Putin Speaks at Sochi Investment Forum
The tenth edition of the Sochi Investment Forum opens with a keynote from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
"Don't be afraid of Russia. We are a civilized partner. We are not going to steal any technologies, we simply want full-fledged cooperation," he said in his appeal to foreign investors.
The forum draws a couple thousand delegates to the Olympic City for a three-day program that covers a range of issues related to business development in Russia.
Four New Sponsors for Sochi
Around the Rings is told that up to four new sponsors in the supplier level will be announced at the forum on Saturday.
The new sponsors are said to include brands well-known around the world.
Sochi 2014 Leaders Brag About Sustainability
In a session on the economic, social and environmental legacy of the 2014 Sochi Games, deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak said that the standards used to create venues and infrastructure for the Olympics have created a new model for Russia.
"The Government's mission is to make such major events attractive for business and investors and to maximize their legacy impact not only on this or that particular city or region but on the country at large," said Kozak, who chaired the panel.
Sochi 2014 president Dmitry Chernyshenko presented the sustainability program for the Games.
"As of today the Olympic project in Russia has already created and supported 239,000 new jobs, and basically, the Sochi 2014 sustainable development management system itself is going to be the principal element of the Games' legacy," he said.
Others on the panel included executives from Sochi 2014 sponsors Rostelecom, Rosgosstrakh, Microsoft Rus, Coca-Cola, Panasonik Rus and Procter & Gamble.
Recruiting Sochi Staff
Recruitment and training of Games personnel is the topic for a Saturday panel at the forum led by Marina Pochinok, Sochi 2014 Games Personnel Management Director.
Other panelists include Kozak, Chernyshenko, Scohi mayor Anatoly Pakhomov, Krasnodar Region governor Alexander Tkachev and representatives from Kelly Outsourcing and Consulting Group, Adecco Group Russia, English First CIS and Exact Partners Group.
After launching its operations in Moscow after winning the bid in 2007, Sochi organizers now face the challenge of moving the team and finding additional staff to work in the Black Sea resort some 1,500 km south of Moscow.
Written by Ed Hula.