International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven and IPC CEO Xavier Gonzalez attended the annual international SportAccord Conference, March 23-27, in Denver, Colorado. The convention hosts the annual meetings of many international sports federations, allowing their various governing bodies to come together yearly in a single event. More than 1,000 delegates convened for the meeting, where Craven and Gonzales met with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board and affiliates of the various summer and winter Olympic federations, as well as with the stakeholders in various world championship venues. Sports lawyers, broadcasters, various other specialists, and representatives of host and candidate cities also came to discuss the key issues facing the sports industry.
Paralympian Ambassador and Paralympic gold medalist Chris Waddell joined a star-studded line-up to present at the convention. In a panel session, Waddell discussed with other athletes and sports professionals the value of philanthropy in sports. Other presentations included “Global Sports Ownership In the 21st Century,” “2020 and Beyond-How Will Sport Change As The World Changes?” and “Youth Olympic Games-Engaging The Youth Of The World.”