A message from the chairman... 17th August, 2005 Greetings, The first annual ASPE Conference, 'The Business of Sport and the Law in Asia,' was a great success; the credit can be attributed to the speakers for their thorough research and preparation of their presentations and for initiating interesting and thought provoking dialogue with the audience. With the backdrop for the event being the IOC 117th session and featuring the announcement of the 2012 Olympic host, it certainly was an exciting time to be in Singapore. More so, I would imagine, for those of us from the UK! With 80 participants representing 17 countries, ASPE is well on its way to becoming a truly international organisation. I certainly hope that you found it worthwhile to share your knowledge of the sports industry with other executives and lawyers from different parts of the world. Additional information from the event can be found in the conference section of the website. I do hope that you will consider becoming a member of this unique organisation and I look forward to seeing you all next year. Yours sincerely,  Stephen Townley Provisional Chairman ASPE An ASPE conference The Business of Sport and the Law in Asia A forum for debating the legal and relationship issues central to commercial success in a growing market The first annual ASPE conference, 'The Business of Sport and the Law in Asia', took place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Singapore on 4-5 July. Over 80 attendees enjoyed the luxurious hospitality of the Ritz Carlton Millenia Hotel, during two days of conference sessions and networking opportunities with many of the leading law practitioners from around the world. The conference programme included presentations from David Howman, Director General of WADA, Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and Hayden Opie, Director of Studies, Sports Law Program at the University of Melbourne, in addition to panel discussions, case studies, interviews and a President & CEO forum, looking at some of the legal challenges faced by various sports over the past year. For details on the conference programme, Click here For a list of confirmed conference speakers, Click here Conference speaker presentations (please click on the highlighted speaker name to download the Powerpoint presentation): CHRIS BUCKLEY, Managing Director, PA Sport 'Betting and data - opportunity or threat' For a version in Adobe Acrobat format Click Here URVASI NAIDOO, In House Lawyer, International Cricket Council 'The impact of sports betting on cricket' For a version in Adobe Acrobat format Click Here FRANÇOIS PONTHIEU, Head of Marseille Office, KGA Avocats 'Pro sports strikes and lockouts - an international perspective' For a version in Adobe Acrobat format Click Here KELLY CRAB, Morrison & Foerster LLP 'The legal aspects of preparing for the Olympic Games' For a version in Adobe Acrobat format Click Here For images of the conference, Click here We thank all of our conference participants, delegates and guests for supporting the first annual ASPE conference and helping to make it such a success. The response from everyone has been extremely positive, with many suggestions for next year - both with regard to contact, format and location. To that end, any feedback you have regarding the event would be much appreciated, particularly regarding: Subject matter (did we cover the issues that concern you? what else would you like to see debated at an event of this nature? etc.) Speakers (who else would you like to see included on the programme?) Scheduling of the day Format of the conference programme Social events Location - both venue and geographic Email any suggestions or feedback to jeanette@activerights.com We look forward to hearing from you.