Celebrations Innsbruck Act I

Innsbruck – 50th Olympic Anniversary

©Innsbruck tirol sport
  • Olympic City: Innsbruck
  • Country: Austria
  • Edition of the Games: 1964 Winter Olympic Games
2014
50th Olympic Anniversary

Act I – Exposition

Innsbruck is the only city in the world that hosted the Winter Olympic Games three times: 1964 and 1976 for the Winter Olympics; and 2012 for the first edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games.

The Innsbruck 50th Olympic Anniversary was a series of activities held in the City to mark the 50 years since the City first hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1964.

The programme was a joint venture between Innsbruck Tirol Sports – which is a direct affiliate of the City of Innsbruck – and the Region of Tirol, with particularly heavy involvement from the relevant sports departments.

The Innsbruck 50th Olympic Anniversary took place over the months of January and February in line with the timing of the Innsbruck Games exactly half a century earlier. A host of sporting and cultural events, as well as other activities designed to engage residents and tourists alike were held across the City. These events were either connected to commemorating the City’s Olympic heritage or used as a launchpad for activations of current and future City projects.

The organisers planned the event and its various activities around incorporating as much of the venues of the 1964 Winter Games as possible. The Olympic Village and various competition sites played host to receptions, dances and theatrical performances. There was also a host of national and international snow sports events hosted in the Alpine City leading up to, during and after the official months of celebration. These spanned both elite competition and participation events open to the public, both of which extensively incorporated the Jubilee theme into their delivery.

The 50th Olympic Anniversary was also the perfect platform to announce the official inclusion of the City of Innsbruck in the World Union of Olympic Cities.

The event was remarkably well received by all those involved. Public officials, local residents and media all agreed that the event was a huge success, shining a light on the Innsbruck’s Olympic heritage and connecting this with a current vision of the City of which residents can be proud.

Celebrating Olympism and its values

One of the central aims of the 50th Olympic Anniversary was to increase awareness among the local citizens about the City’s rich Olympic heritage and to generate a sense of civic pride around this unique social asset. Activities such as the Olympic Walk were designed to highlight how the Games had impacted the structural landscape of the City. Other activities focused on the social impact that the Games had brought to the City, reflecting on how the Games had boosted the brand and reputation of the City as a top vacation destination for winter tourism.

Promoting the City by leveraging its affiliation with the Olympic Movement

Innsbruck has hosted more Winter Olympic Competitions than anywhere else in world. It first welcomed the Winter Olympic Games in 1964, again in 1976 and more recently in 2012 with the staging of the first ever Youth Winter Olympic Games. While the 50th anniversary celebrations were focused on the occasion of the first Games held in the City, they also strongly reflected the entire scope of its Olympic history, using this to showcase Innsbruck as a leader in world-class winter sports facilities and services. This served to mark Innsbruck as one of the foremost centres of excellence for winter sports anywhere in the world.

Highlighting the city as a world-class Sport Events Host

Thanks to its wide range of facilities, Innsbruck has become a high-level host for winter sport events. This strategy has been combined with diversification towards summer sports such as road cycling and mountain biking. Building on previous editions of the Games in a forward-looking perspective, Innsbruck hosted the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games and the 2016 Winter International Children’s Games. The City welcomed the UCI Road World Championships in 2018 and is getting prepared to host the Winter World Master Games in January 2020. All these events contribute to consolidating Innsbruck’ image as a top-level Olympic and sport city.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

http://www.olympiastadt.at

https://www.Innsbrucktirolsports.com

Celebrations Innsbruck Act II

Innsbruck – 50th Olympic Anniversary

©Innsbruck tirol sport
  • Olympic City: Innsbruck
  • Country: Austria
  • Edition of the Games: 1964 Winter Olympic Games
2014
50th Olympic Anniversary

Act II – Climax

Factual Data

Events’ Format

Celebrations combined sport with cultural events as well as international sport competitions with popular initiations.

1.01.2014: The Tyrolean Symphony Innsbruck (TSOI) provided an “Olympic fireworks” at the traditional New Year’s Concert in the Innsbruck Congress Centre.

25-26.01.2014: Speedskating Junior World Cup in Olympiaworld

30.01-1.02.2019: Junior Luge World Championships in Olympic Bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track.

29.01.2014: New Year Official reception Official Reception at the 1964 Olympic Village. Participants of the 1964 & 1976 Olympic Games were invited and Olympic champions were on stage.

3 days of activities for locals and tourists alike at three of the official venues/sites:

31.1.2014 – Biathlon and Cross country at Seefeld (31.01); ski and snowsport activities at Patscherkofel and Nordkette (1-2.02) as well as ice-sport activities in the Olympiaworld on 2.2.2014

Laying down of Walk of fame 3.2.2014 with Olympic luge champions/medallists present and past Josef Feistmantl and Nina Reithmayr

Welcoming of the Olympic Athletes of the Sochi Olympic Games on 24.2.2014 in the centre of Innsbruck together with Music Acts and Broadcasting followed by the FIS Team World Cup Event on Patscherkofel on the 25.02.2014. Therefore, a Jubilee Journal and different videos where produced showcasing the achievements and the highlights that the Games have brought to the City and its inhabitants.

7.05.2014: Traditional Innsbruck Athletes’ honour, specially dedicated to the anniversary of the Olympic Games.

21-22 June 2014: Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Village.

Duration

January & February 2014 + a series of punctual events during the year

Location

Olympic Villages of ´64 and ´76

Olympic Skating and Luge track

Patscherkofel as the Downhill venue

Seefeld for all Nordic Sports

Innsbruck Tirol Sports

The Office of the Mayor of Innsbruck

City of Innsbruck Sports Department

Region of Tirol Protocol Department

National Sports Federations

The Austrian Olympic Committee

Commercial partners

Local media

Local athletes

Mobilisation & Visibility

The numerous events of the anniversary were accompanied by extensive marketing measures to give visibility to the celebration:

  • Press conference on 30.01. 2014
  • 50-page festival brochure published on January 27 as an addition to a daily newspaper throughout the country with a circulation of around 120,000 copies
  • Posters films, flags, pins and a showcase campaign in the city centre to create a visual identity
  • A dedicated website
  • The presentation of an Olympic stamp recalling the anniversary

Public viewing during Sochi Winter Games

Combination with other events

Some events were running during these Celebrations including the Juniors Luge World Championships, FIS Team World Cup Event on Patscherkofel and the Homecoming Party of the Austrian Olympic Athletes from Sochi.

Not all of them were open to public but created a very stimulating and attractive atmosphere within the City.

Inventory of Activities

picto_sports90x90 SPORT

Sport days existing since 1994 were renamed “Olympic Sports Days” for the anniversary. During 3 days, the population could try and play many different sport. Biathlon was also included for the first time. Sports Days were open to all in some of the Olympic venues.

Official races at the Juniors Luge World Championships and with the FIS-Team Event at the Alpine venue as the last Event of the 2-month period.

picto_activites_culturelles90x90CULTURE

Cinematic and musical performances at the New Year’s Official Reception at the Olympic Village (29.01.2014).

Inauguration of the “Walk of Fame” on 30.01.2014. Similar to Hollywood Boulevard in LA, a hundred starts with the names of Olympic medallists of the 1964 & 1972 and 2012 YOG are now visible downtown.

24.02.2014: Concerts, Music Acts and Broadcasting after the homecoming of the Olympic Athletes from Sochi and at the alpine event.

picto_building290x90URBAN RENOVATION

Renovation work had been done towards the YOG 2012 just two years prior to the celebration.

21-22 June 2014: Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Village, which is the “youngest” district of Innsbruck. 1964 Games created valuable housing and important infrastructure. Innsbruck citizens benefit from approximatively 800 apartments that were first occupied in the summer of 1964.

picto_brand_olympique90x90USE OF OLYMPIC SYMBOLS & BRAND

The Logo of the past edition of the Games was used for the official invitation to the reception in the Olympic Village as well as for the Jubilee Brochure which was distributed via the regional daily newspaper.

As a three-time host of Winter Olympic Competition, the City of Innsbruck has a strong connection with the Olympic brand. Many of the activities took place at former Olympic venues which display the famous Olympic symbol. Furthermore, the programme’s promotional material made extensive use of footage from the Innsbruck Games which featured the Olympic logo. This helped to generate increased interest and excitement amongst the public. Also some of the “old” Artwork was then reused in collaboration with the NOC.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

http://www.olympiastadt.at

http://www.Innsbrucktirolsports.com

Celebrations Innsbruck Act III

Innsbruck – 50th Olympic Anniversary

©Innsbruck tirol sport
  • Olympic City: Innsbruck
  • Country: Austria
  • Edition of the Games: 1964 Winter Olympic Games
2014
50th Olympic Anniversary

Act III – Denouement

Legacy of the Celebrations

Linking Past, Present and Future 

The 1964 Games put Innsbruck/tirol on to the international map and since then has helped tourism and further sports development. This legacy was explained and recalled during the celebrations. During the event, Innsbruck-tirol Sport tried to focus and highlight for instance what infrastructures were put in place as an outcome of hosting the Games, for instance: Olympic Villages, bridges, Media Centre etc.

Olympic facilities were clearly highlighted as in-use venues. Innsbruck is considered as world leader in the reuse of sport facilities. Speed skating ring, luge-bobsleigh-skeleton track as well as Nordic and Alpine ski sites are all in active use, as they have always been.

Innsbruck strategically welcomes international sport events, with a special focus on junior classes, which is showing a strong commitment to upcoming athletes and sports as well as sustainability of Olympic sports facilities (Winter Universiade in 2005, Youth Olympic Games in 2012, International Children’s Games in 2016, and a series of international winter sports competitions).

History & Story

A historical moment in the spotlight

Luge was first introduced in the 1964 Olympic Games. To echo this “Olympic first”, Innsbruck hosted the Junior Luge World Championship during the 50th anniversary Celebrations. It offered a nice parallel with the past and a projection into the future, highlighting the performance of young athletes.

Zoom on an (extra)ordinary story

Alois Lugger is one of the only mayors, if not the only one, who organised the Olympic Games twice. He was Mayor of Innsbruck from 1956 to 1983 and he was given the nickname of “Olympic Luis”!

The January 29, 2014 celebration took place on Alois-Lugger Platz, where the Olympic Village is located. A bust with a memorial plaque has been inaugurated in 2010.

Feedback Section

Key Challenges

Managing logistics and timing

The 50th Anniversary programme involved a significant amount of stakeholders, including many political bodies. This meant that gathering input, obtaining approval and collecting feedback from interested parties was often a lengthy and complicated process. On top of this, the event programme was highly ambitious with a huge number of sporting, cultural and educational events scheduled over a short period. These events were all in addition to those that take place over this peak period for the City during a normal year.

It was critical that stakeholders were engaged from the outset and that there was constant communication between them and the programme organisers. Early and meticulous planning was prioritized in order to ensure that all events went off without any conflict or issues.

 

Accessing information

Despite hosting the YOG as recently as 2012, it had been some time since Innsbruck hosted their first and even their second Games. Those were different times and media and other pieces of information were not as widespread as they are today. It was also not as clear back then as to who owned what rights when it came to this material. It was always the plan to include old footage of the Games in the promotional material in order to highlight the lasting power of the event as well as the transformative effect it had on the City.

Evaluation

The evaluation process was specifically linked to the goals of the programme. Public awareness and perception was monitored via the level of media coverage received and individual feedback from the various stakeholders involved was obtained and analysed.

Replicability

Combining the Activities with current Olympic Games – as for public viewing initiatives and a “welcome home party” for the current athletes seems to be a replicable and rewarding initiative with national TV and press interested alike.

Pictos_information

 

More information

 

The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal

In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details. 

The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org 

Additional resources can be found through the following links:

http://www.olympiastadt.at

www.Innsbrucktirolsports.com