06 >A better perspective

12 >RebornSportAccord

04 >Basketball isbooming

www.sportaccordconvention.com Issue 5 30|04|2010

DAILY

HARNESS THE UNIFYING FORCE OF SPORTSports authorities, governments and othergroups should work together to take sport to anew level in the interests of citizens, formerUnited Nations Secretary General Kofi Annantold the SportAccord Convention conferenceyesterday.

He said that the power of sport as a unify-ing force should be harnessed more than everbefore to improve social conditions.

Annan, Chairman of the Kofi AnnanFoundation, was making the keynote closingaddress The role of sport as an agent of socialchange.

“It is clear from the breadth of topicsalready discussed and the expertise here howseriously you have taken this topic,” he tolddelegates.

He said that the setting of Dubai wasappropriate given the theme. “Dubai is astunning example of the wider benefits ofsports. Dubai is a true centre of sportingexcellence with world class facilities for com-petition and training.

“The unifying force of sport is also criticalto the sort of Vision that Sheikh Mohammedhas for this place.”

Annan reviewed a whole range of examplesof where the power of sport had impacted thewider world, from ping-pong diplomacybetween the United States and China in the1970s to the impact of the staging of the FIFAWorld Cup in Africa for the first time.

He said that the federations have the powerto convince governments that sport has an“invaluable role” for improving the well-beingof populations. “We can maximise the impactthat sport has on our lives. We can do a greatdeal more over the next years.”

Annan confessed that in his days asSecretary-General of the UN he was a touchjealous that FIFA had more members than theUN. He told delegates that in recognizing therole of sport in wider society, he decided toraise the profile of sport with the UnitedNations.

“A great deal of work was being done but ina piecemeal way,” said Annan who created thepost of Special Advisor on Sports to ratio-nalise the organisation’s handling of the sub-ject.

The powers of sport ranged from the break-ing down of barriers to the ability to engage

children in the developing world to the extentthat they stay at school. “It provides both apowerful symbol of national identity but alsobrings together people across continents,” hesaid.

At a fundamental level, sports improved thewell-being of people through physical exercisein a world where obesity was a growing prob-lem, and through the teaching of teamworkand leadership skills, he said.

Annan pointed to the morale-lifting victo-ry of the Iraq national soccer team in the AsiaCup in 2007; and to the influence of first thesporting boycott of South Africa in theapartheid years followed by the impact ofwinning world events following the electionof a government by universal franchise.

“I am passionate about sports in general andI’m something of a football fanatic, so I amlooking forward tremendously to the (FIFA)World Cup on my continent,” he said.

“There is tremendous pride across Africathat it is hosting this wonderful event. Theyare genuinely proud.”

He added that he hoped to see an Africannation in the final of the FIFA World Cup. ■

“THORPEDO” NOW AIMS AT CHARITY GOALSThe man who re-wrote the swimming record books hasfound new and exciting challenges in helping the aboriginalpeople of his native Australia, The SportAccord Conventionconference heard yesterday.

Ian Thorpe, who smashed 18 world records and won fiveOlympic gold medals, shocked the sporting world when heretired from the sport.

But he has no regrets and has found a new calling in hisFountains for Youth charity which works on behalf ofsocially-deprived indigenous people in Australia.

In an environment where the social dimension of sport isfirmly under the spotlight, sporting super-hero Thorpeembodies the ethos where the values embodied in sport atits best can have a wider application.

“I think about it (his decision to retire) but I have notregretted my decision in any real way,” he told delegates. “Igot involved with my charity Fountains of Youth aboutseven years ago.

“It deals with mostly with indigenous communities inremote areas. This is the only emergency that Australia isfacing. I love my country but I feel we have this deep scar. Ifelt I wanted to help and work with indigenous people so

that hopefully in a generation we will see significantchange.”

He added: “We have success stories to tell. It’s not allnegative. There are some good success stories in the workwe do.”

Thorpe admitted that he had found the media circus sur-rounding his extraordinary career hard work at times, andhis worst moment was when suspicions of drug abuse wereleveled at him. Though he was exonerated completely, theexperience was traumatic, he said.

“I was woken at seven thirty in the moment without anywarning,” he said. “I was shaken. It felt as though my soulhad been ripped out. Even after I was cleared, I still feltquite saddened by the events.”

Thorpe was a guest at the convention thanks to theBeyond Sport organisation that promotes, develops andfunds the use of sport to create positive social change incommunities world-wide.

“The challenges are enormous and they differ from placeto place,” he said. “You are the people who can make thesechanges happen. If you want to change what you are doingthen you can change it with the people here.” ■

Ian Thorpe is interviewed by Gregg Moss.

Kofi Atta Annan speaking yesterday.

DAILY NEWS2

Many sports represented at the SportAccord Conventiononce again showed their power as television attractionsin 2009. Events from a range of different sports producedthe number one audience of any genre last year in 18countries around the world, and that total is likely to beexceeded this year after the Vancouver Winter Gamesand FIFA World Cup. Markets where sport was numberone in 2009 included the USA (American football),Germany, Spain and Turkey (football), and Japan andthe Philippines (boxing). Football produced the topsports audience in nearly half of the 79 the televisionmarkets around the world included in a survey of ratingsdata by Eurodata TV Worldwide.

In 2009 football had the top sports audience in 37countries. Boxing was in second place with the top audi-ence in six countries.

Winter sports (other than ice hockey) ranked top infour countries. Baseball and American football were nextas the top sports on TV in two countries each. News ormagazine shows drew the biggest sports audiences inseven countries, and various other sports programmeswere number one in five markets.

In 2008, sport was number one in 13 countries and 19in 2007. ■

Sport topped rankings in 18countries in 2009

GOLD SPONSORS

HOST PARTNERS THE SPORTACCORD DAILY TEAMThe SportAccord Daily is produced on behalf of the organisers by Trident Communications Dubai.Editor:Mike MartinProduction Editor:Andy Forrester

Journalists:

Alan Ewens, Callan Emery, Tom Billinghurst, JillStockbridge, Paul McLennan.Photographer:Tom GordonPrinted by:Atlas Printing Press.

If you have a story to tell at the SportAccord Convention then the SportAccord Daily wants to hear from you. Thenewspaper will be published every day this week and circulated at the event. It’s your event newspaper, so let us knowwhat your organisation is doing. The Daily team is located in the Press Working Room (Silk Ballroom A). Drop in (weare on left by the entrance) or call Andy Forrester on 050 858 4168.

FENCING SISTERSREFUSE TO BE FOILEDWith a track record of breaking new ground and overcomingsocial barriers, Kuwaiti sisters Balsam and Lulwa Al Ayoubwere never going to be intimidated by the challenges ahead asthey promoted the work of Touché Sports DevelopmentManagement at the SportAccord Convention.

“For us, there is no such word as impossible,” says Balsam,the elder of two sisters who took a giant step forward forwomen and sport in the region by enrolling as fencers at asport club in Kuwait in 1995.

Today, having enjoyed distinguished fencing careers that sawthem collect a clutch of medals and accolades - including anAsian Games silver for Balsam and a World Cup bronze forLulwa - the dynamic duo are focusing their energies onTouché.

“At Touché our ambitions are to create sports programmesthat will empower women and children to reduce their mar-ginalisation in society,” said Balsam. “We have also beenspeaking to international games organisers with a view to set-ting up training camps for kids in association with their events.This would need to involve athletes and champions from thehost countries – we believe it is important to have that strong

local presence for the kids to identify with.”Lulwa added: “When we discovered the SportAccord

Convention was being held in Dubai, we were very keen tocome as the people who attend are the most important sport-ing people in the world. We are using our visit to network andtell people about our vision and ambitions in the world ofsport.”

The girls mission as social entrepreneurs has already seenthem receive an award from Ashoka, the largest association ofleading social entrepreneurs in the world. Thanks to their roleas sports women as well as their involvement in supportinggender empowerment, the Al Ayoub sisters are the firstKuwaiti fellows.

No strangers to crossing swords with opponents to theirambition both on and off the piste, the Al Ayoubs are ready tocut their way through anything that stands in their way.

“We want to use our experiences to inspire more people totake up physical activities,” said Lulwa. “What we don’t wantis for women to say they want their daughters to be just likeus. They should have no limits and should want their kids toachieve even greater things. Nothing inspires us more.” ■

Balsam and Lulwa.

DAILY NEWS 3

Engineering and programme management consultant CH2M HILL has teamed with theSportAccord International Convention to develop a sustainable event management pro-gramme for the Convention over the next two years.

That knowledge is also being applied to the staging of sustainable sport events whichmeans managing social, economic and environmental factors to minimize impact andleaving a positive legacy.

As a starting point CH2M HILL has created the “Ten Golden Rules” of sustainability. Here are the last three.

8) Healthy living. Inspire sport, health and wellbeing in the community. Promotelocal, sustainable fair trade produce.

9) Procurement. Develop the supply chain for sustainability, transparency and fair andethical procurement practices. To avoid waste, standardise where possible, and rent orhire rather than buy. Ensure fair and timely payment for suppliers, particularly small andmedium enterprises.

10) Transport. Design facilities to minimize the need for transportation of materials(e.g. through prefabricated construction), and to minimize the travel to, from, andbetween facilities when construction is complete. Focus on public transport, and uselow-carbon vehicles with high occupancy. Minimise air travel. ■

The ten golden rules of sustainability (8-10) >

NEW PROGRAMMES FORSPORTS INDUSTRY PROSThe Lausanne-based International Academy ofSports Science and Technology (AISTS) hasannounced the launch of Executive Education inSports Management programmes for sportsindustry professionals. AISTS is a leading centrefor education and research in sport, offering amultidisciplinary approach in incorporatingmanagement, economics, technology, medicine,biology, law, logistics, sociology, sustainabilityand ethics into the study of sport.

Founded in 2000 by the InternationalOlympic Committee (IOC), the University ofGeneva, the University of Lausanne, the EcolePolytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EFPL), theSwiss Graduate School of Public Administration(IDHEAP), IMD Business School, the City ofLausanne and the Canton of Vaud, the AISTS iscurrently headquartered on the EPFL campus.

As well as an Executive MBA in SportsAdministration and Technology, sports businessmanagers and executives from the IOC, NationalOlympic Committees, International, Continentaland National Federations, and other sportsorganisations and businesses can also choose fromindividual course offerings. The Executive MBAwill begin in 2011 with an application deadline ofOctober 31, 2010. Interested participants shouldcontact AISTS at info@aists.org. ■

REKINDLING THEHERCULEAN SPIRITAlthough modern sporting infrastructure hasbecome synonymous with the world of com-merce, this was not the original ethos of itsOlympians. The many benefits commercial-ism has yielded on the development on inter-national sport however, are ubiquitous in ourmodern society.

But perhaps the sporting roots of the Greekcity-state have been lost among the multitudeof commercial trees. Jens Holm, CEO of theInternational Masters Game Association(IMGA), says the Masters Games aim torevive the rich spiritual mythology of the Pan-Hellenic games.

“It’s good to stop once in a while andremember what sport is all about: where it allcame from. Of course commerce helps con-tribute to what sport is today and there arehuge advantages as well as negatives,” saidHolm, talking at the SportAccordConvention.

“Our aim at the IMGA is to work alongsidethe International Federation’s (IF) to developthe Masters movement in a way that high-lights the socially-binding capability sport has.It takes us back to the Olympic ideals ofGreece.

“Money and media in elite sports bringspolitics, that’s for sure. We do not want tomake the Masters Games an elite sport. Wefind that because of the relatively little mediacoverage, the political elements disappearquite quickly.”

IMGA is a fully IOC recognised, non-prof-it, organisation that comprises variousInternational Federation’s (IF). They convenefor their AGM at the SportAccordConvention, which Holm feels is: “A perfectforum for interaction.

“All our members are here every year, so wecan all meet in one place to discuss the direc-tion of the Masters movement. But also, it’s

great to meet with exhibitors and potentialhosts.

“If I had to design a forum that would ben-efit us most comprehensively in terms ofassembling the IMGA members, and meetingother organisations, it would look very muchlike the SportAccord Convention does now.”

IMGA are creating a sporting movementthat promotes the rich cultural and societaldiversity manifest in international sport.“Anyone who has ever competed in sportknows that this is a major part of the sportingmake-up.

“It’s a simple and effective concept – If youpay, you can play. Even the board membershave to pay!” said Holm, noting: “Participantsare charged 150 euros to compete, and have toprovide accommodation and travel to theevent.”

There are no qualification protocols; allabilities are welcome. Athletic standard rangesfrom previous Olympian and World champi-ons to club level. There is a minimum agerequirement – participants must be 35 or over.The IMGA is currently flourishing after theresounding successes of the 2009 SydneyWorld Masters Games. Approximately 29,000paying participants attended Sydney – anincredible feat considering the potential chal-lenges the IMGA faced, including the globalfinancial meltdown, and the outbreak ofH1N1 (Swine Flu).

An elated Holm said: “We were estimatingaround 5,000 attendees. And we got 29,000.”

IMGA is planning to add more events tothe Masters schedule alongside the currentMasters World Games, Winter Games, andthe upcoming and confirmed 2011 LignanoSabbiadoro European Masters Games. Holmrevealed plans to create an Asia-Pacific, andalso a Pan-American Games.

Asked whether the Masters movement has

the potential to do this he responded:“Absolutely, easily. The thinking behind thatis if you have to travel to, say for example,Sydney – considering the athletes have to payfor travel themselves – some will be restrainedfor whatever social, economical matters.

“Whereas if you have regional events, theywill always be more likely to access those thanones hours away by plane. Essentially we areembracing sport for all, and we encourageanyone and everyone to participate – that’sanother reason for not turning it into an eliteevent.” ■

Jens Holm revivingthe rich spiritualmythology of thePan-Hellenic games

DAILY NEWS4

3-0N-3 MORE REASONS WHY BASKETBALL IS BOOMINGThe International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is at theheart of the continually expanding franchise of basketball.With the upcoming World Championships this year inTurkey, Secretary General of FIBA, Patrick Baumann isoptimistic that basketball will continue to challenge soccerfor its number one spot in the sports franchise world.

“We work very closely with the NBA to produce success-ful basketball events, to ultimately spread its global appeal,”said Baumann at the SportAccord Convention. “Basketball isnow very big in Europe, and in China it is the biggest.”

The global expansion of basketball throughout Europeand the East is only going to get bigger after the 2010 WorldChampionships and 2012 Olympic and Youth Olympicgames, according to the FIBA Secretary General.

“At the Youth Olympics, we have made plans for 3-on-3basketball competition, which is very exciting. I think thatthis will create a tidal wave of interest in the sport. And inthat case, I think that basketball may become stronger insome areas than football,” he said.

He did acknowledge however, that to compete with foot-ball will be tough. “Fundamentally, basketball stadiums typ-ically hold 10,000 people. But football can hold from 80 to100,000 people. This is a clear advantage other sports have,but we will always compete.”

With basketball now the second largest sport in theworld, FIBA are a major federation that continually partici-pate in SportAccord Convention’s. “Events like this,”explained Baumann “are a great chance to talk with otherfederations and allow us opportunities to follow up on ini-tiatives we are implementing, to further progress the sport.

“We have been at SportAccord Conventions since 2003. Itis a great place to be, and we feel like part of an exclusivesporting family.”

Looking towards the 2010 World Championships,Baumann says USA will obviously be strong as always. Butthe development of basketball in Europe and the Orientmeans he is expecting some strong performances from coun-tries like Spain and China who have endorsed the sportingculture.

Notably, a key motive of FIBA’s expansion programme isto increase the quality of basketball. The FIBA SecretaryGeneral said that performance levels are always increasing.Spain’s victory at the 2006 Japanese FIBA WorldChampionships, over Greece in the final, beating the USAalong the way, clearly underlines the success of FIBA’sambitions.

“Of course Michael Jordan was in a league of his own,and stands out from anyone before or after,” says Baumann,“but what is good about today’s game is that the standard isperhaps higher, and therefore the overall level has beenraised.

“There will always be individual stars, like today you haveLeBron James and Kobe Bryant, but in general basketball isgetting across the world. Look at China now, they have YaoMing, who plays in the NBA for the Houston Rockets, andin Spain, there is Pau Gasol, of the LA Lakers. I certainlylook forward to seeing both in action in the 2010 WorldChampionships.”

The 2010 FIBA World Championships will be held inTurkey between 28 August and 12 September. ■

TRYING HARDFOR MIDEASTTRIATHLON The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is at theSportAccord Convention forging links with Middle Eastsports organisations with a long-term view to bringing oneof its series events to the region.

“We would like to but first we have to build a federationand ensure that we have a lot of things in place,” saidMarisol Casado, President of the ITU.

“This is one of the places where we need to grow, so this(the SportAccord Convention) is a fantastic opportunitybecause you make very good contacts and that is a verygood first step.”

She added that the ITU has worked with Egypt andMorocco and has a developing relationship with Qatar.“Now I have been meeting people from the UAE. Wewould like to have a good base in the region in order togrow.”

Casado said the region offered a lot of potential and theregional climate complemented that in other parts of theworld. “It is fantastic because it would be possible to stageevents in December for example.”

The ITU has begun working on a campaign to have asecond event included in the Olympic Games. Casado saidshe hoped that by the 2016 Rio games a second triathlonevent – the relay – would be featured.

The relay features teams of four – two men and twowomen – relay a 275-metre swim, six kilometer cycle rideand 1.5 kilometre run. The event is being featured in theWorld Championships in Lausanne this August.

“We have begun to lobby and we are working on this. Itis useful that I am on the International OlympicCommittee. Perhaps we will see it at the Rio games.

“We often say that at each games we have such beautifullocations for the triathlon and that it is a shame that weonly have the one event at the moment.” ■

Patrick Baumann – Basketballcontinues to challenge for thenumber one franchise sport.

DAILY NEWS 5

30 April >On this day in 2006, CSKA Moscow won the final of the BasketballEuroleague by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 73-69 and denying the two-timedefending champions from Israel the chance to become only the secondteam ever to post a "threepeat" in this competition. Split won the covetedtrophy in 1989, 1990 and 1991.

On this day in sport with Infostrada Sports...

Perhaps uniquely at the SportsAccord Convention, theFédération Equestre Internationale is here to represent a sportwith two atheletes, man and horse. The federation, which wasfounded in 1921, represents seven distinct equestrian disciplines:jumping; dressage; eventing; reining; driving; and vaulting.

The FEI, is at the SportAccord Convention to showcaseequestrian sport and to promote two major areas. Its President isis HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, IOC member who isalso President of the Dubai Organising Committee of the 2010SportAccord Convention.

Richard Johnson, Director of Corporate Communications,said: “We are focussing on the FEI Year of Youth, in the lead upto the 2010 Youth Olympics in August. We have experiencedrapid growth in the federation and in the sport generally. By sup-porting sport at youth level through projects around the worldwe are hoping to continue that growth. We want to encourageriders and bring them on to the level they can achieve - whetherthat is a prize at their local Pony Club, or an Olympic medal.”

One programme aiming for gold is the Soweto EquestianFoundation, a not-for-profit organisation which controls, owns anddevelops the 90-acre Soweto Equestrian Centre in Johannesburg,South Africa. Richard said: “The Foundation is well supported andrun by volunteers who are passionate about horses and riding. Wemay yet see an Olympic medallist from Soweto.” The second focusof the federation at the SportAccord Convention is the FEI CleanSport campaign, an education campaign for riders and competitors.Richard said: “Our initiative aims to educate people on how best tolook after their horses. From grass roots level, we want all riders toknow how to put the welfare of their horse first.” ■

FOCUS AT THE DOUBLE

Dr Raffaele Chiulli, President of the Union InternationaleMotonautique (UIM), is “proud and honoured” by the decision ofthe International Olympic Committee (IOC) to award full recogni-tion to powerboating’s world governing body.

The IOC’s approval of its Executive Board’s decision to the UIM‘full recognition’ was made at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

“We are extremely proud and honoured of the recognition givenby the IOC to our sport,” Dr Chiulli told SportAccord Daily. “Thisis a significant acknowledgment and will strengthen the UIM posi-tion as an active and loyal member of the Olympic family.”

The UIM is the international governing body of power boatingand is also a member of the General Association of InternationalSports Federations and the Association of the IOC RecognisedInternational Sports Federations. It governs all power boating disci-plines including Aqua bike, Circuit, Offshore, Pleasure Navigation& Radio-controlled.

Under Dr Chiulli’s leadership, the organisation has developed aUIM Strategic Plan and is active in a number of key areas includingyouth development, the environment and safety.

“We are proud that the UIM is leading a drive by motorsport’sworld governing bodies to strengthen synergies on the environment,alternative energies and sustainable development” he added.

“An historic first meeting of the four leading motorsport worldgoverning bodies –UIM, FIA, FIM and FAI – took place inMonaco where common actions were discussed and an agreement made to jointly focus on opti-mal use of resources, reduction of pollution and the reduction of noise.”

In addition to its joint ventures with fellow motorsport bodies to tackle the challenge of greenissues, the UIM has also signed a co-operation agreement with the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) to further its range of environmental initiatives, while sharing know-how.

“In addition, we have also further strengthened our co-operation with the IOC and we arefully adopting the new WADA anti-doping code and have established our brand new UIMCode of Ethics – in line with IOC values and principles – based on five pillars of equality, fairplay, respect, integrity and environment.” ■

Dr Raffaele Chiulli.

UIM ‘PROUD AND HONOURED’WITH IOC RECOGNITION

The next World Games in Cali, Colombia in 2013 will have a distinct environmental message attachedto it. Under the slogan ‘Fair Play to the Planet’, the organisers plan to use the Games to promote theidea of taking responsibility for ones actions towards the environment.

“We attended the UN Climate Change Conferencein Copenhagen last year and came away with the ideathat we needed to do something to promote the pro-tection of the environment,” said Pascual Guerrero,president, executive committee of the World GamesCali 2013. “We figured we could use the World Gamesto promote worldwide the idea of taking responsibilityfor ones actions with regard the environment.”

“We are using the sport Ultimate Frisbee as a sym-bol for this initiative. Ultimate Frisbee has no referee and players have to use the principle of fair playto determine the course of the game. It makes them take responsibility for their actions. It creates anunderstanding of moral and ethical principles and reveals bad behaviour.”

Guerrero said the organisers wanted to take this idea, apply it to the environment and, with theassistance of UNESCO and the World Bank, create public awareness about it in the lead up to theWorld Games through a global publicity campaign targeting youth around the world. ■

CALI PROMOTES FAIR PLAY TO THE PLANET

DAILY NEWS6

After a turbulent few months, the world of polo is set to bounce back with a busy pro-gramme of tournaments and the ongoing international promotion of the sport accord-

ing to Michael Shultz-Tholen, Hon Secretary General of the Federation ofInternational Polo.

The sport was rocked with the sudden and tragic death of the FIP’s InterimPresident James Ashton as a result of a fall while playing polo in Thailand inFebruary. Ashton’s tragic loss came just two months after the previousPresident Patrick Hermes stepped down. “A lot of people were unaware ofthe accident as it happened when the Winter Olympics were taking place inVancouver,” Shultz-Tholen told SportAccord Daily.

“James was our former treasurer and a long-time tournament official.The appointment of our new President Edoardo Huergo of Argentinameans we have had three presidents in just four months.”

With the new president at the helm, the FIP is at SportAccordConvention aiming to cement a place at the 2011 South East Asian Games in

Jakarta. “We are certainly hopeful of being there again, as we were in Thailandin 2007,” added Shultz-Tholen.As well as a date with Asia, the polo world has a busy diary to look forward to

as the number of players worldwide sees an “enormous” growth, especially inEurope and countries in Asia.

“We have chosen the next venue for our world championship - held every threeyears – which will be Argentina in September 2011. Two teams will qualify from

worldwide zone prelims in Europe, North America/Caribbean, South America andAfrica/Asia/Oceania. In all, ten teams will compete with the qualifiers joined by

Argentina as the hosts and Chile as the reigning world champions.”He added: “The Argentine Open will always be the sport’s premier tourna-

ment,” smiled Schultz-Tholen. “This year’s will be held over four weekendsin late November and early December and is the one they all want

to win. It’s the Wimbledon of world polo.” ■

NEW COMPANYOFFERS A NEWMODELNew media channels and the process of “digi-tal fragmentation” offer an excellent chancefor federations to gain greater exposure,according to one media consultant at theSportAccord Convention.

“The expansion of the digital world, withnew channels through cable or the telecomsproviders, means that there is more demandfor content,” said Thomas Martens, ChiefExecutive of Triumph Media Group.

“The major media players prioritise soccer,followed by soccer and then more soccer. Butfor the smaller federations there are new waysto reach out to audiences and get exposure fortheir sports.”

Martens is bringing more than 20 years ofexperience in media and sponsorship rightsdeals to bear through his consultancy workand he believes he has an unbeatable offer.

He charges no fee until he has been ableimprove on a client’s income from sponsor-ship and media deals.

“If a federation is currently earning $5 mil-lion dollars through existing deals that’sgreat,” he said. “I will only charge on anyadditional income I am able to secure. That’sa good deal.”

Through partnership arrangements withmajor players, Triumph is able to offer servic-es in areas such as branding, communicationsand market research.

“It’s a comprehensive package and coversall the needs of the federations,” saidMartens. “There is a great demand for con-sultancy in these areas because the market haschanged. It has become more transparentwith people wanting greater control overtheir rights.

“They need to understand where the mar-ket is and what the huge changes in digitalmedia might mean for them.”

He added that during the Convention hewas having formal discussions with three fed-erations, as well as informal talks throughoutthe week. ■

Thomas Martens here at SportAccord Convention.

A BETTER PERSPECTIVEON YOUR SPORTThe Broadcast Academy by HBS is offering aunique training tool for sports coverage bybroadcast professionals.

HBS has extensive experience as a sportsbroadcaster, from the America’s Cup to theFIFA World Cup and has created a trainingsystem that can train an entire productioncrew, from cameraman to television director,in sports-specific modules.

Raphaëlle Marcadal, Broadcast Academy,said: “We offer a number of modules. The firstand most popular is the live television broad-cast, then live commentating, electronic newsgathering and sports marketing. We run six-day courses that begin with theory, but thenoffer completely practical hands-on training.”

The live TV simulator allows directors,cameramen and technicians to practise skillsthat previously could only be honed during alive broadcast. Using the simulator, the traineeis able to control nine cameras to broadcast afootball match. Each section of the broadcast isrecorded and can be reviewed.

The team travel to the client, with the sys-tem packed into 10 flight boxes, which can beassembled in just 45 minutes. Training can beconducted in English, French, Spanish orPortuguese.

Marcadal said: “We travel to the client, sothat we can match the system to their capabil-

ities. If they only have four or five cameras,we will train them to create the best resultwith the equipment they have. We adapt tothem.”

The tool has been particularly popular inAfrica, where standards may not meet those ofinternational broadcasting companies. As morefootball matches are broadcast globally andinterest in African sports spreads globally,companies are using the academy to improvestandards.

Here Marcadal is hoping to catch the inter-

est of the various sport federations. “We wantto demonstrate to the federations what we cando as a multi-sport training company. We canadapt to any sport and are available for sportsspecific training of television companies, whichcould vastly improve the coverage of theirsport.

The team has bigger plans for the future.“We have in development a high density 3Dsimulator, but we don’t know when it will beavailable. Perhaps by the next World Cup,”said Marcadal. ■

Rapahaëlle Marcadal, Manager and Steve Moreau, Technical Operator on the HBS stand.

POLO MAKES IT THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES

DAILY NEWS 7

We hope you’ve enjoyed the SportAccord Convention and had the chance to stop by our stand and find out what Scotland offers as a destination for major events.

For more information please visit www.eventscotland.org/sportaccord

We look forward to seeing you in Scotland soon...

Winners of the competition to win tickets to the 2010 Open Championship will be contacted within 14 days.

Edgar Grospiron, 1992 Olympic freestyle ski-ing champion says sustainability is a pertinentconcept when it comes to sporting events.And he is glad he is at the SportAccordConvention to address pressing issues like itwith other federations and boards.

Grospiron agrees that sports andSportAccord Convention go hand in hand. He feels that the SportAccord Conventionconferences and exhibitions are helpful in discerning what actions can be taken to com-bat pressing concerns like climate change.

“For example in my region in the alps, we are at an important stage where we mustdevelop the sporting appeal of winter sports. But we must do this in such a way that in10-20 years times, the region will still be cold enough for snow.

“With the problems of climate change, we cannot know this for sure. So sustainabil-ity is key for any sport, but particularly for skiing.” ■

WE MUST KEEP THE SLOPES COLD

LONDON ON THE HORIZONLondon is ready to host the 2011 SportAccord Convention. Thecapital city of England, which will also host the 2012 OlympicGames, is on-track and ready to relish the challenges that accom-pany major sports events.

Head of Events for London, Iain Edmonson, says Visit Londonhas a great opportunity to parade London’s vibrant potential in thecoming SportAccord Convention.

“We have a great chance to show people, both at the 2012Olympics, and the SportAccord Convention, what London offersregarding new exciting facilities and business prospects.”

Daniel Ritterband, Director of Marketing for the Mayor ofLondon, acknowledges that the real challenge is to create a sustain-able legacy for generations to come, he said: “The Decade of Sportis really important for us.

“What we are implementing in London extends further thanthe 2012 Olympics and the 2011 SportAccord Convention. Wenow have major sporting events like the NFL, ATP Tennis andNHL taking place regularly in London.

London is investing £30 billion into improved public transport,which Visit London see as contributing directly to the exciting newprospects facing the city.

“Our infrastructure is sound, we are well up on things, venuesare sorted and planning is going really well. These are really excit-ing times for London, and I believe London’s best years are still tocome,” said Ritterband enthusiastically.

Paul Deighton, Chief Executive Officer, LOCOG commented:"It’s terrific that SportAccord is coming to London in 2011 at a timewhere the UK heads into a fantastic decade of sport, with theLondon 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games centre stage. UKcompanies already hold a solid foundation in the business of sportand SportAccord will be a great opportunity to showcase Britishexpertise and win new contracts in the global sports businessindustry.“

Lord Digby Jones, Chairman of SportAccord London Board,commented: "Sport is a great (probably the greatest) way of bring-ing the World together, especially at times of economic uncertaintyand shifting values. Leadership is all-important at times like these& it is wonderful that London, and the wider UK, has this oppor-tunity to lead. We invite the World to London for SportAccord.Plan the next decade, learn more, make new friendships & renewold ones. We in Britain want to learn more from every singlecountry that engages in the Global Sporting family. We want toexperience other's views and values. Come to London & teach us!Welcome to London, the Global Sporting Hub for the nextDecade."

Hein Verbruggen, Chairman of SportAccord Convention com-mented, "Our constituents comprise the top leadership in all areasof international sport and have a vested interest in any city that is

Looking forward to London, Left to right: Chloe Couchman, CommunicationsManager, Iain Edmondson, Head of Events for London, Alexandra Goldschmidt,Project Manager, Daniel Ritterband, Director of Marketing, Mayor of London’sOffice and Beckie Crane, Marketing Manager.

hosting an Olympic Games and other top-level sporting events.With London preparing to welcome the world for the Games in2012, there is no better time for the SportAccord Convention tocome here and witness the final preparations taking place in yourcity. We look forward to working with our colleagues here overthe coming year and a half, and to together creating an eventwhich will show the world what a wonderful host city Londonwill be - for the SportAccord Convention, the 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games and future major sports events in the city."

The bid to bring this prestigious sport’s convention was co-ordi-nated by the Events for London team at Visit London and hasbeen heavily supported and funded by a number of the UK’ssporting and business bodies. Those bodies include theDepartment for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) whose keyrole is to build Britain’s capabilities to compete in the global econo-my. The government’s sporting body UK Sport has also proactivelysupported the bid as well as the Greater London Authority (GLA),LOCOG, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the LondonDevelopment Agency (LDA), VisitBritain, and Events forLondon.

The six-day gathering in London will be the first time the con-vention is hosted in the UK. The convention will be held in thePark Plaza Westminster Bridge London, located only steps fromthe city’s most iconic attractions including Big Ben, the Houses ofParliament, the London Eye, London Aquarium and Royal

take place in the world’s most popular music and entertainmentvenue The O2 in London.

AEG & The O2 spokesperson commented: “SportAccord’sopening night ceremony will be co-hosted by the Royal Boroughof Greenwich and AEG at The O2, the world’s most popularvenue. Both Greenwich and The O2 are key venues for the 2012Olympic and Paralympic Games. Delegates will be transported bythe high speed Thames Clippers river service along the Thames toenjoy an evening of entertainment at indigO2 to open the presti-gious conference.” ■Festival Hall. Andrew

Swindells, GeneralManager of Park PlazaWestminster Bridge,concluded by saying“We are proud to havebeen selected as thehost hotel forSportAccord 2011 andlook forward to settinga new benchmark foroutstanding facilitiesand excellent service.”■ At the handoverpresentation at Dubai’sSportAccord, exclusivenews was alsoannounced thatLondon’s opening cer-emony for theSportAccordInternationalConvention 2011 will

DAILY NEWS8

OVER 350 PROJECTS ENTERBEYOND SPORT AWARDS 2010In its second year, Beyond Sport is delightedto announce that over 350 projects haveentered the Beyond Sport Awards in 2010,further extending the significant reach of theglobal initiative to over 115 countries and ter-ritories.

Following the close of entries, the Awardshas attracted submissions from an array oforganisations, social enterprises, federations,and grassroots initiatives, all showcasing thepower of sport to deliver positive socialchange in communities across the globe.

With the number of entries up 30% onthe inaugural Awards programme in 2009split equally across every continent on theplanet, the reach of Beyond Sport is movingforward at a rapidly evolving pace.

The 2010 Awards also attracted submis-sions from projects active in a host of coun-tries and territories new to the Beyond SportAwards including Iran, Cuba, Vietnam,Bangladesh, Dominican Republic and theDemocratic Republic of Congo.

Designed to recognise and reward the bestsport and development projects from acrossthe world on an annual basis, the Beyond

Sport Awards incorporates 12 categories cov-ering the entire sporting spectrum of health,social inclusion, corporate and social respon-sibility, and philanthropy.

For 2010, the most entered categories werethe Sport for Social Inclusion Award; theBest New Project; and the UNICEF Sportfor Education Award.

The Sport for Environment Award attract-ed twice as many entries in 2010 comparedwith the previous year, while the number ofprojects put forward in the Sport Team ofthe Year and Sport Federation or GoverningBody of the Year award categories were bothup 25% on 2009.

The Awards categories are split into threeclear sections – Community Awards;Corporation and Federation Awards; and theJudges' Awards.

As was the case in 2009, the winners ofthe six Community Awards will receive atotal package of funding worth $1 million,including substantial business support toenable them to move forward and becomefully sustainable in the future.

A shortlist of projects in each of the

Awards categories will be revealed in lateMay with representatives from those initia-tives flown to Chicago for the second annualBeyond Sport Summit taking place betweenSeptember 29 and 30 where the winners willbe unveiled.

The winners are selected by the BeyondSport Ambassadors – a group of high-profileindividuals chaired by former British Prime

Minister Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, and who alsoinclude HRH Prince Faisal Al Hussein ofJordan, former South African football cap-tain Lucas Radebe; and multi-Olympic goldmedalists Michael Johnson and SergeyBubka.

Beyond Sport is partnered with BarclaysSpaces for Sports, United Airlines, TIMEInternational and UNICEF. ■

Nick Keller with Tony Blair aBeyond Sport Ambassador.

DEALS IMMINENTIN “SCREENSEVERYWHERE” A number of deals covering minority sports onTotalSports.tv are expected to be announcedshortly, it was learned at the SportAccordConvention.

Founder and President of OctopusMTAndrew Eborn – the video content and digitaldelivery provider that formed a strategicalliance with Total Sports Asia to launch thechannel – said that a number of deals werebeing finalised and would be announced soon.

It’s an example of how digital technology isopening up new opportunities for the deliveryof sports content, particularly for minorityinterest pursuits, according to Eborn.

“In today’s world you effectively havescreens everywhere, whether it is your TV,iPhone or mobile device, laptop or screens yousee in public places,” he said. “This process willcontinue. Devices will converge and new onesemerge but you will see more and morescreens. That means content.”

Former barrister specialising in global rights

management, Eborn devised the OctopusMTsystem to address what he regarded as theshortcomings of existing technologies.

The system enables the storage, manage-ment and global delivery of video to any digitaldevice with an accent on quality, functionalityand a “click-to-play” user experience. TheOctopusMT’s platform is a browser–based,complete content management systemenabling everything from enhancing websiteswith video content to secure online viewingand digital delivery of broadcast files, video ondemand and live streaming of events.

It’s also “future-proof” according to Eborn.“It’s completely scaleable and it’s a platform

that can be adapted very quickly to any newdevice,” he said.

The firm’s strategic alliance with TotalSports Asia grew out of meetings at an earlierSportAccord Convention. As well as sportingbodies as clients, the firm works with govern-ments, broadcasters and other media.

because we are able to provide the channel tomarket.

“I have even got somebody in my office whois a fan and he is willing to pay a reasonableamount of money to access that.”

A user-generated site, launched byOctopusMT in association with the LondonDevelopment Agency, allowing anyone toupload their own supportive video messagesfor the British team at the Olympics inBeijing.

The firm is currently expanding internation-ally, having recently opened an office in Korea.It also expects to open an office in Japan. ■

Powered by OctopusMT, TotalSports.tvnow enables sports such as the US OpenTennis, motor racing, badminton, hockey,Muay Thai and other championships to beenjoyed in new and exciting ways by a wideraudience around the world, both live and asvideo on demand.

“There is a great scope thanks to technologyfor the federations to become their ownbroadcasters,” said Eborn. “It enables theminority sports to find audiences beyond theirtraditional territories. Muay Thai is an exam-ple of a sport from Asia which is finding anumber of fans in Europe and elsewhere

Andrew Ebornfounder ofOctopusMT.

DAILY NEWS 9

KIA DRIVING ARCHERYTOWARDS SUCCESSKia Motors have announced an extension to their sponsorship ofthe International Archery Federation (FITA).

The Kia and FITA relationship has been extended by two moreyears, and will last until 2011, by which time both the Edinburgh2010, and Istanbul 2011 Archery World Cup’s will have beenstaged. FITA President Professor Dr. Ugur Erdener said: “We aredelighted to have a premier, global brand like Kia Motors support-ing archery.

“Our relationship with Kia represents the high-level status ourWorld Cup and World Championships have achieved.”

A major item on the SportAccord Convention agenda this weekhas been the issue of sustainability – an issue FITA and Kia believetheir sponsorship fully embraces. Didier Mieville, Communicationsdirector of FITA, present at the SportAccord Convention said:“Archery is, and always has been a green sport.

“We pride ourselves on environmentally friendly events. Andalong with Kia’s endeavours to provide more efficient travellingresources we are setting a benchmark of sustainable internationalsporting events.”

Since the Archery World Cup began in 2006, the standard ofarchery that consequently features as part of the Olympic pro-grammes has been raised substantially, says Mieville.

Furthermore, archery’s global appeal is always increasing.Jacques Rogge, IOC President said: “Archery has millions of fansworldwide.

“Archery today has become an outstanding sports event, attract-ing more interest and success for its athletes and spectators.”

With exciting and innovative competitions such as the ArcheryWorld Cup on FITA’s calendar, the sport is continually pushingtowards new boundaries whilst it encompasses all of the values we

cherish in the Olympic movement.”On 1 April this year the bidding process openned to host the

2012 or 2013, or both, World Cup finals. For which Mievilleassures there is: “Lots of interest already.”

FITA aims together with the driving force of Kia Motors’support look to be pushing sports in an ecologically hopefuldirection. ■

If Karl Samuelsson and Guy Horne of GoldSponsor IEC in Sport look comfortable ontheir stand it is no surprise, IEC has beeninvolved with the SportAccord Conventionsince its inception in Madrid in 2003.

Samuelsson, Stockholm-based COO, said:“It is the ideal venue for us to meet and renewrelationships with the international federations

with which we work.”The group works with 13 of the Summer

Olympic sports and has recently launched itscountdown programme to the next games, themagazine show ‘Road to London’.

In 130 episodes, the show will cover thequalification events for all the 28 sports, butalso plans to follow the journey of individual

athletes, cities or federations, and will track thedevelopment of the Games venues within theUnited Kingdom.

Samuelsson added: “What makes it uniqueis that we are inviting people to send in footageof relevant material, which we can work intoan episode to give a really personal insight intowhat it takes to become an Olympic athlete, or

how a federation supports its athletes. Or theycan simply send their ideas and stories.”

The show is available in monthly or weeklyversions and since its launch in January hasalready reached global distribution with broad-casters on all continents, with close to 20 tak-ers including Sport Italia, SBS Korea, Sport TVin Brazil and Sky New Zealand. ■

IEC IN SPORTS IS INVITING EVERYONE ONTO THE ROAD TO LONDON

DAILY NEWS10

AN EVENING TO REMEMBER...SportAccord Convention delegates and exhibitors took to the poolside on Wednesday evening to enjoy a poolside barbecue. It gave everyonethe chance to relax and network after a hard day at the event. SportAccord Daily photographer Tom Gordon was on hand to capture a snap-shot of the evening’s events.

...AT POOLSIDE NETWORKER

DAILY NEWS 11

PascualGuerrero.SUSTAINABILITY - EVENTS GO BACK TO THE FUTURE

‘WE NEED NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT’BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND SPORT

Sustainability in major sporting events is on aroll, with each building on the work of earlierprojects, but in some areas a concrete definitionof sustainability remains elusive.

Yesterday’s plenary panel session “Sport’s roleas a leader in sustainable development” heard awealth of detail about sports projects past andfuture where sustainability had played a keyrole.

Moderator Ann Duffy, CorporateSustainability Officer for the organizing com-mittee of this year’s Vancouver WinterOlympics outlined the strategy and outcome ofthe committee’s approach to sustainabilitywhich embraced everything from environmen-tal to social issues.

The sustainability dimension was central atthe bidding stage, she said and it was followedby a widespread campaign to find out frominterest groups what they would like to seeincorporated in the strategy.

The three sustainability areas were groupedunder hardware (buildings), software (people)and a “ripple effect”.

The Richmond Olympic Oval incorporated arange of sustainable features including its hugewooden roof which was taken from trees affect-ed by pine beetles. A treatment was devised forthe wood to enable it to be safely used.

In addition, waste heat was recovered andused and rainwater harvested from the roof forre-use. Indigenous Canadian art was used fordecoration.

“Every one of our structures had its ownstory to tell,” she said.

On the “software” side, the 1,500 medal win-ner bouquets were made in a unique joint ven-

ture between a florist and a social enterpriseunder which residents from a women’s refugecreated the flower arrangements. The medalsthemselves were created from electronic metalwaste.

Under the ripple effect label came legacyfacilities such as the recycling plant establishedby Coca-Cola, a major sponsor.

“It was a success,” said Duffy. “We startedwith a commitment to legacy which made sense

for the long term.” Legacy was at the heart of the whole

Olympic project for the London 2012 Games,said Malcolm Ross, Executive DirectorOperations and Venues, Olympic Park LegacyCompany. The company exists solely to planand execute the future of facilities.

HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein,President, Dubai Organising Committee for theSportAccord Convention and President,

There was general agreement among a high profile panel ofsports administrators that sports federations and governmentsneed to work in partnership.

“What we really need is a new Social Contract betweensport and government to clarify the roles and responsibilities ofeach toward the other,” panel moderator, Michael Lenard, sen-ior managing director Paladin Realty Partners, summed up thediscussion.

At the outset he raised the question of what autonomy insport actually means. Does it mean complete independencefrom government interference?

“Governments provide millions, if not billions of dollars,directly and indirectly to sport. Do governments have a right toenquire from sport federations and associations how this moneyis spent?” he asked the panel.

Taking the position of government, Nawal el Moutawakel,the former sports minister for Morocco and now part of theIOC’s Rio 2016 Coordination Commission, said that if govern-ments have provided funds they do have a right to know howthe money is spent. Governments could also demand that thefederations receiving money have credible strategic plans and ademocratically elected board.

“If national federations don’t take money from government,only then could they be autonomous. But this is not often thecase as governments are responsible sport infrastructure facili-ties which they use,” she said.

Pat Mcquaid, president International Cycling Union, agreedbut said due to their hierarchical structure many federationsneeded to be autonomous so that constituent associations couldoperate independently.

Christophe de Kepper, Chief of Staff, International OlympicCommittee (IOC), discussing the IOC being given permanentobserver status at the United Nations, said: “Although we’re anon-political body, we’re not apolitical. We have to live in apolitical world. We do not live in a world governed only bysport rules, but in a world with legislation and we have toadapt to this.”

The European Union Government’s 2007 white paper whichmaps out sports regulations for the EU was raised was discussed asit could negatively affect the autonomy of sport by government.

De Kepper pointed out that the IOC has taken the lead indefending the interests of sport at the EU.

“There are rules specific to sport and government must notintervene,” he said, adding however that it was very complex,

involving issues of the freedom of movement of players, broad-cast TV rights and even competition rules among many otherfacets.

“These issues have to be assessed on a case by case basis.“Nonetheless the rulings in the EU show there is a great

respect for what sport is,” De Kepper said.“We’re obliged to work together,” added Francesco Ricci

Bitti, president International Tennis Association.De Kepper said that in some cases government is required to

assist sport when commercial interests interfere with federa-tions – “when business starts to dictate to sport”. He addedthat this was another sphere where the autonomy of sport,which is generally thought of as the relationship between sportan government, can be affected by a third party.

“When the autonomy of sport is threatened by commercialinterests – then this needs to be regulated,” he said.

Lenard summed it up by saying it was a two-way street andthat sport organisations had to give guarantees to governmentand, likewise, government had to provide guarantees to sport.

“It’s about creating the best of both worlds, to find the bestway to form a partnership, as this is the world we live in,” hesaid. ■

International Equestrian Federation (FEI) saidthat while the federation had a strong andtransparent governance initiative.

Michael Szomjassy, Executive Vice Presidentand Operations Director, CH2M HILL said: “Itis about thinking about what you want to leavebehind. The environment is actually the easiestthing to address with economic and social sus-tainability not so straightforward. The ‘social’ isthe most difficult to achieve.” ■

DAILY NEWS12

REBORN SPORTACCORDCHARTS DYNAMIC FUTUREThe transition from GAISF to SportAccord will end smoothlyat the end of this Convention – and the new organisation inLausanne has a busy year ahead.

On Wednesday this week, the Sports Hub platform foraccessing sports and sports federations will be launched onYouTube, and there are new initiatives on their way, includingtackling match fixing challenges and development of theSportAccord community to better serve the SportAccord mem-bership.

SportAccord has been operating for a year under the leader-ship of director Nolvenn Dufay De Lavallaz. “We have alreadyachieved a remarkable amount since the Denver Convention ayear ago; this has been a very busy year, and we are pleased tosay that we delivered all the projects we had committed to a yearago”

First is the launch of The Sports Hub in a partnership withYouTube.The Sports Hub is a unique multi-sport platform onYouTube, offering a one-stop shop access to all sports. It willcontain top matches, interviews, film clips and educational con-tent.

The system will lead users to federation channels and the sub-tle structure of the site will create greater exposure and increasetraffic for all sports.

Another major achievement in the first year was the creationof the SportAccord Doping Free Sport Unit ( DFSU), whichhelps federations ensure that they are compliant with WADAcode and to conduct testing for the smaller federations, as astart. “By offering this service, we removed a burden from theseFederations shoulders. By serving all the federations we are alsoable to create economies of scale.”

SportAccord has also been active in promoting the federationsthrough the “bundling” of sports to create new and attractiveevents. The SportAccord Combat Games are scheduled from 28August to 4 September 2010 in Beijing, and are expected tobring great exposure to SportAccord members. All 13 combat

sports/martial arts member federations have joined the project. These Games will be followed by the World Mind Games,

next year, and the World Beach Games, most likely to be heldlate 2012/early 2013.

Heading to the year to come, Dufay de Lavallaz introducedthe priority project for the coming months: the creation of theweb-based SportAccord community, a place to make new con-tacts across federations, share knowledge and expertise all yearlong.

“We want to create digital communities where federationscan share their knowledge or get information. Have a compre-hensive documents repository, create communities of practice,but also increase cooperation between Federations.

“This perfectly corresponds to our core mission: uniting andsupporting our members. This is an exciting project and shouldprove to be a valuable service to members.”

The next matter to be tackled is the protection of sportintegrity as relates to betting. A number of IFs governing profes-sional/commercial sports are meeting on a regular basis as aworking group under the umbrella of SportAccord and identi-fied this topic as key. The project will include the developmentof a strategy, which could lead to developing recommendationsand guidelines, but also maybe more concrete tools to protectsport integrity in the field of betting.

The major federations such as the ICC, FIFA or ITF alreadyworked on this challenge, developing rules, prevention toolsand education. Some even developed their own dedicated sys-tems used to monitor their sport, smart technology systemsthat are designed to track game or match results as well as bet-ting and to spot anomalies or potentially illegal patterns. Thisexpertise could benefit to the whole IFs family. As such,SportAccord strongly believes in the necessity of having a com-mon approach with the Sports Movement in order to tacklethis threat.

As a final point, Dufay De Lavallaz wants SportAccord toconsolidate and “go through a period of stability” in 2010 follow-ing an organisational and programme-packed first year.

“We want to concentrate on ensuring that the programmeswe have in place are successful, so we don’t want to launchtoo many new ones and risk neglecting existing ones,” shesaid.

SportAccord follows the four-themes strategy that was devel-oped and presented in 2009 to the Members, to the benefits ofits 87 federations and 17 associate members.

Dufay De Lavallaz said that in the medium term she wantsSportAccord to develop into a “resource center” for members.“It is an organisation that has come a long way in a year and westill have plenty of ideas to take it further.” ■

Nolvenn Dufay De Lavallaz set for a busy year ahead.

THE SPORTING FUTUREIS LOOKING BRIGHTPhillips lighting will today reveal to thesporting community their vibrant newconcept – the ‘Phillips ArenaExperience’.

The General Assembly at theSportAccord Convention will be thefirst to hear this announcement in apublic domain.

Phillips has delivered sports lightingfor more than 60 years to all major sta-diums and sports events, including theOlympics and the FIFA World Cup.

“We are looking to create a wholenew ambiance for sporting experiencesaround the world,” explains FlavioGuimaraes, Business DevelopmentManager for Phillips Lighting.

“Through an integrated Lighting,Digital Signage and Media platform,

the Philips Arena Experience enhancesthe experience in and around profes-sional stadiums and can be also extend-ed to the cities hosting major events,”he said.

Noticing the market trend where sta-dium planning is now incorporatingmultipurpose activities in its infrastruc-ture, the Philips Arena Experience hasbeen designed to accommodate every-thing from stadium facades to VIPareas.

Three pilot tests have been conduct-ed, and to great success says ErdemSoyal, Business Development Managerfor Phillips Lighting.

They include SK Braunn, in Norway;Caja Magica in Spain and ShaktharDonetsk in Ukraine. ■

Flavio Guimaraes, left and Erdem Soyal.