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Confidence, core values and commercial appeal all need to be addressed if sport is
to heal its differences, Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of advertising and marketing services giant WPP, told delegates at the SwissTech Convention Center yesterday.
In a keynote address, ‘The Mission of Sport’, to kick off a fascinating inaugural Digital Summit at SportAccord Convention, Sorrell highlighted transparency and accountability as the essential ingredients of a reform programme that must embrace new ideas and new people.
“Recent events have not been good. There is a breakdown in the confidence of sports leadership and it has been rather unpleasant,”
Sorrell said. “Sports governance has been intensely covered in the media in the past year.
“There is a tsunami of scandals in sport and sponsors are questioning their involvement. Few new sponsors are coming forward. Many are withdrawing. Fans are confused.”
As head of a business that is the world’s largest in its sector, Sorrell is acutely aware of the commercial impact of the problems faced by sport.
“The IAAF is facing issues with Adidas,” he added. “FIFA faces similar issues in finding sponsors for the World Cups in 2018 and 2022.
“Crisis in sport comes to the minds of cities and governments when bidding for sports events, because
scandals can leave events with a negative image.
“Three issues raised by major CEOs are credibility, sustainability and responsibility, and they apply to sports organisations.
“The current crisis will not disappear. It is unsustainable for sports organisations and it affects sponsors in their association with NFs, IFs and individual organisations.”
Sorrell warned that the high profile of sport means that it attracts increasing levels of scrutiny, but he outlined measures that he said can bring about change.
“Skeletons cannot be hidden in the closet, because sports organisations have never faced such scrutiny,” he said. “They have the delicate task
of balancing policy-makers and sponsors, but sport has the ability to heal differences.
“The challenge is to adapt or die or, on a more positive note, adapt and thrive. Good governance comes from independent drug-testing.
“Sport should also simplify its calendar and bring in people from the outside to provide an overview.”
Sorrell added that the media can also be used to help sport repair the damage of recent years and build for the future.
“Sports organisations have a historic opportunity to rebuild trust with fans through communications strategies. How you use data and insights to engage fans and attract sponsors is key,” he added.
The Daily
SPORT NEEDS TO ‘ADAPT TO THRIVE’
Melbourne is handed City award
ISSUE 4 - Thursday, 21 April, 2016 #SAC2016 www.sportaccordconvention.com
GO DIGITAL
INSI
DE FINA
Taking steps to push integrity agendaPAGE 6
Your guide to what’s
happening today at
SportAccord Convention in Lausanne
Conference wowed as the biggest names in social media come to LausannePAGES 2-4
Michael Lynagh:
Rugby World Cup winner on the future of sport
PAGE 11
Melbourne and New York City were the big winners in the SportBusiness Ultimate Sports Cities Awards announced at SportAccord Convention yesterday.
The Australian city scooped the SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City At 10 Anniversary Award at the SwissTech Convention Center, while the US city picked up the Ultimate Sports City 2016 gong.
You can read more about the winners of the Awards, of which SportAccord Convention is the official sponsor, on p5 of this newspaper.
The Daily also looks ahead to today’s Plenary Conference Programme, which will feature a stellar line-up of speakers.
The Conference programme, which starts at 10:00, will feature the likes of International e-Sports Federation Secretary General Alex Lim, who was featured in The Daily on Monday.
Australian rugby legend Michael Lynagh, who will be the subject of the Interview of the Day – brought to you by Dow Jones Sports Intelligence – is featured on p11 of today’s edition.
The Conference programme will also feature the likes of Thierry Borra, Global Director of Olympic Games Management at The Coca-Cola Company, and Jaimie Fuller, Executive Chairman of SKINS and Co-founder of #NewFIFANow – both of whom were featured in big interviews in The Daily earlier this week.
In today’s edition you can also read about tonight’s unmissable closing ceremony at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne (p12).
DIGITAL SUMMIT: Pages 2-4
Sir Martin Sorrell was one of the keynote speakers as yesterday’s Digital Summit caught the imagination of Convention attendees
2 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016 Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 3
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Driving the conversation
SINA SEES ROOM TO GROW
Alex Huot, Head of Social Media at the International Olympic Committee, outlined how society engages with the Games during a fascinating keynote address entitled ‘All You Need is LOVE’.
Huot opened by giving a brief history of the Games, referring to the 1896 edition, where 100,000 attended the marathon event, as the “first social network”.
He explained how digital engagement had “reached new heights” in 1972 with the invention of arcade game Pong, before Los Angeles in 1984 “captured the imagination”.
In the modern era, Huot pointed to the fact that all Sports Federations are now using social media, something that Olympians first engaged with during the Beijing Games in 2008.
Huot added that “a lot of love is there in the concept of the Olympics” and there is now the “potential for the biggest conversation ever” through social media.
He stressed that social media publishers and editors must have a love for the sport
they are covering as well as a knowledge of its history. It must also be relevant, with the content and the performances of the athletes being crucial. Huot said that packaging such content is “art”.
Huot concluded his session by pointing to what works in social media: results and live webcasts; media-rich galleries; social platform integrations and reaching niche audiences.
He also stressed that virtual reality (VR) would have a big impact on society in the coming years.
Also present at the address was Masa Takaya, Communications Director at Tokyo 2020, who echoed Huot’s comments by claiming that VR would be big at the Games in four years’ time.
Takaya added that media consumption among Japanese people is, in some fields, as high as 383 minutes per day.
He said that Tokyo 2020 is “motivated to integrate sports and technology to promote sports in Japan”, adding that many Paralympic-focused initiatives have already been drawn up.
Snapchat is leading the way in providing an insight into the lives of athletes, according to Juan David Borrero, who
works on business development at the social media platform.
Speaking yesterday at the ‘Snapchat Best-Practice Workshop’, Borrero delivered an informative speech on Snapchat’s current position within both the social media world and the world of sport.
“Snapchat is the youngest kid in the social media network,” Borrero said. Indeed,
Snapchat was only launched in 2011, but has wasted no time in becoming one of the most popular social media networks on the market.
Borrero puts Snapchat’s success down to its immediacy and feels ‘snaps’ and videos are a “reflection of who you are in the moment”.
He added: “Everything in the app disappears after 24 hours. It gives a sense of urgency as, tomorrow, the content is not going to be there.”
Borrero believes that communication, creativity and story-telling are the key elements of Snapchat, and that such characteristics make it ideal for athletes, leagues and competitions.
“MyStory is a section where specific stories can be created and is a potential area for sports organisations to engage with the youth,” he said.
A lot of American leagues use Snapchat to engage with supporters, while fans can also receive an insight into the routines of athletes.
“Snapchat really gives an inside view into athletes’ lives,” Borrero added.
With Snapchat continuing to prove as popular as ever, Borrero is anticipating a lot of activity on the app during this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio. “For the Rio Olympics,
we are expecting a lot of snaps,” he said. “We experienced that at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This year it should be even bigger.”
Borrero feels that Snapchat’s unique selling point is its intimacy, adding that it is “way more personal than sending mere messages”.
Snapchat expects new record at Rio
FACEBOOK HIGHLIGHTS CONTENT REVOLUTIONSport and its partners were
urged yesterday to harness social media to improve live
coverage of its events and connect fans with athletes – adding value to the commercial package in the process.
During the Digital Summit at SportAccord Convention, experts from Facebook and its picture-sharing platform, Instagram outlined ideas that can be applied to any sport, giving a Sports Organisation and its partners control over content and cost-effective access to a huge audience.
The panel members said that Facebook had evolved from ‘connecting’ to a news platform and entertainment.
As the largest real-time social audience for live events, Facebook now reaches the world’s widest community of sports fans, with 650m people connected to sports pages.
The aim is to help its partners with branded content and rights management to support specific business goals.
Fans are given access to the world’s most authentic and visually creative sporting
moments, connecting them with their favourite athletes, teams, leagues, broadcasters and publishers.
Dan Reed, Global Head of Sports at Facebook, said: “Sports Organisations should make sure they have a really immersive video strategy, including live broadcasts that incorporate audience interaction.
“Give people access they have never seen before. Consider 360-degree camera positioning for events and empower your athletes for the social media strategies.”
Devi Mahadevia, League Partnerships, said: “Real-time content is what fans expect and sharing athletes’ content on your
page will cross-pollinate the fan base.”
Kevin Cote, Strategic Partner Development for Sports Teams, added: “Portraying your brand on social media is crucial.
“It can be done decently with proper resources and gives you a competitive advantage. Facebook can help sports organisations drive sales of tickets and merchandise.”
Evan Shugerman, Head of Athlete Partnerships, said: “Sport should have a conversation with stakeholders in sports and outside.
“Clear understanding will help promote sports brands and connect with fans. Behind-the-scenes content is what works with the fans.”
‘Sports should make sure they have a really immersive video strategy’
Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), predicted a massive shift in digital broadcasting in the near future at SportAccord Convention yesterday.
Speaking in a session entitled ‘What’s in store for the newly highly-anticipated Olympic Channel’, he warned that “every human activity” would soon be digital.
“We are on the cusp of a seismic shift from linear to digital television,” he
added in the Digital Summit session at the SwissTech Convention Center.
“Linear programming is becoming increasingly irrelevant among young viewers.
“Not only is the world community digitally connected, but it also shares content to an unprecedented degree.
“Social media is rapidly becoming the broadcaster of the day, which has led to the shift from central editorial control of broadcasters to democratisation of content generation and distribution. The downside is the
collapse of quality in the majority of content produced.”
Exarchos said that the smartphone was the catalyst for the right content “anytime, anywhere”.
“Interactivity and smart transitions between different platforms are essential,” he added.
Exarchos praised IOC President Thomas Bach for initiating the Olympic Channel, which he said would be “all about explaining the story and promoting sport”.
“Digital broadcasting, social media, the internet and big data are fundamentally influencing how we are developing the Olympic Channel,” he added.
“The Olympic Channel will inspire fans and empower them to take up sports. It will also be beneficial to IFs.”
Exarchos revealed there had been “significant progress” on content creation for the Olympic Channel.
“Some 650 pieces of video will have been produced between January and August 2016, and 250 hours of content will be created on an annual basis,” he said. “Also, 1,700 pieces of video will be produced during the Rio Games.”
Exarchos also promised that the Olympic Archive would be repackaged and presented “in a fresh way”.
‘We are on the cusp of a seismic shift from linear to digital television’
OLYMPIC CHANNEL TO ‘INSPIRE FANS TO TAKE UP NEW SPORTS’
Facebook’s Dan Reed
Alex Huot of the IOC
A media platform that connects more than 1,000 athletes with an audience of 100m – and growing – has built its success on awareness of the need for a high quality service online and offline.
Sam Li, Head of Content Acquisition and Strategic Partnerships, Sina Sports, told delegates during the Digital Summit at SportAccord Convention that even with such impressive numbers, sports marketing in China is ripe for development.
“China is big, different and the sports marketing is still in its infancy stage,” Li said during a Sina Weibo Best-Practice Workshop.
“The number of people who engage in China is huge and hence there is an opportunity for expanding the fan base for many of the international brands.”
Sina is China’s leading sports digital media platform. Li has responsibility for acquiring streaming rights for major domestic and international sporting events, as well as for structuring key partnerships in the sports industry.
He said that Sina aims to be recognised as a sports specialist rather than just a sports media specialist.
Li also highlighted a successful partnership with Manchester United and Sina’s role in creating and hosting the official web destination in China for the Australian Open as evidence of the company’s diversity.
Sina Sports has been the de facto destination for sport in China for the last 18 years, reaching nearly 100 million daily users through Sina Weibo.
“We license and partner with more than 90 sports properties, establishing a diversified platform for sports fans,” he said. “Our ‘Pro Talk’ concept has allowed more than 1,000 foreign athletes to give expert insights and engaging news to Chinese sports fans.
“We provide 24-hour coverage through a comprehensive digital platform and our strategy is to integrate online and offline fan engagement.
“Language is the key element in China and it is also important to commit to compelling content, a secure multi-platform strategy, a consistent online and offline presence, and identifying and developing key opinion-leaders.”
Sina’s Sam Li
Snapchat’s Juan David Borrero
Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services
‘Everything in the app disappears after 24 hours. It gives a sense of urgency’
4 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016 Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 5
Melbourne scooped the coveted SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City At 10 Anniversary Award at
SportAccord Convention yesterday.Melbourne, which picked up the
SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City Award in 2006, 2008 and 2010, beat off stiff competition from Berlin, London, New York and Australian rival Sydney for the title.
The special prize was introduced this year to celebrate the city with the greatest impact over the 10 years that the awards have been hosted by SportBusiness, a Principal Media Partner of the Convention.
“We have been very fortunate to have the support of a government that continues to invest in major events and venues,” said Victorian Major Events Company Chief Operating Officer Kelly Dickson, pictured receiving the award from SportBusiness International Editor Ben Cronin.
“We have terrific venues at the heart of the city and we also have excellent attendances. Last year our major events attracted a total attendance of nine million people and Melbourne is a city of four million inhabitants. Rights-holders know that if they take their event to Melbourne, it will be well attended. We also have a year-round calendar of events, from the Australian
Open to Formula One to football’s International Champions Cup, and this establishes a broader network of support that is really useful for rights-holders.”
Head Judge and Founder of Ultimate Sports Cities Rachael Church said: “I am not surprised that Melbourne came out on top for this special 10-year anniversary award.
“The city has been either the winner or runner-up in the awards in the previous five editions of Ultimate Sports Cities and boasts a major events strategy that many other cities have since used as a best practice
guide for their own strategies.“The city has sports venues that are not
only the best in the world but that are at the heart of the city, fostering a greater sense of engagement with the general public and fans when events take place.
“A highly supportive government at local, regional and national level also means Melbourne offers a safe pair of hands to event organisers in a stunning setting.”
Among the other award-winners announced at the SwissTech Convention Center yesterday were New York City, which picked up the SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City 2016 award.
The final list of 10 contenders for the Ultimate Sports City 2016 award were: Auckland, Calgary, Copenhagen, Glasgow, London, Los Angeles, Manchester, Melbourne, New York and Tokyo.
“New York City is a well-deserved winner of the SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City title, triumphing this year after its previous best place of fourth in 2012,” Church added.
Manchester, Glasgow, Auckland, London, Gold Coast and Copenhagen were the other award-winners unveiled yesterday. SportBusiness had revealed a first batch of winners at the Convention on Tuesday.
Alex Trickett, the Head of Sports and Global Sports Chair at Twitter, highlighted the importance of video
content during an insightful Best-Practice Workshop during the Digital Summit yesterday.
Trickett told delegates that if they are to connect with sports fans through social media, they cannot afford to ignore video, which is becoming integral as online consumer habits evolve.
“You have to think beyond 140 characters,” Trickett said. “It is worth noting that 82 per cent of Twitter users watch video feeds.
“Video consumption is undergoing a seismic shift and Twitter is innovating, especially in terms of video.”
Trickett added that it is important to attract
users with a sense that the content produced is “just for you”, but sport remains markedly different from other forms of content.
“Twitter is a people-to-people thing, and that should always be remembered,” he said.
“We are complementary to the traditional methods of broadcasting as young people do not consume media via the traditional forms of communication. Twitter is in the
distribution business and not in the content creation business.”
Trickett also suggested that empowering fans through Twitter can help to establish a more loyal following.
“You need to be strategic about how you drive a conversation and think about ways to engage people,” he said.
“For example, it is a good idea to allow people to have a say through polls and votes on social media. Give people the power. They will appreciate it.
“You have to create a two-way connection and change the way you interact with fans and their comments. It is important to follow your fans’ conversations.
“Unlike other content, sports are mostly consumed in real time. So you need to use
rich media, break news, amplify yourself, value others and offer exclusive access. You have to tell people where to get your news.”
Trickett outlined how Twitter had helped famous sports stars to form a closer bond with their fans by giving them a direct avenue of communication.
Such opportunities can also apply to organisations within sport, he added.
“Exclusivity, expertise and intimacy are key elements that sports organisations can explore in order to engage with fans,” Trickett said.
“There is a sense of warmth when athletes and coaches interact with fans directly.
“Don’t be afraid to learn ‘on the fly’. If you have rights, then Twitter can help you to work with your sponsors effectively.”
Melbourne rewarded for 10 years of success
VIDEO IS VITAL FOR TWITTER OFFERING
The key phases of planning and hosting major events will be explored today in a series of workshops presented by SportAccord Convention Partners and Supporters.
SportBusiness and Sportcal – both Principal Media Partners – will be joined by Convention Supporter GlobalSportJobs in delivering insight aimed at helping hosts and organisers understand the lifespan of a major project. All the workshops will take place in Room 4BC.
SportBusiness Group will partner with 360 DIRECT between 09:00 and 10:30 to present ‘Effective Event Host Planning’. Against a background of cost and time overruns reflecting poorly on federations, local organising committees and host cities, the session will outline innovative solutions to ensure an event runs on time and within budget.
GlobalSportsJobs will examine ‘Talent Management in a Digital Age’ in their
session, which runs from 14:00 until 15:30.
The leading specialised digital talent platform for the international sports industry, the company will begin with a panel discussion on challenges and opportunities of talent acquisition and management.
The focus will then move on to local organising committees and how to build high performance teams.
Sportcal will use their workshop, which takes place between 16:00 and 17:30, to unveil more about their ‘Global Sport Impact Project’, developed to help people understand more about the effect of sporting events on host cities and nations.
The session will feature a series of studies around some of the major sporting events of 2014 and 2015, and look at how sports and cities can learn more about the impact, and use narrative and data to communicate the benefits more effectively.
WORKSHOPS TO HELP PLANNING AND HOSTING
SPORT GROUPS EXTEND RELATIONSHIP WITH IOC
Thomas Lund, Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer of Badminton World Federation (BWF), is confident that the organisation’s groundwork in Brazil will pay off when Rio hosts the 2016 Olympic Games.
“This year, of course, a lot of our focus is on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August,” Lund told The Daily.
“We are fine-tuning our plans for the staging of a world-class showcase of badminton in Rio.
“Over the past two years, we have ramped up our presence in Rio – and Brazil as a whole – with an awareness campaign called ‘Descubra O Badminton’ (Discover Badminton) to introduce
Brazilians to badminton and increase interest in the sport through interactive street activations and media coverage.
“Following the London 2012 Olympic Games, badminton was promoted to Group C of Summer Olympic sports and we are keen to improve on this. The 2016 Paralympic Games will also be key for badminton as we observe how these Games unfold and prepare to be part of that event in Tokyo 2020.
“Later this year we will also announce the next cycle of host cities for our flagship tour, the BWF World Superseries, and the preparatory work for that will soon be underway. These are exciting times in badminton.”
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16-096 CWT - Messestand-Anzeige Schweiz 148,5x210 Kopie_The Daily 22.03.16 12:46 Seite 1
2016 WINNERSWinner, Anniversary Award, Ultimate Sports City at 10 .........MELBOURNEWinner, SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City 2016 ...................NEW YORK CITYWinner, Best XS Sports City .... MANCHESTERWinner, Best Small Sports City .......GLASGOWWinner, Best Medium Sports City .AUCKLANDWinner, Best Large Sports City..MELBOURNEWinner, Best XL Sports City ................LONDONWinner, Special Award, Best Newcomer ........................................................GOLD COASTWinner, Special Award, Best Home-Grown Event .........COPENHAGEN (Swoop Challenge)Winner, Best Hosting ...........................LONDONWinner, Best Venues ...................MELBOURNEWinner, Best Transportation ... MANCHESTERWinner, Best Accommodation ............... TOKYOWinner, Best Event Strategy ..........AUCKLANDWinner, Best Legacy ..........................GLASGOWWinner, Best Quality of Life and Economic Impact ..........................VANCOUVERWinner, Best Public Support/Tourism .......NEW YORK CITYWinner, Best Security ......................AUCKLANDWinner, Best Marketing and Branding .................................................................LONDON
Two IF umbrella organisations celebrated historic events at SportAccord Convention which saw them cement partnerships with the IOC.
The Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IOC which President Stephan Fox said will particularly benefit non-recognised IFs.
The Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) held its first joint meeting with the IOC in a session which brought together top decision-makers from each body.
Both developments had their roots in the engagement between the organisations at last year’s Convention and in the fruitful discussions which followed.
Fox said the signing underlined the progress made since he was voted into the role by the AIMS General Assembly last year. He had declared after his election that the long-term aim of AIMS members was to leave the organisation and make the move to AIOWF or ASOIF. He vowed to assist that process by working closely with SportAccord and strengthening links with the IOC.
He said: “It was a decision of the IOC President in Olympic Agenda 2020 to ensure good governance, transparency and tolerance, and that is why they opened the door.
“AIMS was recognised in December in a process that started in Sochi. We had close discussions with the IOC and outlined the need for our members to get support and guidance. Recognition was subject to us making some amendments to our constitution and the signing of the MoU has sealed the deal.”
Fox added that the MoU will enable non-recognised IFs to tap into IOC
resources, making sure they are fully WADA compliant and gaining them exposure through the Olympic Channel.
Raffaele Chiulli, President of ARISF, said his organisation made great strides with the IOC during a first joint workshop in Sochi and had built on that with this week’s inaugural joint meeting and a second workshop.
The joint meeting brought together Chiulli and every member of the ARISF Council, with IOC President Dr Thomas Bach and his four Vice Presidents supported by members of the IOC’s senior management team.
Chiulli said: “The meeting took place at the request of the IOC President, because he sees this relationship as the key way to move forward.
“He indicated that he would like to have the meeting regularly.
“It was a successful meeting which was private, but which still generated open discussion around the table. We wanted to identify a joint pathway to further strengthen cooperation in key areas, such as the fight against doping, IF recognition procedures and being more relevant to our IFs and to the key stakeholders in the Olympic Movement.”
Kit McConnell, the IOC’s Sports Director, said: “The signing of the MoU is historic in terms of reinforcing the relationship between the IOC and AIMS. We had a very strong engagement with AIMS and its Federations at its General Assembly here, and the MoU underlines that partnership and reinforces the working partnership.
“The first meeting between the IOC President and Vice Presidents and the ARISF Council is also historic, and of great value, as is the second workshop with ARISF.”
Twitter executive Alex Trickett
6 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016 Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 7
Underwater sport has licence to thrill
By swimming and diving for gold in an increasing number of competitions worldwide, the
athletes of World Underwater Federation (CMAS) are staying true to the ambitions of some of the people who founded the organisation more than 50 years ago.
If it seems bizarre that the home of underwater versions of rugby, hockey and orienteering – among other activities – should owe its existence in part to the work of deep-sea treasure-hunters, then consider also the science of the seas.
The man credited with founding the organisation as the World Confederation of Underwater Activities was actually Jacques Cousteau. The world-famous explorer of the oceans was the CMAS President from its formation in 1959 until 1973. Sport was not his priority in an age when scuba diving was the domain of explorers and espionage, but sometimes
things just happen. Anna Arzhanova, President of CMAS, said: “From the beginning it was an organisation for diving and underwater scientific research, looking for treasure and protection of the environment.
“However, no Federation can exist without sport, and sport arrived in the
early 1960s with spearfishing and fin swimming.”
Underwater orienteering soon followed. One influence came from the military in the years of the Cold War, and the parallel is clear with police underwater search units, archaeologists finding their way around submerged wrecks, and any number of James Bond movies - which may be where underwater wrestling came from!
CMAS is buoyant, with income increasing by 20 per cent over the last three years from sponsorship and activities, with regular appearances at The World Games and with ever stronger relationships with other Federations, many of which find their own sports being given a CMAS makeover.
The degree of physical contact varies between the sports and compared with the surface versions of the sports, but the demands are just as strenuous. Swimming
may be easier with a fin, to the point where Arzhanova says a non-swimmer can learn in just one day, so expectations are higher and speeds can be 30 per cent faster, or more.
The CMAS Underwater Hockey World Championships are in their 19th year and in South Africa earlier this month featured 14 men’s teams, 13 women’s teams and Masters tournaments for both, which are evidence of a sport displaying pedigree and potential.
Science is still an important part of the agenda, with CMAS involved in the global protection of marine resources and the
fight against over-exploitation of resources and pollution, but Arzhanova’s immediate priority is sport.
She said: “We would like to include underwater wrestling in the Combat Games and we would like to be in the Beach Games because we want to develop our sports.
“We can have events wherever there is water – in open water or a swimming pool. In a planet with so much water people swim on the surface and underwater.
“A lot of people enjoy water and that’s why we created different activities and different sports. Wherever you go you will see swimmers, snorkelers and divers.”
This year is a particular milestone for CMAS, marking 30 years since they gained recognition from the IOC. It is a big anniversary and they will be splashing out to celebrate.
ARZHANOVA REVEALS THE STORY BEHIND SPORT’S RISE‘We can have events wherever there is water – in open water or a swimming pool’
GETTY IMAGESFINA TAKES DECISIVE
STEPS IN PUSH TO IMPROVE INTEGRITYFINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu has stressed the importance of the global governing body of aquatic sports’ continuing integrity efforts in the wake of a series of high-profile scandals in various sports over the past 12 months.
Marculescu believes it is vital that FINA remains transparent and he wants the body to take a leading role in the international sports community.
“FINA has been evolving in a particularly challenging year for sport’s reputation in general,” Marculescu told The Daily.
“Various seriously damaging scandals emerged in 2015 and FINA has naturally closely followed all these developments.
“Hot topics on the table now include good governance, transparency, revenue distribution and fighting against doping. On all those matters, FINA has taken decisive steps to ensure compliance of our rules and to guarantee the
integrity of our sport and the protection of our athletes.
“It is important for us to underline that FINA is regularly conducting out-of-competition unannounced doping tests, as well as in-competition tests. We carefully monitor any developments around the world, acting immediately in accordance with FINA rules.
“We are increasing our education programmes that we implement in partnership with National Anti-Doping Organisations worldwide and we are developing an intelligence programme. It is of the utmost importance in our sport to protect the clean athletes, one of FINA’s basic principles.
“FINA will continue to support its National Member Federations in their activities, and the same will apply for the Continental Organisations. The ultimate objective is that the wider FINA family comes together to achieve our vision by increasing the value of our sport and protecting the athletes.”
In spite of the challenges, aquatic sports continue to grow in popularity, with participation and performance records having been broken last year.
FINA, which is the international governing body of swimming, diving, water polo, synchronised swimming and open-water
swimming, staged its 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia.
“We had a record participation of 184 countries and superb performances in all our six aquatic disciplines – in swimming, for example, 12 world records were broken,” Marculescu added.
“Last year, we organised our top annual events such as the Diving World Series, the Swimming World Cup, the 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup, the Synchronised Swimming World Trophy, the Water Polo World Leagues and the High Diving World Cup and other key circuits with increased prize money for all of them.
“Looking back, we have witnessed outstanding sports performances in 2015 and these keep us determined to deliver great events in prestigious locations.”
Like many International Federations, FINA’s current focus is on the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
“At the moment we are focused on Rio 2016 preparations,” Marculescu
said. “As the world governing body, our primary role is to represent the athletes’ interests. As the preparations progress, we ensure that the best possible environment for our competitors is available.
“We work hand-in-hand with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, the local authorities and the International Olympic Committee to provide an excellent Games platform for our athletes. I am sure it is going to be a great success.”
This is another busy year for the governing body, with the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) heading to Canada for the first time this winter. The city of Windsor will host the event from December 6-11.
“We are also working hard on this event, which welcomes more than 1,000 swimmers from around 180 countries,” Marculescu said.
“Previous to this event, the FINA World Aquatics Convention, which gathers 1,000 delegates, 300 exhibitors and more than 400 organisations, will take place in the same city. This event, held every two years, gathers the world’s aquatic experts to exchange best practice and to network.
“In parallel, a World Sports Medicine Congress will take place. The FINA Swimming Coaches Golden Clinic will also be organised in Windsor in December.”
IFF ambitious after breaking attendance record The International Floorball Federation (IFF) is hoping to build on a successful past 12 months by increasing the exposure of the sport across the globe.
In December the IFF staged the 10th Women’s World Floorball Championships (WFC) in Tampere, Finland, where a new attendance record was set in the final match between the host nation and Sweden, the eventual winner.
IFF Secretary General John Liljelund told The Daily that the event provided many valuable lessons.
“Overall, the Women’s WFC brought forward new ideas of how women’s events could be organised in order to reach a higher level,” Liljelund told The Daily. The IFF has set its sights on
securing floorball’s participation in some of the world’s leading multi-sport events in the coming years.
Last June it was one of 26 International Federations to submit an application for inclusion at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Unfortunately for the IFF, floorball did not make the cut, but attention has now
turned to other multi-sport events that are on the horizon.
“The main objective of the IFF is to prepare for The World Games in Wroclaw in 2017, as this is the next opportunity we have to showcase the sport to the sporting world and prove that floorball is a sport that is well-suited for other multi-sport events,” Liljelund added.
“In relation to this, we are working towards having floorball on a number of events between 2017 and 2020, like the European Masters Games, the Southeast Asian Games and other regional games.”
Last year floorball made its debut at the Southeast Asian Games multi-sport event in Singapore. Although the IFF is keen on featuring at other similar events
in the future, it is just as focused on raising the profile of its own events.
“As the main floorball events are already of a world standard, we are working to enlarge the number of territories showing the Men’s World Floorball Championships in Riga, Latvia, in December, which will also be the qualification tournament for The World Games in Wroclaw,” Liljelund said.
“We have worked on a combined sales approach between the IFF and main National Floorball Associations, in order to break through into the big league.”
On April 12, the IFF celebrated its 30th anniversary, but it has embraced new technologies as it continues to evolve.
“Last year has been very successful, with the 10th Women’s World Floorball
Championships in Tampere, where a number of spectator records were broken, with the new attendance record in the final and very extensive media coverage of the event on both TV and especially on social media,” Liljelund added.
“The IFF has worked a lot with new tools like Snapchat and Instagram.
“Maybe the most important single development over the past year has been the start of the ‘Each One - Teach One’ mentoring programme for the IFF Member Associations, where a total of 26 bilateral projects have been started between the Member Associations, coordinated by the IFF, and the fact that the IFF now has 60 Members.”
Anna Arzhanova
DID YOU KNOW?One of the oldest sports clubs in the world was founded in Lausanne. It is thought that the Lausanne Football and Cricket Club, which was founded in 1860, was the first football club to be established in continental Europe. Sheffield FC in England, the oldest football club in the world, was formed only three years earlier in 1857.
with SportAccord Convention Gold Partner
C O F F E E B R E A K
Paul Bush (pictured), Director of Events at EventScotland, has hailed SportAccord Convention as a standout week on the international sporting calendar. EventScotland is a long-term supporter of the Convention, and is once again a Silver Partner this year in Lausanne. “The Convention is undoubtedly the one key networking opportunity of the year, bringing together key decision-makers from all levels of sport and related industry sectors worldwide,” Bush told The Daily. “It allows for discussion and debate on the key challenges and opportunities facing the industry, while simultaneously providing a platform to initiate, sustain and develop valuable partnerships and relationships. It’s great to be back in Lausanne for this critical week on the calendar.”
BUSH HAILS CONVENTION
8 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016 Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 9
Espace OdysséeMalley Chemin du Viaduc 141008 Prilly
Come and experience Top World Floorball in Lausanne!
Free Entrance with the SportAccord Accreditation!
teamsdate time arena
22.04.2016 17.00 CZE SWE Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
22.04.2016 20.00 SUI FIN Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
23.04.2016 15.00 FIN CZE Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
23.04.2016 18.00 SUI SWE Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
24.04.2016 12.00 FIN SWE Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
24.04.2016 15.00 SUI CZE Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
match schedule EFT 2016
The host of this year’s SportAccord Convention is commonly referred to as the ‘Olympic Capital’, such are
its established links with the international sports community.
Lausanne, the home of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and dozens of International Federations, is the hub of the sporting world.
Patrice Iseli, the City of Lausanne’s Head of Sport, believes that there are three main reasons why an increasing number of IFs are choosing to call Lausanne home.
“Firstly, joining Lausanne enables Federations to connect with the world of international sport,” Iseli told The Daily.
“Today 55 International Sports
Organisations are based here, employing more than 1,500 people.
“More than 50 businesses directly related to the sports industry are operating from here – in sectors such as communications, marketing, law, finance and PR – as well as world-renowned academia, creating research and innovation in sport every day. International sport expertise is here, so joining this community is truly an opportunity for growth.
“Secondly, we make the move easy for the Federations and offer great conditions when they are here. We have a one-stop shop ‘welcome desk’ that assists Federations and their staff in every administrative aspect of their move.
“Thirdly, we offer a unique quality of life. In the heart of Europe, one-and-a-half
hours from Paris, Milan or Amsterdam, Lausanne is a great place not only to think about sport, but also to play sport. The lake, the countryside, the Alps – everything is just a stone’s throw away.” Lausanne has experienced significant growth in recent years, but, according to Iseli, there is ample room for further expansion.
He added: “We are victims of our success! Next to the Maison du Sport International there is currently a brand new building under construction that will open in April 2018.
“We will have an extra 2,500m2 of space for Sports Organisations there.
“In addition to that, we do have office space available in and around the city, from the simplest, to the most ‘grandiose’ settings.”
Aside from being the home of the IOC, the ‘Olympic Capital’ nickname is fully justified, if recent research is anything to go by.
“The International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS) did research on this topic in 2015,” Nicolas Imhof, Head of Sport at the Canton de Vaud, told The Daily.
“The estimated annual economic impact of the sports industry for Switzerland as
a whole is CHF1.07bn – more than €900m or about $1bn – with CHF550m for the Canton of Vaud and CHF250m for the city of Lausanne.”
Imhof added that the City of Lausanne is in regular contact with various IFs and will continue to strive to expand the scope of support for them.
“We interact a lot with the Federations already,” he said. “We organise management seminars, IF meetings and social events, but we want to do more.
“Also, the state has created an organisation called ‘ThinkSport’, which aims to put all the stakeholders of the sports industry that are based here – International Sports Organisations and Federations, businesses and academic institutions – in an active network so that they can all grow through a better exchange.” Visit www.thinksport.org for more information and visit www.olympiccapital.ch to check out the City of Lausanne’s new website.
Lausanne linking up world of sport
International Orienteering Federation (IOF) President Brian Porteous has vowed to maintain the sport’s drive for Olympic Games inclusion.
The IOF was one of 26 International Federations to apply for a place on the programme for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, but did not make the cut.
Porteous told The Daily that he is determined to increase awareness of the sport and participation numbers worldwide.
“Our continued focus is to work to become a sport worthy of inclusion in the Olympic Summer or Winter Games and, as part of that objective, to grow further our global footprint in every IOC region,” Porteous said.
“This means targeted regional development in our growth areas of South America, Africa and Asia. We are staging the first-ever World Orienteering Day on May 11 to show the extent of our sport in every corner of the world.”
Despite the Olympics setback, it has been a successful past 12 months for the IOF.
“We have had a great year, growing our membership, totally revamping our professional organisation with a
new focus on marketing, expanding the reach of our TV products, improving the attractiveness of our major events and obtaining new major sponsorships,” Porteous said.
“We have the best quality TV coverage we have ever produced and that means we have a product that is capable of being sold more around the world.
“The expanding visibility is bringing us new Members and is also giving us the opportunity to attract more commercial income.
“Our challenge is to make the most of these opportunities.”
Porteous added that events such as SportAccord Convention are vital for the continued growth of smaller IFs such as the IOF.
“The Convention is always a very important platform for us and we are looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones in Lausanne,” he said.
IOF’S OLYMPICS PLEDGE
PUT YOUR FOCUS ON THE VIEW - AGGREKOSportAccord Convention delegates are well aware that television audiences worldwide just cannot seem to get enough of sport.
Nearly half the globe tuned in to watch the closing minutes of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Olympics draw billions of viewers and annual tournaments like American football’s NFL Super Bowl and cycling’s Tour de France attract audiences in the hundreds of millions.
However, these are the mainstream television audiences. An increasing number of viewers follow the action via online streaming, dip into blogs or attend the event in person.
In 2015 Deloitte predicted that broadcast rights alone would be worth about £17bn in 2016 and will continue to grow.
“This means that ensuring continuous, reliable and uninterrupted viewing is a paramount consideration for those staging major sporting events,” Aggreko’s Head of Global Events, David de Behr, said.
“Just as sportsmen and women train and prepare for their event, sporting event organisers also need to plan ahead. Nothing should be left to chance or come as a surprise.”
De Behr said that early collaboration between power suppliers and event organisers is the best way to safeguard against potential issues, regardless of the size or location of the event.
“The first thing I’d say is that failure is just not an option. We’ve learned a great deal in the 50 years since we first provided power for a sporting event – being flexible, prepared and expecting the unexpected all help to mitigate the risk of disruption,” De Behr added.
By getting involved early, Aggreko helps organisers to define their priorities.
“All events are different, have different broadcasting requirements and need different solutions,” De Behr added.
“Running hours, noise, emissions, unobtrusiveness, remote locations and availability of grid power or fuel type are just some of the considerations.
“It’s all about collaboration and having the conversation early on, thinking about the unthinkable and planning ahead.”
Come and talk to David de Behr and the Aggreko events team on Stand 44 at the SwissTech Convention Center.
#ShareYourGoldenMomentBrian CooksonPresidentUCI
Why Lausanne..?“As we look forward to the construction of our new headquarters, it is a good time to consider why we moved from Brussels to Lausanne in 2012. We wanted to be closer to the Federations who organise our events and to the Olympic Movement. It has been a two-
way street, easier for us to meet the Federations and easier for the Federations who didn’t know about FISU to find out about us. We only had a few people when we moved here and now we have more than 40.”
Dejan Susovic, Chief Operating Officer, International University Sports Federation (FISU)
The World Curling Federation (WCF) has committed to developing its existing broadcast partnerships with the USA Curling Association and Champions Curling Tour in order to deliver more high-quality broadcast coverage of the sport to its supporters. WCF President Kate Caithness said: “We are determined to deliver a range of top-class curling broadcasts to as wide an audience as possible in the build up to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.” Members of the media have been invited to attend a signing ceremony today between the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU). A Memorandum of Cooperation between the two organisations will be signed at the FISU stand on Level 1. The event, which will be attended by FISU President Oleg Matytsin and Secretary General Eric Saintrond, will start at 13:45, with a FISU media roundtable beginning at 14:15. Please email [email protected] or call +79 183402753 if you would like to attend the event.
LAUSANNE – THE OLYMPIC CAPITAL...
Is the home of 55 International Sports Federations and Organisations Is the base for more than 50 sport-related companies Employs more than 1,500 people through sport Delivers an annual economic impact of CHF550m for the region
Nicolas Imhof and Patrice Iseli
David de Behr
‘International sport expertise is here, so joining this community is truly an opportunity’
‘We have had a great year. We have the best quality TV coverage we have ever produced’
VOLUNTEERS HAILED FOR CONTRIBUTIONSportAccord Convention
2016 is providing a valuable learning experience for some
120 volunteers who are helping to make this year’s event run like clockwork.
The ‘hidden heroes’ of the event hail from the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS), fellow educational institutions HES, EPFL and UNIL, and also Volontaires Sportifs Lausannois.
The enthusiastic volunteers have been tasked with a range of vital responsibilities at the SwissTech Convention Center, providing assistance in the media and conference rooms and at the entrance, cloakroom, car park, info desk and accreditation desk, while also dealing with accommodation and hotline enquiries.
“They really have been very helpful and we couldn’t do this event without them,” the Convention’s Volunteer Coordinator and Assistant at the City of Lausanne, Elodie Salerno, told The Daily.
“I think it’s a wonderful experience for them to see an event like this and everything that goes on.
“We are fortunate to have a very strong base
of volunteers in Lausanne for sporting events.”AISTS Executive Director Claude Stricker
told The Daily that the Convention represents a “very unique learning opportunity” for the AISTS Master of Sport Administration students.
“As one of the major conferences in the annual calendar that brings together over 100 International Federations and Sports Organisations, our volunteers are getting a unique insight into the industry, a firmer understanding of the stakeholders at play in their future industry and a practical, hands-on
experience of the behind- the-scenes organisation of a major conference,” he said.
“Being immersed in this environment will also provide the class with an understanding of the challenges and opportunities currently facing International Federations, and which they will in turn face as they embark on their career in a few months’ time.”
AISTS volunteers have volunteered for numerous local events in the past, with the Olympic Capital of Lausanne operating as a hub of activity in international sport.
“They have time and again shown their commitment to sports
and to this industry,” Stricker added.“AISTS MSA participants can always be
found giving up their time to volunteer for sporting events.
“With the learning and experience from the AISTS MSA, it is always the hope that our course participants will go on to realise their full career potential in sports administration. It is the aim of the programme to produce future leaders in sport who can go on to make a positive impact and change the world of sport.”
10 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016 Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 11
SPORT’S FUTURE
NOW ON THE LINE
As a Rugby World Cup winner and record points scorer in Test matches,
Michael Lynagh probably does not worry too much about whether he made the right decision, but there was a time he could have chosen cricket.
The young Lynagh played for Queensland Schoolboys for four years, starting as a 13-year-old among 17-year olds and taking the field with such stars of the future as Ian Healy and Craig McDermott.
Selection for a tour of the UK and Ireland helped to cement his future in rugby union in much the same way as a family move from the Gold Coast to Brisbane had ended any likelihood of pursuing an early talent for rugby league.
And what a future he had. Lynagh still lives in Twickenham, scene of his greatest triumph as a member of the Australian team who in 1991 won their country’s first Rugby World Cup. He will never forget the victory, the crucial eight points from his kicks and a taxi ride a few years later.
“When we first moved to Twickenham, I got a cab in the West End,” he told The Daily. “The driver asked where I wanted to go and I said Twickenham. He spotted me in the mirror and said: ‘Where else!’”
The life of Lynagh went through many
twists and turns after that Rugby World Cup success, and he will expand on some of them in the Interview of the Day – brought to you by Dow Jones Sports Intelligence – with BBC World Journalist and Anchor David Eades from 16:00-16:30 today. The audience will find Lynagh easy-going, entertaining and ready to take any question head-on.
He has some strong views
and good ideas on where rugby is going, on the risks to his game
and sport generally, and on the life-
threatening stroke that he experienced in 2012 – which inspired his latest book.
Lynagh retired from international rugby after Australia’s defeat to England at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, but he remains the Wallabies’ all-time record points scorer.
As someone who made his name in the days of amateur rugby, Lynagh always had a job. One of the reasons he did not move into coaching was that he had the skills, experience and contacts to build a successful business career.
He said: “Also, I didn’t want to be standing around in my tracksuit in the middle of an English winter! But rugby had given me everything and I wanted to use my business knowledge and nous to help the game progress.”
Lynagh worked with the International Rugby Board (IRB), which was rebranded as World Rugby in late 2014, to help drive the development of the game. His
latest appointment sees him take on the full-time job of Managing Director EMEA for Dow Jones Corporate, with particular involvement in its Sports Intelligence service.
As someone who played in the inaugural Rugby
World Cup in 1987, Lynagh was the obvious choice to
work with the IRB on shaping the future. He helped with the
lobbying to get rugby sevens into the Olympics schedule
and to promote the growth and sustainability of rugby in the islands of Samoa, Fiji and Tonga.
He is excited about the long-term benefits, particularly for emerging nations, from last year’s Rugby World Cup, this year’s Olympics
and RWC 2019, which will take place in Japan. He said: “We saw the success of Japan last year in beating South Africa and I remind my South African friends about that quite often!
“It was one of the best World Cups I have been to and the hosts played their part by getting knocked out early!”
His work at SportAccord Convention this week goes beyond
the Interview of the Day. He will be working behind the scenes with the rest of the Dow Jones Sports Intelligence team to outline their services around greater transparency, compliance and good governance.
“It is a wonderful fit for me because of my background in sport and business, and it’s great timing with so many different issues in so many different sports,” he said.
“Because of the nature of Dow Jones, we have a vast array of data and intelligence. Sport for various reasons probably has not kept pace and we are starting to see how that is becoming an issue.”
And then there is ‘Blindsided’, the book written with Mark Eglinton and published last year about Lynagh’s recovery from the stroke. It is shortlisted for International Autobiography of the Year in the Cross Sports Book awards and ironically faces competition from All Black star Dan Carter among others.
However, while Lynagh is clearly proud of that, he seems more impressed by the letter he received from a prisoner who was so inspired by the story that he vowed to turn his life around.
“His fiancée sent him the book and his reaction was very nice,” he said. “When someone in prison writes to you and says your book has changed their life for the better, it makes it all worthwhile.”
Michael Lynagh will be the subject of the Interview of the Day, brought to you by Dow Jones Sports Intelligence, from 16:00-16:30 in the Plenary Conference today
From legendary feats on the pitch to a life-threatening stroke and beyond,
Australian rugby great Michael Lynagh is lifting the lid on his stunning story
As a long-running Gold Partner of SportAccord Convention, Sport Event Denmark has established
close relationships with International Federations over the years.
At the opening ceremony for this year’s Convention on Tuesday evening at the SwissTech Convention Center, it was announced that the Danish city of Aarhus will host next year’s event from April 2-7.
Aarhus, the European Capital of Culture in 2017, will provide an intimate and vibrant setting for the Convention, and confirmation of the hosting agreement has demonstrated a further commitment by Denmark towards the international sports movement.
“Being a Gold Partner of the Convention for many years now offers us the opportunity to meet with our colleagues within the world of sport,” Sport Event Denmark CEO Lars Lundov told The Daily.
“The Convention is a golden moment for us in terms of networking and building new relationships.
“We like to listen in and to contribute to the experiences we have when it comes to bidding for and hosting international
sporting events. By attending the Convention, we have the perfect stage for this and this year we have been especially looking forward to sharing golden moments with the International Federations.”
Sport Event Denmark is the national Danish sports event organisation, focusing on attracting leading championships and competitions to the country.
Plans are already in place for the 2017 Convention, with Lundov having told The Daily yesterday that the event will be “compact, cosy and in the very centre of the
city”, with Sport Event Denmark retaining its status as a Gold Partner.
However, the focus this week is on making the most of the opportunities to meet IFs and international sport stakeholders in “wonderful Lausanne”, according to Lundov.
“For the Convention, our focus is to listen and learn,” Lundov added.
In recent years, Sport Event Denmark has helped to secure leading swimming, cycling, badminton, handball, volleyball and half-marathon events for the country.
In 2018, Denmark will stage the ISAF Sailing World Championships and the IIHF World Men’s Ice Hockey Championships, while Copenhagen will be one of 13 cities to host the UEFA Euro 2020 national team football tournament.
“Sporting events are all about golden moments and these moments are milestones in hosting major international sporting events,” Lundov said. “In Denmark we are passionate about hosting – and taking it to new heights.
“We have the experience and the partners to stage successful events. We recognise the importance of adding value to an event
and its owner, and we always strive to do our utmost to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders.”
Lundov added that the company’s ‘Hosting Winners’ slogan is highlighted by the calibre of events Sport Event Denmark has been able to land.
“Gold is an important value within sport,”
he added. “So through our Sport Event Denmark slogan, ‘Hosting Winners’, we underline that winners are both on the field and within every operation of the event itself.
“Gold is also about exceeding boundaries and expectations. The key aspect of creating long-term relationships between host cities and International Federations involves playing an active role in sport and sporting events.”
Convention offers ‘golden moments’
‘Rugby had given me everything and I wanted to use my business knowledge to help it progress’
Lynagh and Nick Farr-Jones with the Webb Ellis
Trophy in 1991
Lynagh touches down against Ireland in the 1991 Rugby World Cup
World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Executive Director Michael Schmidt has praised the impact of the inaugural Premier12 national team tournament, which took place in Taiwan and Japan last November.
The baseball competition featured the top 12 ranking nations in the world, with South Korea claiming the gold.
However, the impact of the event was global thanks to the magic of social media. “The WBSC successfully launched a new flagship tournament, Premier12, in which two billion social media impressions were generated – the most ever for an international baseball event,” Schmidt told The Daily.
“The potential broadcast reach of Premier12 was 253.7m households, while fans from 217 countries and territories tuned in online.
“The inaugural Premier12 helped to generate $131m in brand exposure for our partners, as well as for our sport and WBSC itself.
“Last year was the biggest yet for WBSC, in terms of key measurements like broadcast exposure, sponsorship value, fan attendance and social media reach.
“We are also very excited that baseball and softball are part of a new sports package proposed by Tokyo 2020, following the historic passing of Olympic Agenda 2020.”
WBSC is one of five International Federations to have been recommended for inclusion in the programme for the Tokyo Olympics, along with the governing bodies of karate, skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing. The IOC removed baseball and softball from the Summer Games programme in July 2005, and the two
sports have not featured at the Olympics since Beijing in 2008. However, IOC President Thomas Bach’s Agenda 2020 roadmap has provided the likes of WBSC with hope for the future.
“Agenda 2020 has presented this history-changing opportunity, and WBSC is committed to earning and keeping a place in the Olympics,” Schmidt added.
“Baseball and softball continue to look to expand the reach and popularity of our sport, while furthering our leading position in youth sport. We now have an estimated 65m athletes in our sport, with the majority of our athletes between the ages of five and 21.
“WBSC has 209 National Federations in 142 countries and territories worldwide. We are a global sport dedicated to growing further, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, to sustain the growth of our sport over the next decade.”
Although 2016 will be an Olympics-free year for WBSC, several other events are scheduled to take place.
“This year we have key Youth World Championships, as well as our flagship women’s events, including the U15, U23 and Women’s Baseball World Cups, and the Women’s and U19 Men’s Softball World Championships,” Schmidt said.
PREMIER12 EVENT PROVES A BIG SOCIAL HIT FOR WBSC
GETTY IMAGES
Michael Lynagh
‘We recognise the importance of adding value to an event and we always strive to exceed the expectations’
Lars Lundov
Lausanne’s Olympic Museum will tonight provide a spectacular and historic setting for the event which
brings down the curtain on this year’s SportAccord Convention.
After the hours of meetings, presentations and exhibitions the focus will switch to networking and not working, with delegates free to tour the exhibits, marvel at the unrivalled views of Lake Geneva and the Alps, and enjoy each other’s company.
Philippe Gueisbuhler, who organised the opening ceremony and the social programme for SportAccord Convention, said he is hoping for fine weather to add the magical finishing touch.
He said: “If we get good weather, then the view from the terrace of the red, setting sun reflecting on the waters of the lake with the Alps in the background will be mind-blowing!
“If the weather lets us down, delegates are still in for a fantastic evening in a wonderful environment which is all about sporting history and achievement, and which is perfect for our celebration.”
The collections date from ancient times to the present day and came together for the first time in 1993 with the opening of the Olympic Museum at Ouchy. The Museum
attracted almost 200,000 visitors every year until it closed at the end of 2012 for a major refurbishment.
It reopened almost two years later with an additional 1,000 square metres of exhibition space, taking the total to 3,000 square metres extending to three floors and even into the Museum grounds, presenting more
than 1,500 exhibits and countless amazing Olympic stories.
The closing ceremony will begin at 19:00 and end at 22:00. Delegates will be welcomed by a red carpet lined with torches and will enter the building to the sound of a grand piano.
Cocktails and canapés will be served as guests make their way through the three floors, experiencing a variety of exhibits and moods.
The gentle melodies of the piano player will make way for the jazz and pop of the Robert Trainor Band, hand-picked for the occasion following the success of their appearance at the IF Forum in Lausanne last November.
Gueisbuhler said: “The attractions include an art corner, there’s a temporary exhibition about Rio 2016 and there will be an opportunity to buy exclusive gifts from the Museum shop. The food and drink will include some Swiss specialities and some local wines.
“We have planned an informal event for our last evening together in Lausanne and the aim is for people to close SportAccord Convention by enjoying this final opportunity to spend time together in a superb social setting.”
12 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016
TODAY AT A GLANCEThursday, 21 April
MEETINGS:SportAccord Council Meeting (09:00-12:30)ARISF/WADA Anti-Doping Coaching/Training Session (14:00-17:30)CONFERENCE:SportBusiness Group Workshop (09:00-10:30)SportAccord Convention Conference (09:45-12:00, 13:30-17:30)GlobalSports Jobs Workshop (14:00-15:30)Sportcal Workshop (16:00-17:30)
CONVENTION:SportAccord Convention Exhibition (08:30-18:30)Virtual Sports Demo Zone (09:00-18:30)MEDIA:SportAccord Convention Press Conference (13:00-13:30)SOCIAL:Morning Activity urban workout session with Slaven Dizdarevic, powered by AISTS - Olympic Museum (06:30-07:30)Lunch (12:30-14:00)Exhibition Showcase Cocktail (17:00-18:30)SportAccord Convention Closing Event – Olympic Museum (19:00-22:00)SportAccord Convention After Hours Official Bar – Royal Savoy Lausanne (19:00-23:30)
Museum set to host ceremony
The morning activity sessions at SportAccord Convention this week have been attracting dozens of delegates who are keen to start their day with a bang.
After the morning run, supported by SportAccord Convention, offered a chance to see the sights of Lausanne on Monday, the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) hosted the morning activity on Tuesday before the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) helped delegates to blow away the cobwebs yesterday morning.
Swiss three-time orienteering world champion Matthias Kyburz was on hand on Tuesday to offer support to participants, who were provided with electronic timing and GPS tracking equipment so they could compare their performances.
Yesterday IFMA took a group of 40 delegates through their paces, hosting a workout that has been a part of the Convention calendar since the 2010 edition in Dubai.
IFMA General Secretary Stephan Fox, a former Muaythai world champion, told The Daily: “It is always great for people to come together for our workout sessions at SportAccord Convention.
“The standard has definitely improved over the years, and whatever your level of fitness, there is no better way to kick-start your day.”
READY, STEADY, GO!
