the impact of the Games on the city. So we looked at the impact of various international and national events, and there was zero consistency – it was like trying to compare apples and pears.

“We as a city need to be clear on the type of things that we need to measure. That led to us developing a major events strategy.”

Technology also featured prominently on the conference agenda. Presenting on The Digital Transformation of the Olympic Games, Kevin Li, Head of International Sports Industry Department, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence said: “In January 2017 Alibaba became the official cloud provider of the Olympics. During 2021, the most important milestone is to support Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which is the first time on cloud. Our teams are working to provide cloud tech support to Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. As a worldwide Olympic partner we share the vision of the IOC of using cloud computing and digital intelligence to improve Games operations.”

Speaking on the panel Broader Casting – Who Owns the Rights?, Jeff Foulser, Chairman, Sunset+Vine said: “Sport is the ultimate unscripted live drama. People love to come together for the real moments. You need the platforms to build engagement, but you want people to come together hopefully in one room.

“It’s important that we don’t lose sight of the fact that there are people who can’t afford subscription channels. For the bigger events we want to make the sports as available to as wide as possible an audience – that’s how they grow and expand.”

In a joint presentation with World Triathlon, Michael Dhulst, Co-Founder & CEO, Super League Triathlon said “The Arena Games Triathlon is a new concept developed under Covid to be in line with social distancing and leverages the booming virtual racing environment. It opens up the possibility to open up the sport to much bigger participation.”

Sarah Lewis OBE OLY said “Host City has been outstanding this year – huge compliments. It’s demonstrated the value of many positives that we’ve taken from the pandemic as an events industry.”

Host City 2021 was delivered with supporting partners EventScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

Event supporters included: Headline Sponsor, Aggreko; Gold Sponsors, Alibaba Cloud and Birmingham and the West Midlands Convention Bureau; Silver Sponsors, AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers; Sunset+Vine and Super League Triathlon; Federation Partner the International Sports Travel Agencies Association (ISTAA); Branding Sponsor, Sport Event Denmark; and Strategic Partners, the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES), FOAMHAND and the Global Esports Federation.

EDITOR’S NOTES

About Host City

Host City is the event and media brand that connects the owners, hosts and organisers of major events.

Through its conference, exhibition and online publishing platforms, Host City shares best practice within the international community of international sports, business and cultural events.

Launched in 2014. Host City events are renowned for the highest level of speakers, content and networking.

For more information visit www.hostcity.com or email ben.avison@hostcity.com

Host City: Thank you Paul for your support of Host City 2021, we are really looking forward to hearing you speak again as the host of this important conference. The opening panel, which you are chairing, is called “The impact of, and lessons from, the pandemic”. Obviously, the impact has been devastating on the events industry, but are there any positives to be drawn from the last 19 months?

Paul Bush: The last 19 months have been difficult especially as 2021 did not unfold the way many of us were hoping for with restrictions in place for longer than we’d anticipated, economic uncertainty, and travel adaptations. However, amongst this climate of consistent uncertainty, the events industry continued to adapt and innovate, developing a range of resilient responses that allowed sporting, cultural and business events to take place. Here is Scotland that has included the continuation of online and hybrid events; proof of negative tests and the introduction of the COVID vaccine verification scheme for entry into events; and adapting performances so audiences have the choice between social distanced and non-socially distanced shows.

Host City: Event hosts have for obvious reasons had to focus much more on supporting domestic events and become more localised in their activities. Do you think this will be a lasting effect of the pandemic, or as travel restrictions continue to ease will you become just as focused on international events as before?

Paul Bush: Domestic events have always been an important part of our events portfolio alongside international events. Through our National Events Strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, we have always carefully selected a mix of events of various types and categories that are staged throughout the country and throughout the year in order to bring social and economic impact.

For the last 19 months, our main focus has been on supporting the events industry, particularly the events supply chain, to survive the pandemic. Through Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund, which we established in conjunction with the Scottish Government, we have been helping Scotland’s events sector plan and deliver events and supported them to adapt to the effects of COVID-19. This has included supporting community events as well as events that drive domestic tourism.

As we move forward, domestic events will play an important part of in Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic alongside international events, however, what I do see coming into the mix more will be community events as they will help us to rebuild the industry as well has creating opportunities for communities to come together, which is especially important given the opportunity to interact with those close to us has been limited over the last 19 months.

Host City: Scotland has just hosted a huge international event, COP26. What impact has hosting this had on the nation, and what impact do you think the outcomes might have on the events industry?

Paul Bush: COP26 was another opportunity to show why Scotland is the perfect stage of events to both a domestic and global audience. Welcoming world leaders, climate experts and activists to Glasgow and Scotland for two weeks whilst still dealing with a pandemic took great coordination and cooperate across multiple agencies at a local, national and international level.

In October we published The Contribution of Events to Scotland’s Wellbeing, a piece of research commissioned alongside the Event Industry Advisory Group to further understand and examine how events contribute to Scotland’s wellbeing.

One of the key findings showed that major events have the potential to enhance the reputation of our cities and communities internationally as well as help build civic pride. So, like other major events that have been held in Scotland, including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2015 FIG World Artistic Gymnastics and the 2019 Solheim Cup, I believe COP26 has helped further build a sense of pride and confidence both within the community and within the events industry.

Host City: The biggest international event Scotland is hosting in the future is the UCI 2023 World Cycling Championships – a new event that was very much created in partnership between host, rights owner and broadcaster. What are your expectations of this innovative event?

Paul Bush: Simply put, it will be like nothing Scotland and the world has ever seen before. By combining 13 UCI World Championships together in one mega event we are doing something that has never been done before and something that will deliver lasting benefits not just for cycling as a sport but for its impact across society in Scotland.

As well as a world-class sporting spectacle featuring more than 8,000 elite and amateur athletes from more than 120 countries, the Championships are being delivered as a purpose-led event with key policy objectives at the core. There is no doubt the Championships gives us a unique opportunity to encourage more people to cycle for sport, transport and for tourism as well as helping combat key issues such as climate change. The timing of the Championships could not be better.

It is hugely exciting that the UCI has entrusted us with the opportunity of delivering the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships and we are looking forward to cementing our reputation as an innovative and forward-thinking event host with a Championships that exceeds all expectations.

Host City: Similarly you have teamed up with European Athletics to deliver the Dynamic New Athletics Indoor (DNA) in Glasgow in February 2022. This sounds like a format that’s just right for the times we live in – can you tell us a bit about what we can expect?

Paul Bush: We’re delighted Glasgow and Scotland have been chosen to host the very first DNA indoors. The event concept is aimed at engaging new audiences with an exciting, easy to follow, short format whilst creating a lively atmosphere with music and fun event presentation.

The innovative, team-based competition will see mixed teams of 18 athletes from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, Spain and Turkey compete in 11 events across both track and field over two hours at Emirates Arena in Glasgow on 5 February. Everything counts with two to 12 points awarded each event, with the last event – the Hunt – deciding the winning team.

Securing this event for one of Scotland’s flagship venues reinforces Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events and as a world leader in the delivery of innovative new events.

Host City: The good news keeps coming for Scotland, with Glasgow having just been awarded the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Why – and how – was Scotland selected to host this event?

Paul Bush: We are absolutely delighted Glasgow and Scotland has been chosen to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Our success is routed in our partnership approach and we worked with Glasgow Life, UK Sport and UK Athletics to complete World Athletics bid process to secure this major event.  

In our bid we set out our vision to work with them to set a new benchmark in event hosting and demonstrated our experience in achieving this for other events, including the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 European Championships. We also demonstrated our policy-led approach to delivering events, ensuring we deliver positive impacts that are sustainable and last well beyond the event.

The Championships joins a portfolio of major events to be taking place in Scotland over the coming years and reinforces our reputation as a global leader in the delivery of innovative and world class events.

Host City: Thank you very much for your time Paul. One last question: what are your expectations of Host City 2021?

Paul Bush: My expectations for Host City 2021 are for another great two days filled with lively debate, discussion and knowledge sharing as we all look to refresh, regenerate and reconnect across a number of topics, including the pandemic and the climate emergency, impacting events now and into the future. I look forward to seeing everyone there.

Register for Host City here now

[Source: UK Athletics] The Emirates Arena will stage the biggest Indoor athletics championships in the world, five years on from holding the hugely successful European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2019.

News of the award has delighted the bid partners EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Athletics and UK Sport who received the outcome of the World Athletics Council vote earlier this afternoon.

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, said: “I’m delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the prestigious World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2024. This will underline Scotland’s global reputation as the Perfect Stage for events and is welcome news as we look to recover from the pandemic.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that Glasgow and Scotland have been chosen to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Scotland is the perfect stage for events and securing the Championships reinforces our reputation as a global leader in the delivery of innovative and world class events.

“We look forward to working closely with World Athletics and our partners to deliver the truly memorable Championships, and to welcoming athletes and fans from around the world to Glasgow and Scotland in 2024.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Today’s announcement by Word Athletics recognises Glasgow’s global reputation as a first choice host for major sporting events and as a city with a track record of delivering world-class event experiences. It’s a privilege to be bringing the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to the Emirates Arena, which is widely regarded as one of the best athletics venues in the world.

“Glasgow is committed to using major international events to encourage participation in sport and physical activity, and to ensuring the positive impact of events benefits local communities. Together with our partners, we’re looking forward to continuing that important work and to delivering an outstanding Championships which helps to inspire Scotland’s next generation of talented athletes.”   

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said: “I am delighted that with our event hosting partners, we have secured another world class event to take place in Scotland. As part of our new strategy to reach, inspire and unite communities across the UK, ensuring a wide geographical reach is of utmost importance to us. The National Lottery investment into this event will help ensure a truly inspirational event, both on and off the field of play.”

Ian Beattie, Chair of UK Athletics said: “We are delighted to be awarded the opportunity to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. World Athletics have demonstrated their confidence in the UK to host global athletics championships once again, and history has shown time and time again our ability to deliver amazing events. 

“We’re thrilled with the outcome and look forward to a successful Championships working alongside our partners that will truly give all athletes a fantastic stage upon which to perform.”

The dates of the event have yet to be finalised, but are expected to be in March 2024.

Peru to host first World Athletics Series event in 2024

[Source: World Athletics] Lima will become the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event when it welcomes the world’s best junior athletes in mid-2024.

The President of the Peruvian Athletics Federation, Javier Chirinos Hoyos, said this was a big moment for athletics in Peru.

“We are very happy and proud to have been chosen for the first time ever, to host the 2024 World U20 Championships,” he said. “Rest assured that we will organise the best event of this category in history. We have the experience and a great team to give the best in Lima in 2024. Thanks all and we will be waiting with open arms for all of you in Lima."

The general director of the Local Organising Committee, Luis Condeso Ocampo, added: “We are very happy and grateful to World Athletics for trusting us to host the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2024. We assume this designation with great responsibility, and be sure that the Peruvian Athletics Federation, with all the support of the Peruvian Sports Institute, the Municipality of Lima, and all sportspeople in Peru, we will make the World U20 Championships in Lima an unforgettable experience for all participants.” agreed on the host cities of two future World Athletics Series events at their meeting in Monaco.

Host City 2021 takes place on 7-8 December, hosted online from Glasgow, Scotland. Register here now for free.

The quality, quantity and diversity of the incredible speaker programme for Host City 2021 continues to grow.

Over the last three weeks, major event organisers joining the programme include: Bodour Al Meer, Sustainability Director, Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy; Georgina Grenon, Director of Sustainability, Paris 2024; Argyris Caridakis, Director of Games Services, Paris 2024; Russell Scott, Broadcast Lead, Rugby World Cup 2021, Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships, The R&A and Nadja Burkhardt, Event Supervisor, Eurovision Song Contest.

Additional rights holders added to the agenda include: Ivo Ferriani, Executive Board Member, IOC and President of GAISF, IBSF and AIOWF; Densign White MBE, CEO, IMMAF and Chair, Sporting Equals; Thomas Lund OLY, Secretary General, Badminton World Federation; Beng Choo Low, Secretary General, World Baseball Softball Confederation; Mark Chay, Secretariat, Global Esports Federation; Michael Dhulst, Co-Founder & CEO, Super League Triathlon; Kris Gemmell, Head of Commercial and Marketing, World Triathlon; Kate Miller, Chief Diversity and Communications Officer, The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB); Jennifer Arnold, Associate Vice President, U.S. Soccer Foundation; Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA - International Congress and Convention Association; Marco Mazzi, Vice-President, International Sports Travel Agencies Association (ISTAA); Zhanna Kovalchuk, Executive Director and Jenny Ennis, Congress and Events Manager, European Society of Sports Traumatology Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) and Martin Boyle, CEO, The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO).

Host destinations joining the line-up include: Robbie Clyde, Head of EventScotland, VisitScotland; François Croquette, Head of Climate Department & Chief Resilience Officer, City of Paris; Grant MacDonald, Chief Operating Officer, Sport Tourism Canada; Peter Duthie, CEO, Scottish Event Campus; Claire McColgan MBE, Director of Culture, Liverpool City Council and Vice Chair, UK City of Culture; and Élise Smith, Senior Program Officer, Major Sport Event Coordination, Sport Canada.

Expert service providers added to the Host City programme include: Kevin Li, Head of International Sports Industry Department, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence; Kristian Gotsch, EMEA Director, Two Circles; and Sean Parry, Commercial Strategy Director, Zwift.

They complete an incredible array of speakers, including: Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland; Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life; Sir Craig Reedie KBE, Honorary Member, International Olympic Committee (IOC); Lord Sebastian Coe KBE, President, World Athletics and IOC Member; Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games; Vincenzo Novari, CEO, Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games; Octavian Morariu, IOC Member, Chair, Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, IOC and President, Rugby Europe; Katie Sadleir, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Federation; Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski, Executive Board Member, IOC; Anita DeFrantz, IOC Member and LA28 Board Member; Michael Gunning, Jamaican swimming champion; Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, IOC Member; Andrew Ryan, Executive Director, ASOIF, Paul J. Foster, CEO, Global Esports Federation; Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, Rugby League World Cup 2021; Sam Ramsamy, Vice President, FINA; Trudy Lindblade, Chief Executive Officer, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships; Jeff Foulser, Chairman, Sunset+Vine; Laura Lopez, Director, Conference Affairs, UNFCCC; Billy Garrett, Director of Sport and Events, Glasgow Life; David de Behr, Head of Sales, Aggreko Event Services; Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH - International Association of Horticultural Producers; and many more.

Host City 2020 welcomed 1,000 registrants from 60 countries and, with such an amazing agenda, Host City 2021 is set to exceed expectations.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland, said: "EventScotland has a strong partnership with Host City, having been a supporter of the conference since its inception in 2014, and we are delighted to be welcoming it back to Scotland and Glasgow for the 7th consecutive year.

“As we continue to navigate the return of events in this new normal, the conference is great opportunity for the global events industry to come together and learn from one another while also looking ahead to what the future holds for major events under the theme of refresh, regenerate and reconnect.

“The addition of these world-leading event organisers, rights holders and destinations to the incredible speaker programme already assembled will ensure an exciting and informative two days of discussion and debate.”

Dr Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, said: “As a proud supporter of Host City, we’re delighted to welcome the event back to Glasgow for the seventh year in a row.

“As one of the world’s leading host cities for festivals and major events, Glasgow has keenly felt the impact of Covid-19. As we begin to recover and rebuild from the pandemic, we know this event will be a key milestone for many of our colleagues across the world, and seeing how well last year’s Host City event was delivered on a digital platform was hugely encouraging and the global feedback was fantastic.

“We look forward to working with the Host City team once again in just a few weeks’ time to ensure that 2021’s event is even bigger and better than previous iterations, and to share best practice with our colleagues across the world as we all work to create the best possible future for events.”

Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games said: “I am very pleased to be invited to speak once again at the Host City conference, to share with inspiring personalities my experience of organising the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the biggest sporting event on the planet. In a world of rapid changes and high expectations from citizens, we must succeed in organising an event that is both spectacular and sustainable, that monitor its impact while leaving a positive legacy on society. To achieve this, at Paris 2024, we have one watchword: creativity.”

Host City 2021 is delivered with supporting partners EventScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

Host City 2021 takes place on an AI-enabled digital platform under the banner of “Refresh, Regenerate and Reconnect”.

Event supporters include: Headline Sponsor, Aggreko; Gold Sponsors, Alibaba Cloud and West Midland Growth Company; Silver Sponsors, International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH); Super League Triathlon and Sunset+Vine; Branding Partners, Sport Event Denmark and FOAMHAND; Federation Partner, the International Sports Travel Agencies Association (ISTAA); and Strategic Partners, the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) and Global Esports Federation.

About Host City
Host City is the event and media brand that connects the owners, hosts and organisers of major events.
Through its conference, exhibition and online publishing platforms, Host City shares best practice within the international community of international sports, business and cultural events.
Launched in 2014. Host City events are renowned for the highest level of speakers, content and networking
For more information visit www.hostcity.com or email ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: World Triathlon] World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon have announced a partnership to grow a global esports series that will crown the official triathlon esport World Champions. The partnership will see the formation of the Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, a series of events giving opportunities to ranked athletes and national federations to participate and pursue the official World Championship title.

The partnership between World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon is the next step in growing the innovative concept of esports into a new and officially recognised discipline for triathlon. Fully in line with the International Olympic Committee’s aspirations to develop esports with its Olympic Virtual Series, it also taps into the strong growth of virtual participation that emerged during the pandemic.

The Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, developed by Super League, is a unique format that marries real life and virtual racing and realises triathlon’s potential as an esport. Off the back of winning the prestigious Sports Industry Awards title for Cutting Edge Events and the Sports Business Award for Most Innovative Business Response to COVID 19, the Arena Games Triathlon will see both organisations working together to grow a global series that crowns an official World Champion.

Investing in cutting edge technologies, audiovisual content and incredible race scenarios that will generate wide engagement and awareness, World Triathlon and Super League will together help take the Arena Games Triathlon to the next level for the benefit of fans, athletes, national federations and all stakeholders.

The Arena Games Triathlon series builds on the existing MOU between Super League and World Triathlon and will continue to celebrate gender equality, clean sport and fair competition, providing new race opportunities to athletes with the aim of taking the format to the very pinnacle of the sport.

Marisol Casado, World Triathlon President and IOC member, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this partnership. Both organisations have been working hard and investing significant resources to evolve our sport, growing audiences, and giving the athletes the best stages on which to perform at their best. So it is only natural for both World Triathlon and Super League to invest and work together. I am absolutely convinced that the Arena Games Triathlon will be a fantastic event for athletes, broadcasters, sponsors and fans alike.”

Super League Triathlon CEO, Michael D’hulst, said: “This is a very exciting day for the sport. By partnering together, Super League Triathlon and World Triathlon are taking the next step in what has already been a very steep growth curve for the Arena Games. With this partnership, the sky's the limit. This could well be the next Olympic triathlon discipline.”

“The Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift has already proved to be an award winning disruptor, recognised by athletes and the wider sports community, and with a growing appetite at the very top levels of sport to bring esport to a much wider audience, this is perfectly timed for the benefit of everyone in triathlon and to help deliver an even more exciting future.”

Super League Triathlon co-founder and Chairman, Leonid Boguslavsky, added: “When I was a kid I had a dream to create a new sport discipline. This is why I am very proud that we have created the Arena Games Triathlon format using innovative tech from Zwift. It will inspire many athletes as well as organisers to roll out this format to many countries and cities since it does not depend on weather or venue restrictions, and triathlon as a sport will grow much faster both for athletes and media.”

World Triathlon and Super League will collaborate on all aspects of Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, including scheduling, participating athletes, involvement of national federations, promotion, broadcasters, host venues and amplifying the reach of the events. The first series will be announced shortly, with the first official World Champions set to be crowned in 2022.

To find out more, listen to Super League Triathlon CEO Michael Dhulst and World Triathlon's Kris Gemmel's "Case Study Presentation: Working in partnership to create an esport world series for triathlon" at Host City 2021 - register here now: https://www.hostcity.com/events/host-city-2021/register

Host City: Sunset+Vine is the Host Broadcaster for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games – what are the key aspects of the service you will offer?

Jeff Foulser: We are providing the broadcast coverage (Host Feed) for all 19 sports plus ceremonies as well as running the International Broadcast Centre which rights holders can book space and facilities in. We also provide a Games Channel which is essentially a channel showcasing the best live sport at any given time and a multi-channel service if broadcasters want to take just one sport.  

Host City: What led to Sunset+Vine winning the host broadcasting contracts for the 2012 Paralympics and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games for Sunset+Vine, and how transformative were these projects for the company?

Jeff Foulser: For the 2012 Paralympics we were approached by Channel 4 along with IMG for a joint production of the Games. This was the first time a UK broadcaster had committed so much airtime to a Paralympic Games and led to us running the Rio Games in 2016 on our own. The biggest challenge was to integrate talent with disability into the coverage as well as to find ways to educate the viewing audience. It transformed our company’s perceptions of disability and we’ve trained and employed a number of those who are still with the company today.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games were even more transformative for the company because they signalled our arrival as a truly global player in the world of Host Broadcasting. There was historically a small number of ‘specialist’ companies who were the ‘go to’ people for major events, and Glasgow proved to ourselves and the wider industry that we could deliver outstanding coverage of multi-sports events. This led to a number of major contract wins including ICC cricket and World Rugby Sevens.

Host City: Sunset+Vine also produced numerous live sporting events over the past 18 months. It must be quite a challenge working through times like these – what were the qualities that have enabled your team to navigate this turbulent time?

Jeff Foulser: It has certainly been the toughest time any of us can remember working in the industry but what impressed me was just how adaptable our staff have been to working in completely different ways. We pride ourselves on the culture of our business and the willingness of our people to just knuckle down and handle whatever was thrown at them was incredible. They constantly went the extra mile to keep on delivering top quality productions.

Host City: How do you think the pandemic changed the business of host broadcasting on an ongoing basis?

Jeff Foulser: The pandemic accelerated the move to remote production by a number of years and it has been a transformational way of working. Instead of all staff going to a football/rugby/cricket stadium and working together, we now have significantly fewer people on site as the programmes are predominantly delivered for remote hubs. This way of working is not universal because remote production only works if there is good connectivity at the event but as that improves, the move towards more remote working will continue to evolve.

The danger though is we have to make sure the teams stay personally connected to each other and the on-screen talent and they only get that if they can share ideas over a coffee and reflect on how well the show went afterwards over a beer in the pub. It’s also vital that the more junior members in the team have mentors to help them develop their skills.

Host City: How would you describe the impact of OTT streaming services on the sports broadcasting industry – who are the winners and losers from this media disruption?  

Jeff Foulser: Massive, as we are starting to see in many different territories. Companies like Amazon have very deep pockets and at the moment are testing out which rights work in different countries. We’ve just seen their presence in the North American market drive up the price for Premier League football, forcing NBC to pay £2 billion for a new rights cycle versus £740 million last time. As always in the sports rights market, those with the biggest cheque books will be the winners and it will be impossible for the free to air broadcasters to compete.

Host City: Content is also being generated by fans and athletes themselves – how do you believe this impacts the broadcasting industry (and rights holders)?

Jeff Foulser: This is absolutely complementary to the live rights and really helps to promote the events. As long as the live experience is protected from piracy the value to the rights holder is huge. Content generated by fans and athletes creates excitement and a buzz that feeds interest in the sport and draws even more people to it.

Host City: Thank you very much Jeff, we really look forward to finding out more from you at Host City 2021 on the panel “Broader casting – who owns the rights?”. Readers, check out Jeff’s speaker profile here: and don’t forget in all the excitement and buzz to REGISTER HERE NOW – and enjoy the show!

[Source: Interkultur] Since 2013 the European Choir Games, the European Championships of Choral Singing has brought together choirs from across Europe and the world. During an 8-day festival of singing cities like Graz (Austria), Magdeburg (Germany), Riga (Latvia), and Gothenburg (Sweden) were already transformed in a big stage of international singing in recent years.

The success of the WCG is built on the expertise of the German-based organization INTERKULTUR, the world’s largest organizer of international choir competitions. INTERKULTUR´s biggest success to date was to bring the antique Olympic idea to the choral community. The World Choir Games 2000 in Linz, Austria was the beginning of a Choir Olympic movement and has developed into the world’s largest international choir competition in the world. The 11^th edition of the event has just closed in Flanders, Belgium on November 7. With the European Choir Games INTERKULTUR has transferred the idea to the European continent.

The event regularly brings together around 200 choirs and 8,000 participants from roughly 50 Europan nations and beyond – a unique opportunity to showcase the own city to the world!

There are still hosting opportunities for 2023 and 2025! If you’re interested to receive further information please contact host@europeanchoirgames.com and visit http://host.europeanchoirgames.com

WACH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttYMndSr7lM

[Source: Global Esports Federation] The Global Esports Federation celebrates the final months of 2021 with a host of activities, charting numerous firsts for the organization. Excitement among the world’s esports community for the inaugural Global Esports Games kicking off in Singapore on December 17 is at a fever pitch. The inaugural host city prepares to welcome athletes from over 40 countries and territories to compete in person at the historic event in the heart of vibrant Singapore.

[Source: GAISF] The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) General Assembly today elected Ivo Ferriani as its President representing the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF).

Mr Ferriani begins his term as President immediately and will serve a two-year mandate, as per the GAISF Statutes and its stakeholder rotational principle where the nomination comes from the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF).

Mr Ferriani brings with him a wealth of experience in sports administration, having served as AIOWF President since 2020, and President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation since 2010. He has also been an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board Member since 2018.

In the lead up to the election, Mr Ferriani shared his plans for the future of GAISF, underlining his commitment to bringing the global sports community closer together for the benefit sport. Mr Ferriani praised GAISF for its tireless efforts to promote sustainability in sport and underlined how he will use his role as a Member of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission to build on this progress.

As a Member of the IOC Women in Sport Commission, Mr Ferriani is committed to helping promote equal opportunities for girls and women in the global sports community to participate in, and benefit from, sport. Moreover, Mr Ferriani pledged to use his experience as a Member of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission to introduce new initiatives directly involving and benefitting athletes. 

GAISF President Ferriani said: “I am very honoured to have been elected as President of GAISF. The COVID-19 pandemic has truly demonstrated how sport is a force for good. I am therefore proud to have this opportunity to work with the global sports community to promote the power of sport and to achieve our common goal of a better world through sport. I am very much looking forward to bringing my sporting experience to serve all GAISF’s Members, Associate Members and Observers, and to support them over the next two years.”

Following Mr Ferriani’s election, outgoing President of GAISF, Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, said: “My heartfelt congratulations go to Ivo Ferriani on his election as the new President of GAISF. I have no doubt he will continue to serve GAISF’s Members and all of sport to a high-level, and I can think of no better representative from the AIOWF family to lead GAISF for the next two years.”

“As the President of ARISF, and the representative of ARISF on the GAISF Council, I will have the pleasure of continuing to work closely with GAISF and its new President in the years ahead.”

There were a number of key updates delivered at the General Assembly, including on financial matters with the budget 2021 and audited accounts 2020 all being unanimously approved. Moreover, the GAISF family welcomed one new full Member, the International Practical Shooting Confederation, and two new Associate Members, the Association of Pan American Sports Confederations and World Martial Arts Masterships Committee, which all had their applications approved by the voting members.