Best ever’ SportAccord fuels the bold sporting ambitions of Birmingham and the West Midlands

Exactly one month on, Neil Rami, chief executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, reflects on the region hosting the first global summit for sports leaders and decision-makers.

Barely 24 hours from Birmingham and the West Midlands hosting SportAccord, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach organized an impromptu walk through the exhibition hall and congratulated us on a fantastic event.

This praise at the beginning of the summit was probably the most powerful man in international sports and global business, which showed that the decision to bring SportAccord to our region was the right and natural next step from the success of the most popular Commonwealth of UK. The 2022 Games.

Bach’s support was later echoed by prominent delegates, including SportAccord President Prof. Dr. Uğur Erdener and outgoing Association of International Summer Olympic Federations (ASOIF) President Francesco Ricci Bitti, who both proclaimed the 2024 edition as “the best SportAccord yet”.

In effect the ‘Davos of Sport’ or ‘Olympics for sporting event organisers’, with over 1,700 international participants from 125 global sporting federations, SportAccord provided the West Midlands with an invaluable opportunity to further showcase our bold hosting ambitions of major sporting events. .

Supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Major Events Fund, this was only the second time the UK has hosted the prestigious summit in its 20-year history.

We were determined to position the West Midlands as the heart of sport in the UK and an optimal host for business events.

The Commonwealth Games two years ago were our postcard to the world. This event – ​​hosted at the ICC – reinforced our credentials as the perfect global sports hub and backdrop for those shaping the future of sport.

We showed delegates that we can give sport and its federations access to fans at an unprecedented scale and proximity.

We have consolidated how major aspects of the global sports movement began here. From rugby to lawn tennis, to premier league football; started in the West Midlands.

We highlighted our road, rail and air transport connectivity, as well as our world-class sports infrastructure, with settings such as Edgbaston Stadium and The Belfry – home to more Ryder Cups than anywhere else in the world – earmarked for multi-million pounds . developments.

Crucially, we have created and strengthened relationships with our sporting guests worldwide, identifying real opportunities to collaborate on hosting new, exciting and innovative major events that match our ambition and values. Constructive meetings with federations and rights holders, including Olympic and non-Olympic sports, could see us adding to a host of events, which already includes the first Kabaddi World Cup outside Asia next March, the European Athletics Championships in 2026 and IWG from 2026. Conference on Women and Sport.

Significant agenda-setting announcements made during the summit included the news that the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 contributed £1.2 billion to the UK economy, almost half of which was in the West Midlands alone.

It was particularly pleasing – after months of support for Birmingham City FC chairman Tom Wagner – to be able to reveal Knighthead Capital’s acquisition of the 48-acre former Wheels site at Bordesley Park during the summit. The news highlights the region’s huge sporting ambitions and commitment to delivering a globally recognized sports and entertainment venue with a new world-class stadium within walking distance of Birmingham city centre.

Like Birmingham 2022, SportAccord was a large collaborative effort between stakeholders such as DCMS, DBT, UK Sport, WMCA and Birmingham City Council; and a team of over 120 volunteers, who performed their duties with the same energy and enthusiasm that ignited the Commonwealth Games two years ago.

The West Midlands is open for business. We are accessible, affordable and accessible with venues, infrastructure and sporting history to ensure an outstanding, comprehensive offering for international sports federations who have been persuaded to return to the West Midlands with their event in the future.

To coin a sporting phrase, it’s more of a marathon than a sprint. The region’s position as the heart of sport has enormous potential; this is just the beginning of our sports race.

We know that the SportAccord effect will last over five fantastic days in April 2024 and that the West Midlands has successfully become a distinguished world leader in sport with a bright sporting future.