IOC and CISS Meeting

Granfors, Kelly Fairweather of IOC, Ammons
Granfors, Kelly Fairweather of IOC, Ammons

IOC and CISS Meeting
16 December 2003
14:30-15:30
IOC Headquarters-Lausanne, Switzerland

Attendees: Donalda Ammons (CISS Secretary General/Interim President), Kelly Fairweather (IOC Sports Director), Gilbert Felli (IOC Olympic Games Executive Director), Nolvenn Laine (IOC Sports Dept.), Tiffany Granfors (CISS Administrator) and Diane Morton (Interpreter)

  • Mr. Gilbert Felli sat in the meeting for two purposes, one to introduce Kelly Fairweather to us, and to discuss the use of the term- DEAFLYMPICS. Mr. Fairweather is the new IOC Sports Director, therefore is now our new point of contact person for CISS. Mr. Felli has been promoted to become Olympic Games Executive Director. Now there are two separate divisions-Games Department and Sports Department. 
  • IOC requested that we keep our original agreement which is that Samaranch granted us the permission to use the word-Deaflympics ONLY for our own quadrennial event- our own Games. 
  • IOCs resistance- with us promoting with the use of DEAFLYMPICS for both the event and organization, it would primarily be used for marketing purpose and may take away sponsorships from IOC. Ammons explained that CISS utilized this approach mostly as an educational tool.
  • Felli suggested that CISS come back in a few more years with the same request for a name change in the organization after people within IOC become more accustomed to the term-DEAFLYMPICS. 
  • IOC is impressed with our new Deaflympics logo and sees no problem in our promoting the new logo for the Games.
  • IOC will continue to fund CISS with USD $25K for workshops and seminars and recently gave USD $20K for the 15th Winter Games. Assured that CISS would receive the same amount for 2004. 
  • CISS as a member of IOCs Recognized Organization will receive from the Sports Department in April-May a questionnaire survey.  IOC will then assess and determine the funding level for CISS for the new quadrennial period.
By Tiffany Williams