SportAccord Official Makes Inspection Tour to Seoul: Ms. Anna Hellman (right), general manager of SportAccord, talks with WTF Secretary General Dong-hoo Moon (center) and other WTF officials when she visited the WTF Headquarters in southern Seoul on Feb. 2, 2006, to check the Seoul Organizing Committee's preparations for SportAccord 2006, which is scheduled for April 3-7, 2006.

Some of the most influential people in sport will be speaking at SportAccord 2006, which takes place at the Grand InterContinental Hotel in Seoul, South Korea on April 3-7, 2006, according to a press release by SportAccord on Feb. 10, 2006.

Over 30 speakers have already signed up for the sell-out exhibition which will be brimming with bidding cities, major events companies, International Sports Federations and commercial partners. The speakers include John Furlong, the Chief Executive of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games and Gilbert Felli, Olympic Games Executive Director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Sports represented by the speakers are as diverse as basketball, gymnastics, cycling, rugby, hockey, polo tennis, rowing, squash and motor racing. There will also be a host of speakers from cities bidding for sports events in regions from Melbourne to Rio to Glasgow.

Mike Lee, the former Director of Communications & Public Affairs for the London 2012 Olympic bid, will be speaking about "Bidding Cities: Strategies For Success In The International Event Market."

"I am delighted to be speaking at SportAccord 2006 – the event seems to grow in influence and impact every year," says Lee, who now heads his own company, Vero Communications Ltd. "My focus will be on the story of how London won the race for the right to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, the lessons of the campaign and the legacy of the bidding process. It is a particular pleasure to be involved this year as SportAccord 2005 was a special moment in London's Olympic campaign."

The full list of speakers who have confirmed their attendance so far is:

Peter Abraam: Chief Executive, Victorian Major Events Company

Yousef Mohammed Al Othman: Deputy Director General – Operations, DAGOC 2006

Patrick Baumann: Secretary General, International Basketball Federation (FIBA)

Richard Bezemer: Principal, The Contemporary Group
Terrence Burns: President & CEO, Helios Partners, Inc.

Rick Burton: Commissioner, Australian National Basketball League

Derek Casey: Bid Director, Glasgow 2014

David Churches: Senior Advisor: Event Bidding & Delivery Strategies, The Contemporary Group

Christophe Dubi: Olympic Games Deputy Executive Director, International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Andy Elliott: Head of Sport, Press Association

Bob Elphinston: International Sports Consultant & Sports Advisor

Gilbert Felli: Olympic Games Executive Director, International Olympic Committee (IOC)

John Furlong: Chief Executive, Vancouver 2010

Joachim Gossouw: General Manager Sports, World Games 2005 GmbH

André Gueisbuhler: Secretary General, International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)

Mitchell (Won Euy) Hong: Chief Executive, Eclat Entertainment Inc.

Guy Horne: Director, Asia Pacific, IEC In Sports

Mike Lee: Chief Executive, Vero Communications Ltd.

Sarah Lewis: Secretary General, International Ski Federation (FIS)

Peter Mann: Executive Chairman, PMP Legacy

Pat McQuaid: President, International Cycling Union (UCI)

Mike Miller: Chief Executive, International Rugby Federation (IRF)

Steven Morris: Marketing Manager, International Hockey Federation (FIH)

Carlos Arthur Nuzman: President, Organising Committee of the XV Pan American Games Rio 2007

Michael Payne: Special Advisor to the Chairman/CEO Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One Group

Ubald Prucker: Vice President Development, International Biathlon Union

Jacques Rogge: President, International Olympic Committee

Claude Ruibal: President & CEO, World Championship Sports Network

Michael Schultz-Tholen: Honorary Secretary General, Federation of International Polo (FIP)

Susie Simcock: Emeritus President, World Squash Federation

David Simon: President, Los Angeles Sports Council

Matt Smith: Executive Director, International Rowing Federation (FISA)

Paul Smith: Head of Operations, International Tennis Federation (ITF)

Hein Verbruggen: Acting President, GAISF, & Chairman, SportAccord

Cliff Web: Chief Operating Officer, Narrowstep

The speakers will take to the stage in front of an audience of delegates which will include representatives of International Sports Federations and Associations, the IOC Executive Board, bidding and host cities, Olympic Games Organizing Committees, world multi-sports games Organizing Committees, broadcasters, architects, suppliers, infrastructure companies, consultants, insurance & finance companies, CRM/technology companies, hospitality & ticketing, lawyers and sponsors.

Peter Mann is the Executive Chairman of pmpLEGACY, a Silver Sponsor of SportAccord. He will be acting as a moderator at the conference. "Having attended last year's event in Berlin, we could not fail but be impressed by both the high quality of international delegates and the conference papers," he says. "This really is the event to attend for cities thinking of bidding for a major sporting event!"

For biographies of speakers and a list of discussion topics, please visit www.sportaccord.com.

For further information on SportAccord, contact:

Anna Hellman, General Manager, SportAccord, CMC, CH-1860 Aigle, Switzerland. Tel: +41 (0)24 468 5972 Fax: +41 (0)24 468 5812 Email: info@sportaccord.com

To book a delegate place:

Delegate places are on sale for US$1,450 and include entry to all conference and workshop sessions, the exhibition and associated lunches, coffee breaks and receptions. To book your place visit www.sportaccord.com or contact Fiona Lunnon, Sales & Marketing Manager, Tel: +44 (0)207 963 7890 Fax: +44 (0)207 963 7894

About SportAccord SportAccord, the annual international sports convention, brings representatives from the 100 International Sports Federations affiliated to GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations), ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) and AIOWF (Association of the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), as well as the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, together with sponsors, architects, sports lawyers, broadcasters and other specialists to discuss the key issues facing the sports movement.