London will host the 2011 international SportAccord Convention, raising prospects of a multi-million boost for the capital's economy. With the 2012 London Games around the corner, the convention is a unique opportunity for the capital and the UK to showcase British expertise and increase its market share in the $111 billion global sports business industry.
The SportAccord Convention will see over 1,500 of the world's top sporting officials and business people from more than 60 countries come to the capital for the six-day event. The convention will initially contribute over $5 million to the London economy. However, it is expected to be worth many more millions through contracts for new businesses and more major events coming to the capital and the UK beyond 2012.
The bid to bring this convention was coordinated by the Events for London team at Visit London and has been heavily supported and funded by a number of the UK’s sporting and business bodies. Those bodies include the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) whose key role is to build Britain’s capabilities to compete in the global economy. The government’s sporting body UKSport has also proactively supported the bid as well as the Greater London Authority (GLA), LOCOG, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the London Development Agency (LDA), VisitBritain, and Events for London.
The convention is an annual event organized by the International Sports Movement. It will be attended the top officials from the Olympic and non-Olympic International Federations of sport, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board, rights holders of major sports events, media, sponsors and other commercial businesses in the global sports industry. The six-day gathering from April 3–8 will be the first time the convention is hosted in the UK, and will be held in the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.
