SportAccord, the umbrella organisation for Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations, has opted for Lausanne, Switzerland, as the destination for its 2016 convention.

The city’s Swiss Tech Convention Centre will host the event from 17-22 April next year. Lausanne, which is the home to a number of international sport federations including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), last held the convention in 2004.

Next year’s convention will be its 14th edition and the programme will include: a themed conference including City Forum, LawAccord, MediaAccord and a plenary conference; an exhibition represented by industries, sports organisations and government offices; a Sports Demo Zone; plus a social and cultural programme.

Francesco Ricci Bitti, the president of SportAccord Convention and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), said Lausanne provided a “favourable location for sport and business leaders to meet”.

“For a century now, Lausanne has been the IOC’s home,” added IOC president Thomas Bach. “More than 30 international sports federations and organisations have also found in Lausanne the ideal setting to develop and strengthen the place of sport in society.”

The SportAccord Convention is held in a different city every year and is used to host annual general meetings of governing bodies. It also provides a place to meet, network and set strategy.

This year’s event, hosted by the Russian city of Sochi, erupted with controversy after then SportAccord president, Marius Vizer, criticise the IOC during his opening remarks, calling the body “expired, outdated, wrong, unfair and not at all transparent”.

“The Olympic Games belong to all of us and we need real reforms,” he added.

Following his speech, the International Athletics Association (IAAF), the International Shooting Federation (ISSF) and World Archery resigned from SportAccord, with 12 sport federations signing a letter distancing themselves from the Romanian’s remarks.

Vizer resigned a month later with Ricci Bitti replacing him in June.