After Attending the World Indoor Championships in Spain, HE Dahlan Al-Hamad Confirms:

• Selecting the Representatives of IAAF in London Meeting

• January 2009 Marks the Start of Receiving IAAF Delegations to Follow-Up Preparations
  
  HE Dahlan Al-Hamad, president of QAAF, launched in the Spanish city of Valencia the start of the marketing campaigns for IAAF World Indoor Championships to be organized in Doha in 2010. The campaigns are to be in direction with the Qatari ambition of hosting a featured edition of this event as to be a landmark for further athletics indoor championships in the Asian continent. The recent edition of this event in Spain marked the beginning of such orientation by Qatar where some Qatari athletes and delegates participated in. The Spanish edition indeed represented the launch of the Qatari-European cooperation as well as being a gathering vital station where QAAF met with IAAF member federations to prepare for the coming edition of this international event.
  
  Marketing Process and the Lack of Media for Promotion
  
  With regard to the role of marketing and media, HE Dahlan Al-Hamad expressed his point of view referring to the comprehensive coverage that the IAAF World Indoor Championships witnessed in Spain. QAAF president emphasized that such big events require the attendance of Qatari media staffs to learn and interact professionally and apply gained knowledge later on during coming edition in Doha. The press and media roles, Al-Hamad added, represent a bridge through which we can reach spectators and fans. Media and press effects indeed increase further the value of any event, as he commented.
  
  
  Comprehensive Qatari Program
  
  QAAF president also stated that the Qatari delegation to Valencia went to cooperate and coordinate with the organizing committee there under the supervision of the International Association of Athletics Federations. He outlined too that Qatari delegates at arrival started their duties, notes taking and discussions in vitals fields like technical issues, administrative regulations, and organizing procedures. This, as Al-Hamad added, will play a clear influence on the Qatari touches in the next edition in 2010.
  
  
  Qatari Prints
  
  HE Dahlan Al-Hamad said that the mission of the Qatari delegation was to focus on the Qatari role in hosting the IAAF Indoor Championships in 2010. The first step in this regard was to assign a stand in the indoor hall there in cooperation with the organizing committee, featuring the Qatari hospitality scope and welcoming the guests and visitors. Also, some DVD shows were played exposing to visitors some featured documentaries on Qatari editions of various international and regional sports events. Moreover, the Qatari delegation members distributed to visitors brochures featuring the sports facilities in Qatar of the best international standards, as well as briefing the governmental support and role in all the walks of life. These activities, as Al-Hamad added, appealed much to the visitors and there was a clear interaction form all and this could be easily seen through enquires and interests in Qatari sports fields particularly athletics where Qatar engraved its name in the golden world of the mother of games.
  
  
  Honorary Reception
  
  QAAF president then referred to the importance of interaction and communications with other IAAF member federations. In this respect, he explained that a reception was organized in Valencia where many guests were invited including the members of the organizing committee and delegations presidents. Among the attendants were also the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Mayor of the city of Valencia, and President of the Spanish Athletics Federation. The reception marked oriental and Arab prints where Qatar represents the Arab region and Middle East, and the oriental music and reception style appealed much to attendees among whom many Muslims participated.
  
  
  Flag Reception
  
  On the event on flag reception in Valencia by QAAF, HE Dahlan Al-Hamad said that the flag of the IAAF World Indoor Championship was handed to IAAF representative by the Mayor of Valencia, then was delivered to QAAF president (where the next edition will be hosted in Doha in 2010). Al-Hamad added that such honor increases QAAF commitments and we shall look for further participations to learn more organizational skills, as in the coming championship in Germany.
  
  
  Coming Actions
  
  QAAF president, HE Dahlan Al-Hamad, outlined the future plans and steps to be implemented by QAAF. He emphasized that such plans and steps will require more efforts to achieve success. Al-Hamad referred that there are continuous communications with IAAF to declare the organizing committee technical and administrative structures, as well as appointing IAAF representatives in marketing, broadcasting, and anti-doping fields. IAAF will announce these representatives in its coming meeting in London, so that to be appointed in Doha till next 2010 edition. These representatives will supply IAAF with periodical reports regarding the performance and work scope of the organizing committee. The first report is to be submitted in Monaco, in November 2008 after the Olympic Games. Moreover, Doha will host IAAF delegates during January-April 2009 to oversee the sports facilities in Qatar especially Aspire which was already visited by many IAAF board members.
  
  
  The Legal Structure of the Organizing Committee
  
  In response to questions regarding the legal structure of the organizing committee, HE Dahlan Al-Hamad replied that World championships are different from all other championships, for example Qatar Super Grand Prix is organized under the supervision of the QAAF, while the IAAF World Indoor Championships will be organized under the supervision of the International Association of Athletics Federations. The edition of this event in Spain for instance was chaired by the prime minister and king to give it more legal value, while the executive committee was chaired by the mayor of Valencia and vice, where this committee provides reports to the higher organizing committee to implement necessary decisions.
  
  
  Marketing Campaigns and Necessary Roles
  
  As far the marketing issue and the roles required are concerned, HE Dahlan Al-Hamad cast lights on the important role of marketing in the organizational process. He stated that our role is not like that of IAAF where it has the authority to grant these championships to sponsors and we are committed during marketing to deal with the official sponsor, and now we have opportunities to deal with the local companies and to find local automobiles companies as sponsors but IAAF approval has to be gained first. If we succeeded in this action, HE Al-Hamad added, we will be able to divide the sponsorship values and revenues in terms of 50% with IAAF and hopefully the local companies will cooperate and interact in this regard due to the high importance of the economic awareness in making this championship a great success.