(ATR) The upcoming Beijing Olympics and a new formula for sharing Olympic TV revenue with the U.S. will be among the hot topics at SportAccord Entry to the exhibition hall at SportAccord. (ATR) 2008 in Athens, the sixth edition of the trade show for international sports federations.
More than 1500 delegates are expected for the annual meeting, which brings together leaders from more than 100 international sports federations, including the 35 in the Summer and Winter Olympics.
As has become the custom, the IOC Executive Board will convene at Sport Accord, meeting from June 4 to 6.
Announcement of the short list for the 2016 Olympics is the most anticipated item of business, coming on June 4.
The international federations will meet for their assemblies on June 2 and 3, followed by a joint meeting with the IOC on June 4.
Now in its sixth year, SportAccord has grown into a “must” for the international sports industry. Drawing up to 1500 delegates, the attendees include federation leaders, sponsors, bid and host cities, architects, broadcasters, rights holders and other sports specialists.
Past SportAccords have been held in Lausanne, Madrid, Berlin, Seoul and Beijing. The 2009 edition heads to the Americas for the first time, taking place in Denver, Colorado next March.
Among the highlights and changes for SportAccord 2008:
Representatives from YouTube and social networking site MySpace are among about 25 speakers participating in the conference.
High-profile speakers include Danny Jordaan, CEO of FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa, Laurent-Eric Le Lay, chairman and CEO of Eurosport, and Rick Dudley, president and CEO of Octagon Worldwide.
Interviews and case studies pepper the program, which this year has a greater focus on trends and technology in the sports business and on how to stay relevant to the younger generation.
Anna Hellman, general manager of SportAccord. (ATR)There are no break-out sessions. This avoids scheduling clashes with other elements of the program and allows for more networking opportunities. “We wanted to have a program that was eye-catching with good speakers but didn't want to overload it,” says Anna Hellman, general manager of SportAccord.
A new athletes session features Olympic triple jump gold medalist Jonathan Edwards, Morocco's sports minister and IOC member Nawal El Moutawakel and Aksel Lund-Svendal, the Norwegian winner of the 2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup.
SportAccord has responded to the increasing number of prospective bid and host cities visiting in recent years by organizing the City Forum, taking place in the afternoon of June 3. It will offer insights on developing long-term hosting strategies and how to maximize the benefits of staging a major event.
Also new for 2008 is SportAccord TV. Broadband users around the world and attendees at the event will be able to see exclusive interviews with sports industry leaders on the dedicated channel available at www.sportaccord.com .
The Athens Hilton, scene of SportAccord. (ATR) All the major presentations will be available on a video-on-demand basis. Video screens at the convention will also screen content. The video service has been developed through a partnership with WCSN, the largest broadband service dedicated to international sport. Conference content is also online at www.wcsn.com .
The online SportAccord NetWorker tool is also aimed at helping delegates achieve their networking objectives.
Written by Ed Hula For general comments or questions, click here Click here to see the latest Around the Rings Olympic Bid Power Index -- the only authoritative ranking of the 2016 bid cities.
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