SportAccord has become one of the key annual events for leading figures involved in the Olympic, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games and other major events, while the sold out gathering in Canada, that will take place from Sunday (May 20) until 25, will see over 830 separate organisations from more than 70 countries represented.

Robertson (pictured above) will join London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe at the Québec City Convention Centre for a special interview session on preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in what will be one of the most important editions of the event to date.

High on the agenda will be the announcement on May 23 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of which bidders have been shortlisted in the race to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games with Baku, Doha, Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo all involved.

Also key will be the much anticipated Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) General Assembly, where Francesco Ricci Bitti (pictured below) will be named as the successor to Denis Oswald as President of the organisation with a high powered battle expected for ASOIF's prestigious seat on the IOC Executive Board.


The event is held in a different city every year.

"We are a tiny team, but extremely involved in details," SportAccord Convention executive director Anna Hellman told insidethegames.

"I believe the more you know, the better you can deliver.

"We spend a lot of time with each Organising Committee.

"We need to learn about the city and they need to learn about the event and marry them together.

"You learn about how to work in different cities and traditions and cultures.

"When we leave each city, it feels like we are leaving a family behind."

Other high profile speaker at the event this year include United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chief executive Scott Blackmun, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) director general David Howman, Nike Brand President Charlie Denson and the Coca-Cola Company's director of Olympic Games management Thierry Borra.

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