Sergey Bubka Honored at ISEM

Ukrainian sports legend and IOC member Sergey Bubka is among those recognized for their contribution to sport in 2013 at a ceremony in London. Bubka was one of 10 honorees at a gala dinner capping the 2013 International Sports Event Management conference.

ISEM, in its seventh year, brings together experts on international sports events to talk about their work and issues involved with staging big events.

Bubka was honored for his "outstanding individual contribution" in recognition of his work developing sport in Ukraine, where he is president of the NOC. Bubka was handed his trophy by fellow IOC member Craig Reedie from Great Britain.

Along with Bubka, the city of Kazan, Russsia was also a winner, chosen for the most innovative event of 2013. It hosted the Universiade in July, the biggest multi-sport event of the year, which drew more than 10,000 athletes. Kazan was the recipient of four awards at the Wednesday night ceremony at the Cumberland Hotel across the street from Marble Arch in the center of London.

London & Partners received the Sport City award for its work promoting the 2012 Olympics city as a destination. Other events and businesses receiving awards included Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the UEFA Champions Festival, The Championships at Wimbledon, and the British Athletics TV Events team.

ISEM Conference Notebook

Mikhail Butov, who led the organization of the IAAF world championships in Moscow last August says mistakes were made in the seating plan for the event, which led to some immediate changes. About 350,000 tickets were sold says across the nine days.

Igor Svilov of Kazan 2013 says the experience of hosting the Universiade to be followed by world championships in the years ahead will make his city a suitable candidate for the summer Olympics as early as 2024. St. Petersburg has already expressed an interest in 2024.

Lars Haue-Pederson of consulting firm TSE presented the findings of his research that seem to indicate declining interest among global cities in bidding on world championships. He says a survey by TSE reveals the cities believe some bids are too complicated and that international federations do not show enough appreciation to a city hosting their event.

David Grevemberg, CEO of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, says more than 90% of the first batch of tickets to the games have been sold. The U.S.-born executive says the games legacy will be measured in the development of sport in the city.

Rugby World Cup leaders Debbie Jevans (England 2015) and Koji Tokumasu (Japan 2019) say that the events will mean growth for the sport in both countries. Tokumasu says the Japan World Cup is also seen as a way to boost rugby in Asia.

Informa, a Swiss based firm specializing in conferences and events, organizes ISEM.James Pearce, former BBC TV reporter on the Olympics, was master of ceremonies for this year’s event.

Attendance at ISEM numbered just under 75 for most of the sessions, giving the conference a more intimate feel and a great opportunity for delegates to meet the experts that might not be possible at a more crowded event. Whether that size is sustainable remains to be seen.

Written by Ed Hula in London

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