It is with great pleasure that I introduce the FIBA Venue Guide. The global growth of basketball requires more high-quality venues and facilities, and FIBA is here to facilitate and support this process, which will play a significant role in enhancing the future of our sport.
Basketball venues are where dreams are formed for so many people. It can be where a lifelong passion for our sport is first ignited or where future stars learn their craft. Whether players, fans or other users, these respective experiences can all be shaped powerfully by the quality of the environment they find themselves in.
Venues play a leading role in determining how people engage with basketball. FIBA understands it is essential to support everyone involved in the delivery of exemplary venues: National Federations, competition organizers and technical teams, but also architects, local authorities, investors and of course venue owners and operators.
One of the most significant aspects is the need to embrace innovation and technology - something which continues to develop at a frantic and exciting pace. The FIBA Venue Guide highlights how technological innovations and maximizing the flexibility of venues can be key drivers in unlocking new revenue streams.
In developing this Guide, we have also been particularly mindful of considering sustainable practices and the overarching requirement to plan for long-term success, with the option of delivering adaptable multi-use venues.
Additionally, we recognize the importance of outdoor recreational facilities to promote participation, and these are also included in the FIBA Venue Guide. Not least because the importance of basketball also being played outdoors has been highlighted by the incredible success and growth of 3x3, FIBA’s second Olympic discipline.
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"The global growth of basketball requires more high-quality venues and facilities"
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With all of this in mind, we are proud to be able to lean on the considerable expertise and excellence provided by the FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre, which has become the definitive global platform for basketball equipment and software with more than 140 Partners and more than 600 FIBA Approved products.
The guidance and recommendations contained within this FIBA Venue Guide are based on years of experience in hosting FIBA basketball competitions, as well as years of experience in the construction, refurbishment and management of sport facilities by the authors. I would like to warmly thank all contributors to the FIBA Venue Guide.
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We hope you find this resource useful and that it helps secure even more inspiring and high-quality venues for basketball around the world.
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Andreas Zagklis
FIBA Secretary General
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