SPRING | FEATURE
and Utilita Arena ( 15,800 ), including the FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships and the Badminton World Championships . The ICC also hosted the first edition of The Commonwealth Esports Championships during the time of the Games .
NEC Group Conventions general manager Allan Boyle says the venue has been working in partnership with
the WMGC for around 16 months on the summit : “ Hosting the event will be a pretty straightforward operation but it ’ s obviously got the prestige around it , therefore the meticulous planning in the early days plays through to the execution of the event .”
Looking beyond the event , Ladwa says there is a possibility of the region hosting the biggest sporting event in the world someday . The Gold Coast won the bid to host the 2032 Olympic
Games two years after hosting the summit in 2019 , and Ladwa sees no reason why the West Midlands cannot follow suit .
“ We will have the IOC in town and they will be able to see the amazing venues and hotels we have in the city . It ’ s definitely an option for the future .”
Andy Street , Mayor of the West Midlands , says , “ If we want to keep hosting the world ’ s biggest sporting
“ There is no question just what a major coup this is for the West Midlands .”
events then showcasing our region to sport ’ s global decision makers is mission critical . That ’ s why this SportAccord conference is so important – and why I ’ m delighted we ’ ve been able to pull it off .
“ There is no question just what a major coup this is for the West Midlands , and we now must ensure we make the most of the opportunity and use it as a springboard for our future .”
Chamberlain Square
Leading experts will address some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in global sport at the International Convention Centre under the theme of ‘ The Power of Sport ’. Topics include the way AI will shape the sporting landscape , the influence gaming and e-sports have already had and lessons to learn from the commercially successful North American Leagues . Challenges to be addressed include online abuse in sport and wider expert discussions will centre around international sports diplomacy at a difficult time on the global stage .
The speaker lineup across the Summit ’ s Plenary Session and four streams – CityAccord , LawAccord , HealthAccord and MediaAccord – includes Chris Boardman MBE , Olympic gold medallist and world champion cyclist , and now chair of Sport England and commissioner of Active Travel England .
Boardman is joined by six experts who operate in various sectors of the global sports landscape . The experts , spanning host cities , Esports , sports medicine , sustainability , and athlete representation , will lead sessions centered around the transformative impact of sport on society . They include Melanie Duparc , secretary general of World Union of Olympic Cities ; Paul Foster , CEO of Global Esports Federation ; Dr Margo Mountjoy , clinical professor and sports medicine specialist , chair of ASOIF Medical and Science Consultative Group ; Dale Vince , chairman of Forest Green Rovers and founder / owner of Ecotricity ; Ross Wenzel , WADA general counsel ; and Brendan Schwab , director of Schwab Legal and former executive director of World Players Association .
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