Thursday June 5th Conference Sessions

Conference Session Video & Presentations Now Available!

Watch: Opening, IN FOCUS & Case Study II

09:00-09:15  Opening remarks
Rick Burton, SportAccord Conference Host

 
09:15-10:00  IN FOCUS: The entertainment imperative

There is more to staging a successful sports event than the sporting competition. More than ever before, spectators accustomed to seeing their sports presented on television demand to be entertained at live events. How can live events provide the extra entertainment value that makes them the best way to experience sport?

Greg Bowman, Managing & Creative Director, Great Big Events
John Lim, Senior Vice President, Crystal Digital Technology Co. Ltd

10:00-10:30  CASE STUDY II:  Using facilities to drive the sports business

In North America, the normal model is that a big franchise (normally a pro team) is the anchor tenant that makes a new indoor facility viable. But outside the USA, indoor sports are not yet powerful attractions because, traditionally, they have not had attractive modern facilities. Is the rest of the world now catching up with the North American model and is this necessary? Is an anchor sports tenant necessary? Can you use the facility to build the sport? Do events such as world championships have long-term value?

David Campbell, President & CEO, AEG Europe
Nicholas Reynolds, Principal, HOK Sport

11:00-11:30  Media Forum Keynote Address: Transforming the sports media experience

New technologies are opening up new ways of delivering and consuming sports content. What are the key ingredients for creating compelling programming in an increasingly competitive and global sports marketplace?

Laurent-Eric Le Lay, Chairman & CEO, Eurosport

11:30–13:00  Media Forum Round Table: Exploring new television markets

Breaking into new television markets is a challenge. Where are the new markets, how are people watching sport there and what are the guidelines and limitations? Are the opportunities as plentiful as predicted? Does new technology expand your market or fragment your audience?

Moderator: Richard L. Carrión Rexach, Chairman, Finance Commission and Executive Board Member, International Olympic Committee, Chairman & CEO, Popular Inc.
Lucien Boyer, President & CEO, Havas Sports
Jiang Heping, Director, CCTV Sports, China Central Television  
Laurent-Eric Le Lay, Chairman & CEO, Eurosport
Robert Simmelkjaer, VP Corporate Projects, ESPN
K. Digvijay Singh, CEO, Nimbus Communications Ltd.  

14:30-15:15  INTERVIEW OF THE DAY: Connecting with the partners of the future
Paul Deighton, CEO, London 2012 Organising Committee

Paul is charged with the task of convincing companies, usually big public companies, to invest very large amounts in sponsoring London 2012. What does he tell them? What are the benefits on London’s side and what are the lines of resistance? In a one-on-on interview, we will have a chance to hear him on the subject of getting the money in from big sponsors, planning a budget around the expectations and how this is changing - and how the strategic approach needs to change for sport. With Paul’s background, and insight from business and finance, we will get a glimpse into what the corporate sector wants and needs on the other side of the negotiating table as well as the importance of reaching the young market for sponsors.

15:15-16:00  SPOTLIGHT ON SOCIETY:  Major events as an instrument for social change

The first FIFA World Cup in Africa and the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore present sport with fantastic platforms for future social development in two diverse geographic and economic areas of the world. How can organisers, governments, sport governing bodies, local populations and athletes make the most of these unique occasions?

Moderator:  Kelly Fairweather, CEO, Stellenbosch University Sports Performance Institute
Barbara Creecy MEC, Minister of Sport, Art, Culture & Recreation, Gauteng Provincial Government, South Africa 
Gilbert Felli, Olympic Games Executive Director, International Olympic Committee
Dennis Alridge Mumble, Chief Competitions Officer, 2010 Local Organizing Committee, FIFA World Cup South Africa

Watch:  SportAccord 2009 Host City and Closing Remarks

16:00-16:10  PRESENTATION: SportAccord 2009 Host City, Denver

Robert L. Cohen, Executive Chairman & Founder, Metro Denver Sports Commission

 
16:10-16:15  CLOSING REMARKS

Hein Verbruggen, Chairman, SportAccord, President, GAISF