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 As one of the main sponsors, the State of Salzburg has been a major partner of the World Cup for many years. As a result, much of the supporting programme comes from Salzburg, to create the spirit of winter in the mountains for the spectators, with its music, its food and also its people. The State of Salzburg is well-loved in this Ruhr area, which is Germany’s most populous region. Salzburg 2014 used the opportunity to present its bid in Düsseldorf. Rudolf Höller, Bid Operations Director of Salzburg 2014 and an expert in FIS (International Ski Federation) matters said, “We were there with a range of advertising materials. It was a great campaign and we were able to communicate the messages of our bid effectively through the media, in the form of additional information about the State of Salzburg, which has been successfully represented here for many years.” The popularity of the World Cup opener in Düsseldorf is illustrated by the enormous crowds of spectators. On the Saturday alone, which was the first race day, over 150,000 excited fans came to the track. That’s an incredible figure, even for Rudolf Höller, who commented, “150,000 is fantastic for the sport, but also for Salzburg, which has played no small part in this success. It’s great to see how well Salzburg’s tourist offering is received here in Düsseldorf. The 2014 bid fits in perfectly with this – we want to invite the Olympic family and the hundreds of thousands of sports fans to join us in Salzburg, to experience a particularly atmospheric Games." The most snow-reliable Cross-country World Cup event of the year was made possible by a man from Salzburg, Peter Promegger. He is the “Snow Master” of the nearby indoor ski centre in Neuss. They were already producing snow for the World Cup 100 days before it began. Peter and his team are responsible for ensuring that their 4000 cubic metres of snow provide the perfect base for the world’s best cross-country skiers. “The snow reliability in Düsseldorf is so high that we did not have to name a snow-reliable alternative venue in the event contract with the FIS, which is something we usually have to do,” said August Pollen, head of the organising committee. Rudolf Höller added his congratulations for a successful opening event for the World Cup, saying “My compliments to the organisers of the Düsseldorf event. As an FIS expert I know just how difficult it is to organise a winter sports event in summer conditions.” |
