2014 Applicant Cities Attend IOC Seminar In Lausanne

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has concluded a four-day information seminar with the seven 2014 Applicant Cities and their National Olympic Committees (NOCs). The aim of the seminar was to assist Applicant Cities in responding to the IOC’s questionnaire in Phase One of the bid process - also known as the candidature acceptance procedure - and to give them a complete overview of the complexity of organising the Olympic Games and of what will be expected from them should they be selected as Candidate Cities and reach Phase Two of the procedure.

Gathered for the first time in Lausanne, Almaty (Kazakhstan), Borjomi (Georgia), Jaca (Spain), PyeongChang (Republic of Korea), Salzburg (Austria), Sochi (Russian Federation) and Sofia (Bulgaria) were given the opportunity to learn about the Olympic Movement, meet with those who have organised or are currently organising the Olympic Games, and collect all the necessary information to prepare good quality bids.

The seminar covered all aspects of the bid process and the organisation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games such as Games benefits and legacy, finance, the Organising Committee’s structure and public authority interface, and infrastructure. The need for cities to have a clear vision of what hosting the Olympic Games in their city and country would do for the socio-economic, sporting and urban infrastructure was also stressed.

Past experiences of bidding for the Olympic Games were shared with the seven Applicant Cities by John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver 2010 Organising Committee (VANOC), and Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), who came to present case studies of their respective bids. Both of them underlined the importance of legacy and sustainable development as well as working in partnership with governments and local authorities.

By holding seminars of this nature on a regular basis, the IOC clearly shows its will to provide guidance, and help Applicant Cities better understand the philosophy behind bidding for the Olympic Games. As a consequence the quality of the Olympic bids, which in turn leads to high quality Games, is constantly improving, as demonstrated by the 2012 candidature files.

Everything that was discussed over the last four days will be put into practice during the Olympic Winter Games in Turin when cities will follow an Observer Programme throughout the Games, specifically tailored to their needs. This will be a unique opportunity for them to see behind the scenes and grasp the complexity and challenges inherent to the organisation of the Olympic Games.