About the event

The World Athletics Indoor Championships provide three action-packed days of intense competition in an intimate arena where fans can see many of the world’s best athletes at close range.

First held as the World Indoor Games, in Paris in 1985, the championships were staged on odd years until 2003 when they were switched to an even-year schedule, providing a better balance to the World Athletics competitions programme. This event is generally held in March, every even year.

History of host cities

2018 Birmingham, Great Britain
2016 Portland, USA
2014 Sopot, Poland
2012 Istanbul, Turkey
2010 Doha, Qatar
2008 Valencia, Spain
2006 Moscow, Russia
2004 Budapest, Hungary
2003 Birmingham, Great Britain
2001 Lisbon, Portugal
1999 Maebashi, Japan
1997 Paris, France
1995 Barcelona, Spain
1993 Toronto, Canada
1991 Seville, Spain
1989 Budapest, Hungary
1987 Indianapolis, USA
1985 Paris, France

Last event organised

World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018

Next event open for bid

World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024 – Express your interest here  

Host city rights

COMMERCIAL RIGHTS

• Ticketing revenues (if relevant)

• Sale of official programmes

• Use of official event marks

• Use of VIK products/services for the organisation of the event where supplied by World Athletics partners

• Opportunity to secure national sponsors

• Opportunity to sell event-related merchandise

Host city requirements

CITY:

• Minimum population of 100,000

• International airport within the host city

VENUE:

• Minimum 5,000 seat arena with World Athletics Indoor Athletics Facility certificate, six-lane oval track and eight-lane straight track

• All technical and functional areas, including call room(s), mixed zone, post event area, photo-finish control room, video recording room, results management room, doping control station, technical information centre, rest area for combined events athletes, and seats for coaches and teams

• Warm-up track and warm-up facilities for field events adjacent to the competition venue

• One training venue

• Installation of event venue decoration, at least two state-of-the-art video screens and quality sound system at the main stadium

• Ensuring the main stadium is equipped with reliable and modern communication network, infrastructure and services

• Ensuring the venue is provided commercially clean*

• Taking all available measures to minimise ambush marketing in association with the event

• Payment of all costs for first-class event presentation, including the services of the World Athletics event presentation team

ACCOMMODATION:

• Securing rooms for athletes, officials, IAAF Family and media:

  · Athletes and team officials: 1200 beds (200 single & 500 twin/double rooms) in 4-star accommodation;

  · IAAF Family: 300 beds (200 single & 50 twin/double rooms) in 4-star accommodation;

  · Media: 400 beds in a range of accommodation standards up to 4-star;

  · Technical suppliers;

  · Accreditation staff.

• Full board accommodation (3 star) for all quota athletes (max 400 for a maximum of 5 nights), World Athletics competition delegates (max 20), timing company staff (220 room nights), results and information company staff (288 room nights), Mondo staff (6 room nights), and accreditation staff

• Max US$120 charge per person per night for full board accommodation for non-quota athletes, officials and members of the World Athletics Family

• Negotiate a corporate rate with official hotels to be charged to additional World Athletics Family members

• Providing team meeting rooms

TRANSPORTATION:

• International economy class travel costs for World Athletics quota athletes (max 400)

• Local transportation system for the event between hotels, venues, city centre, airports, main train stations and event-related social functions

• Economy travel for World Athletics competition delegates (max 20) attending the event and preliminary site visits

TICKETING:

• Ensuring that internal systems are compatible with the system of the World Athletics’s appointed ticketing provider

• Providing seats and hospitality boxes where available free of charge to the World Athletics, Dentsu, commercial affiliates and broadcasters

• Providing seats free of charge to athletes and officials (min 400)

ACCREDITATION:

• The host will use the World Athletics’s accreditation system for the event, at a cost of a US$50,000 lump sum plus US$2.50 per accreditation card to be paid to World Athletics

• Volunteers to staff the accreditation centre(s)

EVENT MARKS:

• Creation of all official event logos, mascot, poster and ‘event look’, in association with the IAAF and Dentsu

• Registration of event marks for the protection of intellectual property

BROADCAST & MEDIA:

• Payment for the host broadcaster (to be appointed by the World Athletics) to broadcast the entire event

• Provision of all broadcast and media facilities, equipment and services, including media and press centres, telecommunication and other communication facilities, accommodation and transportation, press conference facilities (including simultaneous translation) and accreditation services

WORLD ATHLETICS FAMILY PROVISIONS:

• Temporary event offices and storage facilities for World Athletics, Dentsu and commercial affiliates in the venue and official hotels

• Provision of free internet connection to the World Athletics Family

• Assistance to World Athletics and Dentsu with the recruitment of local staff where required

• Providing hospitality areas to the World Athletics Family

• Providing space at the event site for Dentsu and commercial affiliates to exercise their franchising, display, demonstration and selling rights

• Providing sufficient and adequate space for Dentsu and commercial affiliates to set up their own hospitality programmes

SECURITY:

• Development and implementation of a security plan including security personnel to protect and safeguard the event site and security and protection for members of the World Athletics Family

MEDICAL SERVICES AND DOPING CONTROL:

• Medical and doping control services for the event, including approximately 150 urine tests comprising 30 EPO or other additional special analysis (e.g. IRMS) and approximately 120 blood tests

• Medical support for all accreditation holders for all incidents occurring during their stay in the host country

The following are the minimum requirements requested by World Athletics for the Doping Control Station but must be adapted to the anticipated number of doping tests to be conducted:

• An experienced Doping Control Staff including:

  · Experienced, authorised doping control officers;

  · Assistants to witness the urine collection; and

  · An appropriate number of escorts for the athletes’ notification.

• Facilities and materials:

  · A waiting room with adequate seating (15-20 people), a variety of refrigerated sealed drinks and, if possible, TV screens;

  · A working room equipped with the necessary furniture for four people attending the sampling procedure;

  · WCs adjoining the working room, at least two toilets (male and female);

  · Sampling material approved by the World Athletics Medical and Anti-Doping Commission and World Athletics Doping Control and Notification Forms;

  · Transportation for the athletes back to the hotel at the end of the control; and

o Provision of facilities for blood testing at the athletes’ hotel(s) accommodation location before the competition.

SOCIAL FUNCTIONS/PROGRAMMES:

• All social functions, opening and closing ceremonies, official receptions, and other official functions and programmes

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT:

• The government of the host country must sign a declaration committing their support for hosting the World Athletics Indoor Championships. This includes financial, visa, work permit, customs, and security commitments.

TAXES, CUSTOMS AND VISAS:

• Payment of all taxes, duties or other governmental levies imposed on World Athletics, Dentsu or commercial affiliates, including for the importation of products and equipment into the host country, airport taxes for accreditation holders, local taxes on tickets, and advertising in connection with the event

• Payment of any taxes that the host country’s government may levy on any prize money

• Ensuring that the World Athletics Family obtain all necessary public authorisations, such as work permits, visas and customs clearances

MARKETING AND PROMOTION:

• Promotion and marketing of the event in coordination with World Athletics and Dentsu, and producing and implementing a promotion and communication plan in relation to the event, including city dressing, venue dressing, media communications, and digital strategy

INSURANCE:

• Obtaining the necessary insurance policies for the event, including cancellation, public liability (minimum per occurrence limit of US$4m, and minimum aggregate limit of US$10m), comprehensive business insurance, and any other necessary insurances

REPORTING:

• Provision of regular progress reports to World Athletics and Dentsu

• Maintaining accurate and complete books of account in relation to all financial transactions, and provision of a final financial report post-event

All rights and requirements outlined in this document are for indicative purposes only and are subject to change.