Interview with Geert Jan Sikkens

Please give us some Personal data of you: Your profession, what else do you do, which big events have you managed?
I am a Real estate manager in Lelystad, the City I live. I am responsible for a 30 million euro renovation of the town hall. Besides that I was a boardmember of the Dutch Gymnastics Federation, but stopped last year. I am president of the yearly Sea bottom Jazz festival in Lelystad. I managed 2 UEG artistic gymnastics championships (2004 and 2007) and the 2nd Aerobic World Championships together with most of the OC 2010. In the past, I was involved in many Gymnastics for All events, like the Gymnaestrada etc.

When did your team start with the preparations, with how many people (full-time) did you start, how many people worked for you before and during the event?
We started in 2006 with the bid while we were still working on the 2007 EC. We started with the same OC with 8 persons, and extended with at the end 25 coordinating key persons, 500 volunteers and 300 students. Only 1 (the General Secretary) was fulltime working at the Office of the federation. The rest were volunteers.

Which units where sourced out?
Actually, none was completely sourced out. The transportation was a bus company, but the daily arrangements were coordinated by our own people. Same with the catering. Cooking was done by the company, but the daily business was ours. Host broadcasting was done by NOS, but the production was arranged by us and executed in cooperation with NOS.

How many volunteers worked in the event?
In total 800.

Which background did the volunteers have - students/sports clubs/ international?
The centre was build around our gymnastics people, but we '"used" also students and international volunteers from e.g. Italy, Austria, Canada and Australia.

How where the volunteers trained and briefed?
Our most important volunteers (those with experience with 2004 and 2007), about 100 persons, were briefed the weekend before. The rest was daily informed for the specific jobs of that day.

According to you, which was the biggest challenge with regard to the organization?
The renovation of the building and the constant changes in the parts that were available until the first day of the competition and the control of the budget in relation till the quality we wanted to achieve.

How the World Championships were advertised in Rotterdam/the Netherlands?
We started in 2009 with the website and the ticket sale and had a lot of free publicity in our own magazine and the Dutch newspapers, e.g. when Epke Zonderland took silver in London, etc. We promoted in the magazines from Rotterdam and at clubs and during al events we had within the federation.

What do you think was the biggest success?  What would you change looking back to the event?
The biggest success was the ticket sales and the participation of a lot of our clubs. We wanted to have a full house, but a sold out qualification on Sunday was unbelievable. I don't think we want a lot to change. We had to take precautions for things we wanted to change, but didn't know if it would work out (the press conference backdrop was never used, because of the change in the mixed zone. We wanted to try that, but had to convince the FIG). And maybe we would change the setting on the floor a bit in favour of the photographers.

Looking back: Are you satisfied with the organization of the WCh?
With all the positive response, I can only be satisfied.

What should the organizers of the European Championships pay special attention to?
Basics needs of the gymnasts. Good food, good transportation and free internet in the training hall.