On 29th October the 2nd FINA World Aquatics Convention will open gathering together leaders from the international aquatics community in Moscow, Russia in advance of 2015 FINA World Championships, which will take place in the "Sports Capital of Russia" - Kazan.

The decision to locate the FINA World Aquatics Convention in Moscow was as a result of the fantastic cooperation of the Russian Olympic Committee and the vision of the city of Kazan, and the Organising Committee of the 16th FINA World Championships in Kazan.

The opportunity to stage this important gathering in Russia in advance of the Championships is part of the plan to create and deliver a sustainable programme for aquatic sports before, during and after the FINA Championships have been held in 2015.

Using the 2015 Championships as the inspiration and motivation, swimming coaches from across Russia will be invited to join international counterparts at the FINA Gold Coaches Clinic during the Convention to benefit from the briefings and discussions, gaining valuable knowledge to pass on to the best up and coming Russian swimmers, open water swimmers, divers, synchronised swimmers and water polo players to help the 'home team' hold a successful event.

The opportunity to engage the international aquatics industry with the 2015 World Championships Organising Committee will help create relationships and opportunities for the industry specialists that may assist in the construction of venues and delivery of services required to deliver an event of the size of the FINA World Championships.

A key benefit will also be felt by FINA's 202 National Federations that will be able to experience Russian hospitality, and start discussions with the 2015 Organising Committee well in advance of the event to assist planning and preparations of the huge logistical operation ahead.Learn more about the 2nd FINA World Aquatics Convention and how to participate.

Kazan - Key Facts

- Kazan is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia and has a population of 1.2 mln people making it the sixth largest city of Russia.

- Kazan has 40 swimming pools, with a population that participates in both amateur and competitive aquatic disciplines.

- Kazan will host the XXVII World Summer Universiade 2013.

- In 2005 Kazan celebrated its 1,000th anniversary.

- A city with a large number of historical sites, Kazan is on the list of the UNESCO world heritage cities.

- In 2004, Kazan was named the best Russian city and won the All-Russian public award "Russian National Olympus".

- In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the right to brand itself as the "Third Capital" of Russia. In 2009 it was named the "Sports Capital of Russia".

- The 2015 FINA World Championships will be served by Kazan International Airport, which is located approximately 15 kilometres from Kazan. Also OC 2015 will organize connection flights through three Moscow airports (Sheremetievo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo) to provide convenient transfer of participants to Kazan.

- The Kazan Airport will be modernised in preparation for hosting the Summer Universiade 2013, with the construction of two new terminals, increasing capacity to 3.2 million passengers a year. In early 2013 construction of the third terminal will start increasing capacity again up to 5.2 million passengers a year by 2015 in time for the FINA World Championships.

The motivation and objectives behind hosting the 16th FINA World Championships 2015 in Kazan

Hosting the FINA World Championship in Kazan will make a significant impetus for the promotion of aquatic sports in the city and the Republic in general.

The city will benefit from the building of new aquatics venues providing facilities for all levels of aquatics competitions delivery, and create new opportunities for the youth of Kazan to participate in regular sports activities, promoting healthy living.

Hosting the prestigious FINA World Championships will attract the attention of the international community, building awareness of Kazan and its thousand year-old history encouraging more people to visit the city in the future.

There will be a significant economic impact as a result of hosting the FINA World Championships, with the creation of jobs associated with building the venues and operating them for local user groups for decades after the Championships. During the Championships there will be an influx of international guests, media and of course teams, athletes and officials, who's spending will deliver a significant boost to the local economy.