The quality and quantity of speakers at Host City 2020 has reached even greater heights in the days leading up to the world’s largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events.
Host City 2020 takes place online on 8-9 December, hosted from Scotland and Glasgow with supporting partners EventScotland and Glasgow Life. Attendance is free.
New speakers addressing the conference theme The Big Restart: Recovery with a Purpose for the Digital Age include H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, who also bring Mandy Keegan, Director Media Operations.
Saoud Al Ansari, Precinct Director of Al Thumama Stadium, Competition Venues, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy will give an update on the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations.
Other VIP speakers joining Host City in recent weeks include Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, and Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, DL, Independent Crossbench Peer, The House of Lords.
International federations continue to join Host City, with Kate Caithness CBE, President, World Curling; Christian Hirschmüller, Head of Technical Services & Overlay, UEFA Events; David Leather, CEO, CGF Partnerships and Jidong Wang, Project Coordinator, ASOIF joining, and David Grevemberg CBE, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation stepping in to chair the discussion on BLM.
Global Esports Federation – a Host City Strategic Partner – bring expertise from their Chief Operating Officer Paul J. Foster and Chester King, Vice President & Chair, Education, Culture and Wellness Commission.
Generation Z takes to the stage for the first time at Host City 2020, with Formula E’s Open Talent Call Finalists Tati Baker, Derin Adetosoye, Aiden Vincent and Alexa Rendell telling us how to make events appeal to them.
Birmingham 2022 and Paris 2024 bolster their top-level delegations with Joe Ryan, Head of Health and Safety and Olivier Debargue, Director of Procurement respectively.
The Krakow 2023 Games is represented by Monika Stepniak, Director of the Office for Coordination of the 3rd European Games, Ministry of State Assets. Janusz Koziol, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the City of Krakow will also speak in an invitation-only Knowledge Transfer workshop.
Coventry City of Culture 2021 is well represented by Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director and Jacob Gough, Production Director. They are joined by Festival UK* 2022 Programme Director Sam Hunt.
Major music festivals are well represented by Geoff Ellis, CEO, DF Concerts and Stephen Davis, Managing Director and Founder, SDD Concerts.
Angela Adams Suggs, President & CEO, Florida Sports Foundation is joined by Jose Sotolongo, Director of Sports & Entertainment Tourism, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and Jason Siegel, President & CEO of Greater Orlando Sports Commission.
Other new speakers from the Americas include Jimena Saldaña, Vice President, Mexican Olympic Committee and Mike Libber, Baltimore-Maryland 2026 FIFA World Cup bid.
Other host destinations include Marion Schoene, CEO, Olympiapark Munich – host of Munich 2023 European Championships – Angeline van den Broecke, Global Business Development and Marketing Director, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Events, VisitScotland.
Event suppliers are represented by Daniel Cordey, Chairman, Association of Global Event Suppliers, David De Behr, Head of Sales, Aggreko Event Services and Andrew Lynch, Senior Director Operations & Strategy, Foamhand.
These fresh faces join an incredibly strong and diverse line up of speakers including the already announced Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland; Bridget McConnell CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Life; Sir Craig Reedie GBE, IOC Member; Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024; Roxana Mărăcineanu, Minister of Sports, France; Ian Reid, CEO, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games; Brian Lewis, President, Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee; Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH; Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP; World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon; Michael D’hulst, CEO, Super League Triathlon and many more.
Get your free pass today here.
