2016 FAI Annual Report

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FAI ANNUAL REPORT–2016 FAI ANNUAL REPORT–2016 6 7
Air Sports
Connecting
Across Air Sports
The FAI World Air Games Dubai 2015 was a huge success,
with 951 pilots and competitors from 52 nations coming
together to compete over 12 days. Those competitors
took part in 40 medal events across 11 sports – making
it the largest multi-discipline air sports competition
ever held.
As well as a great sporting achievement, the FAI World Air
Games helped create new connections between different
air sports and disciplines. Away from the field of play, it
helped create synergies across our sports in the use of
IT and event and competition management. Internally, it
helped the FAI work better together, providing renewed
focus and creating a newdynamic within the organisation.
The Games also succeeded in reachingmore people than
ever before. Post-event analysis revealed the full impact
and reach of the FAI World Air Games in Dubai. Television
footage fromtheGameswas distributedby 42broadcasters
and reached40mpeople across 200 countries. Socialmedia
reachedmanymillions too –fivemillion on Facebook alone.
On the ground, 30,000 visitors came to see the competition
at venues across Dubai. For the host city, that all added up
to produce a tangible return –worth an estimated $6.16m.
Now, in 2017, FAI ismoving forward, building on the success
of the FAI World Air Games 2015, negotiations are already
underway for the next edition, in 2020.
Plus, there is a new plan that will see the FAI create an
annual series of compact,multi-discipline air games around
theworld. The newFAI Air Games Tour will combine the key
elements of the bigger FAI World Air Games to fully engage
audiences both locally and around the world. The concept
draws on the talents of some of the world’s greatest air
sport athletes, combined with technology, entertainment
and media promotion. Each event is planned to be held
over four days, in a series of iconic city locations around
the world, bringing air sports to millions of people.
The aim is to create a high impact, exciting, viable multi-
discipline air sport series that will showcase all our
sports around the world. Both in the host city and across
international television and media channels. With more
than a dozen interested host cities already identified, the
future is already looking bright for the FAI Air Games Tour.
Dubai showed us multi-discipline air sports events can
work – 2017 will see the FAI further develop and fine tune
these concepts.
“The FAI World
Air Games
– the Olympics
of air sports.”