Dubai to host new emerging nations-focused sport conferences

Dubai-based airline Emirates has furthered its sporting ties world by backing a new conference dedicated to the topic of emerging nations hosting the world's biggest sporting events.

Host Cities presented by Emirates Airline, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council for Dubai Government and chairman of Dubai Sports Council, will take place in Dubai on 4th and 5th December.

The subject of emerging nations hosting major sports events for the first time is at the top of the sporting agenda following Russia and Qatar's successful bids for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. Elsewhere, the emerging cities of Doha, Istanbul and Baku are locked in a five-way bid for the 2020 Olympic Games along with Madrid and Tokyo, with the host being announced in September 2013.

Representatives from golf's European Tour, the US Tennis Association, the International Cricket Council and Emirates - whose sport sponsorship portfolio includes the FIFA World Cup, DP World Tour Championship Dubai, Rugby World Cup, the Dubai World Cup and numerous professional football clubs - will be among those supporting the event.

The event is being organised by Streamline Marketing Group.

Emirates Airline and Group Executive Vice-Chairman Maurice Flanagan explains "Emirates has been a major supporter of global sport for many years.

"The breadth of our sports sponsorships spans many disciplines and covers numerous continents. We have long recognised the benefit of investing in sponsorship and have witnessed firsthand the staggering changes that holding a worldwide sporting event can imbue on the host country.

"In our role as official airline for many worldwide sporting events we have gained an innate understanding of the commitment that it takes to win the rights to host an internationally recognised event and we look forward to imparting this knowledge during Host Cities later this year."

The two-day event will involve a conference featuring high-profile speakers from former host cities and organising committees; panel-led case study explanations; practical workshops and informal networking and learning opportunities for prospective hosts.

The summit aims to aid potential host cities by offering them an opportunity to develop their understanding of what it take to be a host nation, and work as a base for sporting administrators, brands and broadcasters to seek out new hosts and partners.

Dubai Sports Council Secretary General Dr. Ahmed Saad Al Sharif added "Dubai is always looking at various ways and means to position itself as a global destination for a variety of sporting events. This event will further strengthen the pulling power of Dubai, the UAE and the Gulf region. Dubai has fast become a destination of choice for some of the biggest and most important sporting and tourism events in the world and this summit will further consolidate its position as a sporting capital of the Middle East."

For more information contact Streamline Marketing Group on +971 4447 5357, E: mail@smg-online.com, www.host-cities.com

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