HALIFAX – While there is a lot of hockey still left to play at the 2008 World Championships, plans are underway for the 2009 tournament that will be held in Berne and Zurich-Kloten, Switzerland. Officials from the organizing committee are in Halifax surveying how things are progressing here. Gian Gilli, General Secretary of OC 2009 IIHF World Championships AG, is one of those taking in some games. IIHF.com’s John Sanful spent some time with Gilli this afternoon at the Halifax Metro Centre discussing plans for the 2009 World Championships.

 

What do you think of the job being done by the organizing committee here in Canada?

 

Gilli: I think the organizing committee here is doing a great job. There is a good atmosphere and good spectators. You have attractive matchups between teams. I also watched some games before coming over from Switzerland, and from what I can tell this is a successful tournament.

 

How much are you looking forward to next year?

 

Gilli: I am very excited. We started in July 2006 and now there is only a year to go. The whole organizing team is also excited and looking forward to doing as good a job as the Canadians are doing here.

 

What are some of the important elements in organizing tournaments such as this one?

 

Gilli: You have to build a team to analyze the risks and understand all the rules given by the IIHF. You have to build a solid team with experienced people. You have to structure the company with different divisions. You have to find proper financing. You have to find appropriate arenas. Our arenas for next year have been reconstructed. At this stage we are more detail oriented when it comes to preparing. You had the concept but now handling the details is the big job.

 

What’s your background?

 

Gilli: I was a skier and national coach. Then I had the opportunity to organize the alpine skiing championships in St. Moritz. The Swiss federation asked me if I’d like to manage this championship. I saw it as an amazing challenge. While I don’t know hockey, I have key team members who have significant hockey experience.

 

Is this the largest event you’ve undertaken?

 

Gilli: No, it’s about the same with skiing when it comes to size and scope.

 

Can you talk about both venues for next year?

 

Gilli: We have the main venue in Berne, with a brand new arena. It is great for Berne, which is a great ice hockey town. It has a great fan community. The arena will seat around 11,000 people. The secondary arena is Zurich-Kloten. It is smaller and seats about 8,000 people. The arenas are close to the cities and there is nature and suburban areas as well. This will be a special atmosphere. We will also build a fan festival in each venue for everyone to have fun.

 

Has there been any public reaction about the event so far?

 

Gilli: The ice hockey community is positive right now. We have the European Football Championships together with Austria and so the tournament has been forgotten so far but that will change after the European Championships and Olympics when the next ice hockey season starts. People will be excited and we’ll have a great buildup at that point.

 

Do you see things here in Canada that you might want to incorporate into your planning or maybe do different?

 

Gilli: I think both. Here in Canada there is another mentality, an ice hockey tradition that is special and unique. In Switzerland we will have to do more to get people into the stadium from all parts of the world. We want those ice hockey fans and other fans as well. We will be as professional as the Canadians have been here.

 

How do you think fans from other countries traveling to Switzerland next year will enjoy the tournament?

 

Gilli: I think it is perfect because Switzerland is close to the countries with strong hockey communities like Latvia and the Scandinavian countries. We will have hockey packages and accommodations that they will be pleased with. Do you know that you will be able to use your ticket to use public transport around the entire country? You can use your ticket or accreditation to go between venues by train.

 

What do you hope people taking in the World Championships next year get out of it, besides the hockey?

 

Gilli: I want them to leave feeling they have been well treated, well looked after. That we welcomed you with open heart, open arms, and superior hospitality.

 

JOHN SANFUL