Staged at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester on August 5-7, just after the Commonwealth Games, the conference is the first to devote itself to the business of bidding for, hosting and the legacy of major international sporting events.
It includes, on August 6, 'Sport by Design', a key component of the conference, hosted by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Arup. It is a series of workshops and discussion panels on the subject of sports facilities and infrastructure.
Zen-Ruffinen will give his insight into staging the FIFA World Cup - he was responsible for the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea - while a host of other well-known figures will add their comments.
Among them will be Danny Jordaan, who is heading the South Africa bid to host the 2010 World Cup, Niels de Vos, commercial director of the Manchester Commonwealth Games, Margy Osmond of the Sydney Olympic Games, and Richard Caborn - the UK government's Minister for Sport.
There will also be a special video message from IOC president Jacques Rogge.
Full details of the event, which SportBusiness Group is supporting, can be found at www.bidtobenefit.com. Day passes to the Sport by Design sessions are also still available.
