The International Paralympic Committee has a workforce of around 135 people from 50 nations based in Bonn – working hard to drive inclusion for the world’s 1.3 billion persons with disabilities.
Many of us have watched the Paralympics in Paris. The Games are just over and have brought great, inspiring and moving moments for all. A couple of days ago, we spoke to Craig Spence, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at the International Paralympic Committee in Bonn.
Mr. Spence, you have just returned to Bonn from Paris. What impressions did you personally take away from the Games and the host city of Paris?
As our President said in the Closing Ceremony, Paris 2024 staged the greatest Paralympic Games ever. Team IPC have returned to Bonn delighted and proud at what the Games have delivered after seven years of hard work with the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and IOC.
The sport was world class, and due to the most widespread media and broadcast coverage ever, will help change attitudes towards disability globally.
The Games have also advanced inclusion efforts in Paris and France with the Government, City of Paris and Ile-de-France regions all announcing monumental efforts to improve accessibility. The announcement of plans to make the Paris Metro accessible over the next 20 years could be the ultimate Paralympic legacy of Paris 2024.
In terms of metrics, the Games had a record 169 competing delegations, more women than ever before, a record 2,000 Press in attendance and broadcasting to every country on this planet. More than 2.5 million spectators packed the venues, while an estimated cumulative TV audience of 4.25 billion people watched around the world.
Unfortunately, good conditions for Paralympic athletes are not available in many places. Are you confident that the flame of enthusiasm can be carried to the participating countries, and what hopes do you have for the Games in Los Angeles in this respect?
The Paralympic Movement since the first Paralympic Games in 1960 has been exponential and in Paris we had more countries than ever before compete, and 85 delegations win medals. Each country is growing and will be in stronger position for LA28.
LA28 presents a tremendous opportunity for us. The profile of the Paralympic Movement is much smaller in the US than in Europe and we have four years to change this. Having Hollywood on the doorstep also gives us an opportunity to make the entertainment industry more inclusive which could potentially lead to a global cultural shift in attitudes towards disability.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is based in Bonn. It seems simply unimaginable how an event as big as the Paralympics can be planned in advance and run so smoothly. Which are the threads that come together here, and what is the focus of your work from Bonn?
The IPC has a workforce of around 135 people from 50 nations based in Bonn. We achieve a lot with a little simply because we are so committed to using sport as tool to drive inclusion for the world’s 1.3 billion persons with disabilities.
The Paralympic Games is the world’s third biggest sport event after the Olympics and Men’s FIFIA World Cup and we are proud to call Bonn our home. We work on Paralympic Games together with Organising Committees well in advance of the event actually happening; staging an event of such magnitude takes years of work.
Paris 2024 was a seven year project for us, and the team is already working on Games which will take place over the next 10 years, starting with the next Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina in 2026. We are already working closely with LA28, Brisbane 2032, Nice and the French Alps 2030 and Salt Lake City Utah 2034 – and our commitment remains strong – to stage spectacular sport events that make for a more inclusive world. Our passion to deliver gets stronger each Games edition.
To top it all off, you have just moved into new premises. Has that affected the preparations - or perhaps even made them easier?
We moved to new headquarters by the Rhein in April and the move made the last preparations for Paris 2024 so much easier for us. Previously our workforce was spread across three buildings, now we are all together in one spectacular and fully accessible building which makes teamwork so much easier. We are so grateful for the continued support of the City of Bonn, State of NRW and Federal Government.
The IPC has been active here for many years. To what extent does Bonn, with its many players, also offer synergies for the Paralympic Movement?
Bonn is a very international and accessible city, which makes our international workforce feel very much at home here. With excellent transport infrastructure and access to several major airports within one hour’s travel, it makes delivering our work so much easier. We’re proud to have called Bonn our home since 1999.
Mr. Spence, thank you very much for your time. We wish the IPC continued success for its great work and will be highly looking forward to the next Paralympic Games!