Host City 2020 Explores Post-Covid Landscape -- Conferences & Conventions

(ATR) Adapting to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and what the future might hold post-crisis were front and center at Host City 2020 this week.

The two-day conference, which began on Dec. 8, is the annual gathering for those involved in the staging of major events for business, sport and culture. Like so many other fixtures on the conferences calendar, Host City 2020 was held in a virtual mode as a result of the pandemic.

Paul Bush, director of events at VisitScotland, one of the conference’s supporting partners, said in his final remarks that among the highlights of Host City 2020 was hearing speakers say "events will return… we just don’t know when, how and what shape they will be".

One of those speakers was Dr. Jaouad Mahjour, Assistant Director-General, Emergency Preparedness for the World Health Organization. He told delegates "If we continue with the vaccine and public health measures I hope we can come to normal, the new normal, very soon".

The theme of adaptability surfaced again and again in conference panels on the first day. Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Thobois and Ian Reid, CEO of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, explained how their organizations are finding solutions in the wake of the pandemic.

The second day featured speakers exchanging views about tackling the Covid challenges and using the pause in holding events to rethink how things are done.

Around the Rings Editor Ed Hula moderated a panel on the future of events. Speakers included Jakob Larsen from World Athletics, Bridget Mary McConnell, Chief Executive Officer of Glasgow Life, and Geoff Ellis, CEO of DF Events.

In the week when the first Covid vaccinations were administered, speakers were optimistic that a much-needed revival in the events business will happen in 2021.

Global Sports Week Paris to Mark 50 Days to Go

Global Sports Week Paris will hold a live event next weekmarking 50 days to go until the 2021 edition.

Global Sports Week President Lucien Boyer and Deputy Managing Director Anna Fedou will join host Louise Ekland on the Be Sport platform on Dec. 15 from 1100 CET for a session which will take place in both English and French.

While the event is aimed at the media, the public is welcome to attend. Those who wish to ask questions will need to create a profile on the Be Sport platform ahead of the session.

Some major announcements are promised as well as the opportunity to pose questions about the new Global Sports Week concept and the 2021 program, which will take place primarily online with speakers linked live across studio settings in Paris and five future Olympic host cities – Beijing, Tokyo, Milan, Dakar and Los Angeles. Where local health conditions allow, physical events will also be organized with support from France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The second edition of the event will run from February 1-5, 2021 and willagain be heldunder the patronage of UNESCO and the high patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Global Sports Week will also feature a first-of-its-kind virtual exhibition – the GSWMarketplace – comprising immersive, customizable and interactive booths, accessible for businesses and organizations of all types and sizes.

Inaugural #worldconnected Series Launched

The Global Esports Federation marks its first anniversary by hosting the inaugural edition of the#worldconnected series (#wcs20) next week.

The #wcs20, which runs from Dec. 17-19, includes GEFcon - the Global Esports Federation Convention - as well as a series of regional esports competitions hosted by GEF member federations across the world.

GEFcon will feature exclusive live webinar sessions and a series of sessions on-demand that are designed for the collective benefit of esports. Visit www.GEFcon.org for full program and registration details.

"It has been an eventful year since we embarked on the mission to establish the credibility, legitimacy, and prestige for esports at the worldwide launch of the Global Esports Federation in Singapore," said Chris Chan, Global Esports Federation president, in a statement.

"The first #worldconnected series and GEFcon is truly a global platform bringing together our Member Federations and Partners in support of our mission – cultivating collaborations, forging synergies, developing and growing the connections between esports and sport in communities across the world."

Written by Gerard Farek

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