Hosting Play the Game 2013: Calling interested partners

Play the Game calls upon potential partners to declare their interest in hosting Play the Game 2013, the 8th world communication conference on sport and society. Play the Game 2013 is expected to gather 3-400 leading media professionals, academics, sports officials, sports business executives and students from 40-50 countries worldwide. It is envisaged that the conference is arranged over four-five days in the second half of 2013. 

Play the Game is an international conference and communication initiative aiming to strengthen the ethical foundation of sport and promote democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in sport. It is run by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan), a research institution set up by the Danish Ministry of Culture, but working with full independence from government. The task of Idan is to create overview over and insight into the field of sport nationally and internationally.

Over the past 15 years, Play the Game has achieved a unique status as the leading platform in international sport where qualified observers and high-ranking sports officials engage in open, unrestricted and constructive debates about the main challenges to modern sport. The task for 2013 is to further develop the form, content and legacy of the conference which in its previous editions has been met with enthusiasm by the participants, leaving a mark on their professional future and on the international sports agenda. 

Co-organisers will be represented on the Programme Committee and be closely involved in all aspects of the conference planning. 

The conference attracts worldwide media attention and contributes to identifying the host city and country with high ethical standards in sport and sports administration. It offers opportunities to raise international issues of relevance for the host country, and it helps local journalists, academics and sports officials to increase their impact and strengthen their network on a global scale. 

Former host cities are Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Coventry and Cologne. Extensive documentation from previous conferences can be found at www.playthegame.org/conferences

A host can be a sports organisation, a city, a media company, a university/education centre, a sports club or a combination of all. Also, well-organised groups of interested individuals may be considered, but in order to become a host one must be able to present a convincing constituency and solid organisational and financial capacities.

Formal requirements

As a first step in the selection process we kindly ask possible co-organisers to send us a declaration of interest no later than Tuesday 10 April 2012 at noon. 

The declarations of interest will be followed up by a clarifying dialogue and a joint specification of the practical and financial requirements. If necessary, a formal bidding process will be carried out among the most qualified bids. 

The selection process will be managed by the directors and conference manager of Play the Game (see below). They will make a recommendation to the board of Play the Game which is expected to make the final decision in June 2012.

In the declaration of interest, candidates are kindly asked to give a rough idea about how they intend to raise the necessary funding for the below mentioned expenses. We also ask the candidates to lay out an overview over the local project organisation as well as outline a strategy for marketing of the conference in the host country.

Main costs for co-hosts are related to:

• rental of appropriate conference venue and technical equipment
• transportation costs for 30-40 invited speakers from across the world
• hotel and meals for the same invited speakers and for Play the Game representatives (board, staff, Programme Committee) on a 3-4 star level
• social and cultural programme
• a national pr and marketing campaign for the conference
• travel subsidies for participants from less privileged countries

Ideas about specific conference venues and further organisational partnerships in the city/region/country will add to the viability of the declaration. 

Please submit your declaration of interest to:  Play the GameAtt. Conference Manager Maria Suurballemaria@playthegame.org

Office line +45 70 27 55 77mobile +45 20 20 68 38  - to whom further questions can be addressed (NB! on leave 3-15 March). 

Written material, CD’s or likewise can be posted to  Play the Gamec/o Department of Sport ScienceAarhus University Dalgas Avenue 4DK-8000 Aarhus CDenmark

Play the Game wishes to express its gratitude for the broad interest shown so far in hosting our 2013 conference, and we look forward to hearing from all candidate hosting partners before Tuesday 10 April.

Best regards, Jens Sejer Andersen, International Director     Henrik H. Brandt, Director