May 25, 2008 (Vancouver, BC) – With only a few months remaining until the Beijing Games conclude and the eyes of the world turn to Vancouver 2010, the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) met today in Vancouver for its third meeting of 2008. Included in today’s meeting was an update on the business plan and ongoing measures being taken by VANOC management to review key functional areas to ensure a balanced budget. VANOC’s updated business plan is being developed this year and will be taken to the Board for approval in late 2008/early 2009.

The meeting also included the Board’s endorsement of a number of anticipated programs that will further engage the public in the coming months. Included was a new and earlier date of October 3, 2008 for the sale of Olympic tickets, updates on the torch relays, plans for public tours of The Whistler Sliding Centre this summer and a dynamic new version of www.vancouver2010.com.

“This is a tremendously important time in the development of our plans to welcome the world in 2010,” said Jack Poole, Chairman of the Board. “VANOC management continues to apply rigorous discipline to ensure every expenditure and purchase is strategic and that processes are in place to maintain a balanced budget and healthy contingency. This is critical as operations ramp up and procurement moves into high gear.”

Poole also noted that “We are up next after the Beijing 2008 Games, and the Board was also highly encouraged to see today that VANOC and its partners are focused on a multitude of programs — everything from tickets to tours — that will inform, and engage the public, and continue to heighten and enhance excitement and awareness of the Games.”

Highlights of additional public engagement programs that are underway or planned are the following:

Tickets on sale — October 3, 2008
Originally planned for October 11, 2008, VANOC has been able to move up the on-sale date for tickets to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, to October 3, 2008. This will give ticket buyers as much time as possible to place their orders before the first phase of ticket sales closes, on November 7, 2008. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to review and officially approve the detailed competition schedule session times at its August 2008 Executive Board meeting in Beijing; a ticket- planning guide will be made available to the public in mid-September.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Route Announcement — Fall 2008/Winter 2009
VANOC is currently considering dates to announce the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay route and share with Canadians how they can apply for the opportunity to be involved as torchbearers. Possible timeframes being explored for the announcement include late fall 2008, or an early 2009 option, in conjunction with the period leading up to the countdown celebrations marking one year until the Games begin.

The first half of the approximately 200 communities identified as potential participants in VANOC’s regional celebrations program, as part of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, have been contacted. The second group of communities will be contacted in the coming weeks. This process of engaging communities across Canada is an important step in ensuring a maximum number of Canadians will experience the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. In addition to the 200 communities that host lunchtime and evening celebrations, approximately 800 additional communities are expected to be on the torch relay route.

Public Tours of The Whistler Sliding Centre — July 2008
This July and August, The Whistler Sliding Centre will open its doors to public self-guided walking tours. A $5 fee will be charged (with free admission for children under 12); proceeds will go to the pre-Games operation of the venue.

Look of the Games and the Vancouver 2010 pictograms — Fall 2008
The next stage of the Vancouver 2010 identity will be unveiled this fall, including sport pictograms traditionally used at Games to represent each Games sport on maps, signage and merchandise. In addition, elements of the graphic identity that will unify and beautify the host region and venues at Games time, referred to as the Look of the Games, will also be unveiled this fall. Merchandise and souvenirs featuring these new design elements will be available for Christmas 2008.

Redesign of the vancouver2010.com website — mid-September 2008
In September 2008, a dynamic new version of www.vancouver2010.com will be unveiled. The new-and-improved site will make it even easier to access a wealth of information as the Games approach. The revamped site will include tools such as:

– enhanced video and photo features
– podcasts and vodcasts (video podcasts)
– user ratings and comments for website content
– biographies of Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games legends

February 2008 was the busiest month ever for traffic to www.vancouver2010.com, with the site registering nearly 700,000 total visits and producing more than 6.4 million page views. More than 115,000 people have subscribed to receive Vancouver 2010 general e-mail updates, while more than 100,000 have subscribed to receive e-mail updates on ticketing.

Volunteer Update — over 45,000 to date
Since launching the Call for Volunteers on February 12, VANOC has attracted applications at an encouraging rate, with a 92 per cent of the responses coming from Canadians. VANOC has received more than 45,000 completed applications overall from 95 different countries, from as far afield as Senegal, Venezuela, Lithuania and Barbados. Volunteer applications are still being accepted, including specific specialty areas and locations — such as the Sea-to-Sky Corridor.

Game Plan 2008
VANOC, together with its partners, is developing plans to visit Games-region communities to hold stakeholder meetings under a program called Game Plan 2008. While a number of operational plans are still being developed, the purpose of the meetings is to continue dialoguing with key stakeholders and citizens so they can better understand the day-to-day operations of the Games and what they may experience if they live and work in a Games-venue neighbourhood. A series of 2010 Winter Games information sessions will continue through 2009, and until Games time, offering an increasing level of operational detail to stakeholders and citizens as the Games approach. Details of the sessions will be announced in the coming months.

CEO and Senior Management Reports
In addition to those items noted above, the CEO Report to the Board included the following items:

• A sponsorship update: To date, 40 sponsors have been signed, for a total value of $719 million. Since the last Board Meeting on March 19, 2008, VANOC has welcomed the Millennium Development Corporation, Molson, CanWest, The Globe and Mail and Aggreko to the sponsor family.

• An update on the anti-doping laboratory: VANOC is nearing finalization of a viable location for the anti-doping laboratory that will meet the needs of both the IOC and VANOC. VANOC’s anti-doping mission is two-fold: a) to implement a state-of-the-art testing program at Sport Events and during the Games that will detect and deter doping behaviour, and b) to provide an extensive information and awareness program to educate and inform athletes about their rights and responsibilities when it comes to anti-doping rules and procedures. The IOC requires that VANOC obtain the services of a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory during the 2010 Winter Games.

• An update on French language television broadcasting of the Games: In April, John Furlong appeared before both the Senate and House of Commons Standing Committees on Official Languages. Discussion continued regarding the question of French language television broadcasting of the Games. VANOC, with the support of the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, has offered to facilitate meetings with the respective parties to help find a solution.

• An update on the Olympic Truce Program: An action plan for Olympic Truce Program activities — one of VANOC’s commitments in the build-up to the Games — is being developed by a Truce Program Working Group comprised of VANOC and its non-commercial partners.

Report of the Finance Committee
The Board received reports from two meetings of the Finance Committee, held on April 7 and May 5, 2008. A number of contracts were approved for negotiation during the meetings; VANOC will disclose information once the contracts are finalized.

Venue Construction Update
• The third and final of three arenas at the UBC Winter Sports Centre — this one with seating for 7,200 — is on track for completion by the end of June 2008.
• Substantial completion of the Richmond Oval is on track, to be completed by September 2008.
• The construction of the curling rink slab at Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park is ongoing.
• Completion dates for the training venues, Killarney Centre (short track speed skating) and Trout Lake Centre (figure skating), will be spring 2009 and summer 2009 respectively, rather than winter 2008 due to technical and ground condition issues. The new timeline continues to meet VANOC’s Games-time training needs.
• Discussions are continuing on the possible use of Britannia Centre as a training venue for hockey. Several alternate locations have been identified should Britannia choose not to participate.
• Key elements of the Whistler Athletes’ Centre (WAC) High Performance Centre are nearing completion.

Venue Contingency Update
The Board approved the transfer of $2 million from the Venue Construction Central Contingency account to the General Venue Construction account to support an Aboriginal Art at Venues program. A detailed announcement, including a call for Expressions of Interest, will take place within the next month, inviting Aboriginal artists from across Canada to participate in the program. The Venue Construction Central Contingency has been amended from $23.6 million to $21.6 million.

Report of the Strategic Communications Steering Committee
The Chair reported on the last meeting of the Strategic Communications Steering Committee, held on May 13, 2008. Good progress is being made on key design projects and the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays. Ceremonies planning is also progressing well. With the signing of two print media partners, VANOC has started to execute print advertising and is developing a comprehensive media advertising campaign for fall 2008 that will support numerous public engagement initiatives.

Background
The VANOC Board of Directors is made up of 20 members nominated by: the Canadian Olympic Committee (seven); the Government of Canada (three); the Province of British Columbia (three); the City of Vancouver (two); the Resort Municipality of Whistler (two); the Canadian Paralympic Committee (one); a joint appointment by the Band Councils of the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations (one); and one member nominated by the other 19 members.

The Board is scheduled to meet six times per year, and more often at the call of the Chair as required. The meetings are generally held at the Vancouver 2010 offices in Vancouver, although they are occasionally hosted by our Games partners in other locations. The Board’s responsibility is to oversee the conduct of the business of VANOC as it works toward achieving its Mission, to touch the soul of the nation and inspire the world by creating and delivering an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience with lasting legacies.

As part of its commitment to public transparency and accountability, the VANOC Board of Directors has made today’s agenda, discussion topics and decisions available to the public on www.vancouver2010.com, subject to conditions of confidentiality related to personal information and/or competitively sensitive or privileged information. VANOC is also committed to hosting media briefings following each Board meeting with the Board Chairman, the CEO and other director(s) or members of the VANOC senior management team to elaborate further on matters.

Next Meeting
The next meeting of the VANOC Board of Directors is scheduled for July 16, 2008.

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.