A new structure to promote Lausanne, the Olympic capital

For over twenty years, the City of Lausanne and the State of Vaud have been working together to promote their status of “Olympic Capital” in the world of international sport. Thirty years of success, hosting federations and international sporting events. In order to continue to strengthen this positioning, the Canton and the City are joining forces within a new structure, headed by Virginie Faivre, President of the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

In 1994, the City of Lausanne was awarded with the status of “Olympic Capital”. Since then, Lausanne and the State (“Canton”) of Vaud have worked together to grow this platform which has now become the largest international sport ecosystem in the world. Today, more than 50 international federations are established in the region, as well as umbrella organizations, academic institutions, and sport specialized businesses and start-ups. At the same time, the Olympic Capital has hosted a large number of successful international sporting events. A study published in October 2021 by the International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS) highlighted the ecosystem’s economic importance, with nearly 3,000 direct and indirect jobs and more than CHF 870 million in annual impacts for the Canton and the City.

To ensure that this success can continue and be strengthened in the years to come, the City of Lausanne and the State of Vaud are today joining forces within a new structure which will bring together the staff of the cantonal and municipal units in charge of international sport. In addition to reinforcing existing collaboration and synergies, it will make it possible to develop services within a real one-stop shop. The yet-to-be-named new organisation will also benefit from the regrouping of the budgets currently dedicated to international sport, for an annual amount of more than 500,000 francs. The City and the State will be the founding members, will sit on the Board of Trustees and will alternately hold the vice-presidency. On the operational side, this new organization will be headed by Virginie Faivre who, after having chaired the Lausanne 2020 Organizing Committee, will be the Executive President of the organization.

The organization’s missions are threefold:

1. Attraction and hosting of international sports federations and organizations. Here, the focus will be on developing new services that can positively contribute to the activities and growth of the Federations. (networking activities, continuing education, administrative assistance, etc);

2. Prospecting and supporting the organization of international sports events in order to generate greater positive impacts on the local population;

3. Promoting the legacy of the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games through the current existing projects but also through the creation of new initiatives inspired by the spirit of the Games.

The new structure will now define its working methods and objectives for each of its missions. It is expected that these will be communicated in the last quarter of this year. In the meantime, the usual services provided by the City and Canton Sports Services will continue without interruption.

Virginie Faivre, President: “It is of course a great honor for me to continue to grow the profile of the Olympic Capital in the international sports world. As President of Lausanne 2020, I have witnessed the importance of sport not only for our international status, but also for the people here. One must benefit the other, and vice versa, and I look forward to be working on strengthening this link.”

Philippe Leuba, State Councillor, Department of Economy, Innovation and Sport, State of Vaud: “These 30 years of success are not the result of chance. If we had the chance to benefit from the IOC’s presence from the first days, welcoming today 60 international federations and organizations in Vaud is also the result of intense work. This concentration - which is unique in the world - is an undeniable asset for our region. "

Christelle Luisier Brodard, State Councillor, Department of Institutions and Territory, State of Vaud: “The City of Lausanne and our Canton as a whole have a very strong profile on the international sports scene. This situation must be maintained and even strengthened, and the organization presented today will be a great tool to achieve this”.

Grégoire Junod, Mayor of the City of Lausanne: “The Olympic Capital is today a real brand in the world of sport, here in Switzerland and abroad. This dynamism has also enabled us to carry out major infrastructure projects, such as “Métamorphose”, which includes the Vaudoise Arena Ice Rink and the Tuilière Football stadium, or the creation of the World Union of Olympic Cities. It was necessary to rethink our way of navigating in this world, and this has now been done.”

Emilie Moeschler, Municipal Councillor, Sport and Cohesion, City of Lausanne: “The world of international sport and sport for all, which is closer to the people, can and must come closer together and feed off each other. This new structure will enable us to move in this direction, particularly through international sporting events that are more focused on the positive impacts they can generate for local populations.