Inaugural Regional SportAccord Open for Business -- Conferences & Conventions

(ATR) SportAccord opened registration this week for its first regional event and the first with a particular focus on Pan America.

Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019 is billed as the only networking and conference event to bring the Pan American, and the Olympic and non-Olympic community together in one location.

The event will be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from December 10-12. Click here to register.

"The purpose and value of the event lies in giving international sports federations the opportunity to exchange views and ideas with sport entities and businesses in the Pan American region supported by continental unions and national federations," Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord said in a statement.

"Regional SportAccord is the perfect platform for enabling this to happen in a constructive and beneficial way for the region and across the sports movement and we look forward to welcoming the sports community to Fort Lauderdale."

The three-day event, which expects to bring together 500 attendees from around 400 organizations, follows in the footsteps of the annual SportAccord convention, which this year will be May 5-10 in Gold Coast, Australia.

The inaugural SportAccord Pan America will be followed on December 13 by the debut of the Panam Sports Gala, which will recognize top athletes from the 2019 Pan American Games and Parapan Games in Lima.

The gala is part of Panam Sports President Neven Ilic’s efforts at "reengineering" the continental association representing 41 NOCs in the Americas.

Esports Business Summit Registration Opens

Registration is open for the Esports Business Summit.

The event, from September 10-12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is described by organizers as "the world’s only conference that connects the entire esports ecosystem".

The Esports Business Summit promises those who attend will "meet and learn from key executives from brand marketing, television, sports and technology who are growing their businesses by leveraging the passionate global audience that esports delivers".

Click here to register at discounted rates.

Former IOC Member to Speak at SportsPro Live

More than 650 delegates are expected at the sixth edition of SportsPro Live.

The event, which will be held on April 30 and May 1 in London,will feature what organizers say is "a future-focused sports agenda looking at the meeting point between tech, business and fandom".

Organizers have added five new forums to the agenda, including finance, artificial intelligence, esports, digital transformation and broadcasting.

Among the more than 70 expected speakers will be former IOC member Angela Ruggiero, who is the CEO and co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab and Steve Elworthy, the managing director for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

A two-for-one deal is available here until the end of January. The package includes access to all five forums; all food and beverage offered in main venue, including networking drinks; all panel sessions, case studies, and workshop sessions; and all networking opportunities

International Federations Summit Offers Bonus

The second annual International Federations Summit is next week at the World Archery Excellence Centre in Lausanne.

The two-day event, on January 23-24, features about 15 IFs and an intimate group of industry suppliers coming together to discuss best practice and solutions for event delivery on a global stage, according to organizer Major Events International.

The event will include an afternoon of briefings and a social gathering on the evening of January 23 followed by a full day program of workshops, presentations and a roundtable discussion. The summit ends with an evening reception and dinner.

For those who would like to relax after the event, an informal skiing trip is planned for January 25.

Host City Asia Back in Beijing

A special early bird rate is available as Host City Asia returns to Beijing’s Four Seasons Hotel for its second edition on April 11, 2019.

Organizers say 200 international event rights owners, Asian event hosts, organizing committees, and experts are set to participate under the conference theme of "Faster, Higher, Stronger: Growth through Event Hosting".

Agenda topics include the impact of AI, big data and blockchain on the events sector, integrating event infrastructure planning into city plans, and how to engage young people in sports and culture events.

With a mix of panel discussions, keynote addresses and case studies, Host City Asia will highlight the issues and opportunities facing everyone in the major events business.

The special early bird delegate rate is available through January 25. Click here to take advantage of the discount.

VISTA 2019

The VISTA 2019 Conference will take place from September 4-7, 2019 in Amsterdam.

The ninth edition of the conference for sports scientists and experts in Para sport is organized through a partnership between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Amsterdam Institute of Sport Science (AISS).

Next year’s theme is "Healthy and Fit for Optimal Performance". Around 300 of the world’s leading sports scientists, sport medicine practitioners, classifiers, coaches, athletes and sport administrators are expected to attend the conference.

VISTA is designed to promote and advance the mission, goals, objectives and reputation of the IPC while providing a platform for the academic world to meet with athletes and professional experts in the field of sport for athletes with an impairment.

Attendees registering before June 1, 2019 at www.vista2019.com can take advantage of a discounted early bird registration rate for the conference at the Novotel Amsterdam City Hotel.

Written by Gerard Farek

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