SportAccord 2024 makes a memorable return to Birmingham

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2024 wrapped up yesterday after an inspirational week that will shape the future of sport and leave a transformative legacy in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

More than 1,700 attendees from 65 different countries travelled to the UK from across the globe for a packed agenda of high-level meetings, conferences, exhibitions, networking, and social events at the International Convention Centre.

Against the backdrop of what many described as the busiest SportAccord exhibition ever, high-calibre participants in the conference programme included Olympic champions and leading industry figures such as Epic Games Vice President and Co-Founder Mark Rein; UK Sport Chair Dame Katherine Grainger; Olympic Broadcasting Services CEO Yannis Exarchos; Rob Alberino, Vice-President of Content and Production, Kansas City Chiefs; Wayne Barnes,  Former Rugby World Cup referee and many more. Topics of discussion and debate ranged from sustainability, innovative technology, fan engagement and new event models to governance, esports and athlete wellbeing.

Important items during the official meetings included the election of the next Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) President Ingmar De Vos, and presentations from the Organising Committees for Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026.

“On behalf of SportAccord, I would like to express our sincere thanks to our hosts for delivering a superb event bringing the international sports family back together in the heart of their vibrant and diverse city,” SportAccord President Prof Dr Uğur Erdener said.

“An engaging agenda of networking events, supported by the passion of the local volunteers in a state-of-the-art venue in a region steeped in sporting heritage, provided a perfect platform for forging connections, strengthening relationships and exploring new ideas.

“Birmingham and the West Midlands have given sport an ideal platform for gathering International Federations, the International Olympic Committee, rights holders, businesses, cities, and regions – the whole sporting family.”

SportAccord has been supported by the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund (CWGLEF), administered by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). In addition to the WMCA, SportAccord’s regional delivery partners include Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Growth Company.

Neil Rami, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, said: “SportAccord has been a triumph for the West Midlands – this is about return on influence for us, as well as return on investment. This was the natural next step from the success of the Commonwealth Games, as we brought world leaders of sport together in Birmingham at SportAccord to enhance our reputation across the global sports industry and forge crucial relationships with sporting federations.

“Significant announcements made at SportAccord included the release of the government’s official report of £1.2 billion economic impact of the Commonwealth Games, to Tom Wagner’s investment in Birmingham City Football Club and the purchase of Bordesley Park, as well as the creation of the Sports Quarter which is expected to generate 3,000 local jobs. 

“There’s been no better endorsement than when SportAccord President Prof Dr Uğur Erdener has congratulated us and hailed Birmingham as the best SportAccord ever.”

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.