Inquiries for the Bolzano World Cup: “I’m positively surprised”

The World Cup in Bolzano begins in 81 days. How advanced are the preparations?

Marcello Cobelli: We are at a good point, although there is still a lot of work ahead of us. In the coming days we will increase the rhythm.

How many employees do you need for this World Cup?

I expect between 150 and 200 employees. The majority of them are volunteers. Volunteers are warmly welcome. 30 years ago I volunteered at the World Cup in Bolzano and had a lot of fun. I still fondly remember this time today. Anyone interested can contact the email address volunteers@bolzano2024.com.

Ticket sales recently started. How did this one start?

I'm pleasantly surprised; Ticket sales got off to a very good start. We sold a lot of tickets in the first few days. But not just for the Italy games, but also for the games of the other nations. Demand from Hungary in particular has been very high so far. If I compare the advance sales with the Ski World Cup in Val Gardena, in which I am also involved, then the interest in the Ice Hockey World Cup is much greater. We are satisfied in any case. Tickets and accreditations allow free use of public transport. This means that a fan from Laces, Vipiteno or Bruneck can travel by train or bus to Bolzano for free. Tickets can be purchased online at https://shop.midaticket.it/iihfwmia2024/Events.

How many spectators do you expect at the games?

I hope for as many viewers as possible. I am aware that not every game will be sold out. If there were 3000 paying spectators at the Italy games, we would be happy. We will also be inviting more students and sponsors to the games. The audience revenue helps us cover the budget. After all, we have to manage a not insignificant amount of money. We do receive a contribution from the international ice hockey association IIHF. But that is only a fraction of the total amount we will spend.

Marcello Cobelli is the OC chief of the World Cup of the I. Division Group A in Bolzano.

What's on the agenda for the next few weeks?

We have a few sponsor meetings where we need to clarify the final details. Planning also begins on site. The Sparkasse Arena must be clean by the start of the World Cup. When we can start the final preparations there depends on the HCB Südtirol. Of course, we hope that he gets as far as possible in the ICE Hockey League. If he were to play in the 7th final game like he did a year ago, then we would only have a week for perimeter advertising, TV stations and the like.

Where are the 6 teams located?

Coaches, supervisors and players from all 6 teams will stay during the World Cup in the 200-room Sheraton Hotel, which is just a stone's throw from the arena. Everyone can reach the arena on foot and does not require any transfers. This saves us time-consuming and expensive shuttle services and also makes a valuable contribution to sustainability.

What is planned outside of the Sparkasse Arena?

There will be a fan zone next to the arena, more precisely next to the sausage stand. There will be a World Cup party there before, between and after the games. Food and music and also for the children will be provided. Under the motto “small and beautiful”, everyone should feel comfortable in the fan zone. The lower part of Marco Polo Street will be closed for this purpose.

Is there also a supporting program?

On Saturday, April 27th, there will be an opening ceremony in the evening on Waltherplatz in the heart of the city with the 6 participating teams and some players from the World Cup team as well as the OC from 1994. The prize distribution for the Youth World Cup also takes place. In this tournament, in the last 2 weeks before the real World Cup, 6 South Tyrolean youth teams will fight for the World Cup title wearing the jerseys of the participating nations. A gala dinner at Maretsch Castle and the closing ceremony on the last day of the World Cup in the arena are also planned.

How high do you think the chances are that Italy will be promoted to the top division?

For the Italian ice sports association FISG, promotion is the declared goal. But it won't be a sure-fire success or a walk in the park. After all, you can't afford to slip up in a tournament like this. The players have to be focused and give everything from the first to the last game. We really hope that they can use the home advantage and play in the big leagues again in Sweden and Denmark in 2025.

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Inquiries for the Bolzano World Cup: “I’m positively surprised”

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