[Source: AISTS] Each year, the International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS), offers a Future Female Leader in Sport scholarship, open globally to women pursuing a career in the sports industry, or looking to advance their careers. The deadline for the next scholarship is 1 February 2020.

The AISTS is home to the World’s No.1 Sports Management Master Program (Eduniversal rankings) and located in the heart of the Olympic Capital, Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Academy was co-founded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the degree is signed by three leading Swiss universities; EPFL, University of Lausanne, and University of Geneva.

Each year the scholarship – which has a value of CHF 14,950 (EUR 13,817, 50% of the tuition fee) – is available to a promising female leader.

“It’s no secret that there is a lack of women in leadership positions within the sports industry,” says Claude Stricker, AISTS executive director. “We’re proud to offer the AISTS Future Female Leader in Sport Scholarship, to help address this imbalance and assist an inspiring woman in achieving her goals within the industry.”

The AISTS Future Female Leader in Sport Scholarship was established in 2011 by the June Canavan Foundation in honour of June Canavan, an AISTS alumni who tragically lost her life in a plane crash in 2009. 

Due to limited funding, 2013 was the last year the scholarship was offered by the June Canavan Foundation. However, the AISTS re-established the scholarship with the unchanged aim of rewarding a female applicant committed to ethical sport leadership. 

Previous recipients of the scholarship include Thayssa Plum from Brazil who currently works as senior media relations manager at FIFA

“It’s important that there are scholarship programs like the AISTS Future Female Leadership in Sport,” says Thayssa. “In my case, it’s pretty simple. It changed my life. Every girl has dreams, but not all of them have the same means. Reaching out to them, supporting their dream and making things possible is the push they need to succeed.”

Other recipients Rida Ahmed who currently works in Athlete Relations & Engagement at the International Olympic Committee.

“The AISTS Future Female Leader in Sport Scholarship was the reason I was able to make it here and learn so much  about the industry and make so many connections,” says Rida.”The scholarship has so much potential to help other who want to transition into the field and I look forward to seeing the journeys of future applicants. “

To apply for the scholarship or to find out more about the AISTS Master of Advanced Studies in Sports Administration and Technology please visit https://aists.org/education/masters-degree/about-the-degree/

[Source: IOC]

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched a new guide to help the sports community address plastic pollution.

The guide, entitled Plastic Game Plan for Sport, was published in collaboration with UN Environment and includes contributions from World Sailing. Referencing successful examples from across the sports world, it provides guidance to event organisers on creating an effective plan to reduce plastic waste. This includes key steps such as eliminating single-use plastic items, reducing the amount of plastic used, reusing plastic items and recycling.

“Plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges facing our environment today and sport – like any other industry – has an urgent responsibility to address it,” said Marie Sallois, IOC Director of Corporate and Sustainable Development. “The IOC’s Plastic Game Plan for Sport aims to provide sports organisations, event organisers, athletes and fans with clear, step-by-step guidance on how to eliminate plastic waste from their operations and everyday lives.”

The guide’s recommendations include introducing reusable or compostable cups and tableware at events, providing water refill points, recycling bins and reducing the use of ‘hidden plastic’ such as merchandise, signage, branding and ticketing. In addition, the guide encourages event organisers to leverage their reach to raise awareness of plastic pollution. It also offers tips for athletes and fans on how to cut down their own plastic waste and inspire others to do the same.

In line with Olympic Agenda 2020 – the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement – the IOC has committed to driving sustainable practices across the International Sports Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and the wider sports community. The IOC itself is reducing waste at its headquarters and is working with suppliers to ensure materials used at its events are sourced responsibly.

In June 2018, the IOC joined the UN Environment's Clean Seas campaign to fight plastic pollution in the oceans, calling on the entire Olympic Movement to follow suit. Eleven IFs, four NOCs and three commercial partners have so far committed to the initiative, putting concrete measures in place to reduce plastic waste.

In September 2019, the IOC supported the Big Plastic Pledge campaign, launched by Olympic sailing champion Hannah Mills. The campaign calls on athletes and fans to reduce their use of single-use plastic. Almost 200 elite athletes have signed the pledge so far, committing to reducing plastic use in their own lives and encouraging others to do the same.

The Plastic Game Plan for Sport is the latest installment in the IOC’s ‘Sustainability Essentials’ series, which provides practical guidance on key aspects of sustainability for NOCs, IFs and other sports organisations. Previous guides in the series include Introduction to sustainability, Sports for climate action and Sustainable sourcing in sport.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has described a proposal from Commonwealth Games India (CGI) to host a Commonwealth shooting event and potentially an archery event in India during 2022 as “innovative” that could set “manageable precedents”.

“The proposal will be reviewed and considered in January and February by the CGF and discussed with Birmingham 2022 Delivery Partners,” said David Grevemberg CBE, CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation in a statement issued to media including Host City.

The UK city of Birmingham is hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

“Key aspects of this assessment will be to ensure that the proposal conforms with our rules and regulations, is operationally deliverable, sets manageable precedents for the Commonwealth Games and ultimately adds value to athletes and the Commonwealth Sports Movement," said Grevemberg.

“We would like to thank the CGI, the NRAI, the Government of India and the entire sporting community of India for their leadership and significant efforts taken to submit an innovative proposal with the ambition of strengthening Commonwealth Sport.”

The CGF also said the proposal is supported by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the Government of India, the International Shooting Sport Federation and World Archery.

Tom Dielen, Secretary General of World Archery expressed his support in a letter, shared with Host City, to Dr. Nalinder Batra, President of the lndian Olympic Association and President of Commonwealth Games India.

“World Archery is giving its full support to this proposal to have an Archery competition in India as part of the Commonwealth Games friendship programme,” Dielen wrote.

A CGF source told Host City that the “Commonwealth Games friendship programme” referenced by World Archery is not an official term but a working title for India’s proposal.Dielen also suggested “adding the mixed team events which will also feature in Tokyo 2020”.

“World Archery would recognise the event for World Records as well as enter it on the World Ranking. We will promote the event among our member associations and provide the necessary technical assistance.”

The Archery Association of India (AAI) is currently excluded from world sport over governance issues.

“We are currently facing some issues with the Indian Archery Association but these should be resolved during the coming months and we will work with the newly elected President to make this event a success,” Dielen wrote. 

“In the meantime, we will continue the dialogue with the Commonwealth Games Federation to include Archery in the programme of Commonwealth Games.”

The CGF also confirmed to Host City that the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) have fully backed the proposal and would recognise and ratify the potential shooting event, if held.

Shooting, which is an optional sport for host cities, was dropped from the Games by Birmingham 2022 in 2018 and Archery followed suit in 2019.

India had threatened to boycott the Birmingham 2022 Olympic Games over the exclusion of shooting. But on 30 December 2020, India’s participation was confirmed in a statement by CGF President Dame Louise Martin DBE.

"Following a useful and constructive CGF visit to India in November, we felt confident and reassured that the athletes and sports community of India places huge value and importance on the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Sport Movement,” she said.

"We are delighted that India have expressed an ambition to host another Commonwealth Games in the future."

The State Government of Queensland confirmed on Monday 9^th December that it has given the green light to bidding for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The State Government said in a statement that it “will pursue hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, if all levels of government get behind the State’s efforts and provide appropriate financial support”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said a detailed value proposition assessment had shown that a Queensland based Games in 2032 could deliver significant economic and community benefits for the State.

“This is about so much more than a few weeks of sport,” she said.

“Hosting the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics could be a game changer and deliver 20 years of accelerated opportunity for our State.

“That’s why Cabinet has today made the decision to continue working towards securing a Games – and we will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure we receive the financial support we require from all levels of Government.

“There’s more work to do to ensure we are in a position to put a compelling case to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“As I’ve said all along, we will only proceed if it is in the best interests of Queenslanders.

“A strong partnership, including the right funding commitments, is vital – and our focus now is to secure that ahead of key discussions with the IOC at the Tokyo Olympics in July next year.”

Palaszczuk said the value assessment had shown the Games could: create 130,000 jobs; accelerate infrastructure development; boost international tourism spending by more than $20 billion; deliver up to $8.6 billion in new trade opportunities; and deliver procurement and supply chain opportunities for businesses throughout the State.

The approach towards the Games bid will be pursued in stages, with the next stage being to secure financial agreement between all levels of government, followed by finalisation of the candidature file.

“The world’s greatest event provides a platform like no other. It’s an opportunity to showcase Queensland to the rest of the world,” said Palaszczuk.

“Hosting around 11,000 athletes from 206 countries, and an estimated television audience of 3.2 billion people would see the world watching Queensland at its best.

“Queensland’s climate and world-class facilities provide an ideal environment for elite athletes to train and perform at their best, but it also has the ability to motivate our communities to participate in sport and lead a healthier lifestyle.”

She said the IOC’s “New Norm” rules meant it was the ideal time for the State to pursue the opportunity, with the IOC prepared to put in a significant investment towards Games delivery and provide flexibility.

“We are well placed with more than 80 per cent of venues existing or proposed to be temporary.

“This is not only about a few weeks of sport. This would leave a legacy supporting Queenslanders for decades into the future.”

The news comes shortly after a delegation from Tourism and Events Queensland participated in Host City 2019, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, on 26-27 November.

(Source: The Sports Consultancy) Nitro Circus, the world’s largest action sports brand, has appointed The Sports Consultancy (TSC) to run simultaneous host city procurement processes for their biggest global properties - Nitro World Games, Nitro Rallycross and Nitro Park & Air.

Nitro Circus has a reputation for delivering awe-inspiring innovations in sport and entertainment to audiences across the globe. Now the brand is teaming up with TSC to build on that success. Through this process, Nitro Circus will appoint multiple host city partners with whom they will co-create bespoke events that bring together world-class athletes and groundbreaking competition formats, uniquely showcase the host destination and inspire the next generation of stars.

To kick off this campaign, Nitro Circus is further expanding on their Nitro World Games showcase event which next year will be hosted for the first time outside of the US – the premier competition is coming to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in May 2020.  By taking a portfolio approach, Nitro Circus is offering bespoke, multi-year host city partnerships, coupled with year-round Nitro Circus Media House content, with opportunities starting from 2021 onwards.

Commenting on the appointment Antony Warren, SVP Business Development, Events at Nitro Circus said:

“By partnering with TSC, we are signaling our intent to take our largest events to our fans in cities around the world.  Our first step on this journey, after three years in the US, is hosting the 2020 Nitro World Games in Cardiff, Wales and from there we look forward to crossing many more borders as we build relationships with cities, fans and competitors in all corners of the globe.”

TSC Director, Consulting Matt Wilson added:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Nitro Circus.  These events are truly disrupting the world of major events and, with their ability to drive global media exposure, youth engagement, year-round destination marketing and strong social and infrastructure legacies, are perfectly suited to future hosts seeking to challenge perceptions and boundaries.”

[Source: EventScotland] EventScotland and Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a meeting between the two organisations at Host City 2019.

The sixth Host City Conference and Exhibition was the ideal place for the signing of the agreement as 300 representatives from some of the world’s leading event cities, destination marketing organisations, cross-sector rightsholders, organising committees and suppliers gathered together for two days. The conference and exhibition included plenary presentations, panels, VIP dialogues and workshops on how to attract, bid for and host secure and engaging events with positive long-term legacies. The MOU will see EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, and TEQ work in collaboration over the next three years, sharing information and insights into the securing and delivering of major sporting, cultural and business events.

It will also build on the strong relationship both Scotland and Queensland developed during their respective hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018 as both organisations look to build meaningful social and economic impacts for their country and region through event tourism.

Areas of collaboration outlined in the MOU include information sharing, event bidding and prospecting, impact measurement, delivery capability, and strategy development.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for events and our reputation as a world-leader in event delivery has seen us secure and deliver some of the world’s biggest events, including The 2019 Solheim Cup and the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023.

“Events play a key role in our society by helping to bring strong social and economic benefits to the whole country. We are delighted to be signing this MOU with TEQ that will allow both organisations to flourish through the regular sharing of knowledge and insights into this incredibly dynamic and exciting industry.”

TEQ CEO Leanne Coddington said the partnership would prove beneficial to both parties.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard over the past decade to build Australia’s most diverse events calendar that sees unique events held in Australia’s best destinations from the Gold Coast to Cape York and the Outback,” Ms Coddington said.

“Events not only drive visitors to Queensland but also contribute strongly to the economy in their own right, whether they be large-scale sporting events, business events, cultural events or community events.

“We look forward to collaborating with EventScotland in the coming years as we continue to build the value of the It’s Live! in Queensland calendar.”

The signing of the MOU also comes at an exciting time as recruitment for key positions to oversee and deliver the 2023 Cycling World Championships will shortly commence.

Paul Bush added: “It has been an exciting year for the events industry, especially for us here in Scotland. During my opening keynote address on day one of Host City 2019 I touched on the impact of three aspects on the events landscape this year – the growth of women’s sport and women’s events; contingency planning; and audience engagement.

“Unlike any other year I believe we have seen the tectonic plates of the world sporting events shift, collide and indeed, totally reshape. We have seen record crowds and TV audiences for major international events including The 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles and the Women’s World Cup in France.

“We’ve also seen pay parity and equality and diversity continue to be topical subjects and while we’ve seen great strides in the last 12 months, there is still much work to be done within the equality and diversity agenda as sport still lags society.  As an events industry we can and should take a lead whether its gender balance, LGBTQ, BAME or disabled representation; providing the platform for all people from the field of play right up to the boardroom.

“The year has also raised a number of interesting scenarios within the area of contingency planning. While some organisers like the Cricket World Cup got it spot on, others did not, and it is an area we need to focus our minds and give further consideration to ensure we are not left wanting.

“We have also seen a seismic change in audience and fan engagement, with some events like World Athletics Championships failing to ignite the interest of locals, leaving stadiums unfilled while others like the Women’s Netball World Cup in Liverpool and England women’s football team’s recent match against Germany playing to sell-out crowds.

“With the world changing at a rate of knots, as an industry we need to respond at the same pace to the many variables that now exist.”

300 delegates and 30 exhibitors from all around the world gathered in Glasgow over two days to hear a range of high-profile speakers from the fields of sport, culture, business and medicine deliver discussion and debate around the theme “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-Create”.

Speakers tackled a vast array of different topics including the drive for sustainability, community engagement, creating partnerships, addressing equality imbalance and adapting events to meet the needs of the digital era.

In her keynote address, Dame Louise Martin DBE, President, of the Commonwealth Games Federation, underlined how vital it has become for different parties to co-create and reformulate to deliver the best events possible.

She said: “Now more than ever, it is essential for rights holders and federations to collaborate with host city partners and stakeholders to develop sustainable, impactful, world-class and community-relevant events that engage and benefit the widest possible audience.

“I feel extremely optimistic about the future of Commonwealth Sport. There is still much to be done but we are very confident, although never complacent, about the positive impact and huge success that can be derived from Birmingham 2022 and beyond.

“The three pillars of this conference – Innovate, Reformulate, Cocreate – map almost exactly to three of our four strategic objectives. The one not covered is our final pillar in the strategic plan: our collective impact. That fundamentally drives our vision.

“Let’s make sure we widen the conversation beyond delivery and collaboration to our wider purpose. Let’s think not just about our models but our meaning.”

One of the best examples of co-creation in event planning was the 2018 European Championships co-hosted by Berlin and Glasgow.

Stefan Kuerten, Executive Director at Eurovision Sport, gave some insight into the process.

He said: “We had to do something for European sport. There was a risk in a few sports of the level of interest in their European Championships going down. So we put seven of them together to create a new event.

“We looked at cities that might be interested and two stood out: Glasgow and Berlin. They both had the same complaints and questions about sharing the event. But they understood that sharing was better as it helped reduce the cost. Both cities discovered that one plus one didn’t make two but three.”

Sven Bossu, Head of Innovation, ESTRO (European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology), revealed that planning medical events also requires co-operation with others and the need to engage with the local community.

He explained: “Our yearly congress welcomes 6500 people for four days. But we had to ask if it was having a positive impact on patients in that region. And the answer was no. We couldn’t end our annual congress, but we wanted to reinvent the process for selecting a host city.

“Of course, we wanted it have all the functional things we needed for a conference. But we also wanted to integrate a project that could be shaped and managed to have an impact on cancer patients in that region.”

Emily Blitz, Director of Conferences of the International AIDS Society, added: “Ours is a scientific conference. But because of the nature of HIV it goes beyond scientists to the people most affected.

“At our conference we also have an exhibition and programme that’s open to the local community. It means we can leave a little bit of the experience behind. It makes it more of a global village where research meets the real world.”

Frederik Nemeth, Chief Financial Officer of the Roskilde Festival Group, revealed how events must start to reflect the wishes of a more climate-conscious younger audience or pay the ultimate price.

He said: “The average person coming to our festival is 24 years old and they want to change the world and have no carbon emissions.

“And if we don’t fix that problem the festival will close within the next 10 years. The people won’t come to our event. So we need to address that issue.”

Mandy Keegan, Director of Media Operations at Expo 2020 Dubai, underscored the importance of varying an event’s focus for each of its target markets.

She said: “The biggest issue facing major events today is how you engage with such a wide variety of people around the world. At Expo 2020 Dubai we have so many things happening over the six months of the event. We need to tell our story to so many different types of people. We’re expecting 150000 visitors every day and we need to make it relevant to all of them.”

Markus Stenger, Managing Director of DFB EURO 2024, spoke about the important of co-creating the tournament in conjunction with different parties.

He said: “Everyone is aware that Germany is able to host big major events with infrastructure. But if we want to be successful, we have to deliver more. We’ve really focused on talking to stakeholders but also on listening. What are their demands, hopes and issues? We want to make it a tournament that brings out the best in everyone with transparency, integrity and sustainability.”

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, opened the conference with a keynote speech on his key takeaways from the world of sport in 2019.

He said: “Pay parity for me remains a topical subject in the events world. While tennis may have parity, the majority of other areas in our industry do not. At a recent men’s golf event in the USA the winner earned $1.5m. On the same weekend, at a European women’s tour event the winner got 23,000 Euros. Even here at the home of golf we have some work to do.

“All events require contingency planning but 2019 for me has raised a number of interesting scenarios that should require further consideration. The destruction and tragic loss of life caused by Typhoon Hagibis during the Rugby World Cup left many wanting, exposed and acting in haste.

“In my personal view, it lacked a detailed contingency plan that the event, sport, athletes, media, and supporters should have been afforded.”

Ian Reid, chief executive of the organising committee, spoke about the need to make the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games relevant to the area’s demographics.

He said: “We worked closely with the Federation to create a product that we hope will resonate with the people of the West Midlands. We are really focusing on youth, as Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe.

“So, our sports programme will have beach volleyball and three-on-three basketball, while we want to introduce city centre hubs that work around that with DJs and live site programmes to resonate with a demographic that perhaps hasn’t always engaged with the Commonwealth’s sports programme in the past.”

Dr Bridget McConnell CBE, chief executive of Glasgow Life, also emphasised the need to take local communities with you on the journey that is event planning.

She said: “In the next couple of weeks Glasgow will be awarded the accolade of the world’s top city for festivals and events. And it’s out already that we will be European Capital of Sport in 2023. That’s recognition of Glasgow seeing culture, sport and events as a way to regenerate the city.

“But I think this conference has to be aware of the very real challenges facing cities like Glasgow which is pressures on public funding for other priorities such as social care and education. The losers will often be the kinds of services like the ones we are delivering.”

David Lappartient, President, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) spoke about the need to co-create to deliver the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.

“Having strong partnerships is fundamental. If you want to be a huge success everyone has to be on board. And we have been working together with Glasgow to really co-create this.

“Cycling has reacted well to this new vision. We have disciplines that are totally different. But all of them use a bicycle and they are proud to be part of the same event.”

David de Behr, Head of Sales at Aggreko Event Services, spoke about the possibility of co-creating events that provide sustainability solution.

“The Solheim Cup was a huge success and that will change dynamics in the future. Do you bring events together to be sustainable? Could you have the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup at the same time and venue? Men’s and Women’s World Cup also? That is something to think about if you want to be sustainable.”

Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF), said: “From the context of co-creation in the six FIS ski and snowboard disciplines which are on the Olympic Winter Games programme, they have diverse characteristics and wide range of cities, resorts and venues.

“Co-creation and partnerships are different depending on locations. So the model can’t be one size fits all. You have to find different ways of working together to achieve successful events. That's the key.”

Sir Craig Reedie GBE, Member of the International Olympic Committee, gave a heart-warming answer to the question of legacy definition.

“At London 2012, we rebuilt a scene of industrial devastation and turned it into a magical venue. Figures produced six months ago showed that within the six boroughs surrounding the London Stadium since the end of the Olympic Games there have been 125,000 new jobs. I don’t know what the definition of legacy is but that’s pretty high in my book.

“And there is supposed to be another 135,000 more jobs planned by 2030. So, I’m sure when the IOC get their minds around that they’ll be happy with that.”

Around 300 delegates heard high-profile figures, including David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Sir Craig Reedie GBE of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Ian Reid, CEO of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, outline their vision around the theme “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-Create” on the first day of the conference.

In his keynote address, Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, spoke about the three topics that he felt had left their mark on the events landscape this year: the growth of women’s sport, contingency planning and audience engagement.

He said: “The Women’s World Cup in France had 1.12bn TV viewers with an average audience of 8.1m for the final. Megan Rapinoe, the USA star, shone a light on equal pay, equality and diversity issues in sport.

“Are the Tectonic plates of world sporting event shifting, colliding or being totally reshaped? In my humble opinion the answer to all three is ‘yes’.

“The events industry can and should take the lead on gender balance, LGBTQ, BAME and disabled representation to provide that platform for more people, from the field of play to the boardroom.”

Speaking on the opening panel of the conference, Dr Bridget McConnell CBE, chief executive of Glasgow Life, said that event planners need to keep working with and consulting with their local communities.

She said: “Our watchword has always been 'engage' and that underpins the whole approach in Glasgow. That is crucial to our future success. And that includes not only with event organisers, but also with decision-makers, influencers, politicians and our communities. 

"It’s usually taxpayers’ money that pays for a lot that we deliver. So if they don’t see the relevance, embrace it, volunteer at events, or be inspired to take up sport then in times of increased pressure on spending of public funds there will be a big question mark over how relevant we can continue to be.”

Ian Reid echoed that sentiment as the organisers reach out to find out what their local community wants from a Commonwealth Games.

He said: “We are really focusing on youth as Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe. So our sports programme will have beach volleyball and three-on-three basketball, while we want to introduce city centre hubs that work around that with DJs and live site programmes to resonate with a demographic that perhaps hasn’t always engaged with the Commonwealth’s sports programme in the past.”

Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF) said: “From the context of co-creation in the six FIS ski and snowboard disciplines which are on the Olympic Winter Games programme, they have diverse characteristics and wide range of cities, resorts and venues. Co-creation and partnerships are different depending on locations. Some events take place in important capital cities.

“For example the next Winter Olympics is in Beijing. But we also have important events at small mountain resorts where there are more people organising them than live there. So the model can’t be one size fits all. You have to find different ways of working together to achieve successful events. That's the key.”

David Lappartient delivered insight into co-creating the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, the first to include all cycling disciplines competing together.

He said: “Having strong partnerships is fundamental. If you want to be a huge success everyone has to be on board. And we have been working together with Glasgow to really co-create this.

“Cycling has reacted well to this new vision. We have disciplines that are totally different. But all of them use a bicycle and they are proud to be part of the same event.”

Sir Craig Reedie GBE spoke about the London 2012 Olympic Games and the legacy that it left behind.

He said: “Figures produced six months ago showed that within the six boroughs surrounding the London Stadium since the end of the Olympic Games there have been 125,000 new jobs. I don’t know what the definition of legacy is but that’s pretty high in my book.”

Singing unites nations. A very international audience will make this experience first-hand at the Opening event of the Host City conference and exhibition in Glasgow on November 25th, where the Scottish Gaelic choir ALBA will perform as an ambassador of the World Choir Games – the world’s largest international choir competition.

Earlier this year ALBA and its conductor Joy Dunlop represented Scotland at the TV choral talent show “Eurovision Choir 2019,” an international choir competition inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest and the World Choir Games. The show took place in Gothenburg and marked the Opening of INTERKULTUR’s European Choir Games 2019, which aired live to 10 European countries at prime time. For its performance at “Eurovision Choir” ALBA was awarded the International Award at the Scottish Gaelic Awards on November 19 as the group that “best promotes Gaelic outside Scotland”.

The enthusiastic group of singers drawn from all over the country, who make up the ALBA choir sing in Scots Gaelic, the indigenous language once spoken all over Scotland, will provide a lively program showcasing Gaelic language and tradition as a prelude to the Host City Conference in Glasgow.

INTERKULTUR will be part of the well-known Host City Conference in order to promote the idea of the Choir Games, to inspire people of all ages, cultures, and ethnical backgrounds to experience the power of music as a universal language – turning the respective host cities into one huge festival stage full of voices and international atmosphere.

About INTERKULTUR

INTERKULTUR is the world's leading initiator and organizer of international choral competitions. In over 30 years since the organization was established, more than 10.000 choirs and roughly 435.000 male and female singers from 107 nations have taken part in the World Choir Games and INTERKULTUR's regional choir competitions. Since 1988 a total of 230 competitions and festivals have been held, cities like Barcelona, Vienna and Hoi An have been hosting various competitions for years. The famous World Choir Games are held every two years on different continents. The 11^th World Choir Games 2020 take place in Flanders, Belgium with Antwerp and Ghent as host cities.

About Host City

Host City conference and exhibition brings together cities and sports, business and cultural events for two full days of unrivalled insight, networking, workshops and business on 26-27 November at the Technology & Innovation Centre in Glasgow.

This is where representatives of host destinations, federations and other rights holders, organisers, event suppliers and services from all over the world meet to discover opportunities and discuss the challenges of major event hosting.

www.hostcity.com