PyeongChang in South Korea can look forward to its forthcoming test events

with confidence after a delegation followed up last month’s inspection visit with a thorough report to the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) at SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit yesterday.

Gian Franco Kasper, the President of AIOWF, said that PyeongChang had made the most of their visit to the Convention by meeting all seven IFs that are working towards the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Kasper added that the issue of a reduction in spectator numbers in 2018, which he indicated yesterday

in The Daily could be significant, is a question for the IOC.

Sarah Lewis, the Secretary General of AIOWF, told The Daily after yesterday’s AIOWF General Assembly: “This was the first time we had met PyeongChang since the IOC Co-ordination Commission visited them last month to produce a status report on their facilities.

“They had taken the opportunity here to meet the IFs, and we had a good meeting with them. We are heading into their winter with a number of test events, so things are becoming operational.”

Lewis echoed Kasper’s comments yesterday that Lillehammer in Norway, which will host the 2016 Youth Olympic Games, is not

expected to present any problems in the build-up to its Games next February.

She added that the IOC Co-ordination Commission will meet organisers next week and AIOWF will meet the 2016 Games Organising Committee later in the year, with the participating Federations likely to assemble at the IF Forum later this year.

Lewis added that the meeting also received reports from SportAccord, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the IOC and members are now looking forward to Thursday’s joint meeting with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) at the Convention.

“The introduction of these meetings is much appreciated by the IFs and is very helpful across the sports movement in terms of considering issues such as WADA and the Olympic 2020 Agenda,” she said.

Lewis said that the subject of the 2020 Agenda was one of the updates yesterday from the IOC, which also reported on progress with the Olympic Channel.

She said: “The Channel is still in its infancy but it was very exciting to see.

“It is designed to promote and support the Olympic Movement. The IFs can discuss their specific situations and which areas provide opportunities for collaboration.”

The Daily

aiowf given event update

Baumann

insi

de Van Schaik

adidas executive on the changing

role of sport’s superstars

PAGe 15

pyeongChang gives report at assembly

Russian dignitaries head the Conference programmeSome of the key figures behind Russia’s resurgence in the world of sport will kick off the Main Conference Programme with a special panel session this morning.

As part of a business panel for the Vedomosti newspaper, representatives from government agencies, the international and Russian sports communities and heads of major government and commercial companies will assemble to offer their insights into ‘Professional Sports’ Development in Russia’ (08.30-10.00).

The panel will feature Vitaly Mutko, Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation; Arkady Dvorkovich, Vice-Chairman, Government of the Russian Federation, who will also make the Keynote Welcome Address (10.30-10.45); Roman Rotenberg, First Vice-President, Russian Ice Hockey Federation; Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of the Continental Hockey League; Sergey Vorobyev, Deputy CEO, Center Omega, Promoter of the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix; Dmitry Dubrovsky, President, Federation of Ski jumping and Alpine combined competition of Russia; Paul Erankevich, Head of Brand Development, ‘Baltika’; Dmitry Svischev, President, Curling Federation of Russia; Denis Tikhomirov, President, Federations of Snowboard of Russia.

Interviews with Mutko and Vorobyev are featured

ISSUE 3 - Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 #SAC2015 www.sportaccordconvention.com

Your guide to what’s

happening today at

SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business

Summit

Basketball is bouncing with optimism after making changesPAGe 10

Denmark breaking down the barriers in event hosting

PAGe 7

Continued on Page 2

Russian Federation Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko at the Convention yesterday. Read an interview with him on Page 8

big steps foR spoRtLawAccord Chairman Steve

Townley believes Russia is in a strong position to back

big events with comprehensive legal processes after hearing of the progress the country has made in the field of sports law.

Townley said that Russian officials recognise that there is more to be done, with Deputy Minister for Sport Natalia Parshikova having outlined the country’s story so far and its strategy for the future.

He also said that LawAccord can support future developments in Russian sports law, and he suggested that Sochi could become a hub for the development of legal services alongside top sports facilities. “Russia has done a very good job in developing sports law,” Townley told The Daily. “They were willing to address the issues of betting and match-fixing head-on with legislation, and that is clearly important because they are hosting some very big sporting events.

“The Deputy Minister has addressed some very complicated issues and has given the international sports community confidence that Russia is handling these issues very professionally.”

Parshikova told yesterday’s LawAccord session at SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit that the Russian Government has developed its approach on the basis that sport is part of society, with even military sport coming under the same legislation.

She said that the Russian nation acted because it was determined to remedy a previously poor reputation with WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, and instead become an example of best practice after studying the legal

systems of other countries.Parshikova made it clear that

the aim is to introduce national legislation where it does not already exist and to develop a structure that places athletes at the heart of the issue so that they know what is expected of them.

Blazheev Victor, Member of the Export Commission of the Russian Council on the Law Olympiad and Rector of the Kutafin Moscow

State Law University, suggested that Russia could set up a new body to rule on legal disputes. However, he acknowledged there could be difficulties with the proposal.

“We could establish an independent, fair, arbitration court that could provide a way of finding solutions to different litigations but it would have to be a non-Governmental structure and it would have to be as independent as possible,” he said.

“Unfortunately we have very few lawyers in Russia who are aware of what is going on in sport. There are some specialists but we need to find more and we need to establish procedures that take into account the peculiarities of litigation in sport.” Townley said that the recognition within Russia

that the country needs assistance to help fill the gap in its expertise and develop a legal structure for sport is an area in which LawAccord would aim to offer assistance.

“The Russian Federation and Sochi as a sports city have set their objectives on continuing to win a significant amount of sport business and they have invested heavily in providing the physical and fiscal infrastructure to do so,” he said.

“However, I would argue that Russia now needs to invest in intellectual infrastructure by properly considering and implementing a sports law regime that will not only be attractive to sports businesses, but will also create a sports law hub that can serve the country.”

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations’ (ASOIF)

agenda for today’s General Assembly cover a range of issues that are crucial to the development of its members.

Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and the distribution of revenue from the Games are all prominent concerns for the 28 IFs on the Summer Olympic programme.

However, ASOIF Executive Director Andrew Ryan told The Daily that the General Assembly will adopt a broad outlook.

“It is an interesting mix of Games-related items, strategic questions, financial matters, governance items and project updates – a reflection of what features high on the agenda of ASOIF and its members alike.”

Ryan is particularly excited by ASOIF’s progress with the IFs (Shared) Sports Data Platform, which the Association is working hard to launch by the end of this

year. “The platform will offer a one-stop shop for historical sports results and data worldwide on behalf of the Summer Olympic International Federations,” he said.

“It is about significantly improving data standards and facilitating greater media exposure for the Summer Olympics sports across all platforms.”

Ryan identified the success of the Good Governance Forum co-organised by ASOIF and the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) as a highlight from the past year, with the ongoing improvements by ASOIF and its Member Federations supporting their aim to be involved in the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020.

“ASOIF was represented in almost all 14 of the working groups for Olympic Agenda 2020 and our focus now is on supporting the implementation, for instance when it comes to

enhancing the role of the IFs in the planning and delivery of the Olympic competitions,” he said.

More immediately, ASOIF is looking at some of the key issues around Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Today’s meeting will receive updates on the preparations by both Organising Committees

and will also consider a proposal around the revenue groups for 2016, as announced by the International Olympic Committee.

Test events will also come under the spotlight, with Ryan warning that while fears about the readiness of Rio voiced at last year’s SportAccord Convention

may have eased, there is no room for complacency.

“We have closely monitored and supported the preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the best possible way,” he said. “During the last 12 months we have seen significant progress in the venue construction, but we are fully aware that there is not a moment to lose with the first concentration of test events just around the corner.”

International Handball Federation President and ASOIF Vice President Hassan Moustafa will step down from the Council having served a maximum of two terms. Council Members Patrick Baumann (FIBA – Basketball) and Marisol Casado (ITU – Triathlon) are standing for re-election. Three new candidates are José Perurena (ICF – Canoe), Chungwon Choue (WTF – Taekwondo) and Leandro Negre (FIH – Hockey).

Today’s agenda will also include a presentation by WADA.

‘We want to help Federations learn from the experiences of our panel so they are better equipped to make the right choices’

ASOIF excited by progress

aims looks to build ifs’ position

STellar SpeakerS SeT for conferenceon p8 and p12, respectively, of today’s edition of The Daily.

The high-profile session this morning – a new addition to the Main Conference Programme – will launch two days of highly anticipated conference sessions featuring some of the leading decision-makers in international sport.

At 10.45, Hazem Galal, Global Leader for Cities and Local Government Sector, PwC UAE – who was featured in The Daily on Monday – will introduce the Plenary Panel Session ‘What’s in a word? The truth about Legacy’ (11.00-12.00).

The speakers will include World Rugby’s Head of Competitions and Performance, Mark Egan, and West Nally CEO and International Federation of Poker President

Patrick Nally, both of whom were featured in The Daily on Monday.

Thomas van Schaik, Global Brand Director, adidas, the subject of The Daily’s ‘Big Interview’ today (p15), will start the afternoon programme by offering his perspective on ‘The Athlete Brand and the

Role Model Revolution’ (13.30-14.00).The first day of the Main Conference

Programme will then wrap up with the Panel Discussion, ‘High Road or Low Road – What it takes for motorsport to thrive in a fast-changing landscape’ (14.15-15.15).

The panel members will include The Craig Company President Andrew Craig and Strømøy Racing F1 World Powerboat Driver Marit Strømøy, both of whom were interviewed in Monday’s edition of The Daily, and UIM and ARISF President Raffaele Chiulli, President, UIM and ARISF, who will be featured in Thursday’s edition of The Daily.

Oliver Weingarten, General Secretary, Formula E Teams’ Association and CEO, OW Advisory, was also featured in yesterday’s edition of The Daily.

The Daily is produced by Squires Media – Editorial Communications and Publishing for the International Sporting Community

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SPORTACCORD CONVENTION

WORlD SPORT & BuSINESS

SummITSteve Townley

2 The Daily Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 The Daily 3

The Alliance of Independent Members of SportAccord (AIMS) will use the partnership opportunities presented by SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit to take another step towards strengthening the position of its International Federations.

AIMS will hold its General Assembly today with an agenda that will bring the adoption of statutes and will set some key goals arising from the Alliance’s work on laying out its mission and vision.

Espen Lund, Chairman of AIMS and Vice President of WAKO, the global governing body of Kickboxing, said that the body would also endeavour to develop its own structures more effectively by continuing to learn from its partners and from other sports at the Convention.

AIMS are an informal group consisting of all the IFs who are members of SportAccord but who are not yet recognised by the IOC, and Lund said that one of the priorities of its attendance in Sochi this week is to become more formally established.

“Our vision is to create a strong group within SportAccord and make all sports equal and valuable, and our mission is to support and promote the work of our members and to obtain recognition of our members as the specific world governing bodies of their sports by the national and world sports authorities,” Lund told The Daily.

He added that attendance at the Convention in recent years has delivered great progress through the ability to liaise with such organisations such as SportAccord itself, individual IFs and WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“We have shared information, built relations, learned from best practice and gained inspiration,” Lund said. “Now AIMS are included as a stakeholder in the IF Forum and at the Convention. We have a logo, we are visible with a separate stand at the Convention and we are taken into consideration in the political landscape. It is time to work much more strategically to support our IFs in achieving and developing good governance and policies that will strengthen their positions, assist them in their objectives to be included in various International Games inside and outside SportAccord and assist them in gaining recognition from national sport authorities and National Olympic Committees.”

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Speakers Hazem galal and Mark Egan

‘ASOIF was represented in almost all 14 of the working groups for Olympic Agenda 2020’

The fight to enhance integrity in sport will be boosted today in a dedicated

integrity session at SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit.

SportAccord will issue a Sport Integrity Declaration on behalf of the International Federations, with the session also marking the release of a booklet, entitled Sport & Integrity, which is an official SportAccord publication that will be followed by a larger volume next year.

The initiative is the result of SportAccord’s desire to protect sport by taking a lead in

tackling the growing threat of gambling and match fixing. It is also linked to the recognition that sport is coming under increasing scrutiny from public bodies and from society generally. The SportAccord Sport Integrity Declaration is designed to unite the IFs, the fans and anyone with a genuine interest in sport behind the common principles and values that are essential to sport.

The work is led by SportAccord President Marius L. Vizer, who tells of his own sporting roots and passion in his foreword to the booklet. He writes: “Sport is my life.

I have built my career around the spirit of judo and in the light of its core principles. Two of these principles are respect and discipline, which in many ways reflect integrity in one’s personal life as well as integrity in sport. As an athlete you learn what integrity is; as a coach you teach what integrity is, and as a leader you must question what integrity is.”

The Integrity Session will take place from 15.00-16.30 today in the Conference Programme Workshop Room

Yesterday’s aSoIF Council Meeting

Sochi was put on centre stage as City Forum kicked off yesterday (Tuesday) with

Mayor of Sochi Anatoly Pakhomov delivering a Keynote Address on ‘The Olympic Legacy’.

Pakhomov got straight to the point as he shared his experiences of the development of the city in recent years, leading up to 2014 – the biggest sporting year in the history of Sochi.

“The Olympic and Paralympic legacy cannot be underestimated,” he told delegates.

“Our city has a totally upgraded infrastructure and resolved ecological, transport, energy and public utility issues.

“Sochi is a city of sport and we are very proud of our athletes

– Olympic Champions Alexei Voevoda, Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov.

“There is not a single street in Sochi that has not undergone a big change.”

The big changes have brought people in, with a reported five million tourists having visited Sochi in 2014.

“We are expecting 5.5 million tourists this year,” Pakhomov said.

“Sochi has become a year-round

resort and has turned into a big international centre.

“Our city is an attractive place to host events of any level and format. In 2014, we hosted more than 120 sports, corporate, cultural, recreational events of different levels and more than 1.4 million people visited those events.

“Sochi has become the most convenient city for people with disabilities. Over 1,300 facilities and venues are accessible.”

Hospitality services were also on the agenda at the Keynote Address, with Sochi boasting more than 64 thousand hotel rooms.

Not only does Sochi promise a warm welcome to visitors at the many hotels, but according to Pakhomov, it is a comfortable city

that is easy to navigate.“Sochi is an environmentally-

friendly city thanks to the ‘zero waste’ programme,” he said.

“Despite its size, Sochi is one of the most convenient cities in terms of navigation, especially for foreigners. As you will see, we don’t have traffic jams.”

Pakhomov also said that Sochi was one of the safest cities in Russia.

“Before the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, the infrastructure had been significantly upgraded to the top safety standards,” he said.

“We have implemented a ‘Safe City’ system now with cameras located in key public places across our city.”

mayoR disCussesolympiC legaCy

Major events can spark game-changing legacy in host cities, delegates attending City Forum

at SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit were told yesterday.

To highlight the positive benefits of post-event legacy, Malaysia, Barcelona, Edmonton and Helsinki were all held up as examples.

Tony Nagamaiah, General Manager, Malaysia Major Events, said: “Legacy for Malaysia started in 1998 when we hosted the Commonwealth Games.

“We took Barcelona, an Olympic city, as a case study when we planned the entire Commonwealth Games.

“It was built around making Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, into a world-class city and a hub of tourism. Everything was built around that, and today, since 1998, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation, Malaysia is the 10th most visited country in the world. It’s our legacy since then.”

Daniel Cordey, Chairman, Association of Global Event Suppliers, cited infrastructure as the key to legacy. “Legacy in my opinion is to do with infrastructure and transforming the needs of the people into smart infrastructure,” Cordey said.

“Since I’m representing the temporary infrastructure industry, of course this is a sensitive area, because since Barcelona started it all back in 1992, through to now, there’s been huge development with respect to temporary infrastructure in general from conception to implementation.”

Risto Nieminen, President, Finnish Olympic Committee, added: “The meaning of legacy is actually changing over time and I think that is due to society. In our case it’s absolutely clear that the legacy of the Games of 1952 is still leaving a mark.

“It’s something that everybody appreciates in our country. All the sports facilities that were used in Helsinki in 1952 are still used for sports. They might be old-fashioned, but they are good for sport at national and local level.”

Simon Farbrother, City Manager, City of Edmonton, commented: “Through sporting and cultural events, the community is able to create a sense of purpose and a sense of identity.”

4 The Daily Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 The Daily 5

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The Driving Force

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Being comfortable in the water is a life-saving skill that everyone should have, according to Peter Hall, Head of the Marketing & TV Department at FINA, the global governing body of aquatic sports.

Hall outlined the “global appeal” of aquatic disciplines in the ‘Events to fit any city – an IF perspective’ session during City Forum yesterday.

“It doesn’t demand any equipment and there are no barriers to participation,” he said. “Swimming is fundamentally a life-saving skill that everybody on this planet should have.”

With staggering figures from The World Health Organisation estimating that 370,000 people drown every year, swimming is a vital skill worth promoting.

“We are not just about elite level aquatics,” Hall said. “Most people get into swimming, take their kids, go to the pool, beach – they are having fun.”

FINA has a vision to keep moving forward in the sports market, which is evolving rapidly.

“Like any other Federation we have to work at any levels, including grassroots level, because they are the stars of the future,” Hall said.

“FINA’s event programme is also a key part of our vision. Our events share some common principles. Of course, the athletes and the sports themselves are No.1 priority, but also the venues and the legacy of the events are critical factors, and so is the partnership with our organising hosts since our respective goals can only be reached through the success of the events.”

Russia is a key market for FINA, particularly with its 2015 World Championship taking place in Kazan this summer.

“For the first time in Russia, our championship will be in Kazan,” Hall said. “For the first time, we are bringing our masters to the party. The masters are the people who wake up in the morning and smell chlorine instead of caffeine. Why? Because it’s their life.”

aquatiC spoRts aRe key foR all

Peter Hall

‘The legacy cannot be underestimated. Our city has a totally upgraded infrastructure’

anatoly Pakhomov

The future of sportsExtraordinary changes in how

people will use technology in the future were predicted during

a Panel Session on ‘Future Sports for Future Cities’ at City Forum during SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit yesterday.

Professor Andy Miah, Chair in Science Communication & Future Media, University of Salford, said: “A lot more young people use digital gadgets as a way of being physically active.

“They are not just for playing computer games any more.

“In the next 10 to 15 years we will see remarkable changes. Even now, we have more devices than people in the world, but technologies are good in a creative way.

“For example, the creative skills you may learn as a filmmaker by filming yourselves or friends skateboarding is bridging the gap between the spectators and participants.”

Dr. Munehiko Harada, President, Japan Sports Tourism Alliance, made a

comparison between the technological innovations of the 20th century and the 21st century.

“In the 1950s and 1960s we built fancy infrastructure like an international airport, highway and we are still using that facility.

“Fifty years from now we may use the same facility. Sport is performed

by human beings, and of course technology helps to enhance some issues, but performance is not about robots, it is about human beings.

Anita Palm, Head of Sport, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, acknowledged that “technology is advancing rapidly”.

Palm added: “Sport has a real challenge. I think it is important to focus on the participation of humans and communities.

“Humans are losing contact with nature and reality and I think it is the responsibility of communities and cities to react to this.”

However, Robert Abernethy, Deputy Managing Director, Singapore Sports Hub, said that technology is now “part of the event”.

Abernethy commented: “Major events generate large amounts of feedback through the internet from every person who was involved. I think it is good to feel the emotion and the energy and just be a part of this, and technology helps to do it.”

Anita Palm makes a point during the session

Birmingham in Alabama will offer a “perfect setting” for The World Games and a

chance for the International World Games Association’s (IWGA) flagship event to make an impact in the American market, according to IWGA President José Perurena.

Perurena was joined by William A. Bell, the Mayor of Birmingham, at an official signing ceremony for the 2021 edition of The World Games at the Sochi Expocentre yesterday after the IWGA’s Annual General Meeting.

Birmingham will become the 11th host of The World Games after the 2017 edition is staged in Wroclaw (Poland). It will be the first time that the event has taken place in the USA since the inaugural 1981 edition in Santa Clara, California.

“We are very happy to celebrate

our anniversary back in the USA,” Perurena told The Daily.

“It’s a great opportunity because Birmingham is a true city of sport and it is very important for us to show the Games in the American market.

“The Games will be integrated into the local population and culture, with the athletes staying in excellent university accommodation facilities.

“Birmingham offers a perfect setting for an event like The World

Games, but this is not only down to the venues and infrastructure.

“For us it has been important for sponsors and private companies to collaborate with The World Games. The organisers in Birmingham will not depend on public money and this might be a future philosophy for hosting events like ours.

“We are sure that there will be optimal conditions for our sportsmen and women in Birmingham. We have to deliver nothing less than an outstanding event and we are convinced that Birmingham will exceed these expectations.”

Bell told The Daily that athletes competing at The World Games can expect a warm welcome as well as outstanding facilities.

“Birmingham is a city that has great hospitality and the people

are so friendly,” Bell said. “We are reaching out to the rest of the world to come and see our city.

“We have the right venues to accommodate people and more importantly we want to make sure that the athletes don’t have to worry about anything except the competition.

“So we are excited to have this opportunity and our work has already begun for 2021.”

“There are always challenges, but we feel that there will not be any challenges that cannot be overcome.

“We are working on a number of surprises. We cannot say what exactly it will be right now, but I guarantee it will be something to celebrate the anniversary and something to leave a memorable impression on everyone who

comes to our city so that hopefully they will walk away wanting to return again.

“This is in important day for us. The citizens of Birmingham are excited about this opportunity to showcase ourselves to the rest of the world as a great sports city. We will do our very best to make sure this is the best World Games you have seen in some time.”

Birmingham was selected ahead of Lima (Peru) and Ufa (Russia) by the IWGA Executive Board in January 2015. The 37 IWGA Member Federations ratified the decision at the AGM yesterday.

In other news from the AGM, although there were no elections, Chantal Boehi was welcomed in as the new General Manager of the IWGA, replacing Patsy Dew, who had served in the role since 2005.

The relationship between elite athletes and enthusiastic amateurs has usually ended

at the white line at the side of the pitch, the boundary or the tape at the side of a road race.

However, is a more inclusive approach, one that breaks those barriers or brings the athletes out of the arena and into the city centre the future of event hosting?

It is an approach that appeals to Sport Event Denmark Chief Executive Lars Lundov, whose organisation has been successful in hosting elite events that also encourage mass participation, not least the 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon in Copenhagen when Kenya’s Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor finished in gold-medal position in front his main rivals and 30,000 amateur runners.

“At the moment we are looking into various new concepts where elite athletes and recreational participants will join at the same event and we think that both the host cities and the national federations will benefit from the

attention and focus created from this concept,” Lundov said.

“The 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon is a great example.

“The IAAF, the Danish organisers and the host city Copenhagen came up with an innovative set-up that included 30,000 runners in a mass-participation race during the same day, using the same route. This turned the event into a festive celebration of running.

“We are now exploring new ideas together with the UCI and their World Cycling Tour. This event engages many cyclists from

around the world in world-class set-ups and a qualification system that ensures a world attention to cycling.

“We look forward to welcoming the finalists to Denmark in September.”

He added: “I could also mention FIBA that has a wide range of activities engaging and involving new and young target groups by bringing the basketball into a city-centre environment in a very lively and entertaining way.”

However, Sport Event Denmark, the government-backed national

sports event organisation whose role is to attract major international sports events and congresses, is well aware that it cannot apply a one-size-fits-all solution to the future of event hosting.

Lundov feels that creativity is the key, and he has been impressed by Federations that have sought to combine competitions to increase the impact of the overall event.

“We don’t have a fixed formula in terms of bidding for and staging events,” Lundov said.

“We always start by listening to and learning from the International

Federations and the event owners and we then look into the potentials of each of the events, trying to identify the DNA of each event.

“Major international sporting events are competing with a wide range of alternative offers within the wider leisure economy, and we must stand up to this challenge if we are to succeed.

“I have to say that FINA has come up with a promising set-up for the World Championships in Kazan later this year by combining the event with the Masters’ Championships.

“Together with the FEI, another innovative approached was demonstrated when for the first time ever they combined their 2013 European Dressage and Jumping Championships in Denmark with the European Para-Dressage Championship, and staged the events in an epic set-up in a big football stadium with capacity crowds basically every day.” Sport Event Denmark is a Gold Partner of SportAccord Convention

6 The Daily Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 The Daily 7

Everyone’s a winner when hosting events in Denmark. Volunteers, spectators, businesses and politicians all come together to empower your world class event. Everyone plays on your team to take it to a higher level.

When you place your event in Denmark, you’re bringing it to a vibrant atmosphere served by a wealth of trust- worthy and experienced partners. Together we’ll make your event a winner.

HOSTING WINNERSEveryone’s a winner when hosting events in Denmark. Volunteers, spectators, businesses and politicians all come together to empower your world class event. Everyone plays on your team to take it to a higher level.

When you place your event in Denmark, you’re bringing it to a vibrant atmosphere served by a wealth of trust- worthy and experienced partners. Together we’ll make your event a winner.

HOSTING WINNERS

The elite lead a field of thousands at the World Half Marathon in Copenhagen

denmaRk bReaks down baRRieRs

‘At the moment we are looking at new concepts where elite athletes and recreational participants will join in at the same event’

IWGA in 2021 deal

Delegates who attended City Forum at SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit yesterday were given an outline of Kazan’s sporting ambitions.

In the final session of the day entitled ‘Kazan: A City of Great Opportunities’, Azat R. Kadyrov, Director General, Executive Directorate for Sports Projects, offered a brief snapshot of what the Russian city has to offer.

The city has been at the heart of Russia’s ‘Decade of Sport’. Having staged the 2013 Universiade, Kazan will also host the FINA’s World Championships later this year and will then serve as a key destination during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Looking ahead to the FINA

World Championships from August 5-16, Kadyrov said that the city was expecting to welcome representatives from 110 countries.

“Kazan is a multicultural city where people enjoy their life and harmony,” he said. “It is a city of long traditions stretching back 1,000 years and it is situated on the Volga River about 800 kilometres from Moscow.”

Kadyrov added that the demographic of the city is young – presenting an ideal opportunity for many sports.

“The main population of the city is young - under the age of 30 - and it’s a large university city with more than 1,500 students,” he added.

Antonio Abete, CEO, Filmmaster Events, explained the challenges and opportunities of hosting a stunning ceremony in a Case Study on ‘The Legacy Conundrum’ at City Forum yesterday during SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit.

Filmmaster Events, an international events company that is producing the Opening Ceremony at next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and was also in charge of the concept for the 2014 Sochi Games ceremonies, describes such events as offering a “window” through which the host destination can be introduced to the world.

Abete, who was featured in a ‘Big Interview’ in yesterday’s edition of The Daily, said: “Every ceremony is a challenge and represents one of the most important methods of communication with the public. From this point of view it is important to pay attention to strong local identities, universal messages and also take into account the passion of the show. From a production point of view, it is important to find global suppliers and ensure technological innovation and flawless execution.

“It is also worth considering that ceremonies can generate media opportunities, particularly through television exposure.”

kazan says it is open to the woRld

Abete considers ceremony chAllenGe

‘It’s a great opportunity...it is important for us to show the Games in the US market’

IWGA President José Perurena and William A. Bell, the Mayor of Birmingham

8 The Daily Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 The Daily 9

adapting business models to Russian spoRtBy Oleg Malyshev, Partner, PwC RussiaHome Office: Moscow, RussiaBackground: Oleg holds a PhD in Economics and is the author of numerous academic articles and monographs. He has extensive experience in business valuation and strategy, as well as financial modelling. Having first joined PwC Russia in 2004, Oleg is now a Partner in the Corporate Finance Group at the firm’s Moscow office and leads our Russian sports advisory practice.

Football clubs and other sports teams from Russia regularly compete in top

European club tournaments and have ambitions to win new titles. At the same time, Russian clubs earn significantly less than other European clubs from gate receipts, from the sale of TV rights and from sources of revenue – other than sponsorship fees.

A UEFA Club Benchmarking Report for 2013-2014 shows that Russian football clubs earn a massive 88 per cent of their total

revenues from sponsorship contracts. This is in stark contrast to football clubs in Germany, Italy, France, England and Spain, where sponsorship accounted for an average of just 35 per cent of football club revenues. Sport has

traditionally been seen more as an area of social responsibility than a profitable business proposition in Russia. That is now changing.

Challenging economic times and the growing applicability of Financial Fair Play regulations are forcing sports industry players to seek more sustainable business models in the country.

A lot of the work that we do here in Russia is focused on helping leagues, clubs and sponsors to become more commercially successful

through the application of international best practices adapted for the very specific Russian market reality.

It is an exciting time of great change and growing professionalisation in the Russian sports industry.

For more information on PwC’s Global Sports Mega-Events Centre of Excellence, including access to PwC’s Thought Leadership publications related to sports mega-events, please visit www.pwc.com/sports-mega-events

insights

Commonwealth games is building on glasgow ‘magiC’The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) arrived at SportAccord Convention this week fresh from unveiling a new seven-year strategic plan which aims to reinforce the body’s role as a global movement.

‘Transformation 2022’ will focus on uniting athletes, citizens and communities through partnerships and engagement, generating value and adding new initiatives to the current four-year cycle of the Commonwealth Games.

The success of Glasgow 2014 adds to the inspiration to do more, and a hectic timetable of forthcoming events provides the opportunities.

David Grevemberg, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, told The Daily: “Those of us who were fortunate enough to be part of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games last summer experienced that special magic that is created when a great sporting spectacle is combined with passion, professionalism and warmth in a city that wraps its arms around every athlete and every visitor.

“Since straight after the Closing Ceremony, we’ve been building on that positive momentum as a Commonwealth Sporting Movement – developing ambitions plans for the future.”

Next on the agenda is the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa in September 2015, with the next Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in 2018.

Support from the strategic plan will come in four key areas – innovative and inspirational Games, good governance and management, strong partnerships and a valued brand. Particular initiatives include development programmes, stronger alignments with Commonwealth stakeholders, new commercial partnerships and a new, updated sports programme of compulsory and optional sports.

Grevemberg said: “It’s a very busy and productive time, delivering major existing projects as well as laying the foundations for our ambitious growth plans.

“We recently welcomed over 200 Commonwealth, civic and sporting partners to a ceremony to celebrate the formal submission of the Durban 2022 Commonwealth Games bid, and before the final vote takes place in September we’re working closely with their team to support and evaluate their plans to host the first ever Commonwealth Games on African soil.

“Supporting and overseeing the preparations for the Samoa 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games are also key priorities for the team. Glasgow 2014 was a truly joyous festival of sport and culture in a great, passionate Commonwealth City.

“It’s set the bar very high, but the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, less than three years

away, is already shaping up to be a dynamic, fun-filled occasion.

“They have a strong team in place, good governance, fantastic facilities, famously passionate fans and a hugely attractive and surprising city canvas that will showcase their Commonwealth City to the world, and to many for the very first time. ”

A key triumph for Glasgow was a legacy programme which started in spectacular fashion by raising more than £5 million during the Opening Ceremony to support sporting, social and health projects across the Commonwealth.

Grevemberg said: “Glasgow and Scotland had remarkable legacy plans and were determined to connect communities with the Games, and the benefits of hosting the Games, before, during and after the main event.

“Legacy isn’t just about the distant future, it’s not something that happens to people, and it’s not just the responsibility of politicians and public funders.

“I’d like to see more and more major sporting events championing a more inclusive and ambitious approach to legacy and sustainable development, recognising and maximising their impacts on communities, individuals and especially young people.

“Our mission is to be an athlete-centred, sport-focused Commonwealth Sports Movement, with integrity, global impact and community relevance.

“I’d like the Commonwealth Games Federation to be one of the global leaders in the conversation about how a major sporting event can have a genuine and tangible impact on society.”

muTkO: SpOrT vITAl TO ruSSIA’S FuTureVitaly Mutko, Sports Minister of the

Russian Federation, highlighted sport as a social “priority” in

Russia as he visited the Convention yesterday.

Mutko, who will speak on the Panel Discussion, ‘Professional sports’ development in Russia’ this morning (08.30-10.00), said that sport, and the hosting of major sporting events, would remain a key strategy in the coming years.

“At the Opening of the SportAccord Generally Assembly both President Vladimir Putin and I tried to bring everybody round to the idea that currently sport is a priority,” he said.

“By 2020 we want 40 per cent of our population to be involved in regular sport and physical exercise, with the number rising to 80 per cent of young people.

“Through hosting events we are doing our best to popularise and develop sport in order to attract more people to it.”

Mutko went on to say that the legacy of

the Sochi Olympic Park has been positive, with Sochi’s ice hockey team attracting average attendances of 15,000 to the main Ice Arean.

“As for the Iceberg Skating Palace, there is a performance there every evening, and there is a Tennis Academy at the Tennis Center, where we had the Confederation

Cup. We are also planning to build 12 open courts.”

This is all on top of the Sochi Autodrom, which is gearing up for the big Formula One Grand Prix in October, as well as the Malya Arena and the city’s main stadium, which is being redeveloped ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“The programme of preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia has been broken down into 11 sub-programmes and about 50 per cent of resources within the project is for transport infrastructure,” Mutko said.

“There are restructuring programmes for airports in 11 cities and in the city of Rostov on Don we will have a completely new airport.

“We have not cut down the resources, and in all, this entire programme is about 660 billion rubles, which has been invested from federal, regional budget and private business.”

Mutko also said that he recognised anti-doping efforts as a crucial within sport and society as a whole. For that reason, he said, resources are being committed to educating children and sportspeople at grassroots levels as well as professional athletes.

“There has been a huge educational effort in schools for children and young

athletes together with the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA),” Mutko added.

“In five years Russia has made a really colossal effort in this field together with WADA and with National Federations.

“It took decades for some countries to do the same. Any doping control organisation can visit the country at any time to test any athlete.

“We also introduced a special law in Russia to stipulate clearly the authority of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), which carries out about 20,000 tests per year.”

minister highlights importance of physical pursuits during Convention visit

david grevemberg

The first four category winners have been unveiled in the inaugural SportBusiness Ultimate Sports Federation and Association Awards.

Following a period of detailed analysis and consultation with external expert judges, the FIH (Hockey), International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIS (Skiing) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) were unveiled as the first four winners in the categories of Branding, Governance and Transparency, Legacy/Environment and Inclusivity, respectively.

The judging panel comprised of 13 industry experts and included head judge Rachael Church (SportBusiness Intelligence) as well as Peter Cox

(Sport New Zealand), Lars Vallentin Christensen (Wonderful Copenhagen), Paul Dunphy (SportBusiness Intelligence), Abimbola Ilo (Integral, Nigeria), Paul Freudensprung (bcn events), Iain Edmondson (London & Partners), Ann Duffy (Ann Duffy Group) and Emy Ritt (Paris 2018 Gay Games).

There are more winners to be announced this week at SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit by SportBusiness, a Media Partner of the event.

The overall winner will be announced at a Breakfast Briefing hosted by SportBusiness Intelligence on Thursday at 9.00 (Media Partner Zone, Stand 38).

fiRst spoRtbusiness usf winneRs deCidedFIS was one of the inaugural winners

‘Through hosting events we are doing our best to popularise and develop sport in order to attract more to it’

russian athletes celebrate success last year

Minister Mutko at the Convention

10 The Daily Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 The Daily 11

FIBA is bouncing with optimism

OJSC Center ‘Omega’ is confident it will establish new business relations after playing a central role in organising the 2015 SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit here at the Sochi Expocentre.

The company has become an official

Host City Partner of the Convention as part of preparations for the ‘Russia – Country of Sports’ Forum.

For an interview with Sergey Vorobyev, Deputy CEO of Center Omega, Promoter of the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix, check out p12 of today’s edition of The Daily.

Ed Hula, the Editor of Around the Rings, will present the latest ATR Olympic Bid Power Index for the 2022 Winter Games during a Newsmaker Breakfast this morning (09.00-09.30).

The Index is based on research compiled on multiple visits by ATR staff. With the aid of ATR European correspondent Brian Pinelli, Hula will breakdown the rankings of Almaty and Beijing.

The second half of the Breakfast features International Olympic Committee Sports Director Kit McConnell on the changes for sport as a result of Olympic Agenda 2020 and what lies ahead for Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018.

“We’re looking forward to hearing Kit McConnell’s insights about the future of Olympic sport,” Around the

Rings Publisher Sheila Hula said. “We’re pleased to be back with our second event in conjunction with SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit. Please join us and bring your questions for our panel members.”

The Newsmaker Breakfast will take place at Stand 38 in the Media Partners Zone. Around the Rings is a Media Partner of SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit.

aRound the Rings bReakfast event

iihf finanCes baCk on tRaCk, says faselThe International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) financial situation is “back on track” as the governing body focuses on a bright future, according President René Fasel.

Fasel outlined the IIHF’s “financial challenges” in his introduction to the Annual Report 2014. However, with a number of exciting projects on the horizon, the IIHF President told The Daily that the governing body is now looking ahead with confidence.

“The issues have been identified and addressed,” he said.

“The main reason was that our income source – the Olympics – was paid out in US dollars and our cost factors were calculated in Swiss Francs.

“With the fluctuations of the dollar we’ve seen versus the high performance of the Franc this was a cause of concern for our financial situation. However, with excellent cooperation between our Member National Associations and the IIHF Treasurer and Auditors, we have managed to bring the IIHF back on track in this important area.”

In December, the IIHF unveiled a landmark three-year partnership with

integrity specialists Sportradar. Under the partnership, Sportradar will monitor three flagship tournaments from 2015 to 2017 and will deliver a total of 12 educational workshops targeted at participating players, officials, administrators and coaches.

“Sportradar’s Fraud Detection System will monitor the world’s betting markets on the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, IIHF World Junior Championship and IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship for the next three seasons, ensuring that any suspicious odds movements or patterns are flagged, analysed and forwarded to the IIHF,” Fasel added.

“Furthermore, each of those tournaments will find Sportradar experts travelling to the host cities and providing all relevant participants with valuable insight and understanding of the global markets on ice hockey and the dangers posed by fixers.”

The IIHF is also optimistic about the return of the World Cup of Hockey next year. In late January, after months of speculation, North America’s National Hockey League and the NHL Players’

Association announced that, with the co-operation of the IIHF, the competition would return to Toronto in 2016, 12 years after the Canadian city staged the last edition of the tournament.

“We welcome the return of the World Cup,” Fasel said.

“It is a fantastic event that should help to raise the profile of our sport and promote the game worldwide.

“We also commend the NHL, the NHLPA, and the National Associations for their hard work and close collaboration in bringing back such a premier international tournament to the hockey calendar.”

The governing body’s focus stretches

way beyond activities over the coming year, however.

According to Fasel, the continued expansion of the sport, particularly amongst youth participants, remains a priority.

In order to spark the interest of youngsters, the IIHF President acknowledges that digital media will play a crucial role.

“We hope to increase the popularity of the World Junior Championship, which is already a huge event in Canada but not as big in Europe,” he said.

“We also want to integrate more digital media offerings into our World Championship coverage.”

FIBA, the global governing body of Basketball, is looking forward to a new era

following significant developments in the sport’s governance model last year.

In adopting new General Statutes at an Extraordinary World Congress in Istanbul, Turkey just over a year ago, FIBA moved forward with key amendments that have already strengthened the governing body, according to Secretary General Patrick Baumann.

The amendments include the direct election by Congress of Central Board Members, a new Executive Committee to increase flexibility and decision-making efficiency and the transformation of Zone Offices into extended arms of FIBA.

“It has been the most significant development of the last year for FIBA,” Baumann told The Daily. “The changes in the governance

structure were made to strengthen the organisation in view of future challenges and strategic growth opportunities.”

It is expected that the new approach to governance will help to realise FIBA’s vision of making basketball an even more popular sports community – and the changes do not stop there.

FIBA is set to go from strength-to-strength with new objectives and plans through to the end of

the decade. “We have two main objectives for the 2014-19 term and, in one way or another, they are about helping make our 215 National Member Federations stronger,” Baumann said.

“We are very aware of the fact that we need to have more structured Federations that are adapted to the present reality of basketball.

“We want to help them manage both the athletic and administrative aspects of the game so that they can be ready for this new era of basketball.”

FIBA’s first objective is to consolidate its new competition system, which will come into force in 2017.

“By November of that year, we want to have as many (senior) men’s national teams as possible ready to compete to qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The new FIBA calendar and competition

system from 2017 onwards opens a new era for basketball all over the world. More than 140 teams will play home-and-away games to be among the 32 teams qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup.”

FIBA’s second objective is to consolidate and expand its 3x3 discipline, which features three

players per team and has been increasingly popular in developing markets.

“3x3 gives opportunities to smaller National Federations that maybe cannot play or qualify in a regular basketball tournament – for example Andorra, Guatemala,

Syria and other national federations that are now starting to have a presence in our game,” he added.

The Basketball community has much more to look forward to with the 2018 Women’s World Cup in Spain and the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which is set to take place in Asia.

“The success of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup played a part in the decision to attribute the hosting of the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup to Spain,” Baumann said.

“Clearly this is a fanatical basketball country. The investment of the host cities in the tournament was unbelievable. The heat is on for China and the Philippines, too.

“We have two excellent bids coming from two countries that are basketball-mad and which represent huge markets for our sport. This confirms basketball is truly global.”

Patrick Baumann

‘The changes in the governance structure were made to strengthen the organisation’

Ice hockey has made progress

ojsC CenteR ‘omega’

PwC, a Gold Partner Partner of SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit, will unveil the preliminary results of its research study into the legacy of major sporting events during the Main Conference Programme Plenary Panel Session ‘What’s in a word? The truth about legacy’ (10.45-12.00).

SOchI SpeedInG AheAd

12 The Daily Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 The Daily 13

Russia’s high hopes for the 2015 Sochi Formula One Grand Prix have been

fuelled by the success of last year’s event.

Sergey Vorobyev, Deputy CEO, Center Omega, Promoter of the Russian Formula One Grand Prix, told The Daily that, like the track at the state-of-the-art Sochi Autodrom, Russia’s attempts to secure a Grand Prix have taken many twists and turns over the years before a race finally arrived

in October 2014.“The Russian Grand

Prix has been a long-awaited project

for our country and for me personally,” he said.

“Formula One CEO

Bernie Ecclestone first attempted to bring a race to Russia as early as 1981. At that time, a race around the Kremlin in Moscow was considered, but those plans never came to fruition.

“Organising a new F1 world championship event is always a challenge, but at the same time, it opens up new vistas.”

The promoters now hope that the event will encourage people to come to Sochi not only for motorsports, but also as a leisure destination.

“Sochi Autodrom itself is a great world-class sporting facility and a most high-tech complex. It’s the only Russian circuit to operate all year round,” Vorovbyev said.

“The preparation for a new F1 event is not only about building the circuit and organising the event itself. It’s a great opportunity to

promote motorsport at a national level and to raise awareness of the city so that people can come here and enjoy the range of hotels and restaurants we have to offer.”

The race was awarded the prestigious FOM Race Promoters’ Trophy, given to the best Grand Prix of the 2014 Season.

One of the unique features of Sochi Autodrom is its integration into the infrastructure of the Olympic Park and the surrounding Black Sea against the backdrop of the snow-capped Caucasus mountains.

“This great concept was created by the famous designer Hermann Tilke, providing opportunities and synergies for the venue to be a success,” Vorobyev said.

“However, the implementation of such a concept was not easy as all of the preparations were carried out simultaneously with the preparations for the Winter Olympic Games. So it was a big challenge.” Vorobyev is using this year’s SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit as a platform to introduce the concept of Russian GP and the Autodrom to

the global sporting community.“The distinctive feature of the Russian

GP is that we are open to the public at large. I would like to discuss how to host not just a race weekend, but a motorsport show that entertains people and encourages them to get involved,” he said. “Every guest will have an opportunity to see a great display and enjoy the hospitable city and Sochi Autodrom.

“I’d like to focus on how to make the venue attractive for motorsport competitions, as well as how to create a multi-functional venue for sporting, entertainment, educational and corporate events.”

As for the immediate future, all eyes are on this year’s Grand Prix, with the Sochi race due to be held in October.

“It’s crucial to deliver the 2015 Grand Prix to a high standard,” he added. “To host an F1 event successfully, it is very important to create additional entertainment, apart from the race itself,

so that spectators can see additional reasons to visit the city and the circuit.

“By adding value, we will attract different people.

“The interest in the 2014 race was enormous and there was a feverish demand for tickets.

“This year’s event will be very special. We have learned lessons from last year and we have prepared a new ticketing programme with interesting options.

“Our goal is to attract not only motorsport fans, but also people looking for entertainment, and those who come to check what is going on. When people tell their friends to come and see a race it is a great success for any promoter.” Sergey Vorobyev will speak on the Main Conference Programme Panel Discussion entitled ‘High Road or Low Road? What it takes for motor sport to thrive in a fast-changing landscape’ today (Wednesday) from 14:15-15.15

‘Sochi Autodrom is a great world-class sporting facility and a most high-tech complex. It’s the only Russian circuit to operate all year round’

Sochi Autodrom, home of the Russian Grand Prix

It would appear that the future of ski mountaineering is heading in just one direction as participation continues to ascend.

The sport has been boosted by promising sales of equipment in recent years, which hints at a growing number of people taking part, and the ISMF, its governing body, has also successfully reached out towards new nations and markets.

“With ski mountaineering (skimo) it is the figures that make things clear,” ISMF General Secretary Roberto Cavallo told The Daily.

“The skimo equipment industry has seen an increase in sales over the last 10 years and we have good reason to think that it will continue in the same direction since the number of competitors and amateurs is growing more and more all over the world.

“The ISMF is always looking far from Europe with an eye towards Asia and North America.

“These are two very important continents for skimo.

“At the moment the ISMF counts 33 National Federations and is concentrated on looking for new National Federations especially in these two continents.

“The 2014-15 sporting season has seen the creation of ISMF Continental Series that can be considered the basis for organising World Cup events in Asia and North America.”

ISMF has some areas in which it wants to improve in order to continue its upward trajectory, and it plans to focus on attracting more female and youth participants.

The governing body also believes it has administrative improvements to make if it is to achieve its goal of becoming part of the Olympic programme in the next

few years. “The major project on which we are focusing is for full recognition as an Olympic Federation by the International Olympic Committee as the first step, in August 2016, to finally see ski mountaineering in the Olympic Games in 2022,” Cavallo added.

“To do that, the ISMF is working hard to develop some areas, commissions and procedures that are required by the IOC and that are determinant aspects for an Olympic Federation.

“Two of the most important spheres are participation among women and youth, which the ISMF wants to sustain and develop with all its efforts.”

For an organisation that is keen to grow and improve, ISMF is sure of the benefits that it can gain from SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit.

“For a Federation like ours, with a sport that has a great story behind it but with little work experience with organisations that govern the sport worldwide, the Convention is a great opportunity,” he added.

“We hope to share knowledge and observe what the current trends are regarding sport and what services companies attending the event can provide us with.”

ski mountaineeRing heading upwaRds

Join us for a dram at the Scotland stand from 4pm onwards today! You will have the chance to taste some of the best single cask malt whisky from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Edinburgh.

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the ISMF is extending its reach to new locations

roberto Cavallo

Sergey Vorobyev

Riou signs deal with fibtIvo Ferriani, President of the FIBT, the global governing body for Bobsleigh and Skeleton, and Lev Belousov, Rector of the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU), signed a Memorandum of Cooperation yesterday (Tuesday) at RIOU’s campus in Sochi.

The Memorandum formalised an agreement to work together in the fields of research and education and exchange knowledge that forms the basis for training professionals in the skills required to deliver high-profile international competitions and to promote both elite-level and mass-participation sport.

Under the agreement, RIOU will train FIBT employees and Member National Associations on its various programmes, including the University’s flagship Master of Sport Administration (MSA) course.

In addition, the Memorandum between the two organisations will facilitate expert dialogue on major issues in the sports industry and will create conditions for

organising student internships at FIBT competition and training venues.

“This is not my first visit to the RIOU campus, and in my opinion Russia can be proud that the unique legacy of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games – which the Russian International Olympic University represents – is developing so fast and so well,” Ferriani said.

“I am delighted that our cooperation has now been embodied in a specific document with real practical steps. We have made a decision to send one of our employees, a representative of the US National Federation, to take the MSA course at RIOU.”

Belousov added: “I am grateful to Ivo Ferriani for a very constructive approach to providing our interaction with an effective framework.

“I feel confident that now we have formalised our cooperation, we will immediately start implementing all our ideas and plans.”

Ivo Ferriani and Lev Belousov sign

to wide global audiences, and increasing television coverage. Our Federation will aim to do this through staging exciting competitions, making our sport easy to understand and ensuring that our sport is in a television-ready format. We are an

ambitious and growing sport, with energy and commercial drive, and together with an enthusiastic and growing community we intend to build on the many in-roads we have already made through to 2020 and beyond.”

Philip Savage, Managing Director, SportBusiness Communications:“The calendar is as big as it can get, so I can’t see it getting any bigger, especially as we now have events like the European Games.”

David Galbaugh, Director of Sports Sales and Marketing, Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau:“I would say that events will continue to grow, particularly smaller events that people maybe don’t know about right now. I think they will really grow a long way.”

14 The Daily Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 Wednesday, 22 April, 2015 The Daily 15

James Jackson, Event Development Manager, Edmonton Events:“We are already seeing a shift to a more transparent model in many organisations, and we feel that this will continue into 2020 where it will become mandatory for the success execution of major international sport events. Sport will no longer be bound by traditional borders and that is something we should all be excited about.”

Roberto Cavallo, General Secretary, ISMF (Ski Mountaineering):“Talking about Ski Mountaineering, the figures are clear. The skimo equipment industry has seen an increase in sales over the last 10 years and we have good reason to think that it will continue in the same direction.”

Kate Caithness, President, WCF (Curling):“I think the sports industry will continue to grow and increase in importance. More organisations are recognising the values that sport can deliver for society at large.”

Thomas van Schaik, Global Brand Director, adidas:“On-demand, pay-per viewing, globalisation and individualisation will continue to increase. Paying for premium content, on individual or more socially driven channels, will have become mainstream.”

Robert Morini, Head of International Development, UK Sport:“The sport industry will continue to evolve. There are a lot of things happening at the moment. More cities are being encouraged to bid for big sporting events, which will generate a lot of interest across the industry.”

Karine Teow, International Relations Officer, Peace and Sport:“It will start focusing more on ethics and values and the business side will keep growing as it is now. The values will have to grow with big events in terms of taking care of legacy and the local environment.”

Mark Egan, Head of Competitions and Performance, World Rugby:“The big change will be in how people consume sport and the channels through which they receive sport. The traditional sitting down in front of the television, watching sport at a scheduled time – those days have passed now. So how do you connect with the Millennials? How do you get them interested in your sport and keep them engaged in your sport? Thos are probably the key things that all International Federations are facing at the moment.”

Doug Arnot, Executive, US Olympic Committee:“What I hope for and what will probably happen is that we will refocus on sport, on athletes and what athletes and sport can do for the community. It will probably be a bit more nation-building and a bit more business of sport rather than the purpose of sport.”

Ingmar De Vos, President, FEI (Equestrian):“Pivotal to the FEI is to continue appealing

The name of adidas has been synonymous with football since the company first

linked up with FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, more than 40 years ago.

Since 1970, adidas has been supplying the official match ball for all FIFA World Cup matches, and the afterglow from the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil continues to linger on the famous sportwear and apparel provider.

However, according to adidas Global Brand Director Thomas van Schaik, the next big step is to increase the brand’s presence in the USA.

“Increasing our commercial impact in the US will be an important target for our brand in the next few years,” Van Schaik told The Daily.

“Constant newness, strong designs and great footwear stories will help us to be better.

“In March we launched the Ultra Boost running shoe and only a week ago we released a limited edition football shoe weighing only 99 grams.

“Although it’s almost a year ago now, I personally have very fond memories of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Brazil was amazing.

“The football was great, we had two teams in the final, our players excelled and our social media campaign did exactly what it was supposed to do; Adidas was the most discussed brand and

#allin was the most used branded hashtag.

“We had the fastest growing community and our brand sentiment and engagement rates were higher than ever before.”

Like the athletes who wear the brand, adidas never stands still with its style. Investing in research and development, the brand is continuously designed and updated with athletes at the heart of the concept.

“At adidas we invest very significant amounts of money on innovation, research and development, to make sure we’re helping athletes be better,” Van Schaik said.

“Our products also have to look amazing. Every time we get that mix just right – that’s when the magic happens. That’s when we celebrate big commercial successes.

“Sport is competitive and our industry is no different. It forces us to be our best every day.”

Even though adidas is set to take aim at the US market with its global brand, it never forget its roots and origins; Adi Dassler, who made sports shoes in his mother’s kitchen in the 1920s with a vision to work with athletes to improve sports.

Ninety-five years on, that vision remains at the forefront of the company’s mission.

“Athletes care about their performance. They want to be stronger, jump higher and run faster, and adidas exists to make athletes better,” Van Schaik said.

“Our innovation and design teams today work with many of

the world’s best athletes to develop, design and test

our products.“Every athlete wants to be his or her very best, no matter on which level

they perform. It’s not far-fetched to appreciate that if our products are good enough for Lionel Messi, they might also allow you to be the best you can possibly be,” he said.

As athletes adopt even more innovative ways to improve their performances and sports become more competitive, the notion of the athlete being a role model becomes increasingly prominent.

However, what is the perspective of this from a leading sports brand?

“Athletes have always been stars,” Van Schaik said.

“This prominence does give athletes a unique opportunity to contribute to their community or a cause they hold dear. Some take this opportunity very seriously and are capable of putting their influence to incredible and very admirable use, and some don’t.

“Both are understandable, after all; they’re only super athletes, not super human.

“Authenticity is what matters most. Political correctness is not always entertaining. Other than their incredible athletic skills Mohammed Ali, Dennis Rodman and Marshawn

Lynch have made a bigger name for themselves by

not fitting in and clearly voicing

their own opinion.

Charles

Barkley famously said: ‘I’m not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids’. He’s absolutely right in the sense that you certainly don’t have to be a world-class athlete to be a role model.

“You can be someone’s role model, and you probably should.”

As with so many disciplines these days, sport and the way the public view it is changing as adidas found during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil with the power of social media.

“On demand pay-per-viewing, globalisation and individualisation will continue to increase,” he said.

“Paying for premium content, on individual or more socially driven channels, will have become mainstream.

“In a way the fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao is symptomatic for the ongoing globalisation of sports.

“The athletes and their stories have become easily accessible and sharable from anywhere at any time. Niche sports and micro-celebrities might more easily find their dedicated audiences, but a limited amount of globally relevant ‘Athlete Icons’ will continue to increase their global influence.”

Thomas van Schaik will make a presentation during the Main Conference Programme today (Wednesday) on ‘The Athlete Brand and the Role Model Revolution’ at 13.30-14.00

aThleTeS muST Be real To DiScoVer True roleadidas executive thomas van schaik tells The daily that sports stars should not follow the crowd when developing their own public profile...

talking point #sAc2015

Every day, The Daily will ask attendees at SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit to answer a topical question. You can join in the conversation by tweeting your thoughts and including the #SAC2015 hashtag – if you have something interesting to say, you could be in tomorrow’s edition of The Daily!

Technology will change the way fans consume sporting events

what will the spoRts industRy look like in 2020?

Tomorrow’s question: Where are the sports industry’s major developing

markets?Make sure you post your tweets to answer the question, including the

#SAC2015 hashtag, by 4pm today

thomas van Schaik

Lionel Messi is one of adidas’ biggest stars

‘Constant newness, strong designs and great footwear stories will help us to be better’

16 The Daily Wednesday, 22 April, 2015

today at a glanCe

Wednesday, 22 AprilMEETINGS:AIMS General Assembly (08.00-13.00)ARISF Council Meeting (09.00-12.00)ASOIF General Assembly (09.00-13.00, 14.00-17.00)SportAccord Convention Executive Committee (17.30-19.00)CONFERENCE:Panel Session: Professional Sports’ Development in Russia (08.30-10.00)Main Conference Programme (10.30-12.00, 13.30-15.15)SportAccord Integrity Session (15.00-16.30)

SOCIAL: Morning Run (06.30-07.30)Exhibition Lunch (12.00-13.30)Exhibition Cocktail (17.00-18.30)CONVENTION:Exhibition (08.30-18.30)SportAccord Convention Village/Sports Demo Zone (09.00-18.30)

A captivated crowd of more than 6,500 witnessed the

stunning opening ceremony of SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit at the Iceberg Skating Palace on Monday evening.

With thousands of members of the public joining International Federations, Sports Organisations, Exhibitors and Partners, the sparkling event was on an unprecedented scale for the Convention.

The Ice Show featured some of the most famous names in Russian sport, weaved into a mesmerising backdrop of sounds, colours and culture.

Numerous SportAccord sports were showcased during the ceremony, which was directed by former ice dance world champion Ilya Averbukh, the Founder and CEO of the renowned Ilya Averbukh production company.

Another glittering gala event, the SportAccord Euronews

Awards, will effectively mark the conclusion of the Convention tomorrow evening (19.00-20.30). Prizes will be up for grabs in the categories of Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Sport Hero, Sport City, the Play for Change Media Award and the Spirit of Sport Award.

Further details will be available in the Thursday edition of The Daily, but for more information please visit awards.sportaccord.com.

WhAT A ShOW!