Leading figures from across the industry joined a unique setting that connected sport and business
The Australian state of Victoria has co-hosted an event at the Australian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai that brought together some of the leading sports industry figures from Australia and across the Middle East.
In attendance was Mr. Nasser Aman Alrahma, Assistant Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council. During the event, Dubai Sports Council announced it has many initiatives and opportunities for Victoria and Australia to engage with the UAE’s sports industry.
The hybrid event, attended by more than 50 people in-person and virtually, involved multiple panel sessions and discussions, including:
• The critical role played by community sports and major event facilities in generating significant social, health and economic benefits to communities
• The importance education plays in driving an innovative and sustainable sports industry
• The key role played by the Victorian Government in establishing the Australian Sport Innovation Centre of Excellence in Melbourne
Officially launching the event and providing opening remarks virtually was Ms Gönül Serbest, CEO, Global Victoria.
“Expo 2020 provides us with a great opportunity to reconnect with the region and the global economy, creating connections and strategic relationships with our economic partners in the Middle East,” said Ms Serbest.
“By showcasing Victoria’s sport and technology industries, attendees have the opportunity to learn more about our state and we look forward to continuing our strong commitment to the Middle East and North Africa Region.”
Ms Serbest highlighted Victoria’s position as Australia’s sporting capital. The state is home to 9,500 community sport facilities, leisure and recreation centres, more than 16,000 sporting clubs, and more than 52 professional teams playing in national or international competitions.
Melbourne also boasts world-class sporting infrastructure and has a global reputation as a major sporting events capital – hosting among others the Australian Open, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the Spring Racing Carnival – featuring Australia’s premier racing event the Melbourne Cup (won by Dubai’s Godolphin for the first time in 2018).
Victoria’s extensive sporting calendar and technology capability means it is the perfect place to develop new sports technology solutions. Victoria is home to more than half of Australia’s sportstech firms and this event showcased some of its best, including Rosterfy, Champion Data, RefBook, InteractSport, FrogBox, EngageRM, and Alerte Equine Science.
Attendees also previewed SportNXT, a new annual global thought leadership summit, that will be held in Melbourne (6-8 April 2022) during the 2022 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The event also included a business networking lunch and included an interview with Cricket Australia CEO, Nick Hockley, who discussed Australia’s win at the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup in the UAE, along with the upcoming Ashes series and famous Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The Victorian Government is the only Platinum Partner of the Australian pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and is working in partnership with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Austrade to deliver Victoria’s program of events over the six months of Expo.
