WMOC 2022 - Not

[PhilJ]

News will slowly leak out from HQ but BO at the last minute.com had decided not to support WOA's bid for WMOC 2022. It had supported the initial bid for 2020, but WOA lost out to Slovakia.

The news from BO came out 2 weeks ago and next week had been a pre-arranged meeting with the organising team and the events director from the Welsh Assembly and major events director from Swansea Council and Swansea University. The Welsh government fully supported the bid, but without BO it is dead in the water. So quite an embarrassing situation to have everyone on board and have to turn around and say ah "no thanks".

Peter's note was along the lines of as SOA is hosting the WOC Sprint champs in 2022 then BO would be too stretched to support both events. If only BO had appointed a Major Events Consultant - doh! Hmm not sure what Peter and his 3 full time staff would really be doing to support the event anyways? It has all been down to the organising team and Welsh Govt that has done the work.

So shall we cut through Peter's excuse and maybe look at the real reason? Here's my take, SOA host WOC Sprint - fantastic, alongside will be the spectator races, bringing in lots of of people and cash....ah but all the M/W35+ will be going to the WMOC is Wales so will not be going to both..so WOC 2022 in Scotland is down on entries etc, embarrassing for SOA/Event Scotland/IOF and BO. So better to kick WMOC into the long grass.

And BO have asked WOA to host a BOC and JK in 2020/2026 good luck with that!

[Freefall]

British Orienteering itself really has very little to do with the organisation of WOC 2022 but they are invited onto the steering group. The local applicant (to use the IOF terminology) is the Scottish Orienteering 6-Day Event Co Ltd. They will not be organising WOC 2022, rather overseeing the appointment of an Event Director (paid position) and the various key officials. It is likely that I will act in an Assistant Event Director role as I did for WOC 2015 but that has still to be agreed. As things stand I am the main point of contact for WOC 2022.
I admit that I had concerns about WMOC being staged in the same year and think it would have a detrimental effect on numbers coming to Edinburgh. I must add that we really need lots of people and cash to break even for WOC 2022. I hope we can put on a very attractive Edinburgh 5 Days - bigger than the Big Weekend. Despite the considerable cash injection from EventScotland and City of Edinburgh Council that still only covers something like 60% of the costs of staging WOC 2022.
Note that the SOA have asked BOF that JK 2022 (originally down for Scotland) is moved to 2026.

[andypat]

It does seem a bit strange though that if WOA was looking to put on WMOC as a sort of piggy back onto the WOC sprint in Edinburgh that there wasn't some sort of coordination between the two bid teams. From Colins post it seems not.

I'm assuming that they don't directly clash and would have run one after the other. If they would have clashed then its just daft of course.

[Freefall]

I was aware there was an interest in staging WMOC but not a suggestion they should run one after the other. A 4-6 week separation was mentioned. There was some concern over the volunteer workforce being involved with two bids - how much this is true with geographical separation it is hard to judge

[Arnold]

I hear your frustration PhilJ but looking at it rationally, no sane federation (or chief exec) would agree to hold two major events in the same year.

While volunteers etc might be different, ultimately it’s BOF’s responsibility to deliver the races.

After the anger has gone why not try again for 2023 or 2024 (CROESO year)? I’m sure your Welsh contacts will understand.

[PhilJ]

While volunteers etc might be different, ultimately it’s BOF’s responsibility to deliver the races.

Is it? Colin seems to think differently and he should know.

British Orienteering itself really has very little to do with the organisation of WOC 2022 but they are invited onto the steering group.

Or maybe 'deliver' and 'organise' have different meanings.

BO are the figure head of british orienteering in name only, as we all know. Even Peter can't believe what volunteers do for the sport. No idea how he will change that or even if he wants to.

[andy]

The only responsibility to deliever that BO have is to make sure it's being delivered, if that makes sense. The actual responsibility to deliver (in the case of WOC) falls on the organising committee. With a combination of SOA/S6D/BO having a interest in them doing it well so they will be involved in an advisory capacity.