Around 290 delegates from all around the world take part at the Slovenian summer resort congress.

Around 290 delegates from 50 IIHF member countries. Those are the numbers expected at the IIHF Semi-annual Congress which is set to commence under a Slovak baton tomorrow in Potrož, Slovenia. The event is being organized as usual by the organizer of the up coming world championship of the highest category. The main section of the 2011 IIHF World Championship Organizing committee has therefore transferred operations to the Slovenian seaside town. It is there that they will welcome delegates from the weekend.

The IIHF Semi-annular Congress will play out in Portorož between Wednesday 15^th and Friday 17^th September. 

“Applications came in from all IIHF member countries, the actual number of participants will be known after the presentation. Our estimate is something like 290 IIHF delegates and guests”, stated the 2011 IIHF OC Chairman Igor Nemeček, who has been fine tuning the final details of congress preparation with colleagues at the St. Bernadin hotel on the coast of the Adriatic sea since the beginning of last week.

“Since Monday, the IIHF executives have been in Slovenia and have a two day negotiation session prior to the congress starting,” said  Igor Nemeček – " On Thursday afternoon there will be a presentation by all the organizers of next years championship, however only in front of representatives from participating countries, the Slovak championship will be presented to the full auditorium on Friday.”

The International Ice Hockey Federation organizes two congresses a year for delegates from 69 IIHF member countries. The first being the Annual Congress in spring at a world championship A-category venue. The Semi-Annual congress, labelled the ‘Autumn’ congress, is put together by the organisers of the subsequent world championship. Slovakia, as the organiser of the jubilee 75^th IIHF World Championship decided to host IIHF congress delegates in the Slovenian town of Portorož. An agreement was made by both countries in Halifax, Canada during the 2008 IIHF world championship, were paradoxically the Slovak team sent the Slovenians  packing back to the World Championship 1^st division… The next IIHF Congress will take place during the world championship itself – right at the heart of the championship – in May 2011 in Bratislava.

In addition to Slovak Ice Hockey Federation president Juraj Široký, who is an executive IIHF member, the organizing country is to be represented by SZLH General Secretary Ján Taraba, SZLH executive comittee member and hockey program director  Ján Filc, as well as IIHF 2011 World Championship OC Chairman Igor Nemeček.