National Sports Convention agrees partnership with IAKS - the International Association for Sports and Leisure

The National Sports and Physical Activity Convention (NSC) and the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to partner with, providing greater access to the latest global insights to the Australian community aquatic, recreation and sport facilities market.

Both NSC and the German-based IAKS are committed to collaborating for a greater global network and a stronger and sustainable Asia Pacific region industry voice and networking by combining resources, to benefit the industry.

Recently Stefan Kannewischer, IAKS President and Klaus Meinel, IAKS Secretary General, met Martin Sheppard, Co-founder of the NSC, in Cologne and signed the Memorandum of Understanding to cement the relationship.

IAKS is the leading global non-profit organization for professionals involved in the aquatic, recreation and sport facility industries. For nearly six decades it has enabled international networking for the exchange of planning, design and operational management for over 120 countries and across all continents of the world.

Last year, IAKS has appointed Yvette Audet as its ANZ Ambassador and has since grown its presence in the region

The NSC is Australia’s largest community sport convention and has over the past few years with the direction and support of over 40 peak bodies and collaborators, continue to share the latest trends and thinking from the globe with showcasing good practice from around Australia.

The MoU partnership will allow Australia and New Zealand NSC delegates to benefit from the global IAKS network of experts and partnerships, with support over the next five years. The partnership will allow both organizations to expand their offering withing the ANZ region by offering:

• Global speakers at NSC from 2022

• A specialist design stream in NSC23

• IAKS Southern Hemisphere Global Conference co-located in 2024

• Expanded IAKS program in ANZ to share global best practice, aligning with their expert circles across a 12-month program

• Global access to suppliers from Australia to FSB Cologne, the world’s largest Sports and Leisure Facilities Expo (held every two years).

Commenting on the new partnership, IAKS President, Stefan Kannewischer stated “the MOU with NSC allows IAKS to expand further into the Australian market and use our global networks to continue to present global industry trends and best practice."

Yvette Audet, IAKS Vice-President/ANZ Ambassador, also explained “it is a great alignment for IAKS ANZ with the NSC, creating a good synergy among our networks. IAKS has helped provide international speakers in past NSC events, presenting global trends papers and case studies. We are thrilled to be further involved with NSC coinciding with the expansion of our members, network and events across Australia and New Zealand.”

NSC co-founder, Martin Sheppard added “the NSC is excited to build upon the collaboration we have nurtured with IAKS over the past five years.

"This formalisation will allow NSC to continue to bring the best of global best practice to ANZ. We will continue to work closely with the ANZ peak bodies to allow global case-studies to be show-cased alongside each other.”

The NSC is being held from 11th to 13th July 2022 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Click here for more information on the National Sports and Physical Activity Convention in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Image (from left) Dr Stefan Kannewischer, Martin Sheppard and IAKS Secretary General, Klaus Meinel.