January 17, 2008 (Vancouver, BC) – The Board of Directors for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) met today in Vancouver for its first meeting of 2008. The meeting agenda included a management update from Chief Executive Officer John Furlong, a review of plans for the Call for Volunteers on February 12 and two-year countdown activities, and Board authorization of contracts/agreements that will continue to support the planning and staging of the 2010 Winter Games. Reports, updates and decisions taken at the January 16, 2008 VANOC Board meeting included:

CEO Report

Volunteer Program Update
For 25,000 volunteers, the first step in taking part in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games begins February 12, 2008 when the volunteer application process launches ˜ exactly two years before the Games begin. VANOC is now in a full implementation mode for the Call for Volunteers; advance work has included discussions with volunteer organizations, multicultural groups, Aboriginal groups, educational institutions, seniors, the business community and more, with the goal to inspire Canadians to apply for a volunteer position. VANOC is also finalizing a volunteer web portal that includes news and information about the 2010 Winter Games. Announcements regarding the Call For Volunteers will be made in the coming weeks and applicants will be able to sign up at www.vancouver2010.com and through www.workopolis.com/.

Two-Year Countdown Activities
Planning is underway for one of VANOC‚s first key milestones of 2008: celebrations marking the two-year countdown to the Games. VANOC is working with partners, sponsors and other stakeholders to finalize plans that will extend the February 12 celebration period through existing local, regional and national events and activities. The two-year countdown celebration period will provide the platform for VANOC to launch initiatives including the Call for Volunteers program and the 2008 Cultural Olympiad, while generating further awareness of 2010 Winter Games programs – and giving Games enthusiasts in Canada and around the world tangible opportunities to participate in the Vancouver 2010 experience (see accompanying Backgrounder for comprehensive activity list).

2008 Cultural Olympiad
The 2008 Cultural Olympiad will begin on February 1st and run through March 21, including more than 300 performances and 10 exhibitions. A major highlight will be an evening of entertainment on February 12, at Vancouver‚s Orpheum Theatre, featuring Grammy Award-nominee Feist, and including Ron Sexsmith, Suzie McNeil, Jorane, Leela Gilday, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. An audience of approximately 2,700 people is expected.

Venue Construction Update
The end of construction at the Whistler-based competition venues was celebrated in mid-December. Over the holiday period, the first test jumps, training jumps and competitions were held at Whistler Olympic Park (formerly the Whistler Nordic Venue) and the first bobsleigh test runs took place at The Whistler Sliding Centre. Cypress Mountain is competition-ready and has hosted training for the Canadian freestyle team. Renovations on the Pacific Coliseum at Hastings Park are complete and a major competition is currently underway. Whistler Creekside is set for the World Cup Alpine Sport Event in February. Venues still under construction, with anticipated completion dates, include: Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park (fall 2008); the Whistler Athletes‚ Centre in Whistler (fall 2008); UBC Winter Sports Centre (summer 2008); Richmond Oval (summer 2008); and the Olympic and Paralympic Villages in Whistler and Vancouver (fall 2009).

IOC Executive Board approvals in December included the following:

Sport Competition Schedule (by Day) and Sport Event Schedule (previously known as the Test Event Schedule)
The schedule completion resulted from extensive consultations with all International Sport Federations, Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS) and the International Olympic Committee. The final Olympic Competition Schedule (including specific session times) will be sent to the IOC Executive Board for approval in August 2008. The schedules are available at www.vancouver2010.com.

Second Visit of IOC President Jacques Rogge
IOC President Jacques Rogge will visit Vancouver and Whistler from February 26-28, in conjunction with the next IOC Coordination Commission meeting to review progress and planning for the 2010 Winter Games.

Sponsorship Update
To date, VANOC has signed domestic sponsorship agreements worth approximately $691 million in total. This represents 90.5 per cent of our overall $760 million target. Only several weeks into the new year, VANOC has announced Sun Microsystems of Canada as an Official Supplier. Discussions continue with a series of potential new partners; VANOC expects to announce a number of new sponsors in the coming months.

Operational Updates

Accommodation Update
Plans for securing the remaining required accommodation for the Sea-to-Sky corridor are ongoing. VANOC is at approximately 80 to 85 per cent of its overall target. Planning for workforce accommodation will be a 2008 priority.

Games-Time Planning Update
The model venue operating plan has been approved by the Games-Time Operations Steering Committee.

Transportation Update
Transportation is a top priority for the coming months. VANOC is working closely with the City of Vancouver, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the BC Ministry of Transportation and TransLink on the Olympic and Paralympic Transport Team that will oversee 2010 joint transport-related projects. VANOC expects to complete a first version of the detailed transportation plan in the latter part of 2008 and commence a series of community engagement meetings. The plan will continue to be refined up to December 2009.

Provincial and Territorial Relations
VANOC continues to make good progress on Memoranda of Understanding with the remaining provinces and discussions are ongoing to identify areas of collaboration to ensure all Canadians can be involved and inspired by the Games.

Report of the Finance Committee
A report of the Finance Committee meeting, held on December 10, 2007, included recommendations that today required approvals from the VANOC Board, as noted below. The Finance Committee report also included updates on previously approved contracts not requiring Board approval. Following their completion, contract awards are posted www.vancouver2010.com. At a December 10 joint meeting of the Audit and Finance Committees, an annual review of VANOC‚s risk management program was undertaken in accordance with VANOC‚s corporate governance policy.

Report of the Strategic Communications Steering Committee
The Strategic Communications Steering Committee provided an update from its January 9th meeting, including a ceremonies update and a torch relay update.

As part of its commitment to public transparency and accountability, the Vancouver 2010 Board of Directors has made today‚s agenda, discussion topics and decisions available to the public Leave a Reply

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