The Convention Center becomes a key hub for the Cycling World Championships

Mr. Rupf, you work for the Local Organizing Committee as Overall Project Manager for the Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in Zurich. How are you feeling, now that it’s just under a fortnight until the event begins?

As with any event, tension is increasing. Shortly before it starts is the most intensive phase of our work. We now have to move from planning to actual implementation. You have to forget all the ’what ifs’ now: any issues that haven’t yet been resolved must be decided and implemented quickly. And of course there’s anticipation too, especially when you can already see the first flags and banners in Zurich. After Euro 2008, it’s very special for me personally to once again be working on such a major event in Zurich.

Zurich Convention Center is an institutional partner of the Cycling World Championships. What does that mean in concrete terms?

It means that lots will be happening at the Convention Center. On the one hand, the Convention Center is extremely well situated with its beautiful location by the lake, but it’s also just a stone’s throw from the finishing line at Sechseläutenplatz. Hence with the Convention Center as a partner we’ll have an event where everything is very close together. The international media center is located in the Convention Center, and this is where the official events will take place: for example, the UCI Congress, the World Cycling Association Congress, the Junior Congress, together with the official UCI Gala. This will also be the operational headquarters for the World Association. As part of the Local Organizing Committee, we’ll also have offices in the Convention Center.

Michel Loris-Melikoff said in an interview that the Convention Center will be a hub during the World Championships. Would you agree with that?

Yes, absolutely. You might say that the beating heart of the World Championships will be Sechseläutenplatz, which is the finishing area where the medals will be awarded, and it’s the biggest fan zone too. But the Convention Center is the ‘brains’ of the event: this is where you’ll find the control center, the operational HQ, the international media center, and the venue for all the prestigious elements of the championships. The Convention Center will be featured internationally, throughout the world.

You say ‘internationally’: how big must one imagine the international media center to be, the one that’s now setting up camp in the Convention Center?

We’re getting things ready in Gartensaal 1. It’ll offer just over 350 workstations for journalists and photographers from all over the world. The media conferences with the winners will take place here after each race.

Can you give any examples of the organizational challenges you’re dealing with right now?

At the moment it’s mainly about fine-tuning the management of those areas that are open to the public. For example, Bellerivestrasse will be closed during the races, but the road must be reopened to traffic immediately afterwards. This on its own leads to a considerable amount of time and effort having to be devoted to coordination and logistics. The various temporary structures at Sechseläutenplatz are also being erected. A large number of service providers are involved, and everything has to fit together properly.

And what about the Convention Center? What sorts of jobs are required here?

At the moment we’re looking to see how the different zones will be split up, so that (for example) the official UCI people and the media people are kept apart. Then there’ll be a stream of different events, so things will constantly need to be erected and then dismantled. That requires planning and good collaboration so that everything runs smoothly front of house: How is the stage set up? How will the branding and visitor signage be put in place? How will the electrical work be carried out? We’re dealing with things like that, right down to the smallest details.

Have you already been on-site at the Convention Center a lot?

I’m always there myself, and our team is constantly there: we have a media team, an event team, an office equipment team, and a branding team.

What’s the collaboration between these teams and the team at the Convention Center like?

The collaboration is intense, but things are running very well because we have a ‘one-stop solution’: one contact person for each of the different areas. This means decisions can be made quickly and there isn’t any duplication. And of course the Convention Center employees are all professionals.

Will there be any visual changes to the Convention Center grounds and the building itself during the World Championships?

Yes, there will be. There’ll be a large mega-poster on the facade. Of course there will be screens playing in the interior and individual branding elements will be set up, all consistent with the ‘look & feel’ of the Cycling World Championships, but we’re deliberately not altering a great deal when it comes to the outward appearance of this beautiful and important building: the intention is that it should shine in its traditional splendor. However, there will be plenty of branding in the interior spaces such as the Kongresssaal or media center, together with decorative elements that are totally consistent with the ‘look & feel’ of the respective occasion.

What’s your favorite spot in the Convention Center?

Without doubt it’s the LUX terrace.

And finally: are you a cyclist yourself?

I ride a gravel or mountain bike for work or in my free time, but I’m not a cycling nut who always has to be in the saddle!

What type of cyclist are you?

I’m a laidback cyclist!

About the person

Daniel Rupf is Overall Project Manager for the Local Organizing Committee of the Cycling World Championships. In his other roles he’s a self-employed Project Manager and Consultant for major events (football World Cup and European Championships, world exhibitions, and so forth). He’s also a lecturer in Event Management at the Sorbonne.

Bild: © Alex Broadway/SWpix.com