It's been two years since the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. It's also two years until the next Games, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park — the first outside of Europe.
How much progress have the organizers at the World Games 2010 Foundation made in two years?
It's time for the first Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games checkup.
What has happened: Construction of the $24 million outdoor stadium is about seven days behind schedule, thanks to extra blasting needed to remove rock that was found where no one expected it. The $49 million indoor arena is four to six weeks ahead of schedule. Both projects were funded by the state.
The International Museum of the Horse is also being expanded with donated funds.
What needs to be done: The stadium should be "substantially completed" in March 2009 and the indoor arena in May. The arena's first event will be in July.
Horse Park roads
What has happened: Phase one of a plan to upgrade the park's road system has been completed. New features include a roundabout (a circular intersection) inside the park's main entrance and construction of Cigar Lane, a road that comes off the roundabout and connects to the new arena.
What needs to be done: Phase two will include the widening of Nina Bonnie, the park's main east-west connector, by adding a "horse lane" and wider traffic lanes for buses and horse trailers.
The plans also call for shorter connectors to link existing roads and make the park's campground entrance off Ironworks Pike more usable. Some of the work is still in the design phase, but all construction should be completed by late 2009 or early 2010.
Merchandise
What has happened: A line of Halfway There items has just been released to mark the two-years-to-go countdown and the first unofficial Games license plate is available. Organizers say progress is "tracking well" toward the $1.65 million in licensing fees expected from merchandise sales. Sales figures of the 2006 Games already have been surpassed.
What needs to be done: Expand offerings for women and children, and for equestrians and horses. More upscale merchandise and less-expensive items, such as collectible lapel pins, will be added.
Merchandise can be purchased at the foundation's Web site and at certain Lexington gift shops.
Ticket sales
What has happened: About 18 percent of the reserved-seat tickets for the Games have been bought by members of the U.S. Equestrian Federation and other horse groups.
Ticket sales are expected to make up about $30.6 million of the foundation's budget for the Games, and more than 600,000 reserved-seat and general-admission tickets are expected to be sold.
What needs to be done: The foundation announced Wednesday that tickets will go on sale to the general public in one year, on Sept. 25, 2009, and that they will be priced as low as $25 each.
Ticketmaster will be the official ticket vendor for the Games.
General-admission tickets will allow visitors to attend endurance, cross-country and other non-reserved-seat events and to visit the trade show and attend other Games-related activities at the park.
Sponsorships
What has happened: Alltech committed $10 million to be the title sponsor. At least eight other companies have agreed to cash payments or in-kind contributions. Organizers estimate they are halfway to their goal of raising $29,625,000 in sponsorships.
What needs to be done: Organizers say several sponsors are expected to sign on in the next few months, and more later.
Volunteers
What has happened: About 7,850 volunteers from 48 countries and 50 states have registered. The goal is to register 15,000 volunteers, but 10,000 to 12,000 might be adequate. The foundation's official estimate is that it needs 6,000 people to work 25,000 shifts during the 16-day event and some jobs before and after the Games.
What needs to be done: The foundation is continuing to register volunteers at www.feigames2010.org. It is also writing job descriptions that it will post on the Internet in 2009 and is screening registrations for volunteers with special abilities, such as speaking foreign languages and horse-related skills. The foundation will begin online training in 2009. Senior citizens and those with physical disabilities are urged to apply. Many jobs are not physically demanding.
Housing
What has happened: More than 600 homeowners have offered to rent their properties to Games visitors, but only about 280 visitors have signed up so far to rent. Many of the same potential renters have also signed up with the Games' housing bureau for hotel rooms so they might not rent houses after all. About 40 hotels in Lexington, Frankfort and Georgetown and 10 in Northern Kentucky have committed blocks of rooms to be filled by the bureau. Plans for a hotel at the Horse Park fell through.
What needs to be done: Bureau representatives will begin meeting with Louisville hotel operators in October to begin signing them up for the Games. The goal is to be ready in six to nine months when international groups that buy packages of tickets and hotel rooms turn to the bureau to place their members in hotels. Hotels not signed up with the bureau could miss out.
WEG management
What has happened: Two resignations earlier this year — of CEO Jack Kelly, for medical reasons, and of Chief Financial Officer Marty Mathews — led to the restructuring of the foundation's staff under the direction of its chairman, John Long, left, who is also CEO of the U.S. Equestrian Federation. Kelly's duties were divided among Long; Walter Herd, the foundation's chief administrative officer; and Rob Hinkle, its chief operating officer. Kathleen Spears replaced Mathews, although her title is director of finance.
What needs to be done: The foundation has no immediate plans to hire a CEO to replace Kelly unless the current structure proves ineffective. It does plan to hire a trade show director and possibly other managers as the organization grows and the Games get closer.
Hospitality
What has happened: The foundation recently hired Kim Bennett as director of hospitality and expects to launch a hospitality sales program by year's end. Bennett is in the process of creating and pricing VIP packages of food, beverages and tickets that will be marketed to business and equestrian groups. Hospitality, including sales of food and beverages during the Games, is expected to contribute $6.22 million to the foundation's budget. The foundation has received deposits on 174 of the 350 booths for the Games' trade show.
What needs to be done: A trade show manager will be named soon to sell the remaining booths and to complete plans. The show is expected to contribute $5.25 million in rental fees to the Games.
Airport
What has happened: Blue Grass Airport, the official airport of the Games, has $62.6 million in projects planned or under way that should be completed within two years. They include a runway extension, taxiway relocation, road improvements, parking addition, and remodeling of the entrance and interior of the terminal and the baggage-claim area.
What needs to be done: In addition to completing the construction projects, the airport is planning a series of amenities for arriving passengers. Competitors would be able to pick up their credentials without going early to the Horse Park, and other passengers would be able to buy tickets to the Games. The airport is working with Delta and other airlines to get direct flights to Lexington from New York and other major hubs during the Games.
