On 1st February Eric Ropert (General Manager of Paris’ Organizing Committee) and Jonathan Zwikel (Marketing and Sales Director of Paris’ OC) had the chance to welcome at the federation’s headquarters 18 members of Thalys’ team collaborating on the promotion of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

The highlight of the day happened early afternoon with a 90-minute ice hockey initiation on one of the two ice rinks of the Aren’Ice, the new federal centre. Thanks to a few training exercises everyone had the opportunity to set foot on the rink and make their first steps on Cergy-Pontoise’ ice, before ending the day by a little game.

The discovery of this sport was joined with a visit of the National Centre and a global presentation of the discipline by its fundamental rules and main characteristics. The day was spent in a friendly atmosphere, to the delight of the employees, as well as the organizing committee, who wishes to build close links with their partners.

The “return game” will happen in a few weeks in Belgium, in Thalys’ offices, with work sessions planned this time about sport management specificities and the operational organization of an international event.

Thalys offers a high-speed railway link between the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship venues Cologne and Paris via Brussels within just three-and-a-half hours from downtown to downtown thus offering the fastest way of travel for fans and participants.