By Duncan Mackay at the Susesi Convention Center in Belek

Marius Vizer is set to launch a new strategy for the 2015 SportAccord International Convention, he has revealed ©SportAccord ConventionApril 7 - SportAccord International Convention, the most important annual conference on the sporting calendar, appears set to undergo a radical overhaul in 2015 with the event being more than three times bigger than this year's, it was revealed here today. 


Marius Vizer, President of SportAccord Convention, has signalled the changes as delegates gathered here for this year's event.

"I am not applying my own strategy [for SportAccord Convention 2014] and I have to follow a strategy elaborated before my becoming President," he told The Daily, the SportAccord Convention official newspaper.

"But I do hope that from 2015 onwards we will be able to display an even more consolidated image, offering many positive surprises and more value to the the participants coming from the sports family and to all those organisations and companies that activate around sports," 

A total of 1,800 delegates are registered for this edition of the event but Nis Hatt, managing director of SportAccord Convention, told insidthegames that up to 8,000 could attend next year as it looks to embrace more sectors of industry involved in sport, including the National Olympic Committees and suppliers to major events. 

Hatt also revealed officially, for the first time, that Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is among those bidding along with unnamed cities from Brazil and South Africa. 

"The convention will remain as it is but that doesn't mean it needs to stand still," said Hatt. 

Marius Vizer has admitted he has "not applying my own strategy" for this year's edition of SportAccord International Convention ©SportAccord ConventionMarius Vizer has admitted he has "not applying my own strategy" for this year's edition of SportAccord International Convention ©SportAccord Convention

Vizer was elected last year as President of SportAccord, the umbrella organisation for both Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations, which is one of three partners of SportAccord International Convention.

He became President of SportAccord International Convention last May and has already started planning next year's event..

"I have a more complex strategy and once the organiser for 2015 is disclosed we will be able to announce also the new strategies that will be applied in order to enrich the current heritage and strategy of SportAccord Convention," he said.  

"My message for the guests and participants of SportAccord Convention 2014 is that I encourage them to express themselves honestly within the events organised, to talk about the issues that preoccupy their organisations and to propose solutions that SportAccord can then carry forward in order to offer a final product to its members," said Vizer.

"We should launch as many dialogues and bridges between sports as possible and I hope that each participant will contribute in a constructive way to increasing the value of the Convention, in order to open doors towards new projects and achievements."

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