The World League Council Met at FIVB Headquarter

FIVB Secretary General Fernando Lima stressed to members of the FIVB World League Council the importance of product consistency during its annual meeting held at the FIVB headquarters in Lausanne on Tuesday.

The Council discussed the road ahead for the FIVB Volleyball World League which enters its 28th year in 2017 and Mr Lima said the focus was twofold.

“We have a great competition with some outstanding athletes but the FIVB is working to ensure the World League becomes a truly global product, easily recognisable in whichever country it takes place in,” he said. “It is also focusing on improving TV production, to promote a better communication of matches to fans. At the same time, the FIVB wishes to maintain the level of integration between the sport and entertainment, which helps to differentiate volleyball from other sports.

“The consistency in the product is extremely important. We need to be able to look long term and have a consistent calendar with longevity which enables us to put in more precise planning and take better advantage of our product and maximize the opportunities which it provides.”
FIVB General Director Fabio Azevedo also emphasised the importance of focusing on quality and consistency across different areas, including public attendance, appearance of the field of play, branding, sport presentation, TV production and the development of social responsibility, sport legacy and grassroots programmes, to inspire new generations to play volleyball. Mr Azevedo reiterated the importance of increased cooperation between the FIVB and its member national federations and also of common objectives. “This is the right moment for volleyball to move forward together,” he said.

Discussions followed on operational aspects of the World League with presentations by Volleyball Events Director Gabrielle van Zwieten, which reviewed the success of the 2016 edition including the winners of each of the three groups – Serbia (Group 1), Canada (Group2) and Slovenia (Group 3) – Referee Delegate Juan Angel Pereyra, Communications Director Richard Baker and TV & Marketing Director Guido Betti.