This event lasted five days and had four main goals:
- The first one was networking because it is the big opportunity to meet all the sports leaders and decision-makers in an atmosphere of open communication.
- The second one was tied to the conferences and the workshops, where participants could discuss important topics such as the doping problem, share knowledge and take significant decisions about the future of international sport. Famous speakers such as Francesco Ricci Bitti (SportAccord Convention & ASOIF President), Patrick Baumann (SportAccord President), Kofi Annan (Former UN secretary) or Thomas Bach (International Olympic Committee President) were leading the conferences.
- The two last goals of the event were to host the general assemblies and annual meetings and finally yet importantly, the exhibition or the showcase opportunity for many brands linked to sport. A highlight of the event was the opening ceremony in the Auditorium A that started with a traditional Swiss welcome to the sound of alphorns followed by a speech by Thomas Bach. Next came a gymnastics show and a performance from Béjart, the world famous ballet school based in Lausanne.
- Finally, it was revealed that Aarhus was the chosen city for SportAccord 2017, and so ended this beautiful ceremony.
What are the memories of Marie-Hélène Blain, the Event Manager in charge of the organization and optimal execution of the event ?
« This event was actually relocated shortly before the opening of its doors at the SwissTech Convention Center. Our deadline was very short for such a big event so we had to be very efficient and make good use of the limited time we had. Moreover, the event had many room transformations and different configurations. We had to be very creative concerning the arrangement of the spaces to find the best configurations possible in accordance with the client’s wishes. The collaboration with the clients was something very important. The SportAccord team was very enthusiastic and transmitted that energy to everybody else. We used a tripartite system between the client, the partners and our team and direct contact in order to be efficient and not to lose time. This great communication was the key to the success of this event, which certainly was one of the best moments of 2016. »
Discover the event in video: