Press Conference for 2015 IIHF World Championship (end)
event end
Press Conference for 2015 IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republic

Tuesday 19.08.2014, 11:00 • Clarion Congress Hotel, Prague • Press conference
     
    Welcome. The press conference begins at 11:00 CET, 05:00 ET.
     
    This press conference, at the Hotel Clarion in Prague, is regarding the 2015 IIHF World Championship, which will be held in Prague and Ostrava May 1 – 17, 2015. Topics scheduled to be discussed are ticket prices, game schedule, and the launch of the official tournament website.
     
    Ath the press conference:

    Tomáš Král – President of the Czech Ice Hockey Association

    Martin Urban – General Secretary of the Czech Ice Hockey Association

    Markéta Štěrbová – General Secretary of the 2015 World Championship Organizing Committee.

    Petr Bříza – Chairman of the 2015 World Championship Organizing Committee – Prague

    Aleš Pavlík – Chairman of the 2015 World Championship Oraganizing Committee – Ostrava
     
    The guests and journalists have gathered in the hotel, and we will begin in a few minutes.
     
    The Press Conference has begun.
     
    The five main guests, who you see listed on the right, are now being introduced.
     
    The first to speak will be Czech Ice Hockey Association President Tomáš Král.
     
    Tomáš Král: "Preparation work for the World Championship continues to be intense. We are meeting here today to release the playing schedule and information about tickets and prices."
     
    Markéta Štěrbová: "How are the preparationg going from a global perspective? In compliance with the IIHF. We're trying to get everything done in accordance with the schedule."
     
    "Delegates from the IIHF are visiting both cities, both arenas, and we will, among other things, also go through what is required for you, the journalists and broadcasters."
     
    "They meet with our representatives and learn about the environment that we are preparing for them. The arenas, hotels and the like. Also, we have monthly teleconferences and of course daily correspondence. This is also done with the partners of the championship."
     
    "So far we have managed to cope and we believe that will continue."
     
    Petr Briza: "There are a lot of questions about the organization, but we try to handle each one. The main arena will be Prague's O2 Arena, while Tipsport Arena in Holešovice will be used as a practice facility. Since 2004, there has been greater demands on the organizers, to which we must adapt infrastructure. But I do not see any big problem with the organization."
     
    Aleš Pavlik: After Petr, I don't have much to say. It is, but we have upgraded the multi-purpose ČEZ Arena, which is an important thing. We've hung a new four-sided centre-ice scoreboard in the arena, and we're finishing up with skyboxes and elevators. In comparison with the 2004 World Championship, the arena will certainly be in much better condition."
     
    Martin Urban is introducing the schedule.
     
    Since 2012, the 16 teams have been divided into two groups, with the top four teams in each advancing to the quarter-finals. The teams competing in 2015 will be mostly the same as in 2014, with the exception of Kazahkstan and Italy being relegated, and replaced by Austria and Slovenia.
     
    According to the original draw, Slovakia should have played in the same group as the Czechs in Prague. However, for economic reasons in terms of attractiveness, we wanted to move the Slovaks to the group playing in Ostrava. We want to thank the Swiss group for acknowledging this and accommodating our wishes.
     
    Therefore, this is how the groups will be aligned:

    Group A (Prague): Sweden, Canada, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Latvia, France, Germany, Austria.

    Group B (Ostrava): Finland, Russia, USA, Slovakia, Norway, Belarus, Slovenia, Denmark.
     
    Secretary General of the Czech Ice Hockey Association Martin Urban is now describing in great detail the rules and guidelines that go into creating the game schedule.
     
    All games are scheduled to begin at either 12:15, 16:15 or 20:15 local time in the Czech Republic (Central European Summer Time).
     
    The tournament lasts 17 days, two of which are off-days with no games scheduled. No team can play on more than two consecutive days.
    Ticket prices
     
    Each team will play 7 games in the group stage, one against each other team. The top four ranked teams will be designated the home team for 4 games, the bottom four for 3. The home team has the choice of which colour jerseys they want to wear, and also get the last line change during stoppages in play.
     
    The quarterfinals will be cross-over, where the top two teams will stay in either Prague or Ostrava, and the 3rd and 4th teams will have to travel to the other city to meet the higher-ranked team. The exception to this is if the Czechs qualify as the 3rd or 4th seed in their group, they will stay in Prague and play in the late game at 20:15 CET. All teams have agreed to this.
     
    The first games will be played on Friday, May 1st at 16:15. In Prague, Canada will face Latvia. In Ostrava, it will be USA-Finland.

    Then, following the opening ceremonies, the Czech Republic will face Sweden in Prague.
     
    Now Tomas Kral talks about ticket pricing:

    "We've had to learn from the problems in Sweden and Finland. Of course, we also can't charge next to nothing, as the cost of running the tournament is around 15 million Euros."
     
    "I think the ticket prices are acceptable, and compared to other World Championships, certainly better."
     
    The prices of tickets for single preliminary round games range from CZK 190 (€7) to CZK 1,690 (€61). The quarter-final games are priced in two categories: CZK 2,390 (€86) and CZK 2,990 (€107).
    The prices of tickets for the remaining playoff round games (O2 Arena) are as follows: semi-finals – CZK 4,690 (€168) and CZK 5,790 (€208); bronze medal game CZK 4,290 (€154) and CZK 5,390 (€194); GOLD medal game CZK 7,190 (€258) and CZK 8,990 (€323). The amounts in EUR are INDICATIVE only. Tickets must be paid in CZK.
     
    In some ways there are large differences from 2004, which also affects ticket prices. For example, the cost of insurance has risen 15 times! Likewise, other costs have increased.
     
    We have chosen four games that will be downright accessible to people who have no means to buy expensive tickets. They are available for 270 CZK for the first category and for 190 CZK to the second category.
     
    Unfortunately, even though capacity of the arena in Prague is listed at around 17 500 and in Ostrava 9500, not all of the seats will be available to paying customers. In Prague, about 13 000 tickets will be made available to the public, and in Ostrava just under 6000 tickets.
     
    For more information, spokeswoman Martina Kučerová has added that the official website of the 2015 World Championship has been launched.

    iihfworlds2015.com

    It will operate in conjunction with official Facebook and Twitter pages.
     
    Now comes questions from journalists.
     
    Tomáš Král fields the question about profits: "Wishes and reality are two separate things. The OC came in with the basic aim to be in the black. Everything will depend on the success of ticket sales, and how much money we can get from the state. Access from both cities, counties and the state is excellent. I have nothing to complain about. I expect a profit, but the amount I am unable to say."
     
    Martin Urban adds: Any guess would be very subjective. We also want to allow access to fans, while helping to fill the coffers of the Czech Ice Hockey Association.
     
    The next question is about block tickets for the entire World Championship. Martin Urban answers: "Such fans will simply have to buy daily packages on a daily basis. Permanent tickets for the championship will be."
     
    The next question: How important is it to re-claim the attendance record that was set in 2004 in Prague and Ostrava, but broken in 2014 in Minsk?
     
    Martin Urban notes that the record that was set Minsk was possible only under the conditions of socialism. "I cannot imagine that we can do it when a third of the arena is not available for fans to buy tickets."
     
    Asked about railway travel between the two cities, Markéta Štěrbová says: "We will cooperate with Czech Railways. We plan to strengthen the railway line between Prague and Ostrava. They will increase the number of connections."
     
    Accommodations are already in order. The hotels where teams are staying have been arranged, as well as hotels for journalists. As we already mentioned, the IIHF representatives have toured the facilities.
     
    Martin Urban answers the question about how complex it was to switch the cities Switzerland and Slovakia will play in: "It's simple. The Swiss wanted to play in Prague and the Slovaks Ostrava. A handshake was basically enough, although even these changes have rules."
     
    The next question goes to the Urban about the reduced capacity of both arenas. When they had asked Rene Fasel about how attendance will be counted, it's complicated. They have to fully integrate everybody, including the media, for example.
     
    He further says that in both arenas, a certain amount of space is reserved for television broadcasts. More tickets might become available later, but that won't be known until the autumn.
     
    Martin Urban: In 2004, the former Sazka Arena held about 14,100 to the public. Now it's about 1000 seats less, but higher demands are placed on the organizers. In addition, in the corners will be placed two Skoda cars, compared with 2004, when there was one."
     
    Journalists have more questions, but there will be another press conference tomorrow which will focus on playing rules.
     
    The Press Conference has ended.
     
    That is all for this press conference. Assembled journalists are now conducting interviews with the guests.

    Thank you for following our coverage. As you have seen, the website is now live, so you can check out the game schedule and how to buy tickets, if you plan to come to Prague or Ostrava next May.

    That's all for today from the Clarion Congress Hotel in Prague. (12:19:29)
    Commentary by

    Derek OBrien

    CZ@@Djob76