kk's blog

Torino 2006 Winter Olympics Check-In

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 04:38:16 -0800

I've been in Italy for 3 days now and am starting to finally get caught-up on some of my posting. Long days and long nights is the way we roll and I've been getting a lil backlogged on posting the many things we've been involved with. I have a few minutes and want to point you guys to a few of the things you should check out. First, our symposium on the Olympics and Web 2.0 is tomorrow and it's going to be awesome. Andy is here, many many media people will be be attending and we're going to be lucky if we can fit everyone inside the venue we have reserved inside BC Canada Place here in Torino. Here's the overview of the event.

The Olympics and Web 2.0

Friday, February 17th, 2006
BC Canada Place, Torino, Italia

Sono affamato, non ho Internet ed il mio italiano succhia

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 04:34:42 -0800

Checkin' in quickly from Torino, Italy. I'm here with Robert Scales from Raincity Studios and Boris Mann from Bryght. We're jet lagged, hungry, internet deprived and struggling to learn Italian... but having a blast so far in our delirious state. The syposium I'm co-chairing with Andy Miah, "The Olympics and Web 2.0", is on Friday and we're going to be spending most of the week prepping for that as well as meeting with the media and some businesses who are also in town for the games.

Vancouver’s Sam Sullivan first quadriplegic to accept Olympic flag

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 13:39:24 -0800

Canadian Mayor to make history at Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games

Vancouver – In just one month, in what may be one of the most memorable moments of the Torino 2006 Closing Ceremony, Canada’s first quadriplegic Mayor will accept, on behalf of all Canadians, the Olympic flag. The City of Vancouver and the 2010 Organizing Committee today revealed the innovative behind-the-scenes work being done in support of Mayor Sam Sullivan’s historic role on the world stage.

Avril Lavigne to headline Vancouver 2010 segment at Torino Closing Ceremony

Mon, 16 Jan 2006 10:26:25 -0800

Canadian music superstar Avril Lavigne will shine as Canada's feature performer in the official closing ceremony of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. The Closing Ceremony will mark the conclusion of the Torino Games as well as the beginning of the countdown to Vancouver 2010.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games' (VANOC) eight-minute entertainment segment will be seen by a live audience of approximately 32,000 people and a worldwide television audience of 500 million. A native of Napanee, Ontario, Lavigne has received eight Grammy Nominations and sold millions of albums. She will headline a special production designed to celebrate Canada and to capture the spirit of the 2010 Host City.

First Official Vancouver 2010 Merchandise Available July 18 in Select HBC Stores Across Canada

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 09:38:03 -0700

VANCOUVER - Starting today, Canadians have the opportunity to show their support for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games by purchasing official Vancouver 2010 merchandise at select Hbc stores across the country. Hbc is the exclusive retailer of this first limited edition Vancouver 2010 merchandise until January 2006.

Pacific Coliseum venue upgrade to be enjoyed well in advance of the 2010 Winter Games

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 17:10:09 -0700

Vancouver – The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and the City of Vancouver have begun the first phase of Olympic Games-related improvements at the Pacific Coliseum – site of the figure skating and short track speed skating competitions in 2010.

The replacement of nearly 16,000 seats at the Coliseum is part of a $C23 million improvement program at Hastings Park to prepare the venue for the 2010 Winter Games.

The renovation work at the Coliseum supports VANOC's commitment of early venue completion to allow time for testing and to provide Canadian athletes with two years of training opportunities to help them prepare for the 2010 Games. The seat replacement at the Coliseum will also upgrade the facility in time for the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Vancouver Olympic Games Identity Controvery Background Information

Sun, 12 Jun 2005 19:03:25 -0700

I found this article today that provide more background details on the controversy surrounding the 2010 Vancouver Olympics logo design from the perspective of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada...

"If there are two words that when used together make professional identity designers wince or worse, those words would have to be "logo" and "contest." Announcements of such competitions appear by the dozens every week on the internet; no doubt there are many more that go unpublicized. Such contests are fraught with spec work, unprofessional and ineffective results, and hard feelings from designers and the public alike. Perhaps one of the highest profile incident thus far occurred earlier in early May 2005 when the logo for the 2010 Olympic Games, to be held in Vancouver, BC, was released. The 2010 Organizing Committee made a number of serious errors, in the eyes of many designers and indeed in the eyes of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada.

The committee asked that only professional and student designers enter, but did not offer recompense to anyone but the winner. Even worse, entrants were charged $150 for the privilege. The designer of the winning logo would be paid $25,000. The logo was considered alone, not as part of a larger identity system. John Furlong, chief executive officer of the Organizing Committee, added insult to injury by saying he didn't "know what the ethical dilemma is" and that "the honor of participating should be enough."

The logo does not properly represent the western Canadian region; instead, its inukshuk figure is a symbol that originated in more northern realms.

The final result, completed by the Rivera Design Group in Vancouver and selected from about 1,600 fee-paying entries, is a logo that is widely reviled, and not just by designers. Comments range from "it doesn't look Canadian," to "it looks like a hand flipping the bird" and that it looks like the "offspring of the Michelin Man and Miss Gumby."

As a result of the situation and others that preceded it, the GDC changed its Code of Ethics at its annual meeting on May 6-7, 2005, so as to leave no doubt as to its stand on design contents. The GDC no longer allows any member participation in open design contests for commercial purposes on speculation, either as an entrant or a judge.

The winning design firm is a GDC member, but the organization did not sanction the member because previously this section of its Code of Ethics was open to interpretation.

From now on, GDC members cannot undertake any speculative project for which compensation will only be received if a design is accepted or used. Members may take part in limited design competitions where each participant is provided equal and adequate compensation. The Society has separate guidelines for pro bono work for charitable purposes.

"Everyone loves the Olympics, and of course, you want to support it, but a designer's actions must support our common ethics," says Peggy Cady, national GDC president. "We are trying to emphasize that a client's return on investment is greater when they hire qualified professional designers who are appropriate for the project."

The Graphic Artists Guild and the GDC both recommend that if a competition is held, the hosts should first put out a request for portfolios, then after reviewing the work, select a group of finalists who are best suited for the job. The finalists may be asked for rough sketches for the project at hand if they are paid adequately and equally for their work. Finally, when a single designer or firm is finally selected, that winner should be paid fees that are commensurate to current market value. The designer will retain rights to the work.

It's too late to effect any change on the Olympics logo project, but the GDC does feel that it has possibly caused some motion: The same Olympics committee is handling the Paralympic Winter Games, and Cady says that the group will be handling that logo design process in a manner more in keeping with professional design standards.

The GDC has also sent its plea to ICOGRADA, whose international standards still permit its members to participate in open contests. For more information on the GDC's efforts, see www.gdc.net."

New additions join the Western Lightship tour

Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:25:59 -0700

Here's some news from Ross' tour of BC and Alberta.

The very popular Bell Lightship tour across Canada is now being accompanied by the Bell Community Cruiser, a vintage 1976 Airstream trailer, which visits communities across Alberta and B.C.

This state-of-the-art cruiser is being driven by the world's first Olympic snowboarding gold medallist, Ross Rebagliati, who is hosting autograph sessions and media events in each community included on the tour. Ross recently announced his plans to return to competitive snowboarding with the objective of competing at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics where Bell is a corporate partner.

The Lightship tour is also supported by a team of Community Ambassadors who take to the street daily promoting excitement and distributing promotional materials and time limited offers designed to drive Bell awareness and store traffic.

Onsite at the cruiser, visitors can fill out a ballot to win a
once-in-a-lifetime flight on the Bell Lightship, as well as to learn more about Bell's innovative technology, including the latest wireless phones, data devices and digital satellite television.

All across the West, Bell customers and potential customers are seeing the Bell brand here, there and everywhere!

Vancouver 2010 - Site Preparation Work on Schedule at Whistler Nordic Competition Venue

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 11:31:07 -0700

Whistler - Since April 16, 2005, the 2010 Winter Games Whistler Nordic venue, site of biathlon, ski jumping, Nordic combined and cross country ski events in 2010, has become an active construction zone as site preparation work continues on schedule. The on-time start earlier this year supports VANOC's commitment of early venue completion to allow time for testing and to provide Canadian athletes with two years of training time to help them prepare for the 2010 Games.

Construction of the Nordic venue is moving ahead following a rigorous review involving consultation with the public, stakeholder groups and First Nations. British Columbia's Environmental Assessment Office deemed that the project presents no significant adverse environmental, economic, social, heritage and health effects. The project also underwent a screening review by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. The review was completed in April 2005. For more details see the attached backgrounder.

Backgrounder: Whistler Sliding Centre - Environmental Screening Process

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 11:23:30 -0700

Overview

The environmental assessment for the Whistler Sliding Centre project on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler was conducted by Federal Department of Canadian Heritage under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEEA). The screening commenced in September, 2004 and was completed on June 1, 2005.

A number of local, provincial and federal agencies participated in the extensive review of the project including: VANOC, Squamish First Nation, Lil'wat First Nation, BC Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, BC Ministry of Forests, Land and Water BC, Vancouver Regional Health Authority, Environment Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada - Geographical Survey of Canada, BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Resort Municipality of Whistler, and Whistler-Blackcomb (Intrawest).

Vancouver 2010 - Preliminary Site Preparation Begins on Schedule at the Whistler Sliding Centre

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 11:18:31 -0700

June 8, 2005
For Immediate Release

Preliminary site preparation begins on schedule at the Whistler Sliding Centre following environmental screening approval

Whistler - The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is commencing the first phase of construction this week of the Whistler Sliding Centre, the venue for the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This on-time start supports VANOC's commitment of early venue completion to allow time for testing and to provide Canadian athletes with two years of training time to help them prepare for the 2010 Games.

Petro-Canada Named National Partner of Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Mon, 06 Jun 2005 11:29:58 -0700

Roland's live blogging notes are much more interesting, but here is the official news release about the Vancouver 2010/Petro-Can deal announced today.

Petro-Canada Named National Partner of Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Calgary, Alberta - The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is pleased to announce Petro-Canada as its National Partner in the Oil and Gas category. The eight-year agreement provides Petro-Canada with sponsorship rights for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, including sponsorship rights for the Canadian Olympic Team for the Torino 2006, Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games.

"The 2010 Winter Games are Canada's Games and we are privileged to have a partner like Petro-Canada to help us reach every home and every family in every corner of our country," said John Furlong, VANOC chief executive officer. "With the help of Petro-Canada's 5,000 enthusiastic employees, together we will make an outstanding contribution to sport as we travel the journey towards excellence in 2010 and beyond."

"We believe in the Olympic spirit because it's based on working hard, playing fair and making each other stronger," said Ron Brenneman, president and chief executive officer of Petro-Canada. "This is how we run our business, and it's why our employees are thrilled to continue bringing the same enthusiasm and dedication to the Games."

Petro-Canada's commitment is valued at $62.5 million Cdn. It includes an investment of $35.5 million in products, services and marketing support (including fuel and fuel-related products) to be used by VANOC, $18 million in cash and $9 million in athlete support through numerous programs to be developed over the coming months.

Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee Announces National Partner in the Oil and Gas Category

Mon, 06 Jun 2005 08:45:48 -0700

Looks like there will be another corporate sponsorship announcment today from the people in charge of pimping out the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Here's to hoping that the athletes and communities see a little bit more of the pie than they did in the Rona deal.

Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee Announces National Partner in the Oil and Gas Category

Calgary, Alberta - The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and Petro-Canada invite media to join several hundred Petro-Canada employees, special guests and Olympic and Paralympic athletes at an employee rally to announce VANOC's National Partner in the Oil and Gas category.

Kelowna Newspaper Interviews Ross Rebagliati About His 2010 Olympics Comeback

Fri, 27 May 2005 14:25:35 -0700

B.C.'s most famous snowboarder is making a comeback and is looking to the
2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler as a place where he hopes to thrust his way
back to the top of the sport he helped put on the map.
Ross Rebagliati was in Kelowna last weekend on a tour of the province with
one of his sponsors, Bell, where he stopped to sign autographs and speak of
his impending comeback.
Rebagliati became the first ever Olympic snowboard gold medalist at the 1998
Olympics in Nagano. In four days he went from unknown, to famous to infamous
as he was initially stripped of his gold medal and then had it given back.

Vancouver Artists Feel Their Expression is Restricted Because of the Copyright Rules Surrounding the Olympic Logo Ilanaaq

Fri, 27 May 2005 12:39:05 -0700

Here's an interesting article from this weeks Georgia Straight. I haven't seen any of the 'art' in question, and it's too bad they didn't post it alongside the article, but I would like to. Please send me an email or even better yet post any of the images you find in the comments.

Do Olympic rings bind art?

By pieta wooley

Publish Date: 26-May-2005