June 7, 2022, saw NOA delegates convening online in several focus groups to deliberate on how the EOA should move forward in the years to come. Areas of debate covered the scope of activities, the structure and financial setup, a situation analysis and stakeholder management. The members had previously completed a survey, the results of which were now being discussed in depth. These two assessments will be further processed by the EOA Development & Cooperation Commission to develop a Strategic Plan for the Association.
Virtual Welcome Speech of EOA President Manfred Laemmer to the workshop
Dear Members of the European Olympic Academies, dear Members of the EOA commissions,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you in this virtual fashion to the workshop dedicated to the EOA strategic plan.
Since our Association was founded in Ljubljana in 2018, numerous remarkable developments occurred. The EOA has proven its potential to unite and engage the National Olympic Academies in Europe in close dialogue. This has been endorsed and repeatedly underlined by our members in bilateral talks and at our conferences.
Despite the constraints on operations due to the Corona pandemic, we have managed to move forward with the establishment from several perspectives: Financially, we have to thank the German Federal State of Hesse and the European Olympic Committees for putting us on our feet by their funding. In terms of people, we can rely on creative ideas and professional implementation through the strong leadership in our commissions and working groups and in the management of our staff team. Structurally, with our office in Frankfurt and with increasing membership, we have built a solid foundation for the years to come.
Now all this potential that has been nurtured must be broken down into concrete goals and directions that the EOA as a whole can aspire to. For this, you – our members – are asked to contribute with your visions. After all, you play the main role in the mission of our organisation.
Special thanks go to the Development & Cooperation Commission led by Ales Solar, Jana Janotova and Julien Buhajezuk, who have carried out the preliminary work and prepared a substantial questionnaire. The valuable results were sent to you in advance of this workshop.
Today we want to go deep into the subject of what the scope of the EOA activities should be and how we want to be structured and financed. We also want to examine our internal and external standing and discuss potential cooperation and partnerships.
I hope for constructive and interesting discussions, fruitful results, and a smooth flow, of which, as usual, our Executive Director Soenke Schadwinkel will take care.
Dear friends, Thank you very much for your attention. My warm regards to all of you.
