2020 Applicant City Seminar concludes in Lausanne
LAUSANNE, November 6, 2011 - The International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s 2020 Applicant City Seminar wrapped up Friday in Lausanne, with representatives from all six cities bidding for the 2020 Olympic Games in attendance.
Delegates from the 2020 Applicant Cities of Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar), Istanbul (Turkey), Madrid (Spain), Rome (Italy) and Tokyo (Japan) took part in the two-day meeting, which was led by Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli and Head of Bid City Relations Jacqueline Barrett.
Long-term vision
The Seminar, which draws from a wealth of material from the IOC and previous host cities, is an invaluable knowledge tool that walks the Applicant Cities through the bidding process and provides a comprehensive introduction to the complexity, scope and scale of hosting an Olympic Games. The meetings give the Applicant Cities a clearer understanding of what the Olympic product is and helps them create a long-term vision.
The Seminar focused on a range of important themes, in particular legacy and sustainability, which the representatives of the six cities were encouraged to begin preparing for as soon as possible. Day 1 and the morning of Day 2 featured general discussions on matters ranging from transport to finance, with Friday afternoon devoted to individual workshops looking in detail at topics such as: sports, the athlete experience, Olympic Villages, the Paralympic Games, accommodation, the Olympic Games concept, media operations, technology, marketing, and the bid process itself.
In addition to briefings and workshops on the fundamentals of staging the Games, heavy emphasis was also placed on the fact that the organisation of the Games is very much a team effort, with all levels of government, commercial partners, public services, community groups, local populations and sports authorities involved in the successful organisation of such a complex event. Clear dialogue among all relevant parties is therefore essential in producing both a cohesive and smooth-running bid campaign and, if awarded the event, memorable Olympic Games in 2020.
Down the road
The host city of the 2020 Games will be chosen at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 7 September 2013.
Following the Applicant City Seminar, the Bid Committees of the six cities will apply what they have learnt to their respective bids, with their Application Files and guarantee letters due by 15 February 2012. The Files will then be analysed by an IOC working group that will report to the IOC Executive Board (EB). Upon the basis of its report, the EB will select the Candidate Cities in May 2012, thereby bringing a close to Phase 1 of the IOC's two-step procedure (also known as the Candidature Acceptance Procedure).
The first major activity of phase 2 of the Candidature Procedure begins with the 2012 Olympic Observer Programme (27 July to 12 August) in London, where the new Candidate Cities will get a first-hand look at Games-time operations and liaise with operational staff from the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) as part of the IOC's Transfer of Knowledge Programme.
The cities will participate in the London 2012 debrief in Rio de Janeiro next November, with the submission of their Candidature Files due by 7 January 2013.a
(Source: AIPS)
