Road to WOC #3: Local partners are essential for WOC 2021

Road to WOC. The third part of the series prepared in cooperation of the WOC 2021 organizers and O-News is ready for you. Today, we are bringing you to the WOC region and want to share with you all about the local subjects that are essential for the event organization. 

When the organizers set their vision in the beginning of 2019, support and cooperation with local companies and subjects was one of the key points – important and mutually beneficial. We strictly refuse the “when I am gone, come what will” attitude. We want the region to benefit from the event as much as possible. Be it organizers, local communities and institutions or companies, we try to get our partners in the region (while meeting the demanding standards of the top international sports events). 

The vast majority of the organizing team itself consists of the orienteers representing clubs in the Liberec region. These clubs (mainly OK Doksy, OK Chrastava, LOK-o Liberec, Slavia Liberec Orienteering, OOB TJ Turnov, OOB TJ Tatran Jablonec) take significant part in the WOC organization in terms of material provision or preparing the WOC Tour tracks. 

Another important point is the support from local municipalities and communities. The WOC 2021 have been in regular contact with these institutions since autumn 2018. The Liberec region is the main institutional partner that declared the WOC 2021 the top sport event of the year. The Liberec region finances the map creation and arena preparation. Together with the department for tourism we also regularly inform you about local sights in the “Hidden Gems” series. In cooperation with the Liberec region we also organized a coordination meeting of all affected subjects (hygienic institution, integrated rescue system, municipalities, partners, etc) and another similar meeting is planned before the WOC itself. 

Together with the municipalities we have been discussing the transport, involvement of the local communities, publicity, side events or information sources for the locals. Since 2021 there have been articles issued in local journals. At the time when the situation allowed, we organized a number of public o-events in the areas close to WOC – and if there will be the chance, we will continue also in spring 2021.

We support the local producers that provide us with great services and products. Not only do we give them support but we also save transportation costs and thus reduce the environmental burden and get closer to what we understand as a sustainable event. The main beverage partner is Kitl s. r. o. coming from Jablonec nad Nisou, the official beer is Konrad, brand under Hols a. s. The organizers are also happy to have a partnership with Technical University in Liberec and many others.