May 30, 2008 (Cape Town, SA) – The FIS Council has been meeting since Monday, considering various proposals submitted by the Technical Committees after their meetings earlier in the week. One of most important items on the Council’s Agenda includes the confirmation of the FIS World Cup schedules for the 2008/2009 season, expected shortly. For the Council’s first decisions click here.

First FIS Ladies Seminar Makes its Mark
by Jana Gantnerova

Engaging children, building a ladies brand and growing sport were among the topics presented to a passionate group of sport leaders at the first FIS Ladies Seminar on Wednesday in Cape Town. International marketing experts delivered a host of case studies that educated and motivated in what many said was one of the best educational programs ever offered by the FIS.

“Women’s sport is a business,” said keynote speaker Tania Fourie, who started the Women’s World Cup of Golf in South Africa. “You should be proud to make a difference!”

Infront’s Winter Sports Director Bruno Marty highlighted statistics that showed almost no difference in TV ratings between men’s and ladies’ events in comparable venues and times. The big discrepancy, he said, comes in marketing value. Marty presented a case study of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. “Where the WTA Tour has been successful is in building a brand ˆ a female brand!” he said. Marty advocated a FIS World Cup brand and building stars through lifestyle marketing as role models and social concerns.

Norwegian Secretary General Kristin Marie Felde, the only female to head a major National Ski Association, focused on the need to provide more opportunities for ladies in leadership. “We all need to work together to make sport an attractive career to our former athletes,” she said.

Former Swiss and American ladies‚ coach Markus Murmann presented a fascinating case study of Crans-Montana’s return to World Cup racing after a 10 year hiatus this past March, drawing nearly 10‚000 spectators each day. He built the event’s success with school kids, bringing them to the races and providing opportunities to meet elite racers like World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn. “Athletes have to understand that they can make a difference in whether a youngster wants to ski,” he said. “And it has to come from the heart.”

The seminar was developed by Jana Gantnerova, retiring chair of the FIS Alpine Ladies Sub-Committee, and Dr. Josef Zenhaeusern, FIS Aid & Promotion Consultant. More than 30 attendees included several heads of national associations and FIS committee leaders.

“This was a great program for understanding how we can work together to build a women’s brand,” said FIS PR and Mass Media Committee Chair Tom Kelly. “But it was also a lesson in marketing our sport overall.”

“This isn’t just about the athletes,” said Fourie. “Every single one of you here today is vital to making your sport work.”