New conference programme ‘HealthAccord’ revealed for SportAccord Convention 2018

SportAccord Convention is delighted to reveal details for the inaugural conference programme: HealthAccord: The Power of Sport – The Power to Change, set to take place on the afternoon of Thursday 19 April 2018 at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre in Thailand. This builds on the success of the International Federation (IF) Forum 2016 where international sports federations gathered to discuss the power of sport to drive world health.

Recognised as two of the leading experts in sports medicine and health, Co-Chairs for the new HealthAccord conference programme: Dr. Margo Mountjoy, Chair, ASOIF Medical + Scientific Consultative Group, IOC Medical + Scientific Commission-Games Group FINA Bureau; and Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, President, FIMS (International Federation of Sports Medicine) & Member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission – Medical and Scientific Group commented:

“HealthAccord is testament to Sport’s commitment to continued innovation for our athletes, as well as the significant role sport can play in cultures and communities around the world. They went on to say:

“This is a defining time for sport and SportAccord Convention continues to be a strong platform for addressing global issues amongst sport and industry leaders. HealthAccord gives us an opportunity to reflect on how our policies, partnerships and resources can best be put into use to support athletes at every level, as well as to share and identify practical ways to influence citizens to lead healthier lives – particularly in urban areas.”

Drawing on the knowledge and work of experts from global health programmes, HealthAccord will be of interest to international sports federations, cities, governing bodies, sports scientists, the medical fraternity, and industries who have a vested interest in sport – all of whom can register for SportAccord Convention. HealthAccord will include presentations, panel sessions and case studies with two overarching sessions focused on athletes and global citizens, respectively.

The first session: The Power of Sport will examine how to increase sports sponsorship and engage audiences through the application of ‘state of the art’ sport science and sport medicine, not only enabling an athlete to perform more spectacular feats that are ‘higher, stronger, faster’ to thrill global audiences, but will also enable athletes to remain active in sport for a longer duration. The session will identify the health principles underpinning the improvements in athlete performance and longevity in sport.

The second session: The Power to Change will look at the Olympic health legacy and lessons learnt, as well as implications for the future towards healthy, active sporting cities. Emerging evidence shows there is a general demise in the cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness of young individuals in western countries that seems to track the decrease in levels of physical activity. This decline in physical fitness also appears to be having a negative effect on sporting performance. There is the belief amongst some experts that the decline in physical fitness may impact negatively on sporting performance.

As half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas and this trend is destined to continue, this makes it likely that more of the world’s population will be affected by sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity. There is an urgent need, therefore, for the Olympic movement and stakeholders in sport, to become social drivers and help to correct this mismatch. This session will examine what it takes to influence urban citizens worldwide, as well as the practical approaches that can be taken, so physical activity becomes part and parcel of their daily lives.

Further details can be found on the HealthAccord conference webpage. Registration and exhibition uptake for SAC2018 confirms strong interest for the next Convention taking place in Bangkok, Thailand from 15-20 April 2018, where delegates have numerous networking opportunities to connect with sporting leaders and decision-makers involved in the business of sport.