Three contenders want to organise Play the Game 2021

While Play the Game’s 2019 conference for the first time took place in the  US, the 12^th edition of the conference in 2021 is heading back to Europe.

Due to the corona crisis, the selection process has been on hold since March, but as restrictions across Europe are easing and work life is getting back to almost normal, Play the Game has now resumed dialogue with three contenders about hosting the conference which is expected to take place in the autumn of 2021.

The three applicants are in alphabetic order according to the host city:

• The KEA Fair Play Code Hellas in cooperation with Grecotel Olympia Riviera Resort in Kyllini, Greece
• The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway
• The Institute of Sport – National Research Institute in Warsaw, Poland

“We are privileged to count on three highly professional proposals that have a potential of not only providing the necessary financial guarantees, but also adding great value to the conference programme,” says international director of Play the Game, Jens Sejer Andersen.

Over the coming weeks, there will be an intensified dialogue between Play the Game and the applicants to clarify all aspects of the cooperation and adjust mutual expectations.

The final decision about the 2021 host is expected to be taken in September by the board of Play the Game. The decision will be taken on the basis of a mix of objective criteria (venue, accommodation, transportation, finances, etc.) and more subjective ones (for instance contribution to programme development, stakeholder network, sports political perspectives).

The 2021 conference is expected to attract 4-500 athlete representatives, academics, journalists, sports officials, governmental employees, industry people, students, and other groups.

Previous Play the Game conferences took place in

1997 Vingsted, Denmark

2000, 2002 & 2005 Copenhagen, Denmark

2007 Reykjavik, Iceland

2009 Coventry, United Kingdom

2011 Cologne, Germany

2013 & 2015 Aarhus, Denmark

2017 Eindhoven, the Netherlands

2019 Colorado Springs, United States