London will host the 2011 SportAccord Convention. Mayor Boris Johnson made the announcement in a keynote speech at the 2012 Business Summit in London’s ExCel on November 4. With the 2012 London Games around the corner, hosting SportAccord is seen as a key milestone in delivering the capital’s long-term aims to position London and the UK as a leading city and country in the business of sport and a unique opportunity to showcase British expertise and increase its market share in the US$111 billion global sports business industry.

The Mayor said: “This is a truly fantastic opportunity for the capital. Delivering a legacy for London after the Games is crucially important and SportAccord will now play a significant role in helping us achieve this. Sport is at the heart of this great city and I am looking forward to welcoming all sports leaders, IOC members and Olympic bidding cities to London in 2011 to give them a taste of what’s in store for 2012 and after.”

Tessa Jowell, Olympics Minister and a speaker at the 2012 Games Sport Business Summit, said: "The SportAccord Convention is an excellent opportunity for UK businesses to showcase their expertise gained from working on London 2012 to key players in the international event supplier sector. With preparations for the London Games reaching fever pitch in 2011, SportAccord will be a vital forum for British companies looking to capitalise on the business benefits of 2012 and take their experience overseas."

The bid to bring the SportAccord Convention to London was co-ordinated by the Events for London team at Visit London and has been heavily supported and funded by a number of the UK’s sporting and business bodies. Those bodies include the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) whose key role is to build Britain’s capabilities to compete in the global economy. The government’s sporting body UKSport has also proactively supported the bid as well as the Greater London Authority (GLA), LOCOG, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the London Development Agency (LDA), VisitBritain, and Events for London.