Delegation of sporting federations visit Coventry Building Society Arena ahead of SportAccord Summit

A delegation of international and national sporting federations and rights holders visited Coventry and Warwickshire ahead of a major summit later this year.

West Midlands Growth Company organised a visit to the region ahead of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2024, which will welcome 1,500 global sports leaders to Birmingham from 7-11 April.

Coventry Building Society Arena and the University of Warwick hosted a delegation of more than 10 people over the course of a two-day visit to Coventry and Warwickshire.

The Arena has a rich sporting history and has hosted a wide range of sporting events, from rugby league, the Olympics and international football, to snooker, tennis and boxing.

Coventry Building Society Arena’s Managing Director Paul Michael and Catering & Experience Director Mark O’Shea introduced the venue to the delegates and gave a guided tour of the stadium’s facilities.

This included the exhibition halls, with a live exhibition being set-up on the day, highlighting the versatility of Coventry Building Society Arena as a centre for business, entertainment and sport.

The tour saw a visit to the Commonwealth Convention Centre, the boardroom, football dressing rooms and finally a chance to see the 32,609 stadium bowl from pitch side.

It followed a visit to the University of Warwick the previous day, with the delegates hearing about the university’s e-sports and conference facilities, and exploring its state-of-the-art Sports and Wellness Hub.

Prem Singh, CEO of British Kabaddi, was among the delegation. He said: “My experience in Coventry has been tremendous. I have been here a lot recently as Coventry is hosting one of the legs of the British Kabaddi League.

“Coventry has been successful in getting one of the sessions for the Kabaddi World Cup which will be taking place in 2025.

“It’s clear that the Arena has amazing opportunities for people who wish to engage in sport, events and concerts.

“I’ve been asking a lot of questions because so many things have come to mind.

“We also visited University of Warwick and it was brilliant. We talked a lot about e-games and how kabaddi as a sport can become a part of that.

“Coventry is a diverse community and you can see that when you come to venues like this, which is very encouraging to see for a sport like ours which is ethnically diverse. For us to be greeted in this manner is very much appreciated.”

Joel Lavery, Strategic Lead for Major Events at West Midlands Growth Company, said: “It has been fantastic to be here, with a number of international sporting federations and rights holders who have visited this facility and looked at the potential to host future major international events here.

“The West Midlands is the heart of sport in the UK, and we are really grateful to show off one of the jewels in the region’s crown, Coventry Building Society Arena. We look forward to coming back here in the future.”

Paul Michael, Managing Director at Coventry Building Society Arena, added: “This was a great opportunity to highlight how we are positioned to host major national and international sport events in Coventry.

“It was a pleasure to show the delegation around our venue, and provide an insight into our proud sporting history and our exciting plans for the future.”

Councillor Kamran Caan, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport, said: “Coventry City Council supported with the coordination of this delegation visit which was a fantastic way to highlight the incredible sports facilities that our city has to offer. “Bringing major sporting events to Coventry not only puts our city on the map, it boosts the economy, attracts tourism and also allows us to engage with local communities by bringing residents and sport together.”