Philippines to play host to FIA Sport Conference in June
MOTOR sport and what lies ahead for it will take front and center later this year in the country with the Philippines hosting the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Sport Conference.
Set for June 4 to 6, the conference is to gather FIA National Sporting Authorities (NSAs) and mobility clubs around the world as well as key motor sport decision makers, event promoters and leading figures from racing and rallying, with the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), with support from the Department of Tourism (DoT), taking the hosting lead.
In ceremonies held last week, officials of the FIA, AAP, DoT and their partners formally announced the staging of the FIA Sport Conference in the country, the first to be held in Southeast Asia in its six-year history.
Among those present during the presentation were FIA Sport Conference Project Director Frederique Trouve, AAP President Gus Lagman, FIA Events Manager Martin Lalande, Tourism Undersecretary Allan Canizal, FIA SC 2018 National Organizing Council Committee Government Sector Chair/DoT Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre, National Organizing Council Committee Private Sector Chair/AAP Trustee and Tourism and Travel Committee Chair Mina T. Gabor and Co-Chair/AAP Trustee and Motor Sport Chair Mandy Eduque.
The FIA said it is very excited to bring the sport conference to the Philippines seeing how active it is, through the AAP, in previous stagings of the conference and how motor sport has steadily grown here in recent years.
“AAP has been very active in participating in FIA conferences and we have seen their loyalty and motivation in promoting motor sport among the youth through efforts such as the Motor Sport Development Program. They have also organized many activities in terms of training in road safety,” said Ms. Trouve during the launch.
Organizers said the conference will feature an industry-themed showcase and platform for the analysis of future trends and opportunities in motor sport.
Other possible offerings are an extrication demo and motor sport activities like drifting, auto cross, slalom, e-karting and the FIA-certified online Gran Turismo Asian Regional Finals Championship which are open to the public.
COMPLEMENTARY
For AAP officials, the FIA Sport Conference is good for motor sport in the country as it can complement and enhance the headways made by the local scene.
“Very few people know that the motor sport scene in the country is very active. And I’m speaking only for the four wheels, two wheels have a different organization. The conference will be a good venue to bring it to the fore,” said Mr. Lagman, whose group is the FIA’s NSA in the country.
“I have attended a couple of these sport conferences, and definitely there is a lot of exchange of information that happens in the three or four days of the conference. Specifically the Philippines can learn quite a lot from other representatives of other NSAs from different countries who may have different programs as far as developing the sport as much as we can share our programs as well,” Mr. Eduque, for his part, said.
Seeing the potential of the event to lure tourists, meanwhile, the DoT said it will work closely with the AAP and other government agencies to ensure the successful and safe hosting of the FIA Sport Conference, which is expected to attract at least 400 delegates from different countries. —