British Columbia, where the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games will be held, and Turin Italy, host of the 2006 Winter Games, have signed a sharing agreement to exchange knowledge and practices, and help relations between British Columbia and the Piemonte region of Italy.
Enzo Ghigo, president of the Piemonte region of Italy where Turin is located, who is part of a 100 member delegation visiting Vancouver this week to attend the Globe 2004 corporate environment conference and to assess and advise Vancouver 2010 in its preparations for the Games, warned Vancouver 2010 organizers to expect significant cost overruns as they move toward 2010.
Ghigo said, “what you predict at the beginning never corresponds to the reality of what you have to spend”.
Turin 2006 organizing committee president Valentino Castellani told reporters costs for the Turin Games have escalated by 15 to 20 per cent over initial forecasts with two years still to go.
Although the Vancouver Games are still six years away, the city is abuzz with activity this week. There are several Olympic delegations in town. In addition to the group of business representatives, politicians and Olympic organizers from Turin, there’s also a group from Salt Lake City host of the 2002 Winter Games.
And an 11-person International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegation begins its first inspection visit today. They will be in Vancouver and Whistler for three days.
John Furlong, head of Vancouver 2010 said, “it’s very important to get off to a good start to make sure we’re pointed in the right direction”.
He said the organizing committee hopes to hire five new senior executives as soon as possible for the duration of Games preparations. They will supervise human resources, revenue and marketing, facility development, sports and competition, and Olympic services.
