Birmingham and West Midlands – the famously friendly city and region, with world class sport and major events expertise and a spectacular cultural and industrial reputation – is set to make a lasting impression on over 1,500 delegates and exhibitors at SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit on 7-11 April.
SportAccord – the social scene
SportAccord’s 2024 “The Power of Sport” edition is leaving no stone unturned to welcome leaders and key decision makers from over 120 International Federations (IFs), the International Olympic Committee, host cities and organisations involved in the business of sport to the industry’s most influential gathering.
Alongside the highly stimulating five-day conference tackling sport’s biggest challenges and opportunities – with renowned global experts in sport, industry and academia – an extensive social scene awaits, to leave a lasting impression of a city and region always on the lookout for new hosting opportunities.
The social events staged across SportAccord 2024 are designed for maximum energy, connectivity and understanding of Birmingham and the West Midlands – here’s a closer look!
Spectacular Summit opener
SportAccord 2024 kicks off with a spectacular opening ceremony on Monday 8 April featuring the Royal Shakespeare Company and Black Voices Choir – both calling the West Midlands home – giving us a taste of why over 141 million people visit Birmingham and West Midlands every year.
Sports odyssey
Did you know that Birmingham invented rugby, lawn tennis and the Football League, hosted the forerunner to the Olympic Games in Much Wenlock, and regularly hosts county, one-day, test and international cricket?
Grab your ticket for SportAccord’s sports odyssey – visit the legendary Edgbaston Stadium, Villa Park and School Close, where in 1823, local schoolboy 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.
Peaky Blinders fans – look no further
We’ve been reliably informed that many of our Summit delegates are major fans of Peaky Blinders – the most-watched English-language Netflix series globally.
So we’ve organised a visit to the open air Black Country Living Museum, the location of iconic Peaky scenes – all amid rumours of a film adaptation in the making…
‘To see or not to see, that is the question’
You can’t leave Birmingham and West Midlands without visiting Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, complete with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, rowboats and swans – join the tour!
The same goes for UNESCO World Heritage Site Ironbridge Gorge – prepare to be amazed at the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
Energise at SportAccord – before-breakfast activities
SportAccord 2024 is all about productivity – so bring your running, walking, gym and golf gear!
Wake up with the sun and join Run of A Kind and walking tours visiting landmarks that have made Birmingham and West Midlands famous – from the hangouts of the world’s best selling music artists, including Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, to the Jewellery Quarter where 40% of the UK’s jewellery is made, and the home of JRR Tolkien whose Lord of the Rings gave birth to one of the world’s highest grossing film series of all time.
Is Muay Thai or Pilates more your thing? You can do both – all before 9am.
You can even work on your handicap while revisiting the Ryder Cup on the majestic fairways and carpet-smooth greens of The Brabazon at The Belfry – grab nine holes of golf!
SportAccord 2024 – bringing global community together
With an action packed SportAccord 2024 programme featuring an exciting central conference with four specialist streams – CityAccord, HealthAccord, LawAccord and MediaAccord – and world-class speakers, great care is being taken to ensure delegates explore new solutions and head home with fresh ideas and inspiration.
Alongside the city and region visit opportunities, daily Summit AfterHours Social events will give delegates the perfect networking and collaboration opportunities.
“SportAccord has always been famous for its top quality networking and bringing people together from all over the world. I have often heard people say they attend for the sheer efficiency of being able to organise so many meetings over the course of several days and with a compact city centre format this year, Birmingham and West Midlands will deliver an extremely vibrant and engaging SportAccord Summit 2024 for our delegates from around the world,” said Martin Gibbs, Managing Director of SportAccord.
“So we’re excited to be staging SportAccord here – in less than forty days, SportAccord will be back and we are excited to welcome our IFs, the IOC, the wider Olympic family and all the hundreds of decision makers in sport and the business of sport who will join us.
Join the world’s leading sports industry experts
Register now for SportAccord 2024: https://register.event-works.com/sportaccord/birmingham2024/e/ce/
Want to join the SportAccord 2024 Summit socials? It’s a simple click at registration or just turn up on the day!
Birmingham and West Midlands – outstanding host and location
Birmingham’s award-winning International Convention Centre (ICC) is located in the centre of the city, less than half an hour away from Birmingham Airport, which has direct flight connections with more than 150 destinations worldwide. SportAccord’s high-quality official hotels and various dining, leisure and entertainment facilities are also within easy walking distance of the venue.
