Opening Ceremony – European Youth Olympic Festival Maribor 2023

The opening ceremony was held on July 23, 2023, at Ljudski vrt Stadium and was an important introduction to the entire festival and the competition and other events of the following days. This complex event required extensive cooperation among various stakeholders, with preparations starting almost a year in advance. We aimed to create an engaging event for young people, naming the concept "Youth for the Youth," and involved individuals under 30 in the planning and execution. The program was innovative, with the European Olympic Committees allowing changes to the traditional format. Instead of separating protocol and program parts, we integrated all mandatory protocol elements—anthem playing, flag raising, athlete parade, speeches, flame lighting, and oaths (including, for the first time, a volunteer oath)—into the program from the start. Additionally, we replaced traditional speeches with video speeches and interviews, marking a first for the event.

The entire athletes parade lasted two hours, from the gathering point through the city to the stadium. Of this, 24 minutes were spent entering the ground floor of the Ljudski Vrt stadium through the substage, and 5 minutes were required for all athletes to take their seats, a remarkable achievement. Road closures were optimized to only 20 minutes, with intersections managed dynamically as needed. Preparation included online training and three live rehearsals, showcasing the team's exceptional efforts. Coordinating over 3,600 participants to follow precise paths was a unique challenge, especially with the complexity of the event's design. The parade concluded with all athletes on the stadium floor, standing together by their country flags—a unique approach executed for the first time in EYOF history.

The 90-minute opening ceremony, broadcasted on national TV, featured a stage integrated into the stadium construction, with the grass covered by special protection boards. The event began with three large athlete parades merging into one near the stadium. Over 70 people managed the parade. We invested more than 1,000 hours in preparation, with rehearsals conducted online and three live sessions with local sports club athletes. The ceremony included: • Over 200 performers, including Joker Out and Raiven • A Guinness record holder for the longest accordion playing • Bolero Dance School, world champions in hip hop formation • The Slovenian Honor Guard and Armed Forces Band as part of the cultural program • 6 top Slovenian athletes rasing the EOC flag: Tina Maze, Urška Žolnir, Peter Mankoč, Anja Klinar, Rožle Prezelj, Klemen Bauer • Approximately 300 technical staff and volunteers • 35 trucks of technical equipment • 8,700 spectators at the stadium 50,000 viewers watched the live broadcast.

An important legacy is the renewed sports infrastructure, new stadium and new sports equipment (app. 15 mio EUR), which is important for the further development of sports in the city and region and provide young athletes with adequate conditions. In the field of tourism, 90,971 overnight stays were created. The number of guest arrivals in the Podravje region increased by 16.6%, and the number of overnight stays by 48.52%. On average, guests stayed for 6 days. The Faculty of Economics Ljubljana conducted a research on the economic effects: EYOF Maribor generated approximately 17.7 million EUR in revenue in the Slovenian economy. The total expenditure generated by EYOF 2023 amounts to 47 million EUR. The multiplier effect of the event amounted to 2.04 (every euro spent for the event generated a good two euros of revenue to companies), a long-term multiplier effect for the Slovenian economy was as much as 5.13 (for every euro spent, total consumption in Slovenia was 5.13 euros higher).

The primary task of the PR department was active communication with all stakeholders and care for Slovenian and foreign media representatives. Daily transmissions of information, news letters and press releases were crucial for informing all participants in the project about events, changes and important information. Athletes received personalized messages and videos with the help of the EOC application. In total, more than 12,500 downloads of the EOC mobile application were achieved, 2,500 personalized videos were produced, more than 65 million users were reached. In the period from July 1 to 31, 2023, 1,084,386 website visits, 203,216 unique visitors, 2,236 displayed pages, app 7,000 data transfers and 73,000 visitors who returned to the website (bounce rate) were recorded. Media announcements were recorded on 252 different media: internet (2,068 announcements), radio (788), newspapers (591), TV (296) news agencies (259). The entire media community in Slovenia was reached.

The organizing committee focused on environmentally sustainable development, complying with relevant laws and setting 25 sustainable goals for the event. Key eco-friendly initiatives included: • Accredited participants like sports representatives, journalists, VIPs, and volunteers were given reusable drinking cans • Drinking fountains were placed in the city and at various sports venues • Some marking materials were made more eco-friendly • The torch and victory podiums were made from sustainable materials • A clothing exchange program was launched for volunteers • Maps of pedestrian and bicycle routes were designed to connect sports venues with footpaths and bike paths • Workshops on social media visibility and engaging lectures were held • Award trays were created in collaboration with the Maribor Secondary Wood and Forestry School, where about 100 students, guided by two mentors, made 160 wooden trays. After the event, these trays were donated to local sports associations for ongoing use