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VANOC ends 2007 on track and ready for operational phase in 2008


WEBWIRE

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) today released its report for the first quarter of the fiscal year which includes a management discussion and analysis and interim financial statements for the first quarter, ended October 31, 2007. The report also includes a look ahead to initiatives planned for 2008. VANOC’s quarterly report is available at www.vancouver2010.com

VANOC’s deferred operating revenue from sponsorship, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other sources for the quarter ending October 31, 2007 was $6.7 million. Deferred operating expenditures were $6.4 million, reflecting expenses of $25.7 million offset by a foreign exchange gain of $19.3 million. In accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles, all revenues and expenses are deferred prior to Games time. VANOC’s venue development expenditures for the quarter were $63.3 million and now total $427.9 million on a project to date basis.

The quarter was highlighted by a net increase in the venue construction budget central contingency of $250,000 as a result of a deposit of $2.5 million in savings from Pacific Coliseum at Hastings Park and a draw of $2.25 million to Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park. With the approved $250,000 contingency increase, the venue construction budget central contingency has grown from its previous level of $26.8 million to $27.05 million.

As part of issuing its financial report near the end of calendar 2007, VANOC also reflected on a successful year that included the completion of construction of five sport venues and a domestic sponsorship program that exceeded VANOC’s 2007 target of $65 million to reach $102.5 million for the year. A summary of 2007 milestones is included in an attached backgrounder.

“We’re on track and on budget as we approach 2008 and the two-year countdown to the 2010 Winter Games,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer. “The best athletes in the world will soon be here to train for the 2010 Winter Games as construction of five sport venues will be complete by the end of this month, including all three Whistler-based competition venues. This will provide unprecedented training time for Canadian athletes to become familiar with the venues prior to the Games.”

VANOC’s overall venue construction schedule provides for the earliest completion of competition venues in recent Games history. As of December 15, construction is substantially complete at the competition venues that will host: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, Nordic combined, ski jumping, snowboarding and short track speed skating. Bobsleigh, skeleton and luge athletes will be able to test at The Whistler Sliding Centre in the coming months following the detailed fit-out and testing. Venues for curling and wheelchair curling, ice sledge hockey and speed skating will be complete in 2008.

Added Furlong, “Through the strong support of corporate Canada, we exceeded our target of $65 million for 2007 to reach $102.5 million for the year, giving us greater confidence that our overall sponsorship revenue goal will be achieved. VANOC has now entered into domestic sponsorship agreements worth approximately $691 million in total, or 90.5 per cent of the overall $760 million target.

Milestone activities in all of VANOC’s major functional areas are increasing as the Games approach, and 2008 promises to be an intense year as the countdown momentum and public engagement builds,” concluded Furlong.

VANOC’s next quarterly report, covering the three months ending January 31, 2008, will be available in March 2008.

2007 Year in Review
Venue construction
Venue construction continues on time and on budget. The venue construction timeline ensures that most venues are competition-ready two seasons before the Games — the earliest completion of competition venues in recent Games history — providing unprecedented pre-Games training opportunities for Canadian athletes. In particular, VANOC looks forward to substantial completion of construction by the end of the 2007 calendar year on a number of venues:

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Cypress Mountain — complete snowboard and freestyle venue and snowmaking system
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Pacific Coliseum at Hastings Park — complete renovations
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Whistler Creekside — complete snowmaking system and course improvements
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Whistler Olympic Park (formerly known as the Whistler Nordic Venue) — complete venue, roads and sport buildings
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The Whistler Sliding Centre — track commissioning and completion of buildings.

Sponsorship and marketing
Through the strong support of corporate Canada, VANOC exceeded its target of $65 million for 2007 to reach $102.5 million for the year. VANOC has now entered into domestic sponsorship agreements worth approximately $691 million in total, or 90.5 per cent of the overall $760 million target.

VANOC welcomed 15 new companies to its Official Licensee program in 2007, bringing the overall total to 28.

VANOC also launched the Olympic Store at vancouver2010.com in early December. The online store stocks the widest range of Vancouver 2010 products anywhere — from dog coats to hoodies to plush toys.

Introduction of Miga, Quatchi and Sumi — the Vancouver 2010 mascots
In November, the Vancouver 2010 mascots were introduced to 800 schoolchildren in Surrey, BC. At the same time, people across Canada and around the world also met the mascots and their sidekick through a special website at www.vancouver2010.com. The site includes exciting child-friendly features such as an animated video, character profiles, an online game, a personality quiz, interactive e-cards and much more.

Mascot merchandise
In November 2007, mascot merchandise was first made available exclusively at select Hbc stores across Canada, at hbc.com and at http://www.vancouver2010.com/store. Plush toys are selling extremely well, and more have been ordered to meet demand for early 2008. Also, in the early part of 2008, a full assortment of licensed merchandise featuring the mascots will be made available broadly at retail locations across Canada, including toy, gift, specialty, duty free and sporting goods stores, in addition to Hbc stores, at hbc.com and at http://www.vancouver2010.com/store.

Ticketing
Details were unveiled about how Canadians and visitors from around the world can have the experience of a lifetime by attending an Olympic event in 2010. The www.vancouver2010.com website offers a full range of information on 2010 Winter Games sport disciplines, events, ticket prices, and the opportunity to sign up to receive the latest ticket information as it becomes available. In 2007, VANOC achieved its target, now exceeding 70,000 subscribers to the Organizing Committee’s Ticketing and Merchandise e-newsletter.

Cultural Olympiad, Ceremonies
David Atkins Enterprises (DAE) of Australia was chosen as Executive Producer of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening, Closing and Victory Ceremonies. DAE will collaborate with a world-class team of leading Canadian figures drawn from Canada’s music, producing, creative and events industries.

Own the Podium
Last season, winter athletes from all across Canada competed in events, earning 135 medals at World Cups and 27 medals at World Championships. In both World Cup and World Championship circuits, Canada ranked second among all nations that competed. Canadian athletes with a disability performed well on the World Cup circuit, winning 50 per cent of the medals in Para-Alpine and four medals in Para-Nordic, and were undefeated in Ice Sledge Hockey at the inaugural Four Nation World Challenge in Kelowna, BC.

Paralympic Games
VANOC launched a Paralympic School Day pilot program pilot in 2007, directed at elementary school children, to raise awareness of the Paralympic Games and the elite athletes who compete in the Games. More than, 3,000 students in 10 schools, in British Columbia, met some of Canada’s top Paralympic athletes and tried select winter Paralympic sports. This program was extremely well received and will continue in 2008 and 2009 to share more Paralympic stories and experiences with an even greater number of students and teachers.

RONA Vancouver 2010 Fabrication (Fab) Shop
Working in collaboration, RONA and VANOC partnered with community organizations to launch the RONA Vancouver 2010 Fabrication Shop in East Vancouver. It has been common practice at major multi-sport events to establish a Fabrication Shop to manufacture and supply many of the items that bring the Games venues to life and complete the athlete and spectator experience. What sets this Fab Shop apart is the development and delivery of a community-based training program that provides carpentry skills training and supported job experience to individuals who have yet to successfully enter the workforce.

/EDU Portal
Launched in September, /EDU connects teachers, students and schools across Canada to Vancouver 2010, the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and the three pillars of sport, culture and sustainability. This new portal serves as the foundation for what is rapidly becoming a lively online interactive community.

Workforce
VANOC’s employee team doubled in 2007. Recent engagement survey results were highly positive.

Canada’s Games
VANOC completed an annual national tour in 2007 with a visit to Canada’s three Northern Territories. The Organizing Committee is also well on its way to engaging all provinces and territories in the Games, with memoranda of understanding now signed with most provinces and territories.

www.vancouver2010.com
vancouver2010.com received nearly 15 million page views in 2007 — a 25 per cent increase over the previous year. VANOC responded to over 2,000 general e-mail enquiries at info@vancouver2010.com. By the end of November 2007, the online ‘General Updates’ subscription list doubled to 80,000.

Games Time Sport Schedule by Day
After extensive consultations with the International Sport Federations, Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS), and the IOC, VANOC’s Sport Schedule by Day was approved by the IOC Executive Board in December. The review and consultation process will continue until the final Olympic Competition Schedule (including session times) is sent to the IOC Executive Board for approval in August 2008.

The IOC also approved VANOC’s Sport Event schedule in December for each of the Olympic Winter Games sport disciplines. The goal of Sport Events is to test the venues, including the field of play, technology, operating plans and workforce prior to the Games.

Business Plan
VANOC released its Vancouver 2010 Business Plan and Games Budget on May 8, with a balanced operating budget of $1.63 billion and a venue construction budget of $580 million. The plan updates the planning and financial assumptions made in the Vancouver 2010 Games Bid and maps out what is required to stage the Games in 2010. It was approved by the VANOC Board of Directors, the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

2008: A Look Ahead
Two-Year Countdown
Plans are currently in development for two-year countdown activities in the Games region, with a particular focus on Vancouver, Whistler and Richmond. A highlight of the celebrations will be Cultural Olympiad 2008 programming, including a special concert to be held February 12th at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver. Discussions also continue on the development of countdown events in Ottawa and Québec City.

Call for Volunteers
The Call for Volunteers will be issued on February 12 — exactly two years before the Games begin. The call will welcome 25,000 volunteers to apply, through on online process, to be part of the team that welcomes the world to Canada and helps stage the 2010 Winter Games.

Venue Construction
In 2008, venue construction will be completed on all sport venues for the 2010 Winter Games, providing access for both high-performance athlete training and recreational use — more than two years before the Games.

Cultural Olympiad 2008
Launching the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, this celebration of arts and culture will present more than 300 performances and 10 exhibitions staged in over 40 diverse venues, delivered in partnership with 60 arts and cultural organizations from British Columbia. Running from February 1st to March 21st, Cultural Olympiad 2008 will highlight some of the most dynamic talent from BC, Canada and the world.

Vancouver 2010 Sustainability Report
The release of the Vancouver 2010 Sustainability Report 2006-07, the second of five such annual reports, is targeted for public distribution in early 2008. The report details VANOC’s sustainability objectives and its plans and performance relating to six strategic sustainability objectives, including: accountability; environmental stewardship and impact reduction; social inclusion and responsibility; Aboriginal participation and collaboration; economic benefits; and sport for sustainable living.

Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays
In 2008, VANOC will provide details about the Torch Relays, including the routes, themes, partners, and public application processes.

Licensed Merchandise
Beginning in January 2008, a full assortment of licensed merchandise featuring the mascots and Games emblems will be made available broadly at retail locations across Canada, including toy, gift, speciality, duty free and sporting goods stores, in addition to Hbc stores, at hbc.com and at http://www.vancouver2010.com/store.

Ticketing
Tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will go on sale on October 11, 2008.

Mascot Microsite
The second phase of the vancouver2010.com mascot program is scheduled for 2008, when additional online games and interactive features will be added.

Mascot Appearances
Miga, Quatchi and Sumi will be busy in 2008 with appearances across Canada, including visits to schools, fairs, festivals and Vancouver 2010-related special events.

Government Partners
VANOC is well on its way to involving all provinces and territories in the Games, with memoranda of understanding now signed with most provinces and territories. Discussions are ongoing with the remaining provinces to identify areas of collaboration to ensure all Canadians can be involved and inspired by the Games in 2010.

Public Engagement Program
In conjunction with its municipal partners, VANOC will be in the Games venue communities in the spring of 2008, sharing high-level information about operations, transportation, and venue operations.

Speaking engagements will continue, across the country, as the Organizing Committee shares information about the Games with all Canadians.

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.

Contact
VANOC Communications
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com



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