SportAccord 2016 a Success after Turbulent Year

'Back to Basics' Heralded a Great Success for 14th Edition of the SportAccord Convention in Lausanne, Switzerland

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The SportAccord Convention returned to Lausanne, Switzerland, the home of numerous International Federations, organisations and the International Olympic Committee for six days of meetings, conferences and top-level networking. Going back to its roots and raison d’être, this year’s 14th edition of the SportAccord Convention was heralded a great success by delegates.

Returning to the home of International Sport, Lausanne proved to be the perfect destination after a turbulent year. Following overwhelming feedback from International Federations in support of future Conventions and the desire to return to basics, the new outlook for 2016 and beyond responds to the needs and aspirations of delegates and the wider global sport community.

Francesco Ricci Bitti, the President of SportAccord Convention, welcomed delegates from around the world, encouraging "open dialogue" about sport’s mission in the world. This year the SportAccord Convention attracted more than 1700 delegates from 75 countries. The delegation comprised over 100 International Federations and Associate Members, the IOC, Organising Committees including delegations for 2016, 2018 and 2020, 2024 bidding committees and commercial organisations representing 89 cities or regions.

Offering state-of-the-art Conference, Exhibition and Opening Ceremony facilities, the SwissTech Convention Center provided the perfect backdrop for sport and industry to showcase their organisations, launch new services, forge new partnerships and discuss the business of sport.

This year, SportAccord Convention saw an outstanding line-up of speakers for its Conference which spanned 4 days. This was covered by 13 Media Partners as well as a pool of influential journalists from around the globe, resulting in over 1500 dedicated news stories, delivered in several languages, across all media platforms.

Looking forward to a bright future, the focus now shifts to the upcoming SportAccord Convention to be hosted in Aarhus, Denmark from 2 - 7 April 2017. Aarhus, known as the City of Smiles, will provide the perfect springboard to continue building on the momentum gained from this year’s Convention. Discussions are also underway with other cities from around the world who are also interested in hosting the SportAccord Convention from 2018 and beyond.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord Convention said:

"This year’s SportAccord Convention delivered a diverse range of events, spanning multiple sectors and interests, reflecting the increasing role of sport around the world. The SportAccord Convention team would like to thank everyone who has helped to make the 14th edition a great success."

To catch-up on stories and highlights from this year’s Convention, visit www.sportaccordconvention.com.

For media enquiries, please email Jenny Edmondson, Media Relations Officer:

jenny.edmondson@sportaccordconvention.com

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