Two years before the first puck drop in Cologne and Paris, the common German-French Organizing Committee (OC) has, with the support of Infront Sports & Media as Joint Venture Partner and advisor, secured an important agreement. Thalys, the operator of the famous red high-speed train operating in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, becomes an Official Partner of the event.

The corresponding contract was signed by Ms. Agnès Ogier, Thalys Managing Director and Mr. Franz Reindl, President and CEO of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Organizing Committee. The signature ceremony took place in Prague during the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and was attended by Schéhérazade Zekri, Thalys Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer, IIHF President René Fasel, OC President Franz Reindl and Luc Tardif, President of the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG).

Thalys will act as a highly efficient and fast interlink between the two venue cities of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in the preparation phase as well as during the competition itself. Carrying the organizers, officials, teams, media and fans between Cologne and Paris with high-speed trains in just a little more than three hours, Thalys will play a key role in facilitating the unique event atmosphere strived for by the Organizers and the IIHF.

Ms. Agnès Ogier, Thalys Managing Director, commented : “Performance, speed and agility are very important in ice hockey, just as team spirit, friendliness and respect are: these values, shared with Thalys, are at the heart of our partnership. Until 2017, we will contribute together to the cultural dialogue between Cologne and Paris, in a universal language by definition: the high-level sport language.”

For Mr. Franz Reindl, President and CEO of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Organizing Committee: “This signature is a very important step. Already two years ahead of the event, we are very pleased to welcome Thalys onboard. The partnership with Thalys perfectly matches with the motto of our event 'Together for 2017' as Thalys will bring our World Championship venues Cologne and Paris very close together. Furthermore, concluding this partnership at such an early stage of our event organization sends and important signal about the attractiveness of our platform for sponsors and partners”.

Photo: Thalys