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FEI Hails Record Interest In World Equestrian Games

17th November 2011

International Equestrian Federation (FEI) secretary general Ingmar de Vos has hailed the record number of expressions of interest to host the organisation’s flagship event in 2018 as a ringing endorsement.

Signed expression of interest documents have been received from seven national federations, with Australia, Canada, Hungary, Morocco, Russia, Sweden and the United States all keen to secure the hosting rights to the 2018 event. The deadline for submissions passed at midnight on Tuesday. “Having a record seven Expressions of Interest in hosting the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018 is the best possible endorsement of the FEI’s flagship event,” De Vos said.

“It also shows the value of the review that the FEI has commissioned of the bidding process for the FEI World Equestrian Games and FEI European Championships, which is aimed at raising the profile of these events and their associated revenues by creating a competitive, well structured and transparent bid process,” De Vos added. Deloitte was commissioned by the FEI to carry out an economic impact assessment of the 2010 Games, which were staged in Kentucky, USA.

The results were impressive, with Deloitte finding that the 2010 Games generated a positive direct economic impact of US$233 million and an indirect economic impact of between $140-163 million. On the ground, the 2010 event pulled in more than half a million spectators, with 74% of international visitors saying they would be more likely to return to Kentucky as a result of the Games.

The FEI also cited media distribution figures as a reason for the interest in the 2018 Games, with 66 television channels from around the world having aired 1,556 broadcasts. Approximately 474 broadcast hours were transmitted – a 32% increase on the previous edition of the Games in 2006, which was staged in Aachen, Germany. The 2014 World Equestrian Games will take place in Normandy, France.

Source: sportbusiness.com