Virtual Format for 2020 IF Forum -- Conferences & Conventions

(ATR) This year’s International Federation (IF) Forum 2020 will explore "How Sport and Society Can Emerge Stronger from a Global Crisis" during a virtual one-day format on Nov. 5.

SportAccord announced on Oct. 5 the switch to a fully virtual event, citing challenges in international travel and in-person gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. A surge in recent days in cases through much of Europe, including Switzerland, makes the decision to not hold the event at the Hotel Royal Savoy in Lausanne look even better.

The 14th edition of the IF Forum, which was supposed to last two days, was already being planned as a "hybrid" event, with both face-to-face and virtual components.

SportAccord says it is committed to delivering an outstanding experience for all participants in the virtual setting, with all of the sessions to be streamed live online.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization,is a Keynote Speaker.

The forum, by invitation only, is expected to include 200 leaders from more than 100 International Sports Federations.

Topics that will be debated will include crisis management, scenario planning, how to limit risk from a legal and financial perspective, law-related commercial considerations for IFs and how to stay connected and reassure athletes, fans and stakeholders in times of adversity.

"While we will not gather together in-person this year, the strong program and line-up of contributors means that the IF Forum will be a vital signpost for the global sports movement as the dust settles on a turbulent 2020 and thoughts turn to a brighter future," SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli said in a statement.

New Addition to Global Sports Week

The first-ever GSWMarketplace, a new addition to the second Global Sports Week in 2021, is open for business.

Sales have begun for exhibitors who want to showcase their products and services in a 100 percent virtual experience within the new Global Sports Week digital platform.

GSWMarketplace is made up of fully customizable interactive booths. Organizers say that exhibitors will be able to schedule meetings with prospects and hold video conversations with ‘walk-up’ visitors.

GSWMarketplace will be open to a broad cross-section of sports decision-makers, influencers and media. Access will be free to all who register.

Exhibitor packages start at 2,000 Euros (+ VAT) and include digital event passes, targeted leads and cutting-edge analytics to maximize and measure the business impact of a firm’s investment.

Sales will close on December 31, 2020. Click here to register.

"We’re really excited about this brand new feature, which we hope will serve those smaller and medium-sized businesses that have missed the usual trade fair opportunities this year," Anna Fedou, Deputy Managing Director of Global Sports Week, said in a statement.

"Global Sports Week will be much more open in its second edition, and part of that is about giving a presence to all those businesses - from law firms to marketing agencies; retailers to venue suppliers - that play such a crucial role in the sports ecosystem."

Global Sports Week will return from February 1-5, in a hybrid format, mixing digital and physical events in Paris and five key cities worldwide.

The inaugural edition in Paris last February attracted 2,000 delegates from 70 countries, including 250 investors and 130 international media.

Online Sport Officiating Conference

The first ever International Event on Sport Officiating will be held online on November 20.

The conference is the final part of the Erasmus+ Sport funded project entitled ONSIDE, coordinated by the European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE), aimed at enhancing the skills of sport officials in Europe. The event is being organized jointly with the International Federation for Sports Officials (IFSO).

A group of 14 sport organizations have been working for the past three years on the ONSIDE project. They have been exploring and defining the generic competencies, skills and knowledge expected of sports officials covering all sports and countries.

The new online event, which will be held as a Zoom Webinar, is scheduled to run from 1000 to 1300 Central European Time on November 20.

Expert speakers and panelists will present interactive sessions dealing with topics including a tutorial on the ONSIDE European standards for sport officiating, the benefits and uses of the new ONSIDE e-learning courses for sport officials, and gender equality in sport officiating.

There is no registration fee. Click here to sign up.

'Hybrid' Booths to Feature at Vietnam Sport Show

The 2020 edition of the Vietnam Sport Show will feature a "hybrid" way for exhibitors to safely present their products without having to travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organizers will set up what is called a remote booth at the exhibition venue, complete with electricity, furniture and telecommunications. Personnel will be provided to staff the booth, displaying product samples and handling onsite transactions. The remote exhibitors will be connected virtually so that they can control booth activities and hold online meetings with visitors. Interpreters will also be provided.

The event takes place from Dec. 3-5 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City.

It is held concurrently with the 18th Vietnam International Trade Fair. Organizers expect 15,000 visitors to attend the Sport Show.

Almost 10,000 people attended the 2019 edition of the Vietnam Sport Show held in Hanoi. There were 117 exhibitors, almost all of them from Asia.

Click here for more details and to sign up as a visitor or exhibitor.

Written by Gerard Farek

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