SportAccord 2019 Heads to Australia

(ATR) Gold Coast, host of this year’s Commonwealth Games, will stage the annual gathering of international federations.

SportAccord organizers announced the host city on Thursday. The 17th edition of the World Sport & Business Summit is scheduled to take place May 5-10 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. It’s the first time the event will be held in Australia.

Officials were initially in talks to bring the 2019 edition to Budapest, a major sponsor at SportAccord 2018. But talks broke down, sparking a fresh global search for a host city.

SportAccord 2019 will bring 1500 representatives from up to 100 countries, representing 500 different international sports federations, rights holders, organizing committees, businesses and other sporting organizations to the Gold Coast.

Organizers said "Queensland’s most charismatic city" had a long tradition of staging major sporting events, offering "an array of top hotels and expansive resorts set along more than a dozen golden sand beaches".

"The 17th edition of SportAccord will be a special one, as it will help mark the one-year anniversary of the delivery of a successful Commonwealth Games and will provide the chance for our delegates to embrace all the qualities and opportunities the Gold Coast and Queensland has to offer," said Patrick Baumann, president of SportAccord and the General Association of International Sports Federations.

"It is a unique opportunity for the whole Oceania sports community to meet, interact and mingle with all international sports leaders in a focused and efficient way."

Queensland tourism industry development minister Kate Jones said securing "the most significant meeting of international sport representatives held every year… shows the world that we have one of the foremost major events destinations on the planet."

"The success of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games proved we have everything required to host large-scale, international sporting events. As a result of the Games we have a range of newly-built and upgraded world-class sporting venues.

"Hosting SportAccord is the next step in securing major international events for the city and our state which will bring benefits to Queensland for years to come," she added.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the city was the perfect host for the major international convention: "Having SportAccord in our city will turbo charge the opportunities for the Gold Coast to further activate our sporting arenas, as well as our sports science and training facilities.

"This is post-Games legacy in action and I can’t wait to welcome SportAccord."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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