LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The SportAccord Convention in Dubai from April 25-30, 2010 will host the General Assembly of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF). This meeting will bring together all of the sports taking part in the XXI Olympic Winter Games this month in Vancouver in a decision-making session to analyze their experiences and start applying them to plans for the next Olympic Winter Games in 2014.
AIOWF President René Fasel said: “The SportAccord Convention has an added importance for our sports this year, coming after the Winter Games in Vancouver. The AIOWF General Assembly in Dubai will be the first opportunity for all our federations to come together to discuss the experiences of Vancouver 2010 and share ideas on how to apply the lessons learned to Sochi 2014.”
In past editions, the SportAccord Convention has been the setting for important proceedings related to the Olympic Winter Games, such as official presentations by the Winter Games Candidate Cities.
The eighth annual SportAccord Convention will be held at the Atlantis Palm Resort in Dubai. The AIOWF General Assembly takes place annually as part of the SportAccord Convention. Each year the Convention also hosts the annual General Assemblies of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and SportAccord/GAISF (the General Association of International Sports Federations).
There are seven international federations governing the 15 different sports on the Olympic Winter Games programme. International federations are responsible for the rules governing their competitions and their athletes and, together with the International Olympic Committee, shaping and overseeing the competitions at the Games. There will be an estimated 5,500 athletes and officials taking part in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
The seven Olympic Winter federations belonging to AIOWF are: the International Biathlon Union (IBU), the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT), the World Curling Federation (WCF), the Ice Hockey Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (FIL), the International Skating Union (ISU) and the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS).
AIOWF President Fasel is president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. He will be joined in Dubai by presidents and other top officials of the AIOWF member federations.
Every year SportAccord Convention Week features a dynamic exhibition, numerous networking receptions and top-level conference sessions, including the City Forum, as well as the annual general meetings of the Sports Governing Bodies. The Convention attracts over 1,500 leading representatives of international sport.
About the SportAccord Convention
The SportAccord Convention annually brings representatives from the 100 international sports federations and organisations affiliated to SportAccord/GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations), ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) and AIOWF (Association of the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), as well as the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, together with sponsors, bidding and host cities, architects, sports lawyers, broadcasters, games organising committees, rights holders and other specialists to discuss the key issues facing the sports industry.
Owned by SportAccord/GAISF, ASOIF and AIOWF, the SportAccord Convention encompasses the annual Congress and General Assembly of each association, while offering the sports community a powerful opportunity to come together in an exclusive and authoritative networking environment to build relationships, exchange knowledge and develop ideas.
