More than 200 of the world’s influential sports journalists attending the 74th Annual Congress of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) in Seoul this week heard presentations Wednesday from the three cities – Annecy, Munich and PyeongChang – bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Annecy 2018 President Charles Beigbeder promised in his presentation a Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games “in the heart of the mountains, with the athletes and for the future”.
He stressed that “as athletes have been responsible for Annecy’s plans, sport will be at the top of every agenda” with snow and ice events featured at both hubs, Annecy and Chamonix Mont-Blanc.
The presentation made it clear that Games in the region would be used to support Winter Sports worldwide, acting as a “catalyst” to offer “a new blueprint to help secure the economic and environmental prosperity of the mountains”.
Bid Vice-President Jean-Pierre Vidal focused on the bid’s technical plans and paid particular attention to media facilities and operations, detailing the media-specific transport plan, accommodation offer, and media centre operations, including free Internet Wi-Fi for journalists.
Munich 2018 highlighted the crucial role that the media play in shaping the story and image of the Games. Jochen Farber, Munich 2018’s Communications and Media Relations Director, emphasized the importance attached to the media as a client group in all aspects of Munich 2018’s planning.
He also presented key strengths of Munich’s bid from a media perspective, including their proposal for a world-class IBC/MPC at the Messe Munchen International Trade Fair Centre – acclaimed venue for the IBC/MPC at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 40 other regular international events.
Farber also gave an insight into the cutting-edge working environment media could expect at Munich 2018.
During its presentation PyeongChang 2018 highlighted how PyeongChang would offer the world’s media the ultimate in convenience, comfort and accessibility during Games time. The bid committee also emphasized that Korea’s position as global technology leader would provide the media with the latest facilities to help them operate at the very highest level during the 2018 Games.
Bid Chairman and CEO Yang Ho Cho explained how the city’s vision for the 2018 Winter Games, expressed as “New Horizons”, will help stimulate a new market for winter sports in Asia, home to 60 per cent of the world’s population. The bid team also highlighted how a Winter Games in PyeongChang can serve to spread the positive message of Olympism and the values of the Olympic Movement to a new, young and dynamic generation across the region.
PyeongChang 2018 also went into detail about its commitment to ensuring an excellent working environment for media by stating that free WiFi would be available for all media at all Olympic media centres and competition venues.
Should PyeongChang host the 2018 Games, the Main Media Centre, housing both the International Broadcast Centre and the Main Press Centre, would be located in the Alpensia Media Village within a five minute walking distance. The Main Media Centre would also be only 30 minutes from any competition venues.
A separate Coastal Media Centre would be established to support the needs of the media covering the ice events. The media would benefit from being able to use both Coast and Mountain Media Villages and dedicated shuttle buses will run 24 hours a day to provide easy access throughout Winter Games time. The two Media Villages will provide 10,500 rooms, and 90 per cent being single person accommodation.
