The 121st IOC Session and 13th Olympic Congress are among more than 40 major international sports events taking place in Denmark's Year of Sport.
The events spread throughout the year and all over the country include a Pro Tour table tennis tournament in Frederikshavn, the World Wrestling Championships in Herning, the World Taekwondo Championships in Ballerup and the World Men's Team Squash Championship in Odense.
The Year of Sport kicks off with a World Cup in Fencing in Copenhagen, Jan. 17 to 18.
The Danish capital is also hosting two of the biggest events: the UEFA Congress in March and the IOC Session and Congress in October.
Before the Session and Congress, the Danish organizers stage an opening reception in Tivoli Garden on Sept. 27. This is followed by a series of sports events and cultural activities across the city.
Around 3,000 delegates are expected for the Session and Congress, plus 1,000 members of the international media. The Danish budget for staging the Olympic gathering is about $3.3 million. The IOC is contributing $3.7 to $5.5 million to help run the event.
The official opening ceremony will be held in the Copenhagen Opera House on the waterside with Danish Queen Margrethe in attendance.
The Session and Congress is at the Bella Center, the convention complex on the outskirts of the city. IOC members will select the host city for the 2016 Olympics on Oct. 2. Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo are the candidate cities.
The closing ceremony takes place in Tivoli Garden on Oct. 9. The Bella Center is a 10-minute Metro ride from the heart of Copenhagen and a similar journey time by car. Congress organizers are putting on transport for delegates based in city center hotels. The Hilton and Marriott are two of the Olympic Family hotels.
Congress Director Jens Henriksen tells Around the Rings that detailed planning is currently taking place on transport arrangements, security and accommodation.
The role of the Olympic Movement in society and in all regions of the world is the guiding concept of the 13th Olympic Congress. The five themes are: the athletes; the Olympic Games; the structure of the Olympic Movement; Olympism and youth; and the digital revolution.
The Congress will include discussions and debates on the success of the Olympic Games, the Olympic values, the social and professional life of athletes during and after high-level sports participation, good governance, ethics of the world of sport, and youth and communication in the digital age.
IOC member from Denmark Kai Holm, Denmark's Minister of Culture Carina Christensen, NOC President Niels Nygaard, Mayor of Copenhagen Ritt Bjerregaard and President of Sport Event Denmark Lars Krarup are the key figures involved in organizing this year's sporting events.
“We hope that the ‘Year of Sport’ will place Denmark among the leading event countries in the world,” Christensen told guests at the Congress launch event in Copenhagen last October.
The Year of Sport 2009 is expected to generate an additional $46 million in tourism turnover for the Danish economy.
With reporting from Mark Bisson.
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