It has been seven weeks since the memorable FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009 concluded in Val d’Isère (FRA).
At the end of last week, key representatives of the Val d’Isère 2009
team and the host broadcaster TVRS (France Television) travelled to
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER), the host of the 2011 event, to share
their experiences and lessons learned with the local team of the next
hosts, the German Ski Association (DSV), representatives of the FIS,
its TV and marketing partner EBU and the organizing committee of the
2013 championships in Schladming (AUT). This so-called Debrief is part
of the FIS Knowledge Transfer project designed to make sure that the
lessons learned, both good and bad, can be implemented and to ensure a
continuous development in event organization.
A large group of members of the GAP 2011 organizing team and the
2011 host broadcaster ARD-ZDF listened intently as Val d’Isère 2009
shared many important facts, figures and some suggestions from the
experience that began with the election of the French resort in 2004 in
Miami. For GAP 2011, the past season, acclaimed by mayor Thomas Schmidt
as the best year ever for tourism in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, was
already an important test season with the so-called “Big Event”
consisting of mens and ladies FIS World Cup races the weekend
immediately before the 2009 Worlds followed by the FIS Alpine Junior
World Ski Championships in early March. The ultimate series of test
events will continue in 2010 when the team in GAP will stage the FIS
Alpine World Cup Finals.
Peter Fischer, co-managing director of the GAP 2011 organizing
committee commented: “The experiences from Val d’Isère are enormously
important for us even if we will have to adjust to our local
circumstances. Having attended Val d’Isère as part of the Study Group
we are in a good position to integrate this information into our own
planning.”
Walter Vogel, co-managing director, added: “We greatly appreciated the
openness of the 2009 organizers to share their lessons learned with us.
For us it was also important to experience first hand the multi-faceted
nature and dimensions of such a big event and to realize the importance
of items to new visitors such as signage, spectator flows, ceremonies
and many others.”
The second day focused on reviewing the progress the GAP 2011 team
and host broadcaster German television ARD-ZDF has made since the
autumn. As the accommodation concept has already been defined down to
great detail, focus has shifted to developing detailed plans in the
other areas of the organization such as temporary infrastructure, TV
production and transport. One area of focus that will be studied in the
coming weeks with the organizing committee, host broadcaster ARD-ZDF
and EBU on behalf of the television broadcasters is the race schedule
which will be reviewed by the FIS Council at its next meeting in June.
Sarah Lewis, FIS Secretary General summarized: “The Debrief from Val
d'Isère provided a real stimulus to the GAP 2011 project and served as
a reminder that the opening ceremony is only 21 months away. There is a
real drive in the organizing committee to advance to the next level of
preparations, with much gained from the past season's packed program of
events.”