Baku, February 11 AZERTAC

Baku City Circuit (BCC), promoter of the 2017 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, today announced it will host the inaugural Conference on the Benefits of Hosting Major Sports Events (BHMSE) in association with the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan at Baku’s Four Seasons Hotel, on Wednesday 15th February. The symposium will feature contributions from high-profile representatives of several current F1 Grand Prix races and is expected to welcome up to 200 delegates on the day.

This newly formulated event, the first of its kind to be staged in Azerbaijan, will feature speakers from BCC’s senior management team as well as key figures from within the Azerbaijani government and business community. Additionally, representatives from several major international sporting events, such as the Russian, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prixs, will take to the stage to showcase how they have each benefitted from hosting global sporting events.

Speakers on the day will include Azad Rahimov, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Nazim Samadov, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sergey Vorobyev, Promoter of the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix, Richard Cregan, CEO Rasgaira & Special Consultant to Yas Marina Circuit, Fayez Ramzy Fayez, Operations Director at Bahrain International Circuit, Ilgar Veliyev, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan, Davut Furkan Emen, General Manager at Shah Palace Hotel, Baku.

This special one-day conference will provide a unique platform for sporting promoters and businesses from across the region to come together to share their own experiences and learn from vast array of international guest speakers who will discuss and analyse the economic and social impact, importance and benefits that staging major sporting events can have on host cities and nations. Drawing from their extensive combined knowledge, they will outline the many opportunities and challenges that organisers face when bringing global sporting celebrations to their countries and how to maximise the huge potential these events offer.

Arif Rahimov, Executive Director at Baku City Circuit, commented on the announcement of BHMSE 2017 earlier this morning: “We are thrilled to host the first BHMSE conference to highlight the benefits of hosting a major sporting event. The importance of the F1 race to Baku and Azerbaijan cannot be underestimated. After successfully hosting the European Games in 2015, the F1 race weekend continued the process of establishing Baku as a home of major international sporting events. There are many potential benefits that arise from hosting such a major sporting event. The economic benefits are clear: increased tourism, increased spending in the wider hospitality industry, and increased investments from international companies. We are delighted to welcome this high calibre roster of speakers next week to continue discussing this important topic and are hopeful this will be the first BHMSE of many to take place in Baku.”

Sergey Vorobyev, promoter of F1 Russian Grand Prix also spoke of his excitement at speaking at the conference next week: “I am honoured to have been invited to speak at next week’s inaugural BHMSE conference. Sochi has experienced first-hand how hosting major sporting events can achieve greater international recognition for a host city. With this in mind, the close cooperation among the local organiser, businesses and government is crucial to creating long lasting successful outcomes that are mutually beneficial to all parties. The BHMSE is a great opportunity to gather an experienced pool of speakers from all over the world together in one place, who will share their knowledge and experiences of hosting such major events and how best to maximise the potential in social, cultural and economic terms.”