LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – SportAccord is back with long-term Silver Partners Explore Edmonton and EventScotland, and joined by Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ) who played a pivotal role as a Host City Partner in the award-winning edition of the World Sport & Business Summit on the Gold Coast, Australia in 2019.
Martin Gibbs, Managing Director of SportAccord commented:
“We are delighted to be looking forward to the 18th edition of the World Sport & Business Summit in Birmingham, West Midlands with this strong set of Silver Partners. Our partners are very much our family, and we will be working closely with them before and during the event.”
Explore Edmonton – thrives on connections made globally and locally
Explore Edmonton is the Destination Management and Marketing Organisation for this Canadian region and is a long-term partner of SportAccord. A fervent supporter of women’s sports for many years, the team will use the SportAccord Summit to share the latest initiatives for the region, notably ‘This IS The Game’, a concept that underlines the central role of women in sport. The campaign led to a groundbreaking initiative, NEW ERA, championing gender equality in the sports industry, resulting in a partnership with SportsPro (a long-term media partner of SportAccord). More will be revealed about these initiatives and the diverse investment opportunities in Edmonton during SportAccord 2024 in Birmingham – West Midlands where delegates can meet the team at Exhibitor Stand 46.
« Edmonton eagerly anticipates its return to SportAccord, » said Janelle Janis, Executive Director of Business Development & Events. « As a long-standing partner of the event, we value the opportunity it brings to reconnect with familiar colleagues and forge new connections with global sports leaders. We look forward to attending this year’s summit in Birmingham, where we’ll proudly unveil the latest projects, events, services, and offerings that define our dynamic destination. »
EventScotland – strong national events strategy powering long-term success
Scotland’s event industry is an established global leader, delivering world-class events and experiences that contribute to vital economic, social and cultural value for Scotland. Underpinned by its strong national events strategy, ‘Scotland the Perfect Stage’, the strategy has given focus for the sector since 2008, with an updated version providing the direction necessary to retain the country’s status in the period to 2035.
Part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, EventScotland continues to build on the country’s success by securing, developing, and maintaining a diverse portfolio of events. As a longstanding partner of SportAccord, the Summit is used as one of its strategic levers to attract high-profile sporting events to Scotland.
A recent Socio-economic Impact Evaluation Study by professional services firm EY revealed how the power of sport brought significant economic and social benefits (£205 million additional spending and over 1 million spectators over the 11 days of the event) to the country with the successful hosting of the first-ever 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships – the culmination of an early discussion during SportAccord.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events, said:
“SportAccord has played an important role in helping to establish Scotland as a world-leading events destination. It has allowed us to build and maintain positive relationships with rights-holders and international federations, by enabling us to meet and network with key decision makers, understand their ambitions for an event, and marry our experience and expertise in event delivery, to help realise their ambitions.
“EventScotland is delighted to be returning to the first SportAccord in four years and to be continuing as a Silver Partner at this year’s summit. We look forward to connecting with colleagues both old and new at our Stand.”
As in previous years, EventScotland will be hosting the ever-popular whisky tasting reception at their Stand (58), inviting delegates to join them for a ‘wee dram’ on Tuesday 9 April from 4.30pm onwards.
Tourism & Events Queensland – an Olympic host city
Queensland, Australia’s capital city Brisbane is the host of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games – a deal that gained significant momentum when the International Olympic Committee travelled to the Gold Coast for the 2019 edition of SportAccord. With the unparalleled opportunity to introduce Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and the broader state of Queensland, hosting SportAccord has set up the state for the next decades ahead.
Following the staging of the record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup, Queensland will welcome attendees of the Townsville Multisport World Championships, Lifesaving World Championships, UCI Mountain Bike Masters World Championships and the WFDF 2024 World Ultimate Championships this year.
Queensland’s Tourism Minister, Michael Healy, said Queensland looked forward to engaging with federations, rights holders, organising committees, media and everyone involved in the business of sport at SportAccord 2024.
“Our team will be in Birmingham ready to showcase the very best of our state – our world-class facilities and event hosting capabilities, all set on the backdrop of the most beautiful part of the world.
“What organisers and competitors love about coming to Queensland is not only our friendly people and our great lifestyle but also our world-class products from the Great Barrier Reef and golden beaches to our beautiful outback.
“Sport runs in the blood of Queenslanders, we love it, and we love hosting it.
“Our team is looking forward to meeting and making new connections and the invitation is always open to bring your next event to Queensland.”
SportAccord attendees can connect with the Tourism & Events Queensland team at Stand 52 in the Exhibition Hall.
Register for SportAccord – build on strategic relationships
Destination management organisations, cities and regions looking to connect with stakeholders and key decision makers in the business of sport are all encouraged to register as delegates (currently CHF 2,000) and take advantage of the networking opportunities at SportAccord ahead of the next price rise (to CHF2,500) on 1 March.
