Host City 2021 Returns to Glasgow -- Conferences & Conventions

(ATR)The 2021 edition of Host City will be a global, hybrid event to be held in Glasgow on December 7-8.

The format change is designed to build on last year’s first digital edition, combining the face-to-face interaction at Glasgow’s Technology & Innovation Centre with online connectivity.

Host City is making a concerted effort to maximize participation from all regions of the world this year.

Host City 2021 will feature online sessions timed for Asian and American participation.

The global, hybrid Host City 2021 will be preceded by two regional, digital events: Host City Asia and Host City Americas, set for April 14 and June 30 respectively.

"Since the first Host City event in 2014, we have staged continually growing physical events, two Asian editions, and last December we reached our biggest ever audience by going online for the first time," Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director of Host City, said.

"2021 represents a tremendous opportunity to combine all these elements and present the greatest platform for cities and sports, business and cultural events to participate in a way that works best for them, whether that is meeting in person in Glasgow or participating online on the other side of the world.

"The digital regional events – the third Host City Asia and the first Host City Americas – will also play a huge part in bringing our community together, enabling stakeholders in major events the world over to share best practice and set the global agenda."

Esports Business Summit Seek Speakers

The call for speakers at the 2021 Esports Business Summit is now open.

The event returns to Las Vegas on October 18-20.

Organizers are also asking for session ideas for this year’s edition, which brings together nearly 1000 esports executives from all sectors of the industry.

They also say they will keep a close eye on the COVID-19 situation and want to give those who plan to attend "the utmost assurance that all measures will be in place at EBS 2021 to ensure the safety and well-being of our esports community".

Click here to submit a speaker proposal or program content ideas for the 2021 Esports Business Summit.

SportAccord 2021 Dates Could Change

Organizers of SportAccord 2021 are considering a possible change in dates for the convention currently set for May 23 to 28 in Ekaterinburg in central Russia.

Speaking in an ATRadio podcast, SportAccord president Raffaele Chiulli acknowledges that many of the international federations who attend the event will be preoccupied in late May with final preparations and qualifications for the postponed Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo.

"We know that May this year will be a very busy time for many of our IFs with Olympic qualifications. We are discussing about SportAccord 2021 by liaising with the Russian organizing committee to jointly evaluate all possible options. So you will be fully updated in the next days," says Chiulli about the apparently imminent change.

Plans for SportAccord in 2020 were scuttled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Originally planned for Beijing, the event was moved to Lausanne. But limits on the size of meetings in Switzerland put an end to that plan. It was the first time in 17 years that SportAccord wasn’t held.

Besides the demands on IFs preparing for Tokyo, lingering lockdowns and restrictions on travel from the pandemic remain an issue for SportAccord 2021.

"We have more than 2500 delegates, so we are monitoring the situation very closely. And of course we are an international event with delegates planning to travel from all the corners of the globe. So therefore we are aware that plans for the event may have to be changed, depending on how the situation unfolds," says Chiulli.

Japan Sports Week Goes Hybrid

Japan’s leading trade show for sports business runs from February 24-26.

The 4th Japan Sports Week will be a hybrid exhibition this year due to the pandemic.

Those in Japan or not facing travel restrictions can attend in person at Makuhari Messe, a convention center in Chiba city, outside Tokyo.

Click here to pre-register to enter the show.

To register to visit the show online, click here to access the virtual platform.

An online meeting service will allow delegates to communicate with exhibitors either by video call or chat as well as download exhibit products’ brochures.

Both the on-site and virtual passes are free.

SportsPro Maps Out Busy 2021

The OTT Summit USA 2021 will be held virtually on March 3-4.

SportsPro says the focus will be on strategy, content, and technology as the sports industry works to better adapt to the changes created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 50 sessions featuring 80 speakers will be available, including fuboTV co-founder and CEO David Gandler and UFC CEO Lawrence Epstein.

Among the other organizations represented by speakers at the summit are Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour, Major League Soccer, NASCAR and Twitter.

More than 1,000 participants are expected.

A live event pass is free while a VIP pass will cost $199. Register for either here.

SportsPro LIve (April 28-29, 2021) and SportsPro Asia (July 2021) are being planned as virtual events. It has not been decided if the SportsPro OTT Summit, scheduled for December 2021, will be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid event.

Written by Gerard Farekand Ed Hula

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