Sports have an empowering, almost patriotic effect on people and government leaders, corporate sponsors and civil society organizations from around the world have taken note.
To this end, Hon. James P Moore Jr, an American professor, former senior government official and the founder of the Washington Institute for Business, Government and Society, is convening the Washington Institute Global Sports Conference in 2020. The first summit of its kind, the Washington Institute Global Sports Conference will be held at the Gaylord Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland from June 18-19, 2020. Coinciding with the 2020 Summer Olympics, to be held in Tokyo, and with an eye toward the 2022 World Cup, the Global Sports Conference will focus on the security, infrastructure, and ethics underpinning international sporting events, as well as the impact of sport on business, government, and society.
I recently had a chat with Hon. James P Moore Jr regarding the African and emerging market opportunity for foreign direct investment (FDI) through sports and what his Global Sports Conference plans to accomplish.
How can African countries embrace and profit from the commercialization of sports on the continent?
In my view, there is an opportunity for African countries to take advantage of the greater geo-commercial benefits of professionalized sports in their own countries while fostering a conducive climate for a generation of young athletes to flourish, those that can become household names without having to leave the continent. Let me add, there is a much-needed seat at the table for these athletes, their club managements and pan-African sponsors at the Global Sports Conference, one that in my view has yet to be filled effectively in the genre.
Governments must to a greater degree realize that they need to play their part in what must be public-private ventures to help provide proper infrastructure that clubs, communities and whole cities may presently be lacking. This must be done in order to create a professional environment where athletes can thrive and spectators can have a safe and memorable fan experience. As Kelvin C. Omuojine of SportHouse LP puts it in his 2018 ‘Law in Sport’ retrospective, “…while there is no doubt that sports could play a critical role in attaining developmental goals, a policy vacuum, poor governance and inadequate investment all show that African governments are yet to fully appreciate this potential and have yet to integrate sport into their national development plans.”
Furthermore, in an era where a vast quantity of profits will come from broadcasting rights and the sponsorships that follow, Omuojine explains that, “…a robust legal framework for the protection of media and intellectual property rights ensures that economic benefits are not misplaced but are channeled towards the sustained growth of the sports industry [in country].”
If the public and private sectors can work together and establish a strong legal framework, there is potential for an economic boom in Africa provided by a seemingly whole new industry. The rewards will not only be monetary nor symbolically inspirational, but could help to bolster employment, improve local infrastructure and create numerous social benefits that will last long after the last fan has left the stadium.
What were the motivations for the Washington Institute for Business, Government and Society launching the WI Global Sports Conference (WIGSC / GSC), arguably an unprecedented venue robustly covering the pressing issues of the day within the industry of sports, debuting in June 2020?
Here in the United States, if not around the world, it is clear that we stand at the precipice of a societal, cultural, and political inflection point.
The search for accountability and real-time problem-solving from leaders both in the public and private sectors has never been more critical. Frankly, bringing deep, extensive experience to address modern challenges and broker opportunities within business, government, and society was the rationale for founding our Washington Institute.
More specifically, sports have served as a mirror of global society throughout time. The issues that it encapsulates, be it corporate social responsibility (CSR) or the integrity of the games themselves, matter to individuals from all walks of life, including world leaders.
The Washington Institute WI Global Sports Conference is not just intended to deliver lectures. Rather, it is intended to produce interaction, impact, and forge tangible results. Our motivating factors for launching an all-encompassing discussion, one that we hope inspires future generations of athletes, corporate executives and political leaders alike, are many. They include addressing the signature, historic issues of our day, as well as the opportunities presented by sports. In addition, we will consider how global sports, including the Olympics and World Cup, influence the dynamics in business, government, and society.
The WI Global Sports Conference will bring together the best and brightest in the industry, perhaps for the first time from host nation representatives to political actors and stewards of enterprise. Learning from past lessons, they can broker solutions to the challenges impeding the integrity of the business of sports, while ensuring its DNA encourages mutually-beneficial investment in people and communities.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Washington Institute for Business, Government and Society’s inaugural WI Global Sports Conference.
You speak to addressing certain oft-ignored issues, which must include emerging market human rights and local employment in the hosting of events such as the World Cup; how does the Washington Institute look to play a role in this discussion?
Let’s face it. There have been human rights concerns in sports dating back to the dawn of the Olympiad. They have evolved and often tragically expanded during the course of human history despite the best intentions from many stakeholders.
However, there has been tremendous opportunity brokered through sports and the hosting of sporting events. Emerging markets from around the world have more and more opportunities to be endowed with a tremendous showcase, a platform to promote innovative best practices and the distinctions that make each respective host nation provide incentives to tourism and multilateral investment.
Employee safety issues during the Olympics or World Cup stadium construction operations have raised important questions. Dangerous conditions, long working hours, an inadequate complaint system, even deaths on the job, have created a myriad of serious concerns.
There is also the question of addressing lingering human rights matters in the host countries themselves. I see sports as an opportunity for a host nation to address rights groups, realign policy, and let the world know that it is open to newfound dialogue and enterprise.
At home, health concerns and the rights of athletes are issues brought to the surface regularly in the consciousness of national sports. We will look at retirement for National Football League (NFL) players, their healthcare, and the steps that have been taken to avoid risks, such as concussions. This was once a taboo subject to address in the past. It will now be biennially dealt with.
There must also be an impetus for businesses, governments, and societies to ensure the unifying power of sports maintains the citizenry and communities of each nation even after it has hosted an international sporting event.
There is no room for “sportswashing,” the practice by which authoritarian regimes abuse their privilege as host of international sporting competitions to obscure their unjust governing practices. We look to play a central role in hosting the discussions that emphasize fair play both on the field and with regard to human rights, fostering on-site, newfound solutions that can bring about tangible change.
To the crux of your question, the hosting of a major sports venue should be a proponent of national job creation and foreign direct investment. We take our role very seriously in enhancing this process and in producing opportunities for emerging market prosperity through sports.
For background, you were considered one of the most pragmatic leaders at the U.S. Department of Commerce, during your role as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade and Development and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Affairs, where you personally undertook the task of negotiating a series of trade agreements for the United States with Japan. So let’s talk about finance and let’s talk about Tokyo 2020; what are some of the challenges facing sponsors of major exhibitions such as the coming Olympics?
You raise a great question, namely that there would not be an industry of sports without sponsors behind it. Japan notably revealed over the summer that it had shattered an Olympic record. It soon will be hosting the most heavily sponsored event in sporting history, estimated at over $3 billion.
It is less clear what such corporate partnerships entail for global audiences.
Sponsors at each incremental level have a role to play, both in flagging and overcoming associated advertising risks to maintain profitability while leveraging opportunities for their partnerships to be socially effective. This includes charitable donations, medical or scientific-research and development, and anti-corruption endeavors, such as anti-doping promotion. Advertisers have a clear responsibility that is associated with each and every collaboration.
We need to learn fully the lessons of Athens and Rio, and of others who have hosted major global sports events. It is the responsibility not just of sponsors but of hosts, as well as others (including the Washington Institute), to raise awareness to what can be done to address a growing climate of disillusionment and distrust if not disrepair.
eSports and online gaming (and gambling) have been jockeying for legitimacy in the traditional sports arena. With their energetic emergence comes next generation challenge, such as hacking. Have you considered the inclusion of eSports in deliberations to be held at the WI Global Sports Conference?
Absolutely! The frenetic energy and enthusiasm behind eSports has swept like a wave around the world. The financial projections for the industry over the next few years are striking.
This billion dollar industry has also caught the attention of current traditional sports owners, corporate executives, and advertisers who are pouring millions of dollars into the production value of tournaments. ‘2K’ competitions are as popular as the real thing. Samsung and Korean Telecom own teams outright, with individual athletes following suit.
The prowess borne of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (controlling, monetizing, and automating the large flows of data throughout the global economy) ultimately entails the digitization of sports itself. But how can these developments be regulated? How do you, for example, crack down on underage online gambling and unregulated eSports betting? How can businesses, governments, and societies ensure cybersecurity, data protections, and check the manipulation of competitive sports for monetary benefit?
These are issues that simply cannot be earmarked for a governing body or an array of governing bodies to address. The commitment of all stakeholders involved must be assured. As we look to advocate on behalf of those stakeholders, it is the ethical responsibility of our WI Global Sports Conference to remain on the cutting edge. We will host talented and visionary leaders, both from the ‘start up’ eSports community and those established entrepreneurs and enterprises who have joined the movement advocating for a regulatory framework to support free and fair competition in eSports.
What are the contemporary threats to stadium goers and those that congregate in ‘fan zones’ and how would you surmise they being combated?
The bombing of the Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert in May of 2017 and the Las Vegas shooting at a country music festival later that same year did not occur during sporting events. However, they showcased the great dangers that large crowds unfortunately face in modern society on a global scale. Furthermore, these acts cemented the fact that we are living in an era of ‘lone-wolf’ attacks. This means that stadium security must keep a close eye on every single person, not only inside, but along the perimeter of the venue as well.
The good news is that technological advances are aiding this seemingly herculean process.
Comprehensive surveillance systems not only offer high resolution imagery but biometric and digital intelligence-driven data which can be shared in real-time across multiple security and emergency response sectors.
Single cameras are today often connected to state-of-the-art command centers, which can also control entry access and alarm systems. With the multimedia and security platforms merged, personnel are freed up to attend to the problem area with efficacy. Furthermore, in the cyber arena, certain systems can survey social media posts within and around a ‘geo-fenced’ venue area. This allows security to spot potential issues such as individuals espousing malicious intent or would-be fans ‘crowdsourcing,’ in this case, preparing for a pre-meditated conflict.
Facial recognition is also a tool that is rapidly becoming a ‘must-have’ for all venues. Outside of the stadium, facial recognition cameras are tied to databases which can be utilized to stop those previously banned from entering the stadium. Inside the stadium, facial recognition is utilized to identify perpetrators and enable security to better recognize those ‘bad actors’ which they must confront.
Technology also allows the crowd to police itself. Anyone with a smart phone now has the ability to tweet or send text-messages to a Team or arena hot-line. ‘Seeing something, saying something’ when trouble is spotted pragmatically. And yet it also raises issues of privacy that need to be addressed.
Finally, age-old tactics, such as K9 units, are used to detect explosives and other harmful substances carried by mobile targets. This allows the crowd flow to continue while a dedicated venue security apparatus monitors a steady stream of spectators and alerts security personnel of potentially dangerous targets.
What environmental and energy initiatives would you foresee being rolled out during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics? What can we as spectators do at a personal level to reduce our waste and energy consumption while attending such a massive event?
While companies are holding their cards ‘close to the vest’ with regards to products and initiatives that may be rolled out at next year’s Olympics, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Committee has launched an auspicious Sustainability Plan that highlights 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The goals are set within major sustainability themes, such as Climate Change, Labor and Fair Business Practices, and a Sustainable Sourcing Code, to name a few.
According to Tokyo2020.org, the organizing committee is “…also committed to making sure the meaning behind the Tokyo 2020 Games, its concepts and lasting legacies will be passed on to future Olympic / Paralympic Games and resonate in various activities and initiatives throughout Japan and the world.” This is a bold statement, underlined by the fact that they mean it. Perhaps most impressive is that electricity used in the Olympic Village and competition venues will be powered by 100% renewable electricity.
Where do you envision the WI Global Sports Conference brand in five years’ time?
I envision us planning for our third Conference. The Washington Institute for Business, Government and Society is dedicated to empowering good governance and responsible enterprise. Critically, each sector stands to benefit from globalization but must also “do well by doing good.” This means that businesses will be most successful when they invest in their communities and stakeholders. While we envision our Washington Institute programs diversifying over time, the WI Global Sports Conference will be a biennial mainstay and flagship unifier.
We look to capitalize on cross pollination between sports and critical issues pertaining to technology, geopolitics, commerce, and free and fair competition. The WI Global Sports Conference will be a milestone on the annual calendar that becomes a ‘must attend’ event for those at the leadership forefront in the sectors of business, government, and society. It is up to us to foster such lasting opportunity and light the torch which will be passed to the next generation. I look forward to your readers joining our mission as we look to shine a light on best practices in one of the oldest elements of human civilization.
Credit: Mfonobong Nsehe