Lausanne to host 2016 SportAccord Convention in April

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) Lausanne will host a major sports industry conference next year.

Organizers announced Monday that the SportAccord Convention will be held from April 17-22 at the Swiss Tech Convention Center.

Dubai had pulled out as the original host.

It will be the second time the annual convention has been held in Lausanne, which hosted the event in 2004.

The convention attracts sports industry leaders and Olympic officials from around the world.

This year's convention was held in Sochi, Russia, where SportAccord chief Marius Vizer launched a scathing attack on the IOC and its president, Thomas Bach.

Dozens of federations pulled out in protest from SportAccord, which was also an umbrella body for Olympic and non-Olympic federations, and Vizer resigned. The convention is now headed by former International Tennis Federation President Francesco Ricci Bitti.