SportAccord Gold Coast conference features key topics for sport lawyers and administrators

SportAccord has confirmed the program for this year’s LawAccord conference program: Key Opportunities, Challenges and Threats to Institutional Sport – From Within and Without, supported by a stellar line-up of speakers and panelists.

Running for a full-day for the first time, LawAccord is set to take place on Monday 6th May 2019 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

Introducing the event, SportAccord Managing Director, Nis Hatt advised “hosting SportAccord in Gold Coast has presented a wide variety of conference opportunities for the LawAccord program this year.

“With so many influencers and stakeholders in the region, it was felt that a full-day’s conference followed by a networking cocktail, would give delegates more news and current thinking, and provide the perfect platform to discuss the day’s business and insights in welcoming surroundings.”

LawAccord is of particular interest to sport lawyers and administrators, international federations, cities and regions, as well as event hosts.

Francesco Ricci Bitti, acting-President of SportAccord and President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) will provide the welcome introduction and opening for LawAccord.

The Morning Keynote: Why Good Governance is Crucial to Sport Organisations will be presented by Malcolm Speed, former Chief Executive of Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council. Speed is the Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University and Senior Fellow in the Faculty of Law at Melbourne University. A panel session discussing good governance will follow, led and moderated by Michael Lenard, Vice President, International Council of Amateur Sports (ICAS).

Other conference and panel sessions will cover: the fight against match-fixing; how to manage the emergence of rival leagues/competitions and other legal considerations supported by case studies; the annual Court of Arbitration in Sport Update.

An informal interview with Sir Craig Reedie will also take place followed by an anti-doping panel session.

Commenting on the significance of this year’s LawAccord program, Ross Wenzel (pictured), Partner, Kellerhals Carrard, and a LawAccord Steering Committee member, stated “Kellerhals Carrard is delighted to be involved in putting together this year’s edition of LawAccord taking place at SportAccord 2019 in Gold Coast.

"The program addresses some of the most topical and significant issues that are affecting international sport today including the practical aspects of governance reforms, how to deal with the emergence of rival leagues and the changing landscape of the fight against doping in sport.

“We have been fortunate enough to line up world-class speakers, both from Australia and abroad, with hands-on experience of the regulation and administration of sport. These include the lawyers that led the FIFA and IAAF governance reforms, Sir Craig Reedie, President of WADA, Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the newly-formed International Testing Agency and Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“In view of the quality of the program and speakers, the Steering Committee took the decision to extend LawAccord to a full day with a networking cocktail to follow, giving attendees further opportunities to make the most of their time at SportAccord. We are looking forward to a lively, frank and multi-faceted debate around some of the key challenges facing sport.

As part of the Official Schedule, delegates will be able to take part in over 20 networking events, the popular three-day Exhibition, and access 50+ conference sessions, become involved in the Sports Festival and many other social occasions taking place in Gold Coast, with plenty of opportunities to explore this beautiful region further.

Click here for information on the 2019 SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.