SportAccord Unites the World Through Sports

Regional SportAccord
For the past 17 years, SportAccord has bridged continents and oceans to fully represent the athletic world. More than 100 organizations from the Olympic and international sports federation movement are represented under this umbrella entity based, naturally, in Lausanne, Switzerland—home of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). At its core, SportAccord unites the world through conferences and annual general assemblies. The attendee list is most impressive, featuring the IOC, international sports federations, right holders, organizing committees, media and more. Top minds discuss business strategies, trends and key topics affecting sporting events. The 2019 edition in Gold Coast, Australia, recently saw former United Nations Secretary, Ban Ki-moon, deliver an inspirational address on the power of technology within sport. “We are now reaching out to a region—two continents rather—stretching from the northern part of Canada all the way to southern tip of Chile,” explains Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord. “The reason for doing this is to get the international sports federations and the international sports community come to the doorstep within those two continents to facilitate interaction to get closer to sports commissions within the U.S., sports ministries and other key decision makers in that part of the world.” Indeed, attendees agree the cross-section of various industry sectors sets SportAccord apart. The diverse field of event professionals allows groups who would otherwise not meet to learn from one another. “SportAccord has been the best place for us to meet the international sporting community,” says Takahiro Waku, chair of Japan Sport Council. Looking to further enhance sports tourism and connect the key decision-makers in sport, SportAccord has evolved to create regional events. On December 10-12, 2019, the inaugural Regional SportAccord Pan America will take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The three-day meeting will attract sports commissions, conventions and visitors bureaus, hoteliers event planners from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Latin America. While each organization will have its own perspective, they will be united in their pursuit of using sports to drive business to communities. Regional SportAccord Pan America will facilitate efforts by host destinations to attract international competitions. Sporting events with a global reach are typically associated with a high number of room nights because of the travel required, making them especially valuable to communities. Such events also present great opportunities for international exposure and often spur development that benefits host regions for years. The IOC, Formula 1, FIBA, FIFA, World Dodgeball Association, World Lacrosse and the World Badminton Federation are among sports organizations that regularly attend SportAccord and make up the over 800 organizations represented there. “SportAccord was a great opportunity to meet, share and discuss the ever-evolving sports industry with various stakeholders from around the world,” notes Formula 1’s Zarah Al Kudcy. For more information on the upcoming Regional SportAccord Pan America 2019, visit www.regionalsportaccord.sport.