Halifax to Host Pre-Games Conferences

The 2011 Games will host three conferences over 10 days, welcoming more than 160 delegates from across Canada to Halifax in preparation for the event in February.

The conferences will give representatives from each provincial and territorial mission team, technical advisors of 20 national sport organizations, and Games sponsors the opportunity to learn about the status of Games planning and operations, and provide feedback to the host society.

The conferences are the second being held for each group: the Mission Conference (M2), Technical Conference (T2), and Sponsorship Conference (S2).

"It is tradition for the host society to hold mission, technical, and sponsor conferences once or twice before the Games," said CEO Chris Morrissey. "This helps to ensure that everything is in place when our athletes, sport officials, VIPs and other guests come to Halifax for the Games in just over four months."

The conference delegates will tour Games venues and experience the host city and community first-hand.

The Games is hosting the M2 conference, which finishes today, the T2 conference from today to Saturday, Oct. 2, and the S2 conference from Monday, Oct. 4 to Wednesday, Oct. 6.

The 2011 Canada Winter Games will be the largest multi-sport event held in Nova Scotia and Halifax's first Canada Winter Games. From Feb. 11 to 27, more than 2,700 athletes will compete in more than 20 sports, attracting thousands of visitors, VIPs, officials and media.

Held every two years, alternating between summer and winter, the Canada Games are a key event in the development of Canada's young athletes, producing the next generation of national, international and Olympic champions.