Marius Vizer – President of SportAccord Convention on Preparations for 2014
April 5, 2014
The SportAccord Convention in 2014 will visit Belek, Turkey, bringing together some of the biggest and most powerful names in sport. Marius Vizer was elected as President of the Convention last year after a strong manifesto in which he promised to take SportAccord Convention to a level that had previously not been managed. With delegates arriving in Turkey, iSportconnect’s Steve Moorhouse spoke to Vizer about the final preparations and how he is settling into this new role.
As President of the SportAccord Convention, what are your main roles and duties?
My main role as President of the SportAccord Convention is to bring together SportAccord’s Members. On the same note, welcoming the IOC Executive Board at the Convention offers the chance to create an exclusive networking environment where sport leaders have the opportunity to connect with sport media, marketing companies and representatives of the Olympic Movement in order to exchange on common concerns, define new strategies and address positive messages to society
SportAccord Convention is just around the corner. What preparations are left for you and your team?
Considering the pre-existing contractual obligations we have done our best to cope with the difficulties encountered.
We invested all our efforts to deliver a successful Convention in Belek. We tried to find a common path with the local organizing committee and I hope the result will satisfy our participants’ expectations.
You have been in the position since September. Have you had time to implement your strategy for the Convention?
The time was really short and we were forced to deal with difficult circumstances. However, I believe that our team will deliver the best possible event.
What are these new strategies?
We are preparing a strategy meant to improve and complete the existing base. All the changes will be visible at the next Convention in 2015. At the moment, I do not wish to reveal the details, at least until we sign the partnership agreements with the host city for the next edition.
What do you hope the Convention achieves this year?
I do hope that this year’s Convention will be a model of unity and collaboration between SportAccord, the Olympic Movement and our Members, as well as our partners.
When you were elected President you said you wanted to bring more value and revenue to the Convention. How do you plan on achieving this?
I will implement my strategy for the next edition and I will prove what I have stated during the campaign for my election.
What has surprised you most about the Convention since becoming President?
I cannot say that I was too surprised so far. On the same note, I would like to leave a word of appreciation for the work done by my predecessor. I will try to build on the existing foundation towards a more efficient Convention for the benefit of our Members and the entire sport community.
Regarding this year’s event, there have been problems with accessing Twitter in Turkey. How big of an issue is this for SportAccord Convention?
It is a specific situation that we have to consider. We need to adapt and try to find solutions so that this issue does not affect us too much.
Finally how will you determine the Convention as a success and what are the plans for next year?
As I mentioned before, I wish to build on the existing foundation and create a more complex strategy for an event which will promote a more fruitful collaboration between SportAccord, the Olympic Movement and all our Members and partners.
Marius Vizer is the President of SportAccord, the SportAccord Convention and the International Judo Federation (IJF). He was elected into the roles at SportAccord and SportAccord Convention in 2013.
Vizer has spent nearly his whole life in Judo. He was a talented athlete from the age of 16 until 1982 and went onto coach the sport from 1982-95.
In 2007, Vizer was chosen to be the new President of the International Judo Federation, where he continues to hold this position.
Mr. Vizer’s 
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