Ethics, Fair Play at Heart of Play the Game Conference -- Conferences and Conventions

(ATR) An extensive lineup of sport governance figures, anti-doping leaders, journalists and scholars headline the 2017 Play the Game conference.

The four-day conference will take place from Nov. 26-30 in Eindhoven, Netherlands and features more than 150 speakers. Van der Valk Hotel Eindhoven will host the event.

Conversations and discussions will range from the troubled Rio 2016 Olympic legacy, the emergence of esport, anti-doping reforms and good governance in sport.

Fair play and ethics will be at the center of all discussions, particularly among the talks with featured speakers Fabiana Schneider from Brazil and Jean-Yves Lourgouilloux from France, the prosecutors investigating a network of allegedly corrupt sport leaders and Olympic vote-buying scandals. Their work led to the recent arrest of Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman.

Other prominent figures at Play the Game 2017 include WADA president Craig Reedie, IOC member Richard Pound, ASOIF president Francisco Ricci Bitti, USADA chief executive officer Travis Tygart and iNADO chief executive Joseph de Pencier.

Prominent sport journalists and Olympic academics such as Hajo Seppelt and Jules Boykoff will also lead discussions at the conference.

More speakers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks with more than 40 discussion sessions planned for the four-day event.

Olympians Lead LA84 Foundation Summit

Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh Jennings and Allyson Felix are two of the athletes who will lead the LA84 Foundation Summit on Oct. 27.

These athletes will deliver keynote addresses at the event taking place at the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE. The theme of this year’s summit is "The New Era of Youth Sports: Play for All".

The sixth edition of the annual summit will focus on equality, inclusion and ways to ensure equal access to sport for all youth.

"I’m thrilled to be part of this year’s LA84 Foundation Summit and am eager to support the important work that they do to create opportunities for all kids to participate in sports," said Jennings. "I know what a key role access to sports and the support system around me played when I was a kid, and without that, I wouldn’t be where I am today."

"LA84 is making meaningful strides in building momentum for youth sports in Southern California and I’m proud to support their work and be part of this year’s Summit," said Felix.

This year’s summit expects to draw more than 350 people who are leaders in communities, politics, sports, non-profits as well as Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The attendees will come together to share best practices and ways to drive social change through technology, collaboration and innovation, according to LA84.

Olympian Julie Foudy and Paralympian Mallory Weggemann join Jennings and Felix as athletes who will speak and share their stories during the summit.

"There is a crisis in youth sports," LA84 Foundation president Renata Simril said. "The equity gap is heading in the wrong direction, and it is collectively on all of us to refocus our impact toward providing Play For All access to sport, and making sure the dreams of our youth are not limited by their zip codes."

IF Forum Extends Insurance Partner

JLT Specialty has signed a three-year deal with the International Federation Forum, extending a partnership that has been in place since 2011.

This year’s edition will be held in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, Switzerland from Nov. 8-10. The focus of this year’s forum is sustainability, with a theme of "International Federation Impact – Leading the way towards a Sustainability Agenda".

JLT Specialty delivers insurance consultancy services to the sports industry and has experience working with several International Federations.

"We at JLT are proud to have been an official partner to the IF Forum since 2011, and my personal involvement with the Global Association of International Sports Federations goes even further back to 2007," said JLT Specialty head of sport practice Gary Flynn.

"The IF Forum allows us to explore new opportunities to assist International Federations with their insurance needs and strengthen our existing relationships."

"We are delighted to sign a new three-year partnership with JLT Specialty who have been tremendous supporters of the IF Forum for the last 6 years," said Managing Director of SportAccord Convention Nis Hatt. "Their commitment demonstrates the value a partnership brings and what can be achieved in this environment."

Conference Schedule

ITF Worldwide Coaches Conference : Oct. 11-14

AISTS - Sport Event Management and Organization Seminar: Oct. 16-20

Sportel Monaco: Oct. 23-26

Coliseum Summit Asia-Pacific: Oct. 25-26

TEAMS ’17 Conference & Expo: Oct. 30 - Nov. 2

Stadium Sports Marketing Symposium: Nov.1-2

SportAccord IF Forum: Nov. 8-10

TAFISA World Congress: Nov. 15-19

Play the Game: Nov. 26-30

Host City 2017: Nov. 28-29

Peace and Sport International Forum: Dec. 6-8