Birmingham Welcomes the World as SportAccord 2024 Kicks Off

The global sports movement’s most influential decision-makers have arrived in Birmingham, West Midlands, for the return of sport’s No.1 global gathering.

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2024 opened in Birmingham, with more than 1,500 delegates from over 100 countries meeting in the West Midlands for the highly anticipated return of sport’s most important industry summit.

Key figures from across the international sports movement have embarked on five days of networking from 7-11 April, with high-level meetings, a bustling exhibition, and a packed conference programme under the umbrella theme of ‘The Power of Sport’.

World-class speakers will include sports leaders such as Mark Rein, Vice President and Co-Founder, Epic Games; UK Sport Chair Dame Katherine Grainger; Rob Alberino, Vice-President of Content and Production, Kansas City Chiefs; and many more.

SportAccord Managing Director Martin Gibbs praised the team effort of Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Growth Company in embracing this powerful event and bringing it to the heart of the UK.

“We are delighted with the enthusiastic response of the global sports movement in coming back to SportAccord and the atmosphere in the city is fantastic,” Gibbs said.

“Our hosts are not only building on the legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, but they are also putting Birmingham and the West Midlands firmly at the centre of the sporting world over the coming days, with an event that will bring together the sport economy’s most influential decision-makers. There is no other event where you find in one place so many International Federations, the International Olympic Committee, rights holders, cities and regions as well as sports business leaders.”

Aside from the main Plenary Conference, there will also be dedicated HealthAccord, LawAccord, CityAccord and MediaAccord conference streams, as well as various workshops and a Speakers’ Corner, with experts from across the industry offering unmissable insights.

With numerous events planned in and around the International Convention Centre over the coming days, attendees can take advantage of a compact set-up to maximise networking opportunities, reconnecting with old friends and establishing new connections.

“We have various resources available so that delegates can make the most of their time in Birmingham, including an official event app, a digital event guide and our on-site newspaper, The Daily, which will cover all of the most important developments,” Gibbs added. “We are also really grateful for the support of the dedicated team of volunteers who have been assisting attendees, to ensure their stay in Birmingham is as productive and enjoyable as possible. Their enthusiasm and friendly welcome is really making a difference.”

Partners

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2024 is supported by a number of strong partners and suppliers:

Gold Partner: Sport Event Denmark

Silver Partners: EventScotland, Explore Edmonton, Tourism & Events Queensland

Bronze Partner: Sport Liverpool , Sports Authority Thailand

Official Suppliers: DB Schenker, Wiz-Team

About SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit brings together around 1,500 leaders and key decision makers from over 120 International Federations (IFs), the International Olympic Committee, and organisations involved in the business of sport. 

The Summit provides an unrivalled platform enabling global business leaders and host cities to have access to all the International Federations and their stakeholders in one location over several days. 

This unique event is a combination of official sports meetings, networking gatherings, a themed conference programme, and exhibition space enabling International Federations, industry, cities and regions to showcase and advance their sport, services and facilities. 

About SPORTACCORD

SportAccord is a sports event organisation based in the Olympic Capital, Lausanne, Switzerland, and governed by stakeholders representing the Olympic and non-Olympic International Federations.  

It brings together International Federations and organisations involved in the business of sport with the aim to serve, promote and protect the common interests of its stakeholders, help them achieve their global objectives and facilitate knowledge-sharing.

SportAccord’s stakeholders include:

ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations)

WOF (Winter Olympic Federations)

ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations)

AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport)

Visit SportAccord.sport for more information.

About Yutang Sports

As one of SportAccord's Principal Media Partners, 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.