Birmingham Will Host SportAccord 2024
August 29, 2023
The eagerly awaited return of SportAccord will take place in Birmingham, England, from April 7-11, 2024, bringing together more than 1,500 delegates from around the world.
The re-launch in the city that hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games puts the most important event of the year back at the centre of the international sports business calendar.
SportAccord 2024 will be held at the award-winning International Convention Centre in central Birmingham.
Reflecting the enormous changes in recent years, especially in technology, it seems that the relaunched SportAccord has the aim of reaching beyond its traditional identity as the annual gathering of the Olympic Movement and host cities, to embrace the world of commercial sport and related businesses more fully as a true global summit.
SportAccord has been called the ‘Davos of Sport’ and the new direction would better enable the event to live up to that nickname with a more inclusive conference and exhibition programme alongside the dozens of formal meetings scheduled by the international federations, the associations of the Summer and Winter Olympic IFs and others.
SportAccord is almost certainly the only entity that can make it happen.
Because of its official status within the Olympic Movement, it has a unique position in global sport. And that uniqueness is tangible and practical. No other event can build on a foundation of being guaranteed to bring together the presidents and top executives from about 120 IFs and Olympic decision-makers every year.
And while SportAccord over the years has welcomed speakers from professional sports and brands and agencies and service providers, there is an ambition to make the rights owners and partners of commercial sport an integral part of the conference and exhibition to facilitate collaboration and shared learning.
“Today’s challenges are basically the same for the federations entrusted with sports governance and the most commercially minded leagues and events,” said iSportconnect CEO Sandy Case. “They need to find new and better ways to future-proof their businesses, deliver value for the brands that invest in them and be sustainable. SportAccord is the only event that can address the wide range of needs of all of sport at the same time in the same place.”
Ivo Ferriani, President of SportAccord, said: “We are thrilled Birmingham is Host City for the next edition of SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit in 2024. I can think of no better place than the West Midlands to build on the momentum of the brilliant Birmingham Commonwealth Games by hosting SportAccord.
“A city of inventions, iconic landmarks and firsts, Birmingham’s rich tapestry of history, heritage and culture will provide a unique delegate experience.
“With superb facilities, as well as accommodation all highly accessible within a square mile sports leaders and decision makers can focus on what really matters in this new era for sport – unique networking and valuable insights from a dynamic line-up of world-class speakers.
“We look forward to bringing the magic of SportAccord to Birmingham in 2024.”
The 2024 edition in Birmingham will be the 17th SportAccord. Since its creation in 2003 the summit has been held in Madrid (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Seoul (South Korea), Beijing (China), Athens (Greece), Denver (USA), Dubai (UAE), Quebec City (Canada), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Belek (Turkey), Sochi (Russia), Aarhus (Denmark), Bangkok (Thailand) and Gold Coast (Australia). The Olympic Capital of Lausanne in Switzerland has twice been the host city.
SportAccord 2024 in Birmingham will be the second time the event has taken place in the UK. London welcomed the event in 2011 ahead of hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.