Host City Americas Focuses on Future - Conferences & Conventions

(ATR) The inaugural edition of Host City Americas, a two-day conference connecting international rights holders and event suppliers with host cities and investors in the Americas, came to a close on Wednesday.

Held under the "Investing in Events" motif, the conference focused on issues affecting future sporting events on the American continents. Among the over 1,000 participants, multiple organizing committees – including those of the 2023 Pan American Games, 2022 World Games and 2022 World Athletics Championships – were represented, in addition to several IOC members and national sport ministers.

The event’s opening panel, moderated by Around the Rings founder Ed Hula, discussed strategies for events to rebound from the effects of COVID-19. Panelist Prof. Uğur Erdener, Chair of the IOC’s Medical and Scientific Commission, emphasized the effectiveness of vaccinations and the comprehensive, strict safety protocols put in place for the Tokyo Games.

Asked by Hula about the implications of the Delta variant, Erdener said "There could be further changes to the rules and restrictions if some more information emerges, but after taking all those countermeasures, we expect a fully safe and secure Olympic Games in Tokyo".

Gabriela Ramos, assistant director general of UNESCO, spoke on the panel about the role of sport in post-COVID international development; while FEI President Ingmar de Vos and Al Kidd, President of the Sports and Events Tourism Association, discussed how COVID has prompted federations to reevaluate spending, event formats and audience engagement strategies.

Technology and sustainability were recurrent themes of the conference at large, with other panels addressing such topics as the growth of esports, new avenues of monetization, legacy initiatives for host cities and technological innovation’s impact on event planning. The Organizing Committee of the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago also presented an update on their progress, with CEO Felipe de Pablo stating "we have a lot of tasks, but are confident in delivering and meeting the expectations of visitors".

Host City 2021, the global parent conference of Host City Americas, will have its ninth edition take place in Glasgow on December 7-8. Tickets are not yet available but will be announced on the Host City website here.

SportsPro APAC Virtual Summit Next Week

The SportsPro APAC virtual summit will be held on July 7-8.

One of the highlights for the event is DAZN Japan senior vice president Yoichiro Basso on what he learned in securing the largest broadcast deal in the history of Japanese sports.

Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, will speak to the difficulties of getting the first grand slam of the year up and running during a pandemic.

International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons will also speak at SportsPro APAC.

SportsPro says the event is meant to unite the fragmented region to share, connect and create new business opportunities to rebuild momentum in sports and transform the way sports is being consumed in the region.

Click here for the full agenda and to sign up. The event is free.

Copenhagen to host 2021 Smart Cities & Sport Summit

The World Union of Olympic Cities chooses the Danish capital of Copenhagen as the host of the 2021 Smart Cities & Sport Summit, taking place on November 22-24.

The annual conference, first held in 2014, brings representatives from over 100 cities together to discuss ways sport can help achieve cities’ social, economic and environmental goals. While the summit is typically held in Olympic host cities or at the Olympic headquarters, Copenhagen earned the nod this year thanks to its strong focus on sustainability and active communities.

"Copenhagen is a prime example of how to create urban environments that promote movement in everyday life. At the same time, the congress is a great start to the cooperation between the city of Copenhagen, DGI [Denmark’s largest association of sports clubs] and DIF [Danish NOC], which aims to make the capital the world’s most active city," said the Chairman of the Danish NOC, Hans Natorp.

"The fact that we are able to do sports and exercise in the city is a big part of Copenhagen’s DNA", added Lars Weiss, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen. "We can ride our bikes in the streets, swim in the harbors and do sports in the green spaces – and with the big variety of sport associations in Copenhagen we have a strong sense of connectedness around sport that unites us across social divisions".

Copenhagen is currently hosting several UEFA Euro 2020 matches, while also preparing to host the World Pride and EuroGames this August, and the Tour de France Grand Départ next year.

For more information, visit https://www.smartcitiesandsport.org/. Tickets are available now to attend either in person or online.

InvestAccord Launches in Ekaterinburg

SportAccord announces the first edition of InvestAccord, a conference programme dedicated to financial issues in sport, as part of its 2021 World Sport and Business Summit in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Planned for November 11, InvestAccord will take place toward the end of the Summit, which runs from November 7-12. According to SportAccord, the conference stream’s main topics include sport investment opportunities, best practice strategies and the impact of technology on sport’s financial landscape.

Alongside a lineup of expert speakers and panelists, InvestAccord will also feature pitches from a variety of tech startups in the sporting world. As such, it is slated to give investors, federations, promoters and other sports organizations a chance to explore new revenue streams and collaboration opportunities across industries.

"Given the importance of financial matters encountered by International Sport Federations, it is the right time to launch a dedicated conference programme that will focus on this vital aspect of life in the sports industry", said SportAccord President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli.

Other conference streams featured at SportAccord 2021 will include the newly launched MinisterAccord and ArtAccord, plus the established CityAccord, HealthAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord and Summit.

Register for the event here.

The 19th edition of the World Sport and Business Summit was moved from May to November due to the demands on international federations preparing for Tokyo, as well as lingering lockdowns and travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic also meant that for the first time in 17 years, the Summit was not held in 2020.

Written by Filip Vachuda and Gerard Farek

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