Saturday 06 April
09:00 - 17:00
Travel back in time to the industrial revolution
Max people: 30
Cost: 100 CHF
Description: Visit The Iron Bridge in Shropshire – This magnificent monument stands as one of the greatest symbols of the place where the Industrial Revolution began, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ironbridge Gorge.
Take in the stories at the Black Country Living Museum and experience sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the Black Country as you explore shops, houses and industrial workshops rebuilt in our canal side village. You’ll learn how a small region made a big impact on the world.
You’ll also walk in the footsteps of the Peaky Blinders, as the Black Country Living Museum is renowned for its appearances in the TV series.
Itinerary:
- 9am – Coach pick up from Birmingham
- 10am – World famous Iron Bridge Guided visit
- 30am – Jackfield Tile Museums Guided tour and private tile demonstration
- 30am – The Old Furnace, Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution Guided tour
- 12noon – Hot lunch at The Furnace Kitchen
- 45pm – Coach to Black Country Living Museum
- 30pm – Black Country Living Museum
- 4pm – Coach return to Birmingham
- 5pm – Arrive in Birmingham
Please note timings are approximate and subject to change. If any location on the itinerary changes we will inform delegates as soon as possible.
Sunday 07 April
09:00 - 17:00
A Bit of History – “To See or Not to See” Shakespeare and Rugby Experience
Max people: 30
Cost: 80 CHF
Description: Visit the Home of Rugby before exploring Shakespeare’s England.
At least two centuries of Rugby’s history are written in the stones and other monuments to tradition that stand around the School Close, where in 1823, local lad William Webb Ellis, with a fine disregard for the rules of football, took the ball in his arms and ran with it, originating the game of rugby football. Today, innumerable tourists visit the ‘home of the game’ and rugby teams from all over the world can be seen training against the distinctive backdrop of Butterfield’s Chapel.
Steeped in history, Stratford-upon-Avon is a gorgeous Medieval market town in the heartland of England. It is the 16th-century birthplace of William Shakespeare, possibly the most famous writer in the English language, Shakespeare is known for his sonnets and plays such as ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Hamlet’.
Within Stratford’s compact old town, you can walk easily to most sights. The river Avon, which flows right through town, has an idyllic yet playful feel, with rowboats, swans, and an old, one-man, crank-powered ferry just beyond the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the world’s best Shakespeare’s performance ensembles.
Itinerary:
- 9am – Coach pick up from Birmingham
- 10am – Rugby School Tour
- 12noon – Coach to Stratford-Upon-Avon
- 30pm – Roast Dinner Lunch
- 2pm – Shakespeare’s Birthplace Hosted Tour
- 3pm – Stratford-Upon-Avon guided walking tour
- 4pm – Coach return to Birmingham
- 5pm – Arrive in Birmingham
Please note timings are approximate and subject to change. If any location on the itinerary changes we will inform delegates as soon as possible.
12:00 - 18:30
Exhibition Access for Exhibitors
15:30 - 17:30
SportAccord Executive Committee Meeting
18:30 - 20:30
ARISF Executive Board Meeting
19:00 - 23:30
After hours social
Monday 08 April
07:00 - 08:00
Morning activity : Run of Kind running tour
08:30 - 18:30
Exhibition open
08:30 - 13:00
WOF General Assembly
10:00 - 12:00
ASOIF Council Meeting
10:00 - 12:00
ARISF Sustainability Workshop
Presented by Alibaba Cloud & Green Future Project
11:00 - 12:00
Opening of the SportAccord conference programme
Martin Gibbs, Managing Director, SportAccord
Ian Metcalfe
12:00 - 14:00
F1 Arcade
12:00 - 12:20
Speaker’s Corner
Lunch / Dr. Gongsak Yodmani – SAT
14:00 - 15:30
WOF General Assembly
14:00 - 16:00
AIMS Council Meeting
14:00 - 14:10
HealthAccord – Welcome, Introductions
Professor Margo Mountjoy, IOC Medical Commission Games Group, WADA Deputy Foundation Board Member
14:00 - 15:00
IOC/ASOIF Joint Meeting
14:10 - 14:30
HealthAccord – Mental Fitness (Case Study)
Mental Health for Elite Athlete Support
Few topics have moved faster up the agenda than the mental health of athletes competing in elite sport. This panel addresses our preparedness for addressing the anxieties and complexities facing the athlete, officials and coaches. And it includes an exclusive insight into the lengths professional golf is going – on the DP World Tour – to aid its stars.
- Dr Will Wynter-Bee, European Tour Golf Group
14:30 - 16:30
ARISF/WADA Clean Sport Workshop
Presented by WADA
14:30 - 15:15
HealthAccord – Mental Fitness (Roundtable)
Mental Health for Elite Athlete Support
Moderator: David Eades, Moderator and MC
- Dr Stuart Miller, Senior Executive Director, Integrity & Legal, ITF
- Dr Will Wynter-Bee, European Tour Golf Group
- Gregor Swinney, Current Scottish National Champion and recordholder in the 50m Butterfly, Commonwealth Games medallist
15:00 - 16:00
IOC/ARISF Council Joint Meeting
15:15 - 16:15
ASOIF Working Meeting
15:15 - 16:30
HealthAccord – Keeping Female Athletes Healthy
Round Table : Enhancing Sport Performance of Female Athletes
Part 1: Sporting activity for the athlete must be as much about health and fitness as is it about results in a world where the goals are so high and the pressure often so acute. From ACLs to REDs, we consider the big issues facing women in sport, the dilemmas they must face, but also the progress being made in making health and performance part of the same equation.
Part 2: An opportunity to shine the light on reproductive health issues for women athletes, addressing the spectrum from ‘menstrual myth busting’ to reproductive choices and returning to sport post pregnancy. As we reach parity for sport participation for women, how are we adapting to accommodate women in sport?
(With scene setter from Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise, Manchester Metropolitan University)
Moderator: Professor Margo Mountjoy, IOC Medical Commission Games Group, WADA Deputy Foundation Board Member
- Dr Niall Elliott, MBE Chief Medical Officer, British Olympic Association
- Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise, University of Manchester
- Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, British Olympic Association, European Rowing, European Olympic Committees
- Gillian Sanders, Triple Olympian triathlete for South Africa, Integrity Manager, World Sailing
- Evert Verhagen, Medical Research Adviser, UEFA, and Professor, UMC University
- Pippa Woolven, Founder, Project RED-S
16:00 - 17:00
IOC/WOF Joint Meeting
16:45 - 17:00
HealthAccord – Closing remarks
17:00 - 19:00
SportAccord Opening Ceremony
Join us for the official welcome to the Summit by SportAccord President, IOC and local government. The Cultural Ceremony will showcase the diverse cultural offerings of the West Midlands.
19:00 - 22:30
ASOIF Dinner
19:00 - 21:30
AIMS ARISF Welcome Dinner
19:00 - 23:30
After hours social
Tuesday 09 April
07:30 - 08:45
Morning activity : Positively Walking Tour
08:30 - 18:30
Exhibition Open
09:00 - 16:00
ASOIF General Assembly
09:30 - 09:35
LawAccord – Opening Remarks
David Casserly SC, Barrister, Head of Sports Law, Kellerhals Carrard
09:30 - 09:35
CityAccord – Opening Remarks
Melanie Duparc, Secretary General, World Union of Olympic Cities
Sport can play a powerful role in contributing to some of the biggest public policy challenges like improving health and wellbeing, civic pride and social cohesion, enhancing skills and jobs, promoting sustainability and active travel. What have we learned and how do we continue to make the case for investment in an increasingly complex world.
09:35 - 10:25
LawAccord – Roundtable
Benefits and challenges of independent integrity units in international sport
Moderator: Michael B. Lenard OLY, ICAS Vice President
- Simon Geinoz, Case Manager, Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF)
- Tanja Haug, Board Member, Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU)
- Julia Lowis, Legal Counsel, International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA)
- Huw Roberts, Head of Case Management, Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU)
09:35 - 10:30
CityAccord – Case Studies In City Development And Regeneration
Active Travel, Sport and Making Cities More Civilised, More Prosperous and Healthier
Chris Boardman had a highly successful professional cycling career and then went on to take up the challenge of leading both Active Travel England’s mission to get more people walking and cycling and Sport England’s work to make sport and physical activity a normal part of everyday life. We explore with him what’s worked, what hasn’t, the importance of political will at the city level and what cities can learn from each other in this sphere.
David Eades in conversation with…
- Chris Boardman, MBE, Commissioner, Active Travel England, Chair, Sport England, Olympic Gold Medallist, Tour de France stage winner and yellow jersey holder, Hour Record Holder
…joined by
- Tine Eriksen Green, Head of Major Events, City of Copenhagen
Transforming a City With Investment Centred Around Reviving a Football Club
When Tom Wagner and his partner, the NFL legend Tom Brady, bought a controlling stake in Birmingham City Football Club in 2023 it was as part of broader city transformation project. As he said “we invested in Blues because of the of the opportunity to not only to transform a football club but also to be a catalyst for a change in the city itself” We talk with him about the lure of a club in the heart of a major city, and why he believes this is the start of a new era for Birmingham’s city centre.
David Eades in conversation with…
- Tom Wagner Chairman of the Board, Birmingham City Football Club and Co-founder, Knighthead Capital, an investment company with over US$10 billion under management.
10:25 - 11:05
LawAccord – Practical consequences for international sport of the recent decisions of the European Court of Justice: legal update from Kellerhals Carrard
Moderator: Jean-Pierre Morand, Partner, Kellerhals Carrard
- Vincent Jäggi, Partner, Kellerhals Carrard
- Christophe Rapin, Partner, Kellerhals Carrard
10:30 - 11:15
CityAccord – Roundtable: More than just sport – Creating a more engaging, inclusive event which appeals to fans, residents and athletes alike. Just how far can ‘Festivalisation’ go?
Moderator: Ben Avison, Editorial and Conference Director, Host City
- Kris Gemmell, Head of Marketing and Commercial, World Triathlon
- Georg Spazier, CEO, ITS GmbH, Innsbruck World Masters Games
- Nicola Turner MBE, CEO, United By 2022
- Alana Vought, Program Manager, Olympic and Paralympic Games Brisbane 2032, City of Gold Coast
11:15 - 12:00
CityAccord – Roundtable: The Road Ahead Across Continents
Exploring new event models, successes and innovation in an increasingly challenging environment for host cities, regional and national governments.
Moderator: Susan Sawbridge, Managing Partner, Daylight Ltd, New Zealand
- Esther Britten, Head of Major Events, UK Sport
- James Bulley, CEO, Trivandi
- Perttu Pesa Chair, International Association of Event Hosts
- Katie Sadleir, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation
11:30 - 12:10
LawAccord – CAS Report
Court of Arbitration for Sport – Annual Report
Moderator: Sean Cottrell, Founder and CEO, LawInSport
Annual presentation and Q&A with Matthieu Reeb, Director General, CAS
11:30 - 11:50
Speaker’s Corner
Chantal Abadie – OnePlan
12:00 - 13:15
Media Workshop – How to use Disruptive Technology Now
Presented by iSportConnect
- Jay Stuart, Head of Content at iSportConnect
- Alex Gough, CEO, Professional Squash Association
- Max Wolfe, Head of Web3 and Digital Licensing, McLaren Racing
12:30 - 12:50
Speaker’s Corner
Dr Adam Kosa, Member of the European Parliament, President of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) in conversation with David Eades
13:10 - 13:50
LawAccord – WADA Report
World Anti-Doping Agency Report – Annual Report
Moderator: Dr Leanne O’Leary, CAS Arbitrator
Annual presentation and Q&A with Ross Wenzel, General Counsel, WADA
13:50 - 14:50
LawAccord – Roundtable
Examining the implementation and development of rules for transgender athletes in International Federations
Moderator: James Drake KC, 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Brent Nowicki, Executive Director, World Aquatics
- Dr Seema Patel, Senior Lecturer in Law, Nottingham Law School; author of Inclusion and Exclusion in Competitive Sport, Socio-Legal and Regulatory Perspectives
- Prof. Yannis Pitsiladis, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science, IOC Medical and Scientific Commission Member
- Jonathan Taylor KC, Partner, Bird & Bird
14:00 - 17:00
AIMS Sessions
14:00 - 16:30
Guided Tour of Villa Park
14:00 - 14:20
Speaker’s Corner
Janelle Janis – Explore Edmonton
14:30 - 14:50
Speaker’s Corner
Clarence Perez Diaz – Healthy Sports Organisations
15:15 - 16:15
LawAccord – Roundtable
Integrating the athlete’s voice in sports governance –
exploring internal and external models of athlete representation
Moderator: Andreas Zagklis, Secretary General, FIBA
- Emilio Garcia, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, FIFA
- Alexandra Gómez Bruinewoud, Senior Legal Counsel, FIFPRO
- Áine Power, Deputy Head of Legal, FEI
- Matthew Graham, Interim Executive Director, World Players Association
16:15 - 16:20
LawAccord – Closing Remarks
Louise Reilly BL, Barrister, Kellerhals Carrard
16:20 - 17:30
LawAccord Reception sponsored by LawInSport
16:30 - 17:00
ASOIF Media Briefing
17:00 - 18:30
Exhibition reception
19:00 - 23:30
After hours social
Wednesday 10 April
07:30 - 08:45
Morning activity: Bustling Birmingham Kayak Tour
07:30 - 08:30
Good Morning Birmingham Muaythai
08:00 - 09:30
Sustainability Workshop
From Vision To Victory: Glasgow 2024 World Indoor Championships – Accelerating Sustainable Event Success Through World Athletics’ 2030 Sustainability Strategy
Presented by ThinkBeyond
- Stuart Campbell, World Athletics Indoor Championships Director
- Sara Kassam, Sustainability Advisor for UK Sport
- Dr Susie Tomson, Sustainability Partner at ThinkBeyond
08:30 - 18:30
Exhibition open
09:30 - 09:40
SA Summit – Opening Remarks
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair, UK Sport
09:40 - 10:20
SA Summit – Interactive Entertainment: How Gaming Is Changing Our Media, Our World And Our Sports
Mark Rein, Vice President, and Co-Founder, Epic Games, in a Keynote Conversation with Moderator David Eades
10:00 - 12:00
Jewellery Quarter Sports Heritage Walking Tour
10:00 - 12:00
ARISF / IPACS – Good Governance Workshop
Presented by IPACS
10:20 - 11:05
SA Summit – Gaming and Esports: A Real Opportunity or Passing Fad for Sports Rights Holders?
What is the potential value of the intellectual property held by different rights holders and federations in the gaming and esports sphere, and for all but a minority of sports is this really going to make a difference?
Moderator: David Dellea, Director, Sports Practice, Altman Solon
- Alice Dearing, Olympic open water swimmer and gamer
- Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2, and IOC Esports Commission
- Paul Foster, CEO, Global Esports Federation
- Alex Inglot, Commissioner, ESL Pro League
11:05 - 12:05
SA Summit – Touchdowns, Home Runs and Slam Dunks
The Superbowl 2024 has shown the potential for growing your fanbase in some unexpected ways and building on opportunities that arise. This panel considers lessons from North America about creative approaches to build their brands and invest in their fan engagement over the long-term.
Moderator: Sarah Mulkerrins, Presenter, BBC
- Marc Ciampa, VP Content, New Jersey Devils
- Rob Alberino, VP of Content and Production, Kansas City Chiefs
- Brett Gosper, Head of Europe & Asia-Pacific, NFL
- Scott Kegley, VP Digital Strategy, Atlanta Falcons
11:30 - 11:50
Speaker’s Corner
Jen Falding – Sport Liverpool
12:00 - 13:15
Media Workshop – Optimising Federations Operations
Presented by iSportConnect
- Jay Stuart, Head of Content at iSportConnect
- Kevin Perrin, Global Head of Commercial for Sports at ATPI
12:30 - 12:50
Speaker’s Corner – We really need to talk about …
Join us for a bar stool chat in the Exhibition Hall with Dale Vince, green-energy industrialist, climate activist, and Chairman and Owner of ‘the greenest football club on the planet’ – Forest Green Rovers. How you can create a win-win when you shake up your sport in conversation with David Eades
13:00 - 15:30
IWGA EXCO Meeting
13:00 - 22:00
Golf at The Belfry – 9 holes of golf on The Brabazon Championship golf course
14:00 - 14:05
SA Summit – Introduction
David Eades, MC and Moderator
14:05 - 14:35
SA Summit – Sport’s Perfect Storm
Roger Mitchell, author of the newly released ‘Sport’s Perfect Storm’, explores some of the serious structural challenges federations and sports rights holders are facing including the fragility of the financial structures supporting the sports ecosystem.
Moderator David Eades in conversation with…
Roger Mitchell, corporate financier, founding CEO of the Scottish Professional Football League and author of ‘Sport’s Perfect Storm’
14:35 - 15:20
SA Summit – Facing The Challenges
With geo-political instability, increasing levels of complexity in putting on major events, changing patterns of fan behaviour and growing interest from institutional investors, how can sport hold its own?
Moderator: Sarah Mulkerrins, Presenter, BBC
- Alan Gilpin, CEO, World Rugby
- Chris Jenkins OBE, President, Commonwealth Games Federation
- Simon Kuper, Author and Journalist, Financial Times
- Chris Argyle-Robinson, Research & Strategy Director, Co-founder, Redtorch
- Zena Wooldridge OBE, President, World Squash
15:20 - 15:40
SA Summit – AI : Disruptive Force, All Hype or The Future Of Sport?
Artificial Intelligence in not new to the world so what is different now? The advancement in computing technology at much lower cost has provided deep access to massive data sets which can result in insights at your fingertips. The power of these new models – called GenerativeAI (or GenAI) – has the power to disrupt markets, industries, and even sports. But in every disruption is a massive opportunity. The history and advantages of GenAI will be explored, along with its implications on cyber, risk, ethical decisions, and organisations in the sports industry, both large and small.
Sulabh Soral, Head of AI, Deloitte UK, Advisory Board Member, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence
15:40 - 16:25
SA Summit – The Technology Conundrum
The speed of and scope of technological advances is challenging for even the most fleet-footed of sports. Building on the AI Agenda, this session considers the risks and opportunities facing sports organisations in the coming years.
Moderator: Andy Miah, Chair in Science Comms & Future Media, University of Salford, Manchester
- David Fowler, Co-Founder, Sports Tech Match
- Beth Johnson, Managing Director, Umbrella
16:25 - 16:30
SA Summit – Closing Remarks
David Eades, MC and Moderator
17:00 - 18:30
Exhibition reception
19:00 - 22:00
Host City Official Dinner
19:00 - 23:30
After hours social
Thursday 11 April
07:30 - 08:30
Morning activity : Private Classical Mat Pilates Class
08:00 - 09:30
IPACS Workshop
08:30 - 17:00
Exhibition open
09:30 - 09:40
SA Summit – Opening Remarks
David Eades, MC and Moderator
09:40 - 09:55
SA Summit – Tackling Online Abuse In Sport
Mohammed Ben Salayem, President, FIA, in a Keynote Conversation with David Eades
09:55 - 10:10
SA Summit – Solutions in Action
A look at the state-of-play in terms of online abuse in sport, sharing insights and learnings gathered from some of the biggest sporting events on the planet, and showing how technology, sports bodies and law enforcement are working together to create a safer online environment for athletes and officials.
Jonathan Hirshler, CEO, Signify
10:10 - 10:55
SA Summit – Whose Responsibility Is It?
Overcoming rising levels of abuse received by players, officials and fans.
Moderator: David Eades, MC and Moderator
- Wayne Barnes, Former World Cup Referee
- Janie Frampton OBE, Vice President, International Federation of Sports Officials
- Sanjay Bhandari, Chair, Kick It Out
- Sarah Gregorius, Director of Global Policy & Strategic Relations, Women’s Football, FIFPRO
- Jonathan Hirshler, CEO, Signify
10:55 - 11:25
SA Summit – Breaking Through The Line: The Future of Sports Injury Data and Science
A ground-breaking, data-led approach to injury reduction across all sports, presented by Podium Analytics.
- Professor Constantin Coussios OBE FREng , Director, The Podium Institute for Sports Medicine and Technology, The University of Oxford
- Andy Hunt, CEO, Podium Analytics
11:25 - 12:10
SA Summit – International Diplomacy In Action – Harnessing The Soft Power of Sport
Sport’s influence in the world has never been more keenly examined. From global politics, to community action, ethical and moral challenges. This panel will consider how to make the most of that potential at a time of heightened global tension and accelerated social pressures.
Moderator: Dr J Simon Rofe, Reader/Associate Professor in Diplomatic and International Studies, University of Leeds
Neil Rami, Chief Executive, West Midlands Growth Company
Liz Nicholl DBE, President, World Netball and former CEO, UK Sport
12:10 - 12:15
SA Summit – Closing Remarks
14:00 - 14:15
MediaAccord – Opening Remarks
14:15 - 15:00
MediaAccord – Paris Through The Media Lens
A look ahead at what promises to be the most technologically complex and visually stunning Olympic spectacle ever. Enjoy a sneak peek on what to expect when Paris opens its doors to the world, while setting new standards for broadcast and production creativity.
Moderator: James Pearce, Communications consultant and media trainer
- Pierre Galy, Head of Sports, Agence France-Presse
- Yiannis Exarchos, Chief Executive Officer, OBS, and Executive Director, Olympic Channel
15:00 - 15:30
MediaAccord – Towards A World Of Immersive Experience
Professor Andy Miah outlines how the worlds of immersive technologies are converging with artificial intelligence to create new audience experiences, which are transforming the landscape of the sports world, from stadium architecture to remote experiences. The implications of these transformations for how media content is designed, delivered, and what legacy it leaves as part of humanity’s sports heritage outline critical insights for how events must rethink their media strategy for the future.
- Andy Miah, Chair in Science Comms & Future Media, University of Salford, Manchester
15:30 - 16:15
MediaAccord – Data, AI, OTT: Navigating Digital Opportunities
Disruption & Opportunity: As new technologies proliferate, the expectations of sports audiences are continuously rising. Rights owners and broadcasters are under more pressure to deliver better content, in greater volume, faster than ever before, often without a clear path to monetization. This session will bring together thought leaders with an innovation mindset to offer practical insights on how federations and their partners can make the most of AI, fan data and new types of distribution to enable them to flourish now and in the future.
Moderator: James Pearce, Communications consultant and media trainer
- Ellie Roach, Digital and Data Services Lead, InCrowd Sports
- Ross Tanner, Senior Vice President – EMEA , Magnifi