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Day: 27 October 2016

Sportel wraps up another edition

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/10/2016

Photo: Sportel
Photo: Sportel

Sportel, the annual international convention for the Sports Marketing & Media Industry, draws to a close in Monaco on Thursday October 27.
The 3-day trade show, held this year in the Grimaldi Forum, so allowing double the amount of exhibition space, brought together broadcasters, sponsors and athletes to discover the industry’s latest trends, to exchange ideas and to sign contracts.
One of the themes this year was that of sport and social media, with conferences dedicated to Twitter and Facebook. As Sportel’s General Manager, Amparo Di Fede, explained, “These two networks collect a lot of content about sport because this is what fans tend to discuss the most when they use social networks.”
Other themes included how to generate revenue using the new technologies of Virtual and Augmented Reality, and the first-ever SPORTEL Law conference, which examined the legal issues related to sports broadcasting and copyright.
HSH Prince Albert II, Honorary President of Sportel commented that, “With increasing amounts of available footage, the question of rights in sport also arises. This is an area that all professionals are greatly interested in, given the significant economic considerations involved. Administering image rights, managing sponsorship contracts and forecasting risks are all issues that require a complex and critically important arsenal of legal tools to regulate the sports-business market.”
Among the personalities making up the jury were footballer Djibril Cissé, Olympic boxing champion Estelle Mossely and Paralympique champion Richard Whitehead, with Donovan Baily, former Canadian Olympic 100 metre champion, as this year’s jury president.
The Sportel Autobiography Prize went to International rugby legend Dan Carter for “Dan Carter, The Autobiography Of An All Blacks Legend”. Carter said that the message he wished to convey through his book was that “ I lived a very simple life from a small country town and through hard work and sacrifice I was able to live my dream. So hopefully it can inspire other people to follow their dreams. I also wanted to show how difficult things can be mentally from having setbacks like injuries and dips in form.”
Other awards on Wednesday night included the Peace and Sport Documentary Prize, won by Speed Sisters, and the Sport Book Prize from the Monaco Olympic Committee which was presented to Bob Martin for “1/1000th: The Sports Photography of Bob Martin”.

Reconstruction work starts on Quai des Etats-Unis

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/10/2016

Travaux Quai EUThe Quai des Etats-Unis, which runs for some 370m along the north of the Port Hercules, between the Digue Nord (to the east), and the Darse Nord (to the west), is under reconstruction. The quay’s concrete slab was constructed between 1968 and 1975 but the massive supporting pillars are considerably older, dating from the early 1900s.
The poor condition of the quay’s slab means that it is currently being shored up with various supporting pillars and beams, but only as a short-term measure. As it cannot be repaired, the only solution is to demolish it completely and to rebuild it, according to the original plan, using prefabricated caissons.
The 30 reinforced concrete caissons, measuring 12.5m by 12.5m and around 3.55m high, will be constructed in Saint Mandrier and transported to Monaco by sea. The caissons will incorporate a watertight technical compartment that will allow improved supply networks to boats and will also have equipment to collect wastewater from boats and to treat rainwater.
Works will be carried out in three phases, over three years, during the period between the Monaco Yacht Show and the F1 Grand Prix. The first phase, which affects the section of the quay between the chicane of the Grand Prix and the Digue Nord, is underway and will be completed by the end of March 2017.