The 8th International Investment Forum “Sochi 2009” generated 238 deals worth 15.8 billion
Publicat pe 23 septembrie, 2009
By Sports Features Communications
Sochi 2014 was the main focus of the 8th International Investment Forum: ‘Sochi 2009’, which took place between 17 and 20 September in Russia’s Host City for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. During the Forum, 238 deals worth 481.8 billion Rubles ($15.8 billion) were signed, including many connected to the delivery of Russia’s first Winter Games. Alongside the major deals and discussion of investment opportunities within the Krasnodar Region, Sochi 2014 Partners presented their Olympic and Paralympic plans to delegates that included representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members, global business people and international media.
Construction progress
IOC representatives were given tours of Olympic Venues currently under construction in Sochi. This included witnessing the official start of construction on the Olympic Skating Center at a ceremony which saw the first cubic meter of concrete for its foundations laid. The event to mark another key milestone in preparation for the Sochi 2014 Winter Games was attended by Sochi 2014 project leaders and Olympic figure skating champion Tatiana Navka. The Olympic Skating Center foundations will be completed during the next two months, and will alone require 20,000 cubic meters of concrete. Work on the Olympic Skating Center site will be completed by October 2011. In keeping with tradition, a time capsule (photo) containing a speech was set into the concrete to inspire distant generations of Russians. The Olympic Skating Center will have a capacity of 12,000 and play a central role in the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. During the Forum, the first cargo terminal became fully operational. The facility now has a capacity of 11 million tons of cargo a year, after having an initial capacity of 5 million tons when it initially opened in December 2008.
Jean-Claude Killy, Chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission, said: “Construction continues to progress well and we believe that the building work is where it needs to be at this point in time.”
Sochi 2014 Legacy
The Forum also featured a roundtable discussion of the importance of the Sochi 2014 legacy, as the economic benefits of hosting the Winter Games will not just be limited to Games-time. The session was chaired by Dmitry Kozak and Dmitry Chernyshenko acted as moderator. Other participants in the discussion included: Jean-Claude Killy, Chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission; Gilbert Felli, IOC Executive Director for Olympic Games; Alexander Tkachev, Governor of Krasnodar Region; Yuriy Reliyan, Deputy Minister of Regional Development of Russia; Josep Acebillo Marin, Barcelona based architect and Barcelona 1992 Games Master Plan. The participants discussed the legacy of the 2014 Winter Games both for Sochi and the whole of Russia. This included analysis of specific measures to maximize the positive impact of the Games. Experts from the IOC also shared legacy best practice from previous Organizing Committees.
Dmitry Chernyshenko, Sochi 2014 President and CEO, said: “Our task is not only to deliver an innovative Olympic and Paralympic Games, but also to build a city of the future that sets a precedent in Russia. The Forum demonstrated the major investment opportunity that the Olympic and Paralympic Games has to offer. The IOC experts, who are visiting Sochi on a working visit, highlighted that there is a major business interest associated with the Games. It is incredibly important when we are talking about such a major project.”
Caucasian leopards in Sochi
Alongside the major construction progress, Sochi 2014 also demonstrated its sustainable credentials. To deliver its commitment, to not only protect, but also enhance the unique environment in the Krasnodar Region, the organizers released two Caucasian Leopards into protected wilderness around Sochi as part of a scheme to reintroduce the species to the Krasnodar Region, which will form part of the Sochi 2014 environmental legacy.
Sochi 2014’s New Tier One Partner
Announcing Volkswagen Group Rus as a General Partner for Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi was one of the most notable deals announced at the Forum. This deal is a major development in the history of automotive sponsorship of the Olympic Games. This announcement raises the total amount of sponsorship generated by the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee to $750 million.
First Olympic presentation of Sochi 2014 Partners
During the Forum, IOC experts visited exhibitions by the Sochi 2014 Partners who were, for the first time, participating in the event as Sochi 2014 Tier One Partners. Rosneft’s display demonstrated that it will introduce a number of infrastructure improvement projects in Sochi and Krasnodar region including more than 63 gas stations, petrol stations for mountain trucks which will be used for Games preparations as well as floating gas stations for seafaring vessels. Megafon, the Sochi 2014 Telecommunications/Mobile Partner, outlined to IOC experts their plans to ensure mobile reception at each of the 15 Olympic venues that are situated in the Mountain Cluster (Krasnaya Polyana) and the Coastal Cluster (Imeretskaya Valley). Sochi 2014 General Partner, Rostelecom, announced that its total investment in Games preparation and the development of infrastructure in the South of Russia would be 2 billion Rubles demonstrating that the company is fulfilling its commitment not only to the Games, but to the entire Krasnodar Region.