The World Outgames 2009 is taking shape in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Danish capital was chosen to host the games long ago, but now one of the largest international culture and sports events for the GLBT community has the money to realize its plans. Copenhagen Council has committed DKK20m to the project, and Wonderful Copenhagen and UNIK HR have commenced the search for partners to spearhead the preparations.

In 2009, Copenhagen will host the second World Outgames, the largest sports and cultural event Denmark will have ever hosted, with a greater number of participants than the Olympics. The event is comparable to the Olympics but is geared for the GLBT community.

Copenhagen was selected as the host city in 2005, but the event hadn’t until now found the financial backing it needs. Copenhagen Council has pledged DKK20m to the project, which Wonderful Copenhagen has been instrumental in winning for the capital.

“The World Outgames will be important in helping promote Copenhagen as an experience-rich metropolis and sporting capital,” said Wonderful Copenhagen CEO Lars Bernhard Jørgensen. “Now that we have the financial backing in place, we can begin the preparations to ensure a successful event, which will attract both the world’s press and international culture and sports societies.

“As well as this, the event will bring an increase in revenue and employment to the city and will give Copenhageners the sense of living in a city where things happen,” he added.

The second World Outgames will take place in the summer of 2009. But prior to that date, a great deal of work remains to be done, not least the recruitment of the right people for the job. Wonderful Copenhagen has undertaken the initial research, but after the New Year, the project will be run as an Aps company with its own board. With this in mind, Wonderful Copenhagen together with UNIK HR is seeking the project team, which, together with other partners, will plan and run the World Outgames during the next three years.

The first priority is to find a director who will have overall responsibility for the board. The candidate will have a profile with broad experience and good contacts within the public and business worlds both nationally and internationally. The next task is to select project leaders to manage the events and many activities.

The World Outgames has 35 different sports and cultural activities, and in the run-up to the event, Copenhagen will also host a large people’s rights conference.

For more information, e-mail project manager Tommy Kristoffersen at tkr@woco.dk or visit www.copenhagen2009.org.

Press release