The International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH), the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) and the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) are the first Strategic Partners to support the development of Host City, the largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events.

Host City Expo & Conference is a “one-stop shop” for the owners, organisers, hosts and other stakeholders of sports, business and cultural events. Now in its 6th year, the 2019 event takes place in Glasgow on 26-27 November and highlights the need for the sector to Innovate, Reformulate & Co-create.

Through the Strategic Partnership programme, Host City and the supporting organisations have opportunities to:

• co-produce the event agenda, with a combination of keynotes, panels, presentations, workshops and side meetings
• increase opportunities to enlist new members
• increase access to the event for all stakeholders in major events
• consolidate the major event hosting community around this unique focal point

Rick Traer, IAEH Co-Director and CEO of the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance said: “The partnership with Host City provides a platform to deliver against a number of our strategic objectives, including the opportunity to share best practices, promote a standard set of event impact standards and to build a network of individuals and organizations involved in hosting major events around the world.”

Daniel Cordey, Chairman of AGES said: “The partnership with Host City is a win-win situation and offers benefits at different levels for us. Our members get additional opportunities to meet industry professionals and the Association is co-organising interesting thematic talks embedded in the Host City event programme.”

Andy Westlake, ESA Chairman said: “ESA is excited to be partnering with Host City in November, as we think it’s important to explore how we can continue to enhance the contribution of sponsorship for major event host cities and organising committees. Sponsorship of course helps to drive additional revenue and offset major event budgets, but it also significantly enhances the spectator’s experience, contributes powerfully to the event marketing agenda and will often leave a strong and long-lasting grass roots legacy afterwards. We’re looking forward to being part of the discussion”

Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City said: “The launch of the Strategic Partnership programme is an important development for the Host City community. We are delighted to have the world’s leading associations joining us to further consolidate this unique focal point of all the various stakeholders involved in staging the world’s greatest events. We are very grateful to IAEH, AGES and ESA for their support in developing Host City and look forward to welcoming their members to Host City 2019, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events.”

About Host City

Host City Expo & Conference 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. Participants are encouraged to use Host City as a platform to develop, workshop and announce new events, partnerships and formats.

www.hostcity.com

About IAEH

The International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH) exists for representatives of international destinations to collaborate to generate the best possible value from hosting major sporting and cultural events and provide a voice for ‘not for profit’ hosts of events.

IAEH provides a platform for members to learn from the successes and challenges of major events, share knowledge and generate greater long term social and economic benefits from hosting events.

www.eventhosts.org

About AGES

The purpose of the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) is to build up awareness for industry-specific aspects and to promote and defend the interests of its members in the international event marketplace.

The objective is to become a professional and business-oriented association which offers to share and manage valuable information related to the temporary infrastructure industry in order to streamline business for buyers and sellers.

AGES wants to develop a roadmap together with governmental bodies and key stakeholders to create procedures, standards and other tools to facilitate interaction and business with event suppliers, and through this contribute to lowering the burden on future organisers.

www.ages.international

About ESA

The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to inspire, unite and grow the sponsorship industry for the benefit of its members. ESA does this through education, guidance, representation, the recognition of excellence and the sharing of best practice and performance.

ESA’s reach encompasses all types of sponsorship activity from sport, broadcast, education, charity, the arts and culture through to environment and the community. Its membership includes sponsors, rights holders, agencies and consultants, professional advisors and suppliers.

www.sponsorship.org

Host City: Host City 2019 takes place in Glasgow on 26-27 November, with theme of “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-Create”, in recognition of the fact that many major events are evolving and emerging through creative partnerships. To what extent are FIS and other Winter IFs innovating, reformulating and co-creating events?

Sarah Lewis: Collaborating with other stakeholders for the FIS major events, namely the World Championships, is fundamental to utilise the respective capacities to deliver the best possible event. We aim to continually evolve and be innovative, whereby it fundamental to respect the sport and ensure its DNA remains intact.

Partnership is normal practice for major FIS events, both within the FIS disciplines as well as with other stakeholders. For example, the three Nordic disciplines of Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined are staged as one Nordic Event that provides permanent action. Since the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Freestyle Ski and Snowboard are combined at major events and increasingly as part of the FIS World Cup series, in order to maximise the many synergies with the venues and operations.

I’m looking forward to interesting exchanges and discussions at Host City on innovating, reformulating and co-creating events where many different event stakeholders can contribute their own and shared perspectives.

Host City: The theme of SportAccord 2019 was “The Future of Big Data and Analytics”. What opportunities do you see from big data and analytics in skiing and other winter sports events?

Sarah Lewis: The main and important opportunity is to establish a direct online relationship and interaction with the 15 million online followers of the FIS disciplines, which is a key asset for the development of digital activities as well as sponsorship opportunities. Our objective at FIS is to create a digital ecosystem to serve viewers and fans, which will open up new commercial opportunities for the stakeholders.

Host City: What were your impressions of Gold Coast and Queensland as a host destination, as they consider applying to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games?

Sarah Lewis: Just as well you specified Summer Games, as the likelihood for the Winter edition would be tricky even with a very “New Norm” concept! The Commonwealth Games in 2018 have provided an excellent basis for future Olympic Games and during SportAccord there was certainly great enthusiasm expressed from the sports leadership, political authorities and tourism.

Host City: The growth of the sports industry in China is reflected by the growing number of conventions taking place there – with World Winter Sports Expo, Host City Asia and now SportAccord taking place in Beijing. What impact do you think the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games is having on the growth of winter sports in China?

Sarah Lewis: The catalyst of Beijing 2022 is already having a momentous effect on the growth of winter sports and even globally for the industry and tourism. China has a long cold winter and significant mountain regions and the country is now exploiting the potential of winter sports tourism and recreation for the benefit of the health of population, especially children, to combat the concerns about an increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

The legacy of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games was established by the Government already at the outset with its candidacy to use the Games as a spur to develop winter sports for the general population and the economy, through developing tourism and winter sports industry.

Host City: How would you describe Santiago’s journey towards hosting the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Santiago has been highlighted in Latin America for its good quality of life, safety, connectivity and most recently was ranked as the most technological city in Latin America. Chile is a country that has been growing very rapidly in the previous decades, and has a very open economy, with Free Trade Agreements with more than 60 countries worldwide. The country is generally recognized as one of the most developed and stable economies in Latin America.

The sports community has been growing very quickly as well, with notable international results like becoming Copa America Champions two years in a row and two Olympic gold medals in Tennis. Hosting the Pan American Games was going to happen eventually.

Host City: What were the decisive factors in being awarded the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Political stability, economic stability and already existing sport infrastructure where probably at the top of this list. The country’s love for sports, and everything sports represents, was also probably very high.

Santiago’s connectivity is also a big positive for athletes and visitors of the games; close to 70 per cent of disciplines will take place in five main venues, including where the athletes’ village will be, which are very well connected to public transportation buses and subway.

Host City: How much new infrastructure do you need to build?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: There isn’t very much new infrastructure that we need to build, if you compare Santiago 2023 with Lima 2019 for example, which is hosting the Games this year, because we have many venues which are a legacy of the Santiago 2014 South American Games.

New infrastructure that has been announced are a new Hockey fields and a new Paralympic pavilion. The athlete’s village in Ciudad Parque Bicentanario is the largest and most urgent infrastructure project to be started. The project will be 100 per cent privately funded. The Ministry of Housing is in charge of leading the public tendering process, which should kick-off in the coming months.

So, the existing infrastructure is a very good starting point, but some investment will be needed to prepare the city for the Games four years down the road.

Host City: What is public support like for the Games?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Public support– starting from President of Chile – is very high. Everyone is very eager to make it happen as the country has never hosted an event of this magnitude. The Santiago 2014 South American Games were already a big party in the city and country – with full stadiums and lots of interest from the community – which showed the city and country’s interest in these type of sporting events. Santiago 2023 will be the biggest sporting event in our county’s history and Chileans are ready to participate in one way or another .

In November Santiago is hosting the COP 25 Climate Change Conference – this is the biggest event we’ve done in a while and will be a good opportunity to learn how an event of this magnitude works in Chile.

Host City: Are the opportunities mainly for local or international suppliers?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: We want to help the local community and thousands of local businesses – but also invite international suppliers. We haven’t hosted an event of this magnitude in the past and there’s a lot of expertise we will need to import. We want to learn from that.

One of the legacies we want to leave is developing local talent in the organization of mega events. We are developing talent within the country, but part of the legacy we want to leave is to bring outside talent into the country. So, it’s going to be a mix of local and international.

This is basically the planning stage, making sure we have the right team and people, that the stadiums and the baseline is compliant with Pan American Games standards, and start working on Gantt chart from today until October 2023 and make sure it happens in the best and most seamless way.

We are assessing what needs to be done in next four years. Right now we are working on branding, mission and values. We are also reviewing the sports programme, speaking to potential sponsors and starting to work on our legacy programme.

Host City: How are sponsors engaging with your legacy programme?

Eduardo Della Maggiora: Chile has the sixth highest incidence of childhood obesity in the world – and the highest in Latin America. Improving these figures is an important part of the legacy programme.

We want to tailor the experiences of sponsors in a way that helps them connect with consumers in a very different way, but at the same time positively impacts the lives of millions of Chileans through  sports, volunteering and legacy programmes.

The Pan American Games take place in Santiago in October 2023, with approximately 10,000 athletes from 41 nations competing in 39 sports. It is followed by the Para Pan American Games in November.

Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have voted to grant the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games hosting rights to Italy’s Milan-Cortina ahead of a rival bid from Stockholm- Åre.

The decision was made in Lausanne, following a lengthy bidding and consultation period and a day of presentations from the candidates.  

The result was close, with the Italian bid winning 56% of the 81 votes cast.

Sustainability, financial guarantees and public support were key issues in the campaign.

“Congratulations to Milan-Cortina,” said IOC President Thomas Bach said.

“We can look forward to outstanding and sustainable Olympic Winter Games in a traditional winter sports country. The passion and knowledge of Italian fans, together with experienced venue operators, will create the perfect atmosphere for the best athletes in the world. The Olympic Winter Games Milan-Cortina 2026 will feature iconic venues and beautiful settings, combining the attractions of a modern European metropolis with a classic Alpine environment.”

The bidding process was the first to begin and end since the launch of “Olympic Agenda 2020”, the revised procedure set up by president Bach.

“The new Candidature Process has demonstrated the success of Olympic Agenda 2020,” he said.

“We have lowered the cost and complexity of developing Games projects, which now serve the long-term development goals of the host communities and have sustainability and legacy at their hearts. This has led to a significantly reduced organisation budget and the use of 93 per cent existing or temporary competition venues. I also want to thank Stockholm-Åre for presenting an excellent candidature and being part of the Candidature Process for the Olympic Winter Games 2026.”

Announcing the decision, the IOC highlighted Italy’s strong tradition of winter sports and world class venues, in addition to the use of “existing and temporary venues if there is no post-Games demand for new permanent facilities”.

Only one of the competition venues will be a new, permanent structure.

The IOC also noted the “unified backing of the Italian sports movement, the private sector and national, regional and city governments”.

While Stockholm- Åre’s project had the support of the government it would have been heavily reliant on private funds.

The IOC is amending the process of awarding host cities further still to make the process even more consultative, as part of "The New Norm" reforms. The fact that there were ultimately only two bids to choose from for 2026 – as was also the case for the previous bidding cycle in which the two candidates Paris and LA were each awarded 2024 and 2028 respectively – will have been a factor in bringing in these further changes.

The changes already introduced through Agenda 2020, such as increased technical services and a reduction in the required deliverables and presentations, has reduced candidature budget by 75 per cent, according to the IOC.

It also said the operating budgets proposed for 2026 are 20 per cent lower than the candidates for the previous two bidding cycles.

Host City: The theme of Host City 2019 is “Innovate; Reformulate; Co-Create” - what are your expectations of this event? 

Nellie Kim: To be an active participant in a big sports forum is, indeed, one of the greatest incentives to the person to continue developing their natural talents and enlarge the boundaries of their personal achievements. In this respect, all that relates to the organisation of big and inspiring events is a point of interest for us.

To share experiences and to hear about the innovative ideas of all the stakeholders in the sector – be they representatives of city councils, national governing bodies, business, potential, or actual sponsors, event organisers, technical experts and all the parties contributing to the success of major events – is vital for us as the world’s governing body for gymnastics. Learning from each other and sharing experiences is one of the key factors of becoming better and reaching higher.

Host City: As Chair of the Innovation Commission at FIG, what are you doing to bring new ideas, formats and disciplines such as parkour into gymnastics?

Nellie Kim: The idea about introduction of the parkour into the FIG programmes belongs to our President Morinari Watanabe who was personally involved in the development of the project.   

In his official report from May 2019 he stresses on the fact that the future belongs to urban sports, like cycling with BMX, basketball with 3x3, volleyball with beach volleyball, as well as skateboarding and climbing etc. So, gymnastics has come up with parkour. Urban sports are booming, and we must keep in pace with this process.

Parkour World Cups have already been successfully held in Chengdu, China, and then in Hiroshima, Japan, where it was part of the Urban Sports Festival that attracted a big crowd of spectators.

As for the proposals the Innovation and the Ambassadors Commissions which I am chairing, we have submitted to the attention of the FIG authorities a number of projects over the last few months, some of which are:

- Changes to the Olympic Games 2024 Qualification Programme;

- Live streaming from the Qualification stage of the FIG World Championships using our IRCOS system;

- The Innovation Commission is exploring possibilities to include new disciplines into the FIG programme.

Host City: How is the Ambassadors’ Commission helping FIG to engage young people in its events and their co-creation?

Nellie Kim: The most direct approach to this matter is of course, the Volunteer programme applied by many of our member-Federations. 

We, at the Ambassadors’ Commission also pay specific attention to the fact that there is no bigger inspiration for any child or young person than meeting their sport idols in person.  Meetings with young gymnasts and fans is only one of the long list of Gymnastics Ambassadors’ activities prior and during the World Championships since the programme was introduced in 2017.

The role of Gymnastics Ambassador has already been taken by legends like Nadia Comaneci, Kyle Shuffelt and Svetlana Boginskaia in artistic gymnastics; Alina Kabaeva and Maria Pertova in rhythmic gymnastics, Alexander Moskalenko and Irina Karavaeva in trampoline, to name but a few. I was nominated as Ambassador of 2^nd European Games, which will be held in Minsk in June 2019.

Many of our greatest champions from the past also visit clubs and conduct workshops in various countries across the globe to promote gymnastics and to inspire young people. 

Big attention should also be given to continue promoting Gymnastics as the base for all other sports. This means Gymnastics like it existed in the schools in the past and helped children to develop basic body skills, discipline and healthy habits for the rest of their lives.

At the same time our ”Gymnastics for All” division caters for people of any age, from toddlers to old age, giving them the chance to enjoy organised classes and even take part in a massive international event called Gymnaestrada which is held every four years and attracts tens of thousands of people from all over the world.

Host City: And how is FIG raising the profile of women and disabled people through its events?

Nellie Kim: At the 2018 FIG Congress the decision was taken to have at least 30 per cent women amongst elected authorities, and this was a big step forward.  Because of the specifics of our sport, the majority of our athletes are female, and it is only very logic to apply their experience and knowledge after they have ended their sports career.  In this respect our FIG Women’s commission is very active. It has recently organised the Women in Leadership Forum held right after the FIG Council meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia in May.  To add to all this, our President Mr Watanabe is the President of the IOC “Women in Sport” Commission.

As for Gymnastics for people with physical impediments – several of our national member-federations develop this discipline. Here again, in charge is our “Gymnastics for All“ commission which comes up with projects encouraging the progress of Disability gymnastics and promotes the best practices in the field. The FIG President wanted to move even further and has asked our commission to study the problem and look at the possibilities for gymnasts with disability to participate at the Paralympic Games.

Host City: The FIG World Championships in Glasgow in 2015 were hailed as a new benchmark in event presentation. What is FIG and its host cities doing to reach even greater heights?

Nellie Kim: Yes, the World Championships in Glasgow demonstrated several novelties which became a norm in the organization of major gymnastics events across the world in that the entertainment flavour of the competitions was strongly interwoven with the traditional technical requirements of our sport.  The scale of Glasgow 2015 World Championships was possible due to the enormous support from the UK Sports Governing Bodies, the Glasgow City Council and British Gymnastics.

However, not many countries in the world enjoy and can rely on such enormous financial support, marvellous venue, logistics in place and professional expertise in every respect, as they were demonstrated in Glasgow 2015. 

To draw the most rational and applicable ideas, the FIG conducts a “Transfer of knowledge” meetings from one Local Organizing Committee to the next. However, I must stress the fact that the organization of each World Championships is a prerogative of the relevant National Federation. Sadly, many of our member-federations have the enthusiasm, the ideas and the knowledge, but do not enjoy the above-mentioned attributes for success.

Nellie Kim is speaking at Host City 2019, which takes place in Glasgow on 26-27 November. View the full agenda and speaker line up

VIP speakers at Host City 2019, taking place in Glasgow on 26 and 27 November, today urged the major event hosting sector to unite under the conference theme: Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create.

Now in its 6th year, Host City is firmly established as the largest meeting of Cities and Sports, Business and Cultural events. Participants are encouraged to use Host City 2019 as a platform to develop, workshop and announce new events, partnerships and formats.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Host City 2019 will be another great opportunity for the major events sector to come together and share best practice as well as discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

“The major events industry is evolving rapidly as technology and customer expectations continue to have a big influence on how events are delivered. This year’s theme: Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create provides the perfect platform to discuss how we can work together to embrace change, so we can continue to deliver social, policy and economic benefits for the host city and country.

“Scotland’s experience in delivering bold, ambitious and innovative events is widely recognised and we look forward to sharing this with our industry peers in November.”

Dr. Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life said: “We are looking forward to hosting another wonderful Host City conference and exhibition in Glasgow. The need for cities to innovate, rethink and partner to develop their event strategies has never been greater, and Glasgow continues to lead the way on this front. It’s a pleasure to be speaking at Host City again where event hosts, owners and organisers will discuss these topics and much more.”

David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) said: “I’m proud to be speaking at Host City 2019. The UCI has certainly welcomed the innovative approach that led to the creation, with Scotland, of the UCI Cycling World Championships that debuts there in 2023. Creative dialogue between cities and rights holders is essential to stage events that benefit the communities that host them.”

Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of FIS (International Ski Federation) and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) said: “I am delighted to be speaking and participating at Host City 2019. FIS and the other International Winter Sports Federations are constantly endeavouring to innovate and evolve our event properties and the concept of co-creation is increasingly important to all event organisers. I very much look forward to exploring these themes in more detail in Host City, which is always a valuable opportunity for cities, sports, business and cultural events to learn and exchange each other’s objectives and perspectives.”

Dame Louise Martin DBE, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation said: “I am delighted to be speaking at Host City 2019 about how transformation, innovation and partnership are at the heart of the Commonwealth Games delivery model.  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.”

Ian Reid, CEO of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games said: “I’m really pleased to be invited to be part of Host City 2019 and I’m looking forward to talking to attendees about the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, an event which is being organised by a group of partners, who have all come together to jointly create what will be the biggest sports and culture event ever to be staged in Birmingham and the West Midlands region.”

Host City is the annual international conference and exhibition that brings together host destinations, federations and rights holders, organisers, event suppliers and services from all over the world for two full days of unrivalled insight, networking, workshops and business.

Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City said: “The conference theme – Innovate; Reformulate; Co-create – clearly reflects the thinking and behaviour of the smartest players in the sector today. New partnerships and technologies are fundamentally disrupting the traditional orders of major sports, business and cultural events. We urge everyone in the sector to come to Host City to forge new partnerships, share ideas and create initiatives alongside the best of peers.”

To view the latest agenda and confirmed speakers go to www.hostcity.com, where delegates can save £300 by booking before 31 May.

Host City 2019 Expo & Conference is being supported by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland, Glasgow Life and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

For sponsorship enquires contact adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

For speaking opportunities, partnerships and media enquiries contact ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: ASOIF[] The General Assembly of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) convened today at SportAccord in Gold Coast, Queensland (Australia), and elected Marisol Casado (International Triathlon Union), Ingmar De Vos (International Equestrian Federation) and Morinari Watanabe (International Gymnastics Federation) as Council members for a four-year term of office. Whilst Marisol Casado was re-elected for another term of office, Ingmar De Vos and Morinari Watanabe will replace José Perurena (International Canoe Federation), whose mandate had also come to an end, and former FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann who tragically passed away last autumn. During a moment of silence, the General Assembly remembered Patrick Baumann and his outstanding contributions to sport and the Olympic Movement.

Marisol Casado was elected President of the ITU in 2008 and became an IOC Member in 2010. She is also a Council member of GAISF. Ingmar De Vos was elected President of the FEI in 2014. An IOC Member since 2017, he is also a GAISF Council member and GAISF representative on the WADA Executive Committee. Morinari Watanabe was elected President of the FIG in 2016. An IOC Member since 2018, he is also a member of the Tokyo 2020 Executive Board.

The future of global sport and the role of International Federations (IFs) were key topics on the agenda of the General Assembly. ASOIF’s report on the “Future of Global Sport”, launched in February this year, received very positive reactions during the meeting. A number of member federations stated that the report recommendations had gained momentum within their organisations and will be discussed at their upcoming Executive Board meetings.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “The future of global sport, the role of IFs and their governance are all intertwined. By examining these three aspects at the same time, we aim to strengthen our member federations and help them tackle current and future challenges in a fast-evolving world. I am very glad to hear they have started to make use of the report findings in their daily work and implement some of the recommendations.”

On the topic of IF governance, ASOIF members agreed on the procedure of the third governance review, to be conducted between late 2019 and early 2020, with the declared objective to see at least 26 of the 28 full ASOIF members score 120 points (out of a maximum of 200 points). In order to support this process, the ASOIF Governance Support and Monitoring Unit (GSMU), established in late 2018, will continue to help IFs achieve progress in good governance.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organising Committee shared their plan for their one-year-to-go celebrations on 24 July this year and reported that they had released lately their competition schedule (session by session) to the general public. The recent launch of the ticketing sales website was hailed a success as well, with already more than two million ID registrations clocked by 31 March 2019. Tokyo 2020 also promised to collaborate closely with the IFs regarding the upcoming test events which will be important to fine-tune operations for Games time.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee presented their new Event Delivery Model to leverage IF expertise for an optimal and cost-efficient Games delivery. They have already started to work closely with the ASOIF Olympic and Multi-Sports Games Consultative Group (AOMSG) and the IOC Sports Department and will also closely consult with each IF on their expectations for the Games’ delivery throughout the preparations.

During the report from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ASOIF member federations were informed about the preparations for the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games, strengthening the solidarity funding model for athletes, and the IOC’s Gender Equality Project. Based on the recommendations from the project, ASOIF has proposed to establish a new advisory group which will specifically focus on the topics of gender equality and diversity.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) updated the General Assembly about the latest status of the investigations related to Russia, ongoing governance reforms within the organisation as well as WADA’s work on a strong Compliance Monitoring Program and the 2021 Code and International Standards framework.

The General Assembly also approved the Olympic revenue distribution model for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is proud to announce H.E. Ban Ki-moon will deliver the Opening Welcome Address at the SportAccord Summit on Wednesday 8 May 2019 at 11.00hrs in Gold Coast Australia, as well as take part in the United Through Sports Youth Conference.

Former United Nations (UN) Secretary General and former South Korean Foreign Minister, championed the world’s vulnerable by putting sustainable development, climate change, and gender equality at the top of the UN agenda.

“I, as an Honorary president of 2019 Chungju World Martial Arts Masterships, a Chairperson of IOC Ethics Commission and the 8^th Secretary General of the United Nations, am very pleased to participate in 2019 SportAccord, which will be held in Gold Coast. Of 2019 SportAccord programs,

SportAccord Summit will be an important stage to share the knowledge and information on the topic of “The Future of Big Data and Analytics” among leaders in the sporting world. I hope all participants and colleagues of 2019 SportAccord endeavor to promote sport for development and peace in the world through the SportAccord Summit. Thank you!”

Sporting leaders and delegates represented at the highest levels will gather at the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in Gold Coast for a week of networking and key meetings, and hear the latest from around 100 subject matter experts involved in this year’s conference programme.

Commenting on the participation of H. E. Ban Ki-moon, Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said: “It is an absolute pleasure and honour to be welcoming His Excellency Mr Ban Ki-moon to the SportAccord Summit 2019. His vision, leadership and accomplishments over the years have made a significant impact around the world. His leadership continues to inspire as one of the world’s top global thinkers. We look forward with anticipation to hear what His Excellency will impart to the international sports community during his Welcome Address at this year’s SportAccord Summit in Gold Coast.”

Delegates can register and hear first-hand from a stellar line-up of Summit speakers and panellists, as well as take part in the newly formed interactive Summit Hub sessions planned for Day 2 of the SportAccord Summit. Each hub (5 in total) will be led by a Summit speaker, where attendees will be able to discuss the Summit conference sessions from Day 1 in more detail with peers.

H.E. Ban Ki-moon will also speak at this year’s United Through Youth Opening Conference taking place 7 May 2019 during SportAccord and forms part of the Sports Festival hosted by United Through Sports. The events embrace a number of key drivers which have become part of the DNA for United Through Sports. These comprise: inclusivity; unity in diversity; the future, our youth; non-discrimination; gender quality; providing opportunities for the youth via sport; building alliances to give back.

The Sports Festival was formed to make a real difference to the lives of countless children, giving them a chance to showcase their talents regardless of ability or life circumstances. This year’s Sports Festival is under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

With the full support of the IOC and the Queensland government, around 5,000 children from 170 schools are set to take part in the Sports Festival (7 – 10 May 2019). Children will have the opportunity to try as many sports as they wish (around 60 sports federations are involved including well-known athletes and celebrities). Morning programmes, a mix of promoting an active lifestyle and education, will be exclusively for the youth of Australia, and doors will be opened to the general public for the afternoon and evening sessions.

The Festival Opening Ceremony involves over 200 youth with a history-making performance planned. The ceremony promises to be an eye-opening, educational and action-packed extravaganza with many exclusives and ‘firsts’ being revealed from the moment the Sports Festival begins with the entire Opening Ceremony also performed in ‘sign’.

To benefit from these exclusive opportunities, organisations can register for SportAccord and take advantage of the full conference programme and all that the Sports Festival has to offer.

To become an Exhibitor or Partner contact the sales team: sales@sportaccord.com or phone +41 21 612 3070. To register as a delegate and watch past SportAccord footage visit www.sportaccord.sport.

Follow developments and updates via Twitter @sportaccord using #SA2019, or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn and Facebook.