From October 1 to October 9 2009 the city of Copenhagen will host the 121st IOC Session and XIII Olympic Congress.

The Session is the general assembly of the International Olympic Committee, IOC. The IOC members and IOC Executive board members will attend the Session that is held every year. In 2008 it was held just prior to the Olympic Games in Beijing.

The Olympic Congress is only held every ten to fifteen years. It is a way to secure the continuous work in the Olympic Movement thus insuring the general progress and focus on Olympism and the Olympic spirit.

The first Olympic Congress was held in Paris in 1894 and it saw the birth of the IOC. The latest Congress was again held in Paris in 1994 to celebrate the centenary of the IOC.

From October 1 to October 9 2009.

The official opening ceremony in the Opera marks the opening of the first part of the session. On October 2 it is announced which city will host the Olympic Games in 2016.

That event is televised live to the rest of the world with approximately 1 billion viewers.

The four candidate cities are:
Chicago (USA), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Madrid (Spain).

From October 3 to 5 the XIII Olympic Congress is held.

The second part of the session takes place from October 7 to 9. There will be a Closing Reception - "See you in Denmark" - at the Tivoli Garden on October 9.

121st IOC Session and XIII Olympic Congress is held at the Bella Center – Copenhagen Congress Center

The official Opening Ceremony is held at the Opera on October 1st

The Closing Reception will be held at the amusement park Tivoli in the centre of Copenhagen

2.000 delegates/guests and 1650 from the media were gathered for the IOC session and Olympic conference in Copenhagen.

The Session:
IOC members and honorary members
Plus various observers

The Congress:
IOC members;
IOC honorary and honour members;
Representatives of the International Federations, National Olympic Committees and Organising Committees for the Olympic Games;
Athletes and athlete support staff (coaches, doctors and medical staff);
Referees, judges and technical officials;
The IOC’s Olympic partners;
The media

The first part of the 121st IOC Session takes place on October 1 and 2. On October 2nd the host city of the Olympic Games in 2016 will be elected. The announcement is televised live to approximately a billion people all over the world.

The second part of the Session is from October 7 to 8 where the IOC has member elections. HRH the Crown Prince of Denmark has the chance to be elected.

On October 9 there is a grand 'See you in Denmark' Closing Reception at the Tivoli Garden.

Candidate cities:
One of these four Candidate Cities is to host the Olympic Games in 2016:

Chicago

Tokyo

Rio de Janeiro

Madrid

From October 3 to 5, the XIII Olympic Congress is under way. The participants at the XIII Olympic Congress will discuss the five sub themes that cover the main theme: The Olympic Movement and Society.

The overall theme is: The Olympic Movement in Society

The sub themes:

Theme 1: The athletes

• Relationship between the athletes, the clubs, federations and the NOC's
• Health protection in training and competition
• The social and professional life of athletes during and after elite competition

Theme 2: The Olympic Games

• How to keep the Games as a premier event?
• The Olympic values
• Universality and developing countries

Theme 3: The structure of the Olympic Movement

• The autonomy of the Olympic Movement
• Good governance and ethics
• The relationships between the Olympic Movement and its stakeholders

Theme 4: Olympism and Youth

• Moving towards an active society
• Is competitive sport still appealing?
• Youth sports events

Theme 5: The digital revolution

• A new management of sports rights
• How to increase the size of the sports audience?
• Communication with stakeholders in the digital age

From now until February 28 2009, the general public is invited to contribute to the virtual Olympic Congress.

Internet users can submit two contributions, which will be taken into account in 2009 in the framework of statistical trend analyses after the contribution collection phase.

The main trends in the texts coming from the general public will be communicated on the IOC web site in 2009, on a date to be confirmed.

Visit the virtual Olympic Congress

There are currently 107 members, 23 honorary members and 1 honour member. Juan Antonio Samaranch is Honorary President for life.

The IOC members

1894 in Paris: Re-establishment of the Olympic Games

1897 in Le Havre: Sports hygiene and pedagogy

1905 in Brussels: Sport and physical education

1906 in Paris: Art, literature and sport

1913 in Lausanne: Sports psychology and physiology

1914 in Paris: Olympic regulations

1921 in Lausanne: Olympic regulations

1925 in Prague: Sports pedagogy – Olympic regulations

1930 in Berlin: Olympic regulations

1973 in Varna: Sport for a world of peace – The Olympic Movement and its future

1981 in Baden-Baden: The future of the Olympic Games – International cooperation – The future Olympic Movement

1994 in Paris: The Olympic Movement’s contribution to modern society – The contemporary athlete – Sport in its social context – Sport and the mass media.