Sportel Unveils Virtual Platform -- Conferences & Conventions

(ATR) Sportel’s new virtual platform Sportel+ kicks off next week with a look at sports media rights and new broadcast strategies.

Sportel+ eTALKS, which the company says is designed to complement live events and connect with the community digitally, will discuss evolving trends emerging from the pandemic and beyond.

The first two sessions in the series of free online panels will be on March 11. Each will be an hour long and feature three panelists and a moderator.

Click here to register for the event.

Esports will be the focus of eTALKS sessions on April 8, with the future of sports tech the topic for a yet to be determined date in May.

Meanwhile, Sportel is starting to prepare for the next edition of Sportel Monaco, scheduled for October 5-7, 2021.

Last year's edition had originally been pushed back from its traditional October spot to February 22-24, 2021. But in January it was decided to delay it again so that the event could be 100 percent face-to-face.

SIGA Web Summit on Female Leadership in Sport

The first ever SIGA Web Summit on Female Leadership in Sport will feature more than 70 global leaders and senior executives from the sporting industry.

The event, being held on March 8, International Women’s Day, will consist of 12 live webinars, 2 Special Sessions, digital workshops, and a series of keynote speeches from high profile industry leaders, including Diana Bracco, B20 Vice-President & Women Empowerment Ambassador and President & CEO, Bracco Group, Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, and Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General, United Nations.

The summit strengthens efforts by the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) to promote good governance across all areas and levels of sport and the wider sporting industry.

"Sport has no reason to feel proud when it comes to good governance and gender equality. It should be at the podium, not at the bottom of the ranking. Female representation at the top table is not increasing; it’s decreasing! And that’s unacceptable!" SIGA’s Global CEO, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, said.

"To change this, we need everyone involved. Men too! So, step forward. Make your voice heard. And join us at the SIGA Web Summit on Female Leadership in Sport!"

Click here to register.

Play the Game Moves to 2022

There will be no Play the Game conference in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s edition had been scheduled for the autumn in Warsaw, Poland.

"The Polish Institute of Sport that had applied to host the 2021 conference recently decided to withdraw its offer because of the uncertainties around COVID-19. We fully understand their reasoning and I must admit that we were not completely convinced either that it would be possible to organize a conference at short notice even if the corona situation should improve," said Jens Sejer Andersen, international director of Play the Game.

Instead, Play the Game announced that it will now focus on a 25th anniversary celebration of the event at its next conference in Denmark in 2022. The search for a host city has already begun.

Play the Game will also begin the process of clarifying issues for the 2023 conference that has been offered to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim (NTNU). The negotiations are to be completed by the end of 2021 with a final decision on the bid to be taken after that.

The conference has been held every other year since 2005. The most recent edition was in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2019.

Global Esports Federation Convention Returning

The second edition of GEFcon – the Global Esports convention – will be on April 9, 2021.

The Global Esports Federation made the announcement on Feb. 25 along with its plans for the #worldconnected series 2021 (#wcs21).

The follows on the heels of the inaugural edition of the #wcs20 and GEFcon in December 2020.

"The success of the #wcs20 last December demonstrates the focus of the Global Esports Federation and our Member Federations’ commitment to foster a strong and diverse esports community worldwide," Kelvin Tan, Director of Esports, Global Esports Federation, said in a statement.

"The #wcs21 is the first of a series of community events to be held throughout this year. We look forward to greater involvement from the global community and invite even more esports players and spectators to join in this global celebration of esports."

The federation describes the #worldconnected series as a community initiative inspired by the Global Esports Federation’s values of equality, fair play, diversity, inclusion, and innovation. The GEFcon, meanwhile, provides a powerful platform to engage the conversation around esports with the wider community.

Visit www.globalesports.org for latest updates and development on #wcs21 and GEFcon21.

Written by Gerard Farek

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