Around the Rings Newsmaker Breakfast

Atlanta – Turkey, Apr 7, 2014: Two-time Olympian and Executive Director of Sport and Paralympic Integration for Rio 2016 Agberto Guimarães’ will be the featured guest at the next Around the Rings Newsmaker Breakfast, set for the opening day of the SportAccord Convention Conference in Belek/Antalya, Turkey.

Rio 2016’s sports program — the biggest program since Beijing 2008 — will be the topic of the Breakfast topic.

“The Rio 2016 Summer Olympics will see a return to the 28-sport program after a 26-sport program for London 2012,” said ATR Editor and Breakfast host Ed Hula. “Organizers will face a number of challenges in staging the new sports — rugby and golf – in a country where they are not well-known.”

“We’re delighted that Around the Rings have chosen to host their Newsmaker breakfast as part of their partnership at this year’s Convention,” said Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord Convention.

“The session is certain to initiate real thought-provoking discussion and is the perfect way to get our delegates in the mindset to make the most of our engaging conference program.”

The Around the Rings Newsmaker Breakfast is set for 9:00 to 9:30 AM on Wednesday, April 9, in the SportAccord Convention Cafe. Guests will be able to participate in a Q&A with Mr. Guimarães’ at the end of an interview with Ed Hula.

For the third consecutive year, Around the Rings will have a booth at the SportAccord Convention. Visitors to stand #125 can meet the ATR editorial and sales teams and get one of ATR’s pins for Sochi 2014, widely touted as the hottest collectible of the Winter Games.

Baku 2015 is sponsoring ATR’s coverage of the 12th annual SportAccord Convention. Read updates throughout the day at aroundtherings.com.

Guimarães’ career highlights include fourth place in the 800m at the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games and semi-finalist in the 800m in the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games. He also served as Sport Director of the Rio 2007 XV Pan-American and Parapan-American Games. Before joining the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, he was Development General Manager of the Brazilian Olympic Committee; he also worked as Director of the successful Rio 2016 Bid Committee.

Guimarães’ is the latest in a long line of legendary sports leaders to appear as Breakfast guests.

High-profile panelists over the years have included the heads of organizing committees: Dmitry Chernyshenko of Sochi 2014; Sebastian Coe of London 2012; Carlos Nuzman of Rio 2016; and Gianna Angelopoulos of Athens 2004. Other notables have included Jacques Rogge, then president of the European Olympic Committees; NBC sports chief Dick Ebersol; British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell; Prince Albert of Monaco; Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli, and pole vault great Sergey Bubka.

For nearly 20 years, Newsmaker Breakfasts have brought together leading figures in the Olympic Movement, media, sports marketers, sponsors and others for a chance to meet and discuss issues facing the Games. The Breakfasts have been hosted in Acapulco, Atlanta, Beijing, Chicago, Copenhagen, London, New York, Salt Lake City, Sydney and Vancouver. —- ATR