Double Olympic Gold Medalist, Lord Sebastian Coe, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at the Host Cities 2015 summit in Dubai from 18-19 November.

This will be the fourth edition of the event where an international community of experts explore the future of events from the Expo 2020 and beyond.

Host Cities – presented by Emirates Airline – is the largest industry summit to be held in the Middle East. This year it will run under the theme ‘Embracing Future Events’, seeing leading figures gather at Fairmont the Palm to explore how the hosting strategies of cities today will shape the cities of tomorrow.

The summit will identify trends in city strategies for bids, engagement, sponsorship and funding to share knowledge that can be applied to different event types, budgets, cultures and geographies. The voice of the next generation will also be heard with the launch of a special report, drawing on international research to reveal what young people want for, and from, events in their cities and around the world.

As an international host city itself, strategically located between East and West with a young and dynamic population, Dubai is the ideal location for Host Cities 2015.

Lord Sebastian Coe, alongside her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, will be the keynote speakers at the event. Lord Coe is excited about the prospect of playing a key role in the UAE’s future.

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“Many conferences coalesce around past events but few step into the future and seek the opinions of the next generation like Host Cities 2015 plans to,” said Coe. 

“As a global city that connects people, places and ideas every day – and with Expo 2020 just five years away – Dubai is perfectly placed to bring together thought leaders, policy makers and event organisers from across the globe for what promises to be a stand-out event.”

Last year, the Host Cities summit welcomed 250 influential attendees from more than 30 countries.