2011 Daily - Day 2 - SportAccord Convention London 2011

07 >Chairing theConvention:A Great Sport

09 >Sport in theToughestEnvironment

05 >O2 goesFrom Zeroto Hero

www.sportaccordconvention.com Issue 2 05|04|2011

THEDAILY

NEWCOMERS TOAST SPORTACCORD CONVENTION

International sports federations shouldstand up for their independence, delegates atSportAccord Convention heard yesterday.

Addressing the Association of SummerOlympic Federations’ (ASOIF) 35thGeneral Assembly, Executive DirectorAndrew Ryan said there had been “manymore cases of threats to the autonomy ofmember federations” over the past year.

Governments were increasingly inclinedto try to intervene and recent attempts todo so had occurred in countries includingIndia, Israel and the Netherlands Antilles.

These had included attempts to limit thenumber of terms that individual membersof federations could serve and to bar any-one with criminal records from serving onsuch bodies, he said.

These attempted interventions or sugges-tions were frequently well-intentioned, butfederations had to ensure that they were notsimply imposed on them, said Ryan.

There was a danger, he warned, that

government suggestions on minor matterscould progress to interventions on muchmore serious issues.

Clarifying the roles and responsibilitiesbetween organisations had also led ASOIFto set up a working group to resolve someconfusion over its duties and those of theSportAccord association. As a result, adocument had been drawn up setting outASOIF’s core role and responsibilities toits members.

There was a call from the floor of theGeneral Assembly for better co-ordinationbetween the two organisations. ASOIF andSportAccord co-operated, but there wereoccasions when there had been duplicationof effort, one delegate said. For example,two conferences on betting were held justthree weeks apart – one by SportAccordand another between ASOIF and theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC).

However, discussions had been heldbetween ASOIF and the IOC and he was

Cheers. A groupof first-time dele-gates to theSportAccordConvention raiseda glass yesterdayevening to a busyand rewardingweek ahead. TheFirstcomersCockail receptionwas a hit at lastyear’s event and itwas decided torepeat it this year.It was held at thePark PlazaCounty Hall.

confident such situations would not happenagain.

Among other issues touched upon at yes-terday’s General Assembly was the lack ofinterest in trying to establish a top-level ‘dotsport’ internet domain name for sports-relat-ed bodies. “Quite a lot of federations saidthey didn’t want it and it’s gone back toSportAccord to see if they want to go aheadwith this,” said Ryan. ■

Enjoy a hearty breakfast this morningas preparation for a hectic day aheadas the SportAccord Convention stepsup a gear.

Today features a packed agenda –including Law Accord and the CityForum – and culminates in the open-ing ceremony this evening.

Highlights of the day include:

■ Law Accord, in which legal issuescritical to the sports movementwill be discussed. 0900 – 1200Park Plaza County Hall.

■ City Forum offers a wide-rangingdiscussion on issues relevant tocities hosting or keen to hostsporting events. 1300 – 1700Debating Chamber of London’sCounty Hall.

■ ARISF General Assembly. 0900– 1200 Westminster Ballroom 2.

■ IWGA Annual General Meeting.1300 – 1800 WestminsterBallroom 2.

At 1730 there is an exhibitionshowcase cocktail in the exhibitionarea before delegates begin boardingferries to take them down the RiverThames to the SportAccordConvention opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony, at the O2Arena begins at 2000. Departuresbegin at 1800.

Today at theConvention

FEDERATIONS CALL FORGREATER COOPERATION

000_SportAccord_day2.qxd:ATM_Show_Daily_1.qxd 4/4/11 18:59 Page 1

DAILY NEWS2

Two delegates met outside the hotel and it was a full five minutes before they went through the door as they startedan animated on-the-spot discussion.

There was no question about it: the SportAccord Convention week got off to a flying start as delegates got down tobusiness yesterday. In every space of the hotel the networking got underway big time, with informal chats and diarydates agreed for the serious discussions.

If yesterday was anything to judge by, it’s going to be one busy and productive week. ■

Delegates at the SportAccord Convention, and anyoneelse around the world interested in sports decision-mak-ing will be able to follow events this week on Twitter.

Our Twitter feed can be accessed by going toTwitter.com/saconvention

When tweeting use the official event hash tag #SACon

FOLLOW EVENTS ONTWITTER

The last time Real Madrid won the ChampionsLeague, they defeated FC Barcelona in the semi-finals and won the final on British soil.

Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/infostradalive

INFOSTRADA SPORTS'FACT OF THE DAY

The SportAccord Daily is produced on behalf of theorganisers by Trident Communications.

Editor : Mike MartinProduction Editor : Rick HadenJournalists : Alan Dron,

Brendan Gallagher, Tom Billinghurst.

Photographer : Liam RitsonPrinted by : Manson Group

If you have a story to tell at the SportAccord Conventionthen the SportAccord Daily wants to hear from you. Thenewspaper will be published every day this week and cir-culated at the event. It’s your event newspaper, so let usknow what your organisation is doing. The daily team islocated in the Media Centre on the 15th floor of thehotel. Drop in or call Mike Martin on 07585 136676.

The Convention Daily is printed on recycled paper.

THE SPORTACCORDDAILY TEAM

CONVENTION DAY ONE –AND IT’S THE BUSINESS

GOLD SPONSORS

HOST PARTNERS


DAILY NEWS 3

An upbeat report onLondon’s preparationsfor the 2012 SummerOlympics came fromChairman of theLondon OrganisingCommittee (LOCOG)Lord Coe and itsDirector of SportDebbie Jevans.

They reeled off a longlist of landmarks andachievements, notingthe high percentage ofvenues that had alreadybeen completed or wereclose to completion.

However, althoughthe venues and facilitieswere vital, LOCOG wasplacing great importanceon its Athletes’Committee, which wasensuring that ‘humandetails’ were in place tomake the Games experi-ence as smooth as possi-ble for visiting competi-tors.

This committee studied competitionschedules, worried over training facilities,even got involved in food-tasting andtesting the beds that would be used in theOlympic Village, said Coe.

It was well-known that major sport-ing events were wonderful opportunitiesfor increasing numbers not only ofyoung competitors but young specta-tors.

Ticketing strategies were looking par-ticularly at attracting youngsters throughpricing schemes such as ‘pay your age’and giving tickets to London schools, hesaid. It was important not only to havefull venues but to have people in thosevenues “who look as though they want tobe there”. LOCOG was working hard “tomake sure that we get those tickets into

the hands of people who will cherishthem”.

Recruitment of 70,000 volunteers, or‘Games Makers’, was in full swing, withan initial 200,000-plus applicants nowreduced to 100,000.

Throughout this week, said Jevans,LOCOG would be having 1-on-1 meet-ings with the various sports represented inLondon at the SportAccord Conventionto go through details of arrangements fortheir individual sport at the Olympics.

More than 3,800 hotel rooms inLondon had been allocated to theInternational Federations, she addedand, although the prices for these werehigher than initial indications theyremained good value and well below thehotels’ ‘rack rates’. ■

ALL SYSTEMS GOFOR 2012, SAYS COE

NANJING BURNING THE OLYMPIC FLAMEThe Olympic spirit is alive and well in Nanjing wherethe second Youth Olympic Games will be held in 2014,according to the city’s Vice Mayor Zhipeng Lu speakingat the SportAccord Convention yesterday.

“We have started a programme to encourage theyouth of our city to embrace the Olympic spirit,” hesaid. “We plan a range of activities to encourage educa-tion and enthusiasm among our young people.

“So far we have received a very enthusiastic responsefrom our young people.”

Having been awarded the Games (the first was in

Singapore in 2010) a year ago, the organising commit-tee has created a foundation plan for the event and isnow working on strategic plan that will deliver it.

Lu said that the sporting infrastructure needed tohost the games was already in existence although therewill be refurbishment of facilities.

In terms of wider infrastructure, huge programmeson the airport, rail and other public transport systemsare already underway. “Some projects may be speededup because of the Youth Olympic Games,” he said.

The city will play host to 3,600 athletes, which Lu

said was not a particular challenge as the city hadalready looked after 10,000 for the Chinese NationalGames.

“If I can give you a brief description of Nanjing2014, it will have a strong Nanjing cultural element,with elements of other Chinese cultures. Those comingwill enjoy outstanding athletics and a very colourfuland diverse cultural experience.”

The Nanjing delegation has scheduled more than 20meetings at the SportAccord Convention, with theIOC, federations and companies. ■

The concept of the inauguralSportAccord World Artistic Games is topresent the artistic sides of sport. Theevent is to take place in late 2012.

The sports programme will focus on thevariety of competitive artistic performanc-es and stage the agility of the athletes,rhythm and aesthetic movements.Participating sports will include variousforms of Dancing and Gymnastics,Synchronised Swimming and Diving,Artistic Cycling, Artistic Roller Skatingand Indoor Musical Aeronautics.

The event will be accompanied by arich and enchanting gala programme andspectator engaging side-activities.

Like other SportAccord multi-sports

games, the World Artistic Games will bea top level sporting event featuring thebest athletes in their sports. Around 800athletes will be invited to participate andcompete for medals.

SportAccord met with the Presidentsand Secretary Generals of the partici-pating international federations (IFs)here in London yesterday to discuss theconcept and drive the project forward.The event will most likely take place inthree venues, including a swimmingcomplex. Currently, the participatingIFs are striving to coordinate a periodof six days sometime betweenSeptember and November 2012 to stagethe Event. ■

PLANS FOR SPORTACCORD WORLDARTISTIC GAMES DEVELOP


DAILY NEWS4

The potential for sports to act as an enabler for sustainability is limitless, according to IngridBeutler, Manager, SportsAccord Social Responsibility Department.

SPORT – THE GREAT SUSTAINABILITY ENABLER

“W\hy not include a photovoltaic installation on anynew stadiums built?” she said. “Why not have a compa-ny that produces solar panels train up the locals toinstall and maintain as part of their Corporate SocialRresponsibility campaign?

“Why not have all the International Federations thattake part in the event have a campaign to collect sportsmanufacturers and athletes equipment to donate to thelocal teams similar to the IOC’s Giving is Winningcampaign?”

The issue of sustainability sits within the wider remitof the Social Responsibility Department which looks ata range of issues, from gender equality and tacklingcriminality in sport to helping to achieve theMillennium Development Goals.

“Since June, 2010, when my Department was estab-lished, it’s been a rollercoaster ride,” said Beutler.“We’ve kept the Department small (just one employee)in order to determine the priority areas where we canbe of greatest service to our members in this everexpanding area of ‘social responsibility’”.

Beutler’s unit has mapped members social responsibil-ity programmes and initiatives, and an online map willbe launched soon.

“It is fascinating what the sports movement is doingbeyond that which we see on the front page of thesports news every day,” she said. “Our members are

investing millions in infrastructure and programmes forcommunities and individuals who have traditionallybeen overlooked by the sports world.”

She added that her unit will help to share the bestpractices of members.

“We want to support and promote the efforts of ourmembers so that they can learn from one another abouthow to maximise their impact in addressing socialissues.”

Beutler said that while sustainability was often

described in the context of the environment, but sheprefers to it to have a broader meaning

“The Vancouver 2010 Sustainability Report showshow the Vancouver Olympic Games reached beyondthe environmental pillar to deliver many other positivelegacies, locally and globally, and they have set a newsustainability blueprint for future large-scale sportingevents,” she said.

“We have London now setting that bar even higher,not only with their Sustainability Programme but alsowith International Inspiration, London 2012's interna-tional sports legacy programme that aims to use sport asa positive force to enrich the lives of over 12 millionyoung people.”

A number of the federations now haveEnvironmental Commissions established, policies inplace and support provided to local organising commit-tees to ensure that events are organised in a way thatminimises their negative impact on the environment,he added.

A showcase of best practice among federations on thesustainability front can be found in the SportsResponsibility Zone of the Exhibition Hall.

“We have a long way to go to ensure all of our 104members have sustainability as an integral part of themanagement of their sports’ events, but the frameworkis being worked on and we look forward to supportingour members in identifying and understanding theeffects that their activities have on the environment,on society and on the economy.” ■


DAILY NEWS 5

London’s O2, where the SportAccordConvention will be formally openedtonight, was seen by many as a white ele-phant following its time as theMillennium Dome. Bereft of a new role, itwas finally rescued by Los Angeles-basedsports and entertainment presenter AEG,which transformed it into one of theworld’s top concert venues.

Located close to the Canary Wharfcomplex visible from the upper floors ofthe convention hotel, the O2 is scheduledto host gymnastics and basketball for thenext year’s London Olympics.

According to AEG, the O2 is nowpumping £405 million a year into theeconomy of London and attracting 7.2million visitors annually – more thanthe number of tourists going to countrieslike Australia or India. The companyintends to open a 450-room hotel at thesite and has further plans for its develop-ment.

“The Dome’s original problems startedon the opening night, New Year’s Eve1999,” recalls Alex Hill, Senior ExecutiveDirector for London-based AEG Europe.“The invited media were kept waiting forhours and never forgot or forgave. But inmany respects the Dome was a massivesuccess: the development brought theLondon Underground to Greenwich,helping the whole area to flourish. In all,the total economic benefit over the pastten years has been put at more than dou-ble the original investment.”

Now sharing the O2 site in a loop of

the River Thames are the award-winningGreenwich Millennium Village housingdevelopment, the Ravensbourne Collegedigital media university, more than 50shops, restaurants and clubs, exhibitioncentres and a business district.

The O2 success story began four yearsago with a £350 million investment byAEG when the company put in a success-ful bid to regenerate the Dome and itssite. “We were looking to expand outsidethe USA and London was seen as a keylocation – a destination city and an enter-tainment hub,” says Hill. “With ourexpertise in live music and sport – ourfranchises include the Los Angeles Kingsice hockey and LA Galaxy soccer teams -we knew there was a gap in the market inLondon.”

Hill credits a state-of-the-art venue,great customer service, the ability toattract the best talent in the world anda committed partner in mobile telecomsoperator O2 for the turnround. “Nowwe average over 300 event nights ayear,” he says. “They range from inter-national sporting events such as theATP tennis finals to global music actssuch as Bon Jovi, from top musicals likeLes Miserables to family favourites suchas Disney on Ice. The O2 also attractsvisitors 364 days a year through its 25bars and restaurants, 11-screen cinema,nightclub, exhibition space, and an artsfestival in partnership with RobertRedford and the Sundance Institute.It’s the No 1 entertainment venue in

O2 GOES FROM ZERO TO HERO

the world, winning Pollstar’s arena-of-the-year award for four consecutiveyears.”

Development continues at the site.“There are approvals for a four-star hotel,a cable car link across the river to theExCeL convention centre, and London’sfirst cruise liner terminal,” says Hill.

“One of the keys to the success of The

O2 was our ability to build up strong rela-tionships with private and public bodies,”he concludes. “The support of localauthority Greenwich Council was particu-larly helpful. The project also opened thedoor to expansion in other territories.The O2 was our first venture outsideNorth America, now we operate over 115venues in four continents.” ■

DUBAI’S DRIVE FOR SPORT EXCELLENCEAppearing on the exhibition floor here isan organisation that reflects the ambitionsof its dynamic home nation. Created in2005, the mission of the Dubai SportsCouncil (DSC) is to unify the country’sorganisations and activities to build aunique sporting community in theEmirate.

“Last year’s SportAccord Conventionwas held in Dubai and was instrumentalin bringing professionals and businessminds from the region together with theglobal sporting community,” says DSCsecretary-general Dr Ahmed Al Sharif. “Ithelped to raise the profile of various sportswithin the Emirate and also showcasedDubai as a favoured sporting destination.”

The DSC agenda includes the promo-tion of sport for women and all youngpeople, community engagement, andencouragement of participation andachievement through a system of awards.“We see sport as a way of delivering amessage of peace and promoting a healthylifestyle,” says Al Sharif. “So we strive toplay an active role in developing domesticand international events and taking part

in global fora like SportAccord.”The DSC Women’s Sports Committee

was formed five years ago. “With its aimof encouraging participation by thewomen of the United Arab Emirates insport, it has a very important place in ourplans.” ■


DAILY NEWS6

The SportAccord Convention is theopening shot in a campaign to raiseLondon’s sports profile even higher,according to London Mayor BorisJohnson who will open the SportAccordConvention today.

“I have no doubt that London willdeliver a tremendous SportAccordConvention and one which will give allthe International Olympic Bodies andSports Federations a chance to really seewhat London has in store for next year,in 2012 (The Olympic Games),” hesaid.

“London is delighted to be the host ofSportAccord Convention. This is suchan important meeting of InternationalSports Federations, members of theInternational Olympic Committee, glob-al sponsors, National Olympic commit-tees, bidding and host cities, eventorganising committees and sports relatedbusinesses and international sportsmedia.”

Mayor Johnson said that his long-termvision for London was of a city capableof welcoming even more major events,both sporting and cultural.

“The completion of Olympic Park willincrease these opportunities and allowLondon to host many Olympic andParalympic sports for the first time,” hesaid.

“This will continue well beyond2012 as we seek to combine elite per-formance sport with wider participa-tion events, and to encourage newgenerations to get active. I am dedicat-ed to making the most of this sportinglegacy for London and the rest of theUK as well as capitalising on thegrowth of sports tourism for thefuture.”

The SportAccord Convention can actas a springboard towards fulfilling thelong term vision, said the Mayor.

“It is an event which is all about theglobal sports business industry joiningtogether, developing relationships, learn-ing more and moving forward as a globalindustry.

“For London, SportAccord presents aunique opportunity to build relation-ships with decision-makers and positionLondon as a long-term partner of theglobal sports movement.”

Mayor Johnson said that the capital ismoving into a unique period in the run-up to the Olympic Games.

“As one of the world’s most famous

and historic cities and most populardestination for tourists, London’s pro-file on the global stage is alwaysincredibly high,” he said. “However,now it is about to be raised to stratos-pheric levels as we enter one of themost unique periods in its long, illus-trious history.”

He added: “This month sees thefantastic spectacle and pageantry ofour first Royal Wedding for manyyears. Then just a year later Londonand the UK cracks open the cham-pagne once again to mark our Queen’sDiamond Jubilee and celebrate her 60years on the throne. And of coursethe following month sees the greatestshow on earth open in London withthe lighting of the Olympic Flame. Bythe time of the Games, London willalready be alive in the imagination ofthe world.

“This, combined with the fact thatwe are using some truly iconic Londonlandmarks such as Horse GuardsParade and Greenwich Park to hostcompetitions, will give audiences some-thing extra special, and help to show-case the Olympic movement and thesports of its federations like neverbefore.”

Mayor Johnson said that his interestin developing sport further was not con-fined to London.

“In Singapore, when we were electedhost city, we also made a commitment tothe Olympic and Paralympic movementsthat we would harness the magic of theGames to inspire young people to takeup sport,” he said.

“This commitment is not just forLondon – where my sport legacy plan isalready delivering results - and the UK,but for the whole world. TheInternational Inspiration programme isbringing opportunities to children allover the world that would not havebeen possible without the LondonGames.”

London 2012 will offer a platform forfurther development of sport in the capi-tal through the legacy programme, hesaid.

“After the Games, we will have fan-tastic state-of-the-art sporting facilities,from the Stadium itself to theVelodrome and the Aquatics Centre.The Olympic Park Legacy Company isalready busy planning a future forthose venues which will combine a

promise of community use with majornational and international sportingcompetitions long after the Olympicand Paralympic Flames are extin-guished.

“I want the London Games to bethe best ever, and cannot wait to seethe world’s elite athletes competingat the highest level. It’s vital thatthis translates into inspiration forgenerations of sporting stars to come.I hope millions of youngsters aroundthe globe who tune in to see theirheroes climbing up the medals tablewill get involved, take up sports andaim to be among the very best.”

Mayor Johnson concluded by say-ing that London is the real winneras host of the Olympic Games.

“MY VISION FOR SPORTIN LONDON” - MAYOR

“The 2012 Games have providedthe catalyst for the single biggestregeneration project in the capitalfor a generation or more. I alsohope the top-class facilities beingbuilt in Stratford will lead toLondon becoming a worldwide hubfor enterprise and innovation, mak-ing full use of the fantastic newinternational media centre to showentrepreneurs that London is thebest city in the world to base theiremerging technology firms,” hesaid.

“We have an ambitious but realis-tic plan which will add to the richdiversity of east London and pro-vide benefits for local people andbusinesses for years to come.” ■


DAILY NEWS 7

■ Watching Leicester Tigers retain the EuropeanHeineken Cup in 2002. “It was the more memorablebecause a dear friend of my wife and me, Brenda,came with me to watch it and died from breast can-cer just a few weeks later.”

■ England winning the Rugby World Cup in2003 against Australia in Australia. “Just magical!”

■ Aston Villa winning the European Cup in1982.

■ England winning the Olympic Hockey GoldMedal in 1988 in Seoul.

As Chairman of the SportAccord Convention, LordDigby Jones is perfectly cut out for the job. As a greatadvocate for British business, he understands the com-mercial value of sport to the country. Above all, heloves sport.

Even though it got him expelled from school.His favourite sporting memory was leading his hock-

ey team to victory during his school days. And that iswhere the trouble began.

“My favourite sporting memory was winning theInter-house Hockey Cup at Bromsgrove School when Icaptained a weaker side to a surprise victory (1-0) overthe so-called best house in the School.

“It was memorable also because I celebrated the vic-tory by, as Head Boy, streaking around the HouseGreen.....and was expelled from school for my trou-ble!”

It was a set-back that did nothing to hold back theambitious Digby Jones. He went on to a career as alawyer, head of the UK’s Confederation of BritishIndustry and then politics where he served as Ministerof State for UK Trade and Investment.

Famed for his forthright views, Lord Digby Jones hasbeen outspoken on everything from working practicesand pensions to the need for socially-inclusive wealthcreation.

Today he works in a wide range of industry andsport-related roles, including Corporate Ambassador forJaguar Cars and as a non-executive Director atLeicester Tigers Rugby, the current EnglishPremiership Champions.

Little wonder then, that he was involved at an earlystage with bringing the SportAccord Convention toLondon.

“I was involved in arranging funding for the bid byLondon to host SportAccord when I was Minister ofState for Trade & Investment in the UK Governmentand was asked to stay involved at senior level when Ileft Government,” he said.

“I welcome the World to London for theSportAccord Convention. We know how to put on ashow and one of the world's favourite venues will rollout the red carpet for delegates from simply every-where.

“Sport matters; the business of sport matters; andpeople matter more, and that's what the LondonSportAccord Convention is all about...linking the peo-ple of the World to each other through Sport.

“Sport, at every level and in every form, is one of thebest (if not THE best) methods of bringing societiesand peoples together. Sport breaks down the barriers ofignorance that nurture prejudice.”

As a tireless advocate for British business, LordDigby Jones is well aware of the commercial importanceof sport in the country.

“The UK sports sector, from training to ticket facili-tation, from consulting engineering for Olympic Arenaeto manufacturing competitive dynamic athletic gar-ments, from hosting major World events to advising onsecurity arrangements, is globally competitive and a bigoverseas UK success story for business, in both earningprofits for UK and also in enhancing Brand Britain.”

Lord Digby Jones has spent a lifetime watching theextraordinary evolution of different sports.

“I never imagined, when I was playing rugby atSchool forty years ago, that there would be a profes-sional game with a hugely successful World Cup,” hesaid. “I never expected to see the dreadful abuse of ref-

erees and disrespect for authority and cheating in themodern game of football that is the norm today.

“I did expect to see the World's favourite game keepup with the times and put technology to good use. Nor,when I hitchhiked over to Zandvoort in theNetherlands in 1975 to watch a rookie called JamesHunt in an amateur-entered Hesketh, that todayFormula One would be the enormous money and mar-keting machine that it has become....and the Brits havestill produced more World Motor Racing Championsthan any other country, by a mile!” ■

SPORTACCORD CONVENTIONCHAIRMAN – A GREAT SPORT

AMONG HIS MOST MEMORABLESPORTING MOMENTS, LORDDIGBY JONES LISTED:


DAILY NEWS8

Brand development and communications specialistAbold has identified four key criteria for cities who bidfor major sports events, according to its boss AndreasAbold.

They are brilliant execution of technical requirements,political support, emotional impact and positive percep-tion.

“We have defined four main criteria for a successfulbid,” said Abold.

“Every organisation must be convinced that the appli-cant can fulfil the technical requirements such as themaster planning or construction of a stadium.

“Also, every bid needs backing from the politicalarena.”

He added that his firm, an exhibitor at theSportAccord Convention, has the capability to generateperception of a given event.

On emotional impact, he said: “Facts convince, moodsfluctuate. It is very important to establish a mood thatcreates closeness and warmth.

“Cultural and social uniqueness are important criteriawhich we take into account in order to win over the rel-evant target group for our client’s messages.”

Abold has 24 years experience of bidding for megasporting events, including FIFA World Cups andOlympic Games.

The trend for events to move into new regions of theworld poses no challenges to his firm, said Abold.

“If you look at our bidding history, you can see that our

business is not based on traditional centres,” he said. “Forthe FIFA World Cup in 2010, we even established a localcompany there under the very specific rules and regula-tions of the South African Government.

THE FOUR KEYS TO CITY BIDS“Business without challenges does not exist. To learn

from different cultures and gain more experience insocial, political and economic conditions is very demand-ing and very exciting.” ■

AISTS (International Academy of Sports Science and Technology) is afirst-time exhibitor at the SportAccord Convention and is seeking toexpand its World-wide network of contacts in the sporting world.

“We want to connect with new partners and reconnect with existingones,” said Dr Claude Stricker, Executive Director of the Academy thatwas founded in 2000 by the International Olympic Committee and a groupof academic institutions.

“It is the first time that AISTS has had a stand and we look forward toopportunities for exchange and networking.”

AISTS acts as an interface between the academic world and the IOC andinternational sports federations, offering a range of qualifications, includinga Master of Advanced Studies in Sports Administration and Technology(AISTS MSA), and an Executive MBA in Sports Administration &Technology.

“We launched the AISTS Executive MBA in Sports Administration andTechnology, a part time programme, in November last year and havereceived the first registrations for the programme,” said Stricker.

“The first module was on Leadership and Decision Making with Jean Todtas keynote speaker and lecturers from AISTS, HEC Lausanne and IMD.” ■

DELIVERING AN EDUCATION IN SPORT


DAILY NEWS 9

We met Vincent Ochieng at theKipkeino High Performance TrainingCentre in the area of Eldoret in westernKenya, the home of numerous legendaryKenyan runners. Vincent is one of thetop triathletes in the country, and wasspending the week training at the camp.This is remarkable when you considerthat he has spent his entire life growingup in poverty. But this is only the begin-ning of Vincent’s inspiring story.

Vincent is from the massive slum ofKibera in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi,and is one of the largest informal urban set-tlements in the world. Most residents lackaccess to basic services like electricity andrunning water. Kibera is a mix of differentpeoples, with limited access to good educa-tion and employment. Racial tensions canrun high, and young people are faced by alifestyle of gangs, drugs and crime.

Thanks to his sporting success, Vincentunderstands that he is a role model andrealised that he can be an agent forchange. In 2008, Vincent created theKibera Sport Development Programme toempower youth through sports and toencourage sportsmanship as a way of life.Each day his organisation runs trainingsessions for kids that are complementedwith education on social issues likeHIV/Aids, drug abuse and positive healthinitiatives.

Vincent serves as Director of theFoundation, and he invited us to comevisit him in Kibera for a training sessionand show us the importance of the foun-

dation to this area. On this dayabout 50 kids were working withcoaches in a simple dirt field justoutside the walls of the settle-ment. Many of the kids didn’teven have shoes to wear.

“We want to change lives, and ourfoundation provides a way for the youthof this area to spend time in an encourag-ing way,” he says. “It provides them withsomething to do and a way out of a life ofdrugs and crime. At the same time, sportis an important unifying factor. In Kiberawe have big problems with segregationand violence amongst the different tribes.Sport is a great way to unite the commu-nity as we are open to all kids and we gettogether and work as one team.”

Vincent aims to develop world-classathletes in order to bring more opportu-nities for his hometown. It made usrealise that sport truly matters in Kibera.Check out www.kiberaguru.org for moreinfo. ■

WHY SPORT MATTERS IN THESLUMS OF NAIROBIJohn Siner is the owner of “Why Sport Matters”, a media company which focuses on theunique impact sport has on society and culture around the world. Along with video testimonialsduring the sessions and on SportAccord TV, each day here in the convention Daily Siner gives apersonal account from some of his global travels. More information is found on his websitewww.whysportmatters.com.

When it comes to sport, there is nowhere in Australia more passionate thanMelbourne, according to Brendan McClements, Chief Executive of the VictorianMajor Events Company. An exhibitor at the SportAccord Convention, the firm ishere to reinforce that message.“Sport really does matter to Melbourne - more so than any other Australian city,”said McClements. “We’ve been fortunate enough to successfully deliver many significant interna-tional sporting events in recent years and it’s no secret that we look forward tohosting many more.” The firm has been a regular presence at the SportAccord Convention since itbegan in Madrid in 2003.“Melbourne takes the business of hosting sport events very seriously andSportAccord is the single most important annual event that allows us to spendtime with those people who help shape the industry,” he said. ■

SPORT MATTERS – TO MELBOURNE


10

Ask not what the rights owner can do foryour city by awarding it a major sportsevent; but what you can do for the rightsowner.

That’s the message from Lars Lundov,Chief Executive, Sport Event Denmarkwho was reflecting on one of the keythemes of the SportAccord Convention –how do cities win major events?

“This is a multi-faceted question and forcompetitive reasons I cannot unveil ourcomplete campaign strategies,” he said.

“However, our experience is that it iscrucial to understand in-depth the rightsowners’/decision-makers’ wishes andevent objectives.

“Also, it is not only a matter of whatthe event can do for the appli-

cant/candidate, but also whatthe applicant/candidate can

do for the event/rightsowner.”

Sport Event Denmark, aGold Sponsor and anexhibitor at the conven-tion, is the national eventsupport organisation, estab-lished by the Danish

London 2012 has become ashowcase for flexible, demount-able sporting facilities, accordingto Daniel Cordey, ChiefExecutive, Market for Nussli thesporting structures specialist.

The firm, with 80% of itsbusiness in the sports event sec-tor, is exhibiting at theSportAccord Convention itsrange of temporary, modular andpermanent structures.

“We had the opportunity toparticipate to the successfulFIFA Soccer World Cup Bids inRussia and Qatar, with sustain-able stadia infrastructure con-cepts based on our modular stadia solution,” said Cordey.

“Our concept design work for relocatable large arena have become instrumentalfor bidding cities. There is a much better awareness and readiness to integratesuch innovative ideas for one-off events now than five or ten years ago. London2012 played an important role to show the sports world that large scale demount-able solutions are doable.”

The firm offers turnkey solutions on structures, from the conceptual stage,through planning, through to final implementation. Headquartered in Switzerland,Nussli has offices in Europe, the USA, and the Middle East.

Cordey said that 2010 had been an exceptional year, with engagements at theWinter Olympic Games, the Soccer World Cup, the World Equestrian Games andthe Commenwealth Games.

“So in 2010 the increase (in business) was huge,” he said. “This year thingsare calmer. In average we expect an annual increase of the business potential of5-10%.” ■

MODULAR EVENT FACILITIES“COME OF AGE”

Government and the country’s NOC.Its main objective is attracting and

hosting major international sports eventsand congresses. “With expertise andknow-how we offer Danish hosts advisoryand agency services as well as financialsupport. We also assist the hosts and theirpartners in delivering successful interna-tional sporting events.”

Lundov said that the organisation’shigh profile at the convention is aimed atmarketing events it has already gained aswell as maintaining and extending itsinternational network of contacts.

“We intend to brand Denmark to theinner circle of the global sports business asan active and attractive sports events des-tination.”

He said that the organisation hasenjoyed a successful few years, with thehosting of several events. They includedthe IOC Session & Olympic Congress2009, the FILA World WrestlingChampionships 2009, the WTF World

Taekwondo Championships 2009, theUCI World Track CyclingChampionships 2010 and most recentlythe WCF World Women’s CurlingChampionship 2011.

Ahead is a string of major events to beheld in Denmark, including the UEFAUnder-21 European Championship 2011,the UCI Road World Championships2011, the CEV Men’s European VolleyballChampionship 2013, the FEI EuropeanJumping & Dressage Championships2013, the EHF Men’s Handball EuropeanChampionship 2014, the FITA WorldArchery Championship 2015 and the IHFWomen’s Handball World Championship2015.

“We, Sport Event Denmark, are hostingeach and every one of these events inclose cooperation with the Danish sportfederation and host city concerned, whichis what we call the “Event Triangle” andthe outcome ‘Sports Event Made inDenmark’”. ■

“KNOW THE RIGHTS OWNERS’OBJECTIVES”

DAILY NEWS


DAILY NEWS 11

■ What is your favourite sport?Of course, it is rugby.

■ Why?From my early memories when Iplayed and now when I watch rugby,it is the most fun I have. It is one ofthe best sports of the century. It’sgreat for its discipline and respect forthe other players and the officialsand because of its demand forcourage.

■ What is your earliest sporting memo-ry?I remember, in my playing days, winningthe French Junior Championship at Paris

SHORT WALKS FROMTHE HOTEL- HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

Université Club. My energy for the gamegrew from there.

■ What is your greatest sportingmoment?It was when Nelson Mandela in hisSpringbok jersey and hat was presentedwith the World Cup in South Africa.That was a fantastic memory for mebecause it brought people togetherthrough a global sports event. The legacythat the 1995 South Africa World Cupleft behind is why rugby is such a greatsport. It was a great event, especiallyunder the circumstances, for the freedomof the game, for the freedom of the rugbycommunity.

■ Who is your sporting hero?My sporting hero is Jonah Lomu. He isthe most important player in the historyof rugby. He was the first superstar ofrugby; he was so exciting for the crowd.It was not just the rugby community thattook an interest in him, everyone knewabout him and wanted to watch himplay.

■ Why does sport matter?For me sport is a school of freedom. It isimportant for teaching respect towards

others and a way of learning a disciplinethat is so important for life.

■ What is your greatest hope for sport?Well, there are a lot of challenges in theworld today. And sport has to be a part ofall the different issues facing us in theworld today. Issues like economic devel-opment, the environment, poverty,peace. Sport has the ability, like NelsonMandela showed, to be a “rainbow com-munity”. This is the colour of sport in thefuture. ■

A ten-minute walk south across Westminster Bridge from the Park PlazaWestminster Bridge Hotel will bring you to the historic Houses of Parliament.

Also known as Westminster Palace, it is the meeting place of the two houses ofthe Parliament of the United Kingdom – the House of Lords and the House ofCommons. It is acknowledged as the focal-point of British politics.

The House of Commons, or simply “the Commons”, comprises 650 democratical-ly-elected Members of Parliament (MP’s), who represent the interests and concernsof the British electorate.

The House of Lords, or “the Lords”, primary purpose is that of scrutinisingLegislation proposed by the Commons through debate.

Westminster Palace’s special place in Britain’s rich cultural tapestry, while preserv-ing a profound pertinence throughout the ever-evolving modernisation of society, isrooted in its historical and artistic raison d’être.

William Turner’s Romantic landscape canvasses, Charles Barry’s Gothic-stylearchitecture, and the uprooting devastation of the Blitz have indelibly etched theunique persona of the Houses of Parliament into the consciousness of the world’scitizens past, present and future. ■

7 QUESTIONS OF SPORT:WITH BERNARD LAPASSET,IRB CHAIRMAN.The world’s sporting leaders are gathered together at the SportAccordConvention to address the big issues. But what is it about sport itselfthat sets their pulses racing? We find out.


DAILY NEWS12

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takes dedication, stamina, skill and speed. It’s a marathon, a sprint and a relay of multiple, complex partnerships. KPMG’s Global

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The membership of the Association ofSummer Olympic InternationalFederations yesterday gave the green lightfor a $0.5 million investment in the nextstage of development of the proposedASOIF Athlete Information System(AAIS).

AAIS is seen as a common shared dataplatform to provide the federations with apermanent biography system for elite ath-letes competing in major events. It wouldensure that each federation had full con-trol of information on the identity of itsown competitors and act as a trusted cen-tral database for broadcasters, eventorganisers, press agencies and Websites.

Presenting AAIS to the assembly, out-going council member Bob Elphinstonsaid: “One of my biggest frustrations inthe run-up to the Sydney Games was howhard it was to put together athlete biogra-phies,” said the former secretary-generalof the Australian Olympic Committee.“They came from various different sources– which one could you rely on?”

He listed some of the other drawbacksof current arrangements for maintainingthis information about athletes. “Wewould like to see the cost to the federa-

tions come down. There needs to bettercontrol of the data, which ultimatelybelongs to the federations. And the vari-ous different IT platforms currently in usemake it different to access the informa-tion.”

The ASOIF working group set up toaddress the issue is proposing a standardtemplate for use by all federations, to beintegrated into a standard IT platform tocreate a permanent athlete informationsystem. A qualified commercial partnerwould be engaged to build and operatethe system.

“There would be multiple benefits,”Elphinston said. “They include consistentinformation for use by the media andlocal organising committees, leading tomore media exposure. The informationitself would be more valuable, and wouldimprove the quality of federationWebsites and social media. And theinformation could be sold to broadcastersand event organisers to create an incomestream for the federations.”

Following yesterday’s approval, ASOIFwill work over the rest of the year toidentify a suitable IT technology anddevelop the business case. ■

The annual total expenditure by interna-tional federations on anti-doping pro-grammes is probably not far short of $50million, president Denis Oswald told the35th general assembly of the Associationof Summer Olympic InternationalFederations (ASOIF) here yesterday.

“The 27 federations who contributed toour newly released survey of anti-dopingcosts indicated that they spent a total of$21.7 million in 2009,” he said. “But onehigh-spending federation didn’t respond,and we estimate that its share would havetaken the total above $23 million. Andthat figure could probably be doubled ifthe cost of legal activities was added.”

Oswald, who also serves on the exec-utive board of the InternationalOlympic Committee, said that whilethe average cost per sample analysiswas $825, there was a wide variationamong the prices of laboratories. “Weneed to study the reasons for the differ-ences, and then negotiate with the labs

ANNUAL ANTI-DOPINGSPEND APPROACHES $50M

with a view to pushing down costs.”The association president said that

variations in testing quality were a con-cern too. “The World Anti-DopingAssociation (WADA) recently ran a testin which samples with the same originwere sent to two different labs,” he said.“One came up with a single positive resultwhile the other reported seven. This isvery worrying. To minimise the possibilityof cheats getting away with it, we want allathletes to be dealt with by high-perform-ing labs.”

He pointed to the small percentage ofpositive results in general testing – just0.95 per cent of the more than 173,000tests paid for by federations yielded anadverse analytical finding (AAF), for anaverage cost of more than $86,000 each.“We suspect that the true incidence ishigher,” Oswald said. “So we need to pushfor greater efficiency by being more intel-ligent and doing more targeted testing.”

WADA director-general David

Howman thanked ASOIF for its contin-ued support in the fight against doping,describing it as “the greatest scourge facedby sport,” and described the survey andreport as a timely reminder of the costs ofthe battle.

Howman described a number of possi-

ble cost-saving initiatives, saying thatsome could be implemented quickly. Theyincluded the development of model anti-doping programmes tailored to the finan-cial resources of individual federations,and collective deals with the courier com-panies contracted to carry samples. ■

ASOIF ASSENT FOR NEXT STRIDETOWARDS ATHLETE DATABASE


Documents

2011 Daily - Day 2 - SportAccord Convention London 2011