Have just returned from a very interesting few days in Austria where I attended and participated in the 3rd Kufstein Winter School 2011 run by FH University of Applied Sciences, Kufstein, Tyrol with the support of the Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports and the Province of Tyrol.

Running under the theme of Sports, Culture and Event management with particular reference to Winter Resorts, the five day programme offered international students, a range of expert lectures, seminars, tourism visits and cultural activities. The issues covered ranged from modern sports marketing to the role of heroes and legends, the links between art and tourism and performance branding.

Although each day had a clear theme for proceedings, it soon became evident that environmental issues were to the fore as a challenge to policy makers in their search to effectively manage and promote winter sport in the context of consumer demand, competitive pressures and the need to ensure that the environment was not damaged any further be it in the Alpine regions or Scotland.

For my part, the key message that I conveyed in my lecture: Sport and Politics, turning on the Heat in Sub Zero Conditions, was that winter sports need to be perceived and understood in the political context that summer sports and summer Olympics have been for many years. In seeking to explain why this is the case my presentation also focused on the bidding procedures for Winter Games (2014 and 2018) and how the IOC seeks to consolidate and advance the limited progress it has been made in consolidating environmentalism as a key policy plank of its operations.

Everyone involved in the planning and delivery of the event should be congratulated for their efforts in creating such a stimulating event. Furthermore, for those of you not familiar with the University of Applied SciencesWinter Schools are supplemented by an equally interesting Summer School which this year will focus on Creating Cultural Leadership – New Strategies for Cultural Projects in Global Cities and Regions.