The Nikaïa Meeting press conference took place this Friday, June 14th. The organizers show us that it is possible to organize a sporting event that is both inclusive and environmentally conscious.
The 27th edition of the Nikaïa Meeting takes place on June 15, 2024, at the Charles Ehrmann sports park. A total of fourteen athletics events are organized in one evening. While sports are at the forefront of this international competition, inclusion and environmental concerns are also important themes of this edition.
An inclusive event…
Thanks to the support of the OGC Nice’s Endowment Fund, schools from priority neighborhoods are invited to the Nikaïa Meeting. This follows the Minikaïa operation, which notably allowed students to discover athletics through various workshops and to interact with Alessia Zarbo, an athlete qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. About 500 students and their families will come to see the high-level athletes perform. Virginie Rossetti, communication and brand director of OGC Nice, states: “We are proud to offer children and their families the chance to discover an Olympic sport by attending an iconic event like the Nikaïa Meeting.” The aim is also to introduce children to sports other than football and possibly inspire them to take up athletics.
Since last year, sensory kits are available for people with autism spectrum disorder. A rest room is also available. This initiative is dear to the Nikaïa Meeting organization team, as explained by Rémy Charpentier, director of the Nikaïa Meeting: “When you see the success of the film A Little Something Extra, you realize how important it is to do this kind of thing so everyone can participate in sports events feeling like they belong.” For People with Reduced Mobility (PRM), fifteen special places are reserved.
This is also the second year that paralympic events are organized. Recognized by the French Handisport Federation and the International Olympic Committee, paralympic athletes can also, like able-bodied athletes, qualify for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by participating in the Nikaïa Meeting.
…and environmentally friendly
If the Radisson Hotel Group hotels were chosen to host the athletes, it is not by chance. Due to their proximity to the airport and their accessibility by transportation, they were an ideal choice to limit the athletes’ carbon footprint. For Rémy Charpentier, this is an important point: “The environment is important, and we must at least not worsen it. Taking over this event, we had the chance to start from scratch and make choices accordingly.”
Puma is a partner of the Nikaïa Meeting and outfits the volunteers and athletes. However, all the clothing comes from the brand’s unsold items, thus recovering 45% of these stocks. The carbon footprint thus turns positive thanks to this initiative. The stands will be cleaned with blowers rather than water, saving 90,000 liters of water. The Nikaïa Meeting aims for the “Gold” certification of the “Athletics for a Better World” label awarded by World Athletics. It is based notably on several criteria:
- Waste sorting
- Air quality
- Water management
- Food product management
- Transport and accommodation
- Carbon neutrality
This is why World Athletics has installed a Lify-Air pollen measurement sensor. It provides athletes coming to compete with information to help them better manage their respiratory health.
