The organization committee was pleased to welcome around 350 interested persons in the audience.
During the evening the managers of the organization informed about the
planning, task sharing, responsibilities, already achieved measures and
structures of the OC. Gerd Rubenbauer was the moderator of this panel
discussion.
Mike de Vries started the evening with a motivating lecture to
point out the potential of an alpine world championship. “The name
Garmisch-Partenkirchen will go around the world, this is the chance.”
The marketing expert (he was the initiator of the image campaign for
the soccer world championships and had part in the candidature of
Leipzig for the Olympics) showed some more possible key benefits for
the city to the audience. An” increase of sales figures in tourism,
sustainable infrastructure measures for the local citizens and a
positive image development for Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the
“Zugspitzland”, Bavaria and finally Germany” could be the results of
this major event. But - to achieve all this we need a god deal of
euphoria. De Vries: “not only the organizers but everybody in town
needs enthusiasm”. After all the people in town have an important
multiplying function for the World Championships.
All of our guests must get the special feeling and become
ambassadors respectively fans of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. “I myself will
have the logo of the World Championships in my pocket from now on and
serve as an ambassador for 2011,” says de Vries.
During the following panel Alfons Hörmann (president of the OC),
Thomas Schmid (vice president and mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen),
Peter Fischer and Walter Vogel (both managing directors) gave all the
facts related to the world championships in a sort of question and
answer period with Gerd Rubenbauer, moderator of the discussion.
How is the structure of the Organizing Committee, who is paying
for which measures, until when will what be finished, what can the
region around the city do, what will happen after the world
championships? There was an answer and explication to every single
question.
More information about questions and answers you will find under „news, sports, and organization“.
In addition to the information the tremendous significance of the
Alpine World Ski Championships was pointed out again. “The World
Championships have a significant importance for the city. We can take
building measures which will provide an improved sustainable
infrastructure for the commune”, says mayor Schmid.
Alfons Hörman talks of the World Ski Championships as “a perfect
showcase” not only for the city but for the German Ski Association as
well. This major event in 2011, a possible candidature for the Olympic
Games in 2018 and more projects to come offer the best perspectives for
a successful future. Hörmann sees the decade to come as “years of the
Werdenfels”.
After almost three hours the spectators left the Kongresszentrum
well informed and visibly motivated. “I feel well informed, a very good
presentation.” ”The speech of Mr. de Vries was excellent, I can already
feel the enthusiasm we can experience in 2011.” (Some comments)