International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities

The International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities ( IAKS ) is a nonprofit association in the field of sports facilities and leisure facilities.

The IAKS was founded in 1965 in Cologne. It is the only non-profit organization that deals with issues of sports facility construction worldwide and for this reason the International Olympic Committee (IOC ) recognized as " Recognised organization".

The presidents were (as of 2013): Willi Weyer ( 1965-1985 ), Günter Heidecke ( 1985-1990 ), Erich Schumann ( 1990-1997) and Stephen Holt Hoff - porter (since 1997)

Worldwide, there are seven sections of the IAKS: Germany, Japan, Latin America / Caribbean, Poland, Russia, Spain and Switzerland (as of 2013).

The association has about 1,000 members in 110 countries around the world, spread over all five continents. Your net worth is distributed to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and China, Russia and Namibia to Chile and throughout North America.

Activity

In addition to the IOC IAKS with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC ), the SportAccord, the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE ) and the International Union of Architects (UIA ), sports and recreation program together. It also maintains contacts with international sports federations and National Olympic Committee and has been taken up by the United Nations in the list of Advisory NGOs of the economy and Social Commission ( UN ECOSOC).

Tasks and activities are creating a platform for planning and construction, equipping and modernization, financing and management of sports and leisure facilities, as well as collaborating in the development of standards and guidelines in Germany and Europe. In addition, the IAKS publishes the magazine "sb " out, organizes conferences and exhibitions and awards an international architecture prize for exemplary sports and leisure facilities, the IOC / IAKS Award and the IPC / IAKS Award.

Members and partners of the IAKS are architects and engineers, companies and trade associations, sports organizations, sports, education and Bauministerien, local governments, universities and other educational institutions.

Purpose of IAKS particular, it is to promote the sport on the broadest level by collecting the experiences, principles and research results gained from sports and recreational facilities of all kinds in the planning, construction, equipment and operation, evaluates, relayed and possibly coordinated.. Here are socially relevant aspects in the broadest sense, such as Architecture, technology, sports science, economy and ecology to consider. It supports the development of these fields also through research and consultancy.

Congresses

Since 1969, the IAKS organizes every two years an international conference for the design, construction, modernization and management of sports and leisure facilities, global infrastructure trends, are constructional issues and best practices presented and discussed at the.

Since the first event Presentations and information from a total of 739 experts from 41 countries were presented in the past 44 years at 23 congresses. The Congress will take place during the "International Trade Fair for Amenity Areas, Sports and Pool Facilities " (FSB ) in Cologne.

With 622 exhibiting companies from 44 countries and a gross exhibition area of ​​67,000 square meters set the FSB in 2013 set a new record.

The IAKS Congress is under the auspices of the IOC, the IPC, the SportAccord and the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Seminars and Events

The IAKS organizes conferences and seminars on practice sports and leisure facilities, for example on the topics of artificial turf, artificial ice rinks, financing and management, engineering and safety.

IOC / IAKS Award and IPC / IAKS Award

The IOC / IAKS Award is the only international architecture competition for facilities already in operation sports and leisure facilities.

Since 1987 will be honored with this award every two years by way of example well-designed as well as functional successful sports facilities. With the excellent facilities it can be both new construction and the expansion or modernization of existing plants. Responsible for the award are the IOC and the IAKS.

Together with the IPC assigns the IAKS also the IPC / IAKS Award for disabled sports facilities. The IPC / IAKS Award aims to promote the accessibility of sports facilities and all other buildings, to give people with disabilities the opportunity to fully and freely exercise accessible sports or watching it.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC ), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the IAKS lead for the first time an architectural and design award for students and young professionals. This award recognizes the innovative designs and concepts for sports, leisure and recreational facilities.

Publications

The IAKS published since 1967, the international journal "sb ", which appears every two months with changing topics from the field of sports architecture and presents the current industry trends of the international sports facility construction. In addition, the latest technology and product developments are presented.

Furthermore, "sb " deals with the infrastructure in hosting major events of sports, such as Olympic Games, World and European Championships. Thus it is a source of information for planners and practitioners from all areas of the sports facility construction (municipalities, architects and engineers, universities, associations and industrial companies ).

"Sb " is in three languages ​​- English, German and Spanish - published. The journal is read mainly in German-speaking countries and in Europe but also in North, Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.