High-Profile Speakers to Outline ‘Lessons We Are Learning’ at Tomorrow’s IF Forum 2021

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and 8th United Nations Secretary-General H.E. Ban Ki-moon are among the influential speakers lined up for tomorrow’s fully virtual International Federation (IF) Forum 2021.

The IOC President will provide a significant update on preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with Keynote Addresses by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and then H.E. Ban Ki-moon, who is also the Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission, following the Opening Address by Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, President of SportAccord and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). These official addresses will be livestreamed at 09:00 CEST on 25 May via the IF Forum 2021 website.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General ©SportAccord

The event, which will bring together more than 300 leaders from over 125 International Sports Federations, will explore the theme of ‘Lessons We Are Learning from a Global Crisis and How Sport and Society Can Emerge Stronger’.

8th United Nations Secretary-General H.E. Ban Ki-moon ©SportAccord

The invitation-only IF Forum 2021 will be staged virtually via the Olympic Capital of Lausanne in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland, with expert speakers including representatives of the IOC, umbrella sports associations and individual IFs, as well as sports industry executives. 

Various topics will be covered, such as ‘Moving Forward, Pivoting and the Lessons We Are Learning’, ‘A Return to Competition and Lessons from the Bubble’, ‘Athlete Mental Health’, ‘Commercial Approaches for IFs in the New Normal’ and ‘The Virtual Experience and its Home within IFs’.

Aside from the presentations, updates, case studies and panel sessions, there will also be networking opportunities for delegates via the host digital platform.

Immediately after the closing remarks of the IF Forum tomorrow at 15:45 Central European Summer Time (CEST), a SA2021 Virtual Launch Celebration will take place on the same platform for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021, less than six months before the event in Ekaterinburg, Russia, from 7-12 November.

Dr. Raffaele Chiulli said: “This year’s IF Forum has been designed to give International Sports Federations across the world timely insights so they can emerge from the challenges of the past year-and-a-half with more knowledge and the necessary tools to recover and grow in the coming months.

“We have an outstanding line-up of speakers and the SportAccord 2021 Virtual Launch Celebration will also provide an ideal opportunity to network with International Sports Federations.”

IF Forum 2021 Host City partners are: City of Lausanne and Canton de Vaud and the Official Partners are: City of London, Marsh, OnePlan, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Deportivo and Sport Event Denmark.

For further information about the IF Forum 2021, click here or download the brochure here.

You can follow all of the sessions here from 09:00 CET tomorrow (Tuesday) 25 May.

You can follow SportAccord’s portfolio of events via Twitter @sportaccord or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, VK, and Instagram.

For media enquiries, please contact: media@sportaccord.sport.

About The International Federation (IF) Forum

The IF Forum takes place annually and targets the specific needs of Olympic and International Sport Federations with a focus on sharing best practices and knowledge. The event is open to International Sports Federation members from ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations), AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations), AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport) and GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) and its Associate Members.

In addition, the IF Forum receives the full support of the International Olympic Committee.

About Yutang Sports

As a principal media partner of the SportAccord, Yutang Sports is a Chinese leading sports marketing and media platform, with an ultimate mission to connect China and world through sports. After years of growing, Yutang Sports, with a comprehensive media and marketing promotion system, is now dedicating to reporting sports business and marketing trends, providing sports business news, analysis and exclusive data reports in both Chinese and English. Having been cooperated with top-level domestic and international sports summits, Yutang Sports is opening a window for Chinese sports industry to embrace the world.