National Sports Convention announces details of 2023 NSC Oration

The National Sports and Physical Activity Convention (NSC) 2023 has launched its major keynote event, the NSC Oration, which will be delivered by Tim Hollingsworth OBE, Chief Executive of Sport England.

Hollingsworth’s address, Elevating Legacy: 2012-2022 will focus on the period from the London Olympics in 2012 through to the Commonwealth Games in 2022, providing insights and unpacking the learnings from the UK over the past decade.

NSC organisers describe the address as being “perfectly timed” after the Queensland Government’s recent release of its Elevate 2042 consultation paper on the potential legacy outcomes of the Brisbane 2032 OIympic and Paralympic Games.

Hollingsworth’s address will also consider learnings into 2022 with the Women’s Europe Football Championships and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and the successes that provided to legacy.

He will then join a panel of experts, each from a slightly different lens, including:

• Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Federal Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury

• Jeroen Weimar, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, Victoria 2026

• Dr Hannah Macdougall, Dual Paralympian, world record holder

• Patrick Johnson, Culture and Safety Advisor, Sport Integrity Australia, Brisbane 2032

The Panel will explore the UK’s experience in relation to the next decade in terms of athlete wellbeing, integrity perspective, the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games lens and the Government’s perspective.

NSC founder Martin Sheppard commented “the NSC is proud to welcome Tim Hollingsworth to Australia to share his learnings and with our Discussion Panel we should really appreciate what our options can be looking forward for the global events but what it means to local sport.”

The NSC Oration is being delivered on Thursday 27th July at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Tim Hollingsworth
The former Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association (BPA), Hollingsworth was behind the team at four Paralympic Games including a best-ever Winter Games performance at PyeongChang 2018 - where ParalympicsGB won seven medals, including one gold.

That followed an impressive 147-medal haul at Rio 2016 as his team finished second in the medal table, up from third and 120 medals at London 2012.

Hollingsworth has also been at the forefront of the work that has increased the profile and interest of the Paralympic movement, driving the commercial and business growth of the BPA as a charity that challenges perceptions of disability in society.

Before his seven years with the BPA, Hollingsworth held the roles of Director of policy and Communications and Chief Operating Officer at UK Sport.

Prior to that, he had a decade’s worth of experience working in senior corporate communications roles.

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

Image: Geelong's Kardinia Park will host events at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (top, credit: Victoria 2026) and Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive of Sport England (below, credit: Sport England).