August 14, 2008 – After a few weeks on vacation, Ã…sne Havnelid, CEO of Oslo 2011, is back in the office, wearing a construction helmet. The normal hill on Holmenkollen has been dismantled and ground work will start this month. The demolition of the large hill and judges’ tower will start in the autumn. There was much discussion about the development and reconstruction of Holmenkollen. Now, the hills and cross-country stadium are under construction as the final decision concerning both the large K120 hill and the smaller K95 one was finally taken which makes the Oslo 2011 team happy.

“All reconstruction will take place during 2008 – 2009, which means no competitions on Holmenkollen during that time. The plan is that the stadium will be ready for the pre-Championships in February/March 2010,” explains Åsne.

Ã…sne has significant background in competitive sports in Norway; she was the leader for the Norwegian athletes at five Olympic Games, and has also been involved in several World Championships. Most recently, she served as Vice President, Cabin Operations at SAS, with special responsibility for this area for SAS Braathens / SAS Norway, after the merger and integration of the two companies.

“Working with Oslo 2011 was a sign of great trust and a wonderful opportunity for me. It is a very exciting project that engages many competent people in Norway. Being able to combine business with sports is both fantastic and challenging,” she notes. Finding the energy to invest much effort and work for several years for an event that only lasts two weeks is not easy. According to Åsne, she derives her engagement from around her, from the surrounding community, business, sports and especially the inhabitants of Oslo that serve as great motivators. The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo constitute a large event. In fact, the recruitment for the required 3000 volunteers already started last May.

Currently, Oslo 2011 is still a small organization, with only 5 ½ full-time employees. However, there are many other entities already working on related projects. “Right now, we are working with the community of Oslo, as well as with the politics, police and national defense to solve logistical questions for the competition days. Transportation for spectators from Oslo to Holmenkollen is one of the important questions,” Åsne states. The official goal for the 12 competition days is 400’000 visitors. It only takes 15 minutes from the center of Oslo to Holmenkollen with public transportation.

The Oslo 2011 organizing committee has attended several sports events to gather experiences. For example, they visited Åre last winter and have a good relationship with both Oberstdorf and Liberec to learn from them. Given Åsne’ background in several sports, the team has also searched for inspiration at events such as the FIVB Beach Volley World Tour.

“Of course you have to respect other arrangements when you are out there to study. At your own event, you are dependent on your team. Everyone on the team is equally important and my function is just to motivate them to do their best. We try to work systematically and practice the things we want to do,” explains Åsne her ideology.

The Nordic festival arrangements will be located in downtown Oslo including an extensive cultural offering. The intention is to make the activities in town as attractive as the competitions on Holmenkollen.

At present, the focus is on construction. At the same time, the team is also working on the visual identity for Oslo 2011. “This identity will characterize everything we do,” says Åsne. The vision for Oslo 2011 has been defined as: “Inspiring and spreading the joy of winter”. This has been combined with a strategy focused on the environment, youth and culture.

The Oslo 2011 organizing committee has been set up as a corporation with an own board, and it is owned by the Norwegian Ski Federation together with The Federation for Promotion of Skiing (Skiforeningen). A small share of any proceeds will belong to the owners, while the most of any profit will go to developing sport, training, competition, children’s and youth activities as legacy of Oslo 2011 and the ski arena that will last many years after the event.