Wednesday March 4 will mark an important date for the 2015 European Games in Baku. The capital of Azerbaijan is due to celebrate the 100-day milestone before the opening of the event (June 12-28). The recent visit of the coordination commission of the Association of European Olympic Committees (EOC) highlighted this once again: all the indicators are green with just over three months until D-Day. Among the positive points: promotion abroad of an event never before included on the calendar. Explanations from William Louis-Marie, Baku 2015 communications director.
FrancsJeux: You recently announced the signing of an agreement to broadcast the 2015 European Games in the United States and Canada. So the event will be broadcast outside Europe?
William Louis-Marie: Indeed. The agreement signed with Universal Sports for the United States and Canada is in addition to broadcast contracts already concluded with China, the Maghreb and the Middle East. Today, we have around fifty countries where the European Games will be broadcast. And we're still waiting for a few more deals. For an event that does not yet exist, the result is very positive. In total, more than 150 million households in Europe will have access to the competitions.
Was the event a difficult “sell” to broadcasters?
He found his audience. We benefited from good timing in the calendar, without having to suffer from competition from another multisport event at the same time. However, there is a real appetite for this type of sporting event, particularly on the part of television channels.
Are the results in terms of communication consistent with your expectations?
They are vastly superior. We are above targets in terms of number of sports, athlete participation and quality of organization. The idea of organizing European Games already takes on its full meaning, even before the start of the competitions. We are satisfied with the response we have received from the media, television and the public. And we are confident for the future. These Games constitute the ring that was missing in the Olympic landscape.
Will communication around the event intensify further?
Yes. We will take advantage of the D – 100 day date, Wednesday March 4, to further accelerate the promotional campaign. We have just revealed the volunteer uniforms, we will soon do the same for the medals and ticket prices. A new website will be launched soon. And we will strengthen our presence on social networks. Three “test events” must be organized between March and April, in gymnastics, boxing and wrestling. An advertising campaign will be announced before the end of March.
Will this promotional campaign be focused only on Azerbaijan?
No. Azerbaijan and its neighboring countries will be the main target, but not the only one. This vast campaign of television spots will also affect certain other major European countries, including France.
The 2015 European Judo Championships will ultimately take place as part of the European Games…
This is excellent news for the event. We will thus be ahead of the agenda set by the Association of European Committees, according to which the European Games must ultimately become a platform for qualifying for the Olympic Games.
A final word on the audience expected next June in Baku. Did you anticipate a significant presence of spectators from abroad?
The spectators will, for the most part, be inhabitants of Azerbaijan. Ticketing must also begin before the end of March. But all facilities will be made to allow foreigners to come to Baku, particularly for obtaining visas. In any case, whether people come to the Games or follow them on television, they must be able to discover the country, the city and the event. For Baku and Azerbaijan, the European Games must present the future major moments of the sporting calendar, namely the next F1 Grand Prix, the Islamic Solidarity Games and the Euro 2020 football matches.
