Gold Coast gets SportAccord summit for cricket, tennis, boxing, Olympics, swimming
THE Gold Coast has pulled of an events coup by securing the world’s biggest sporting tournament convention — think FIFA and the ICC — which attracts the best players in global sports.
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THE Gold Coast will host the world’s biggest convention for sporting events which city leaders say will secure a pipeline of global tournaments for the next 10 years.
More than 1500 delegates from 500 different sports federations and event rights holders will descend on the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in May.
Among major global bodies which attend the annual SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit are those governing cricket, swimming, football, tennis, rugby league and many more.
Adventure sports backer Red Bull is also a regular as are those behind the Commonwealth Games and Olympic movements.
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones attended the 2018 Summit in Thailand days after the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and was instrumental in securing it. Federal Minister Steven Ciobo also played a big part, telling the Bulletin: “It’s going to place the Gold Coast on the global sports map”.
It is understood Federal funding to get it was up to $300,000 with State support not far behind.
Ms Jones led a Queensland delegation originally targeting up to $60m in sporting tournaments but pulled off a coup to get SportAccord itself.
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“This is about bringing the biggest names in international sport to the Gold Coast to secure more events,” she said.
“SportAccord is the most significant meeting of international sport representatives.
“Securing it for the Gold Coast will help to stamp the city’s reputation as a world-class event destination.”
Ms Jones said the Games showed the city could pull off big global events and a legacy of new and upgraded venues.
“We wouldn’t be able to secure the world’s leading sports conference without the Games.”
Ms Jones said at SportAccord in Bangkok she promoted Queensland as a destination to sporting codes and federations: “Bringing those representatives to the Gold Coast is the next step in securing major international events, with the benefits of securing events potentially setting us up over the next ten years.”
Securing SportAccord was a joint effort from Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), Tourism Australia, Gold Coast City Council and Destination Gold Coast.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said the international convention was a coup for the city, and would again showcase the Gold Coast on a global stage.
“The calibre of the SportAccord delegation is second to none and brings with it further opportunity for the Gold Coast to continue to go from strength-to-strength in our ability to attract and deliver world-class business events.”
SportAccord president Patrick Baumann said the success of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games played a major part in securing the 17th SportAccord and it would be special.
“It will help mark the one-year anniversary of the delivery of a successful Common-wealth Games and will provide the chance for our delegates to embrace all the qualities and opportunities the Gold Coast and Queensland has to offer.”
It runs from May 5-10.
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A letter from Mr Baumann to TEQ CEO Leeanne Coddington said it was “clear bringing SportAccord to Gold Coast, Australia, would be an amazing opportunity to showcase Queensland’s dedication and commitment to sport and legacy for future hosting opportunities following the very successful 2018 Commonwealth Games”.
Mr Baumann’s letter said the SportAccord committee unanimously decided on the Gold Coast and it was backed by the International Olympic Committee.
Mayor Tom Tate said hosting SportAccord’s high-calibre delegates would “turbo charge opportunities for the Coast to further activate our sporting arenas”.
BIG NAMES COMING FOR SPORT ACCORD
● FIFA (International Federation of Football Association) — global governing body for the world’s biggest sport, soccer, oversees World Cup
● FINA (International Federation of Swimming Associations) — global governing body for swimming and water polo
● ICC (International Cricket Council — global governing body for cricket, running World Cup, Twenty20 World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Under-19 World Cup.
● ITU (International Triathlon Union) — global governing body for the multi-sports triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and more
● ITF (International Tennis Federation) — global body for tennis, wheelchair and beach tennis with 211 national member associations worldwide
● International Olympic Committee — overseers of Olympic movement, four-yearly Games
● OTHER: Representatives from Red Bull, the NBA, Rugby League International Federation, and world bodies for kickboxing, bowling, rowing, karate, darts, squash and more
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