High 1 Resort, aiming at being Asia’s top four-season, family resort destination, will host the 48th FIS Congress 2012, the first Asian venue for the international meeting.

Roughly 1,000 delegates from all 110 FIS (Federation de International Ski) member countries will make their way to the Kangwonland Convention Hotel in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, to participate in the biennial FIS Congress, which will kick off for a six-night, seven-day run on May 27. All staff members at High 1 Resort, also known as Kangwonland, have their hands full for a seamless hosting of the Congress, which promises to be the biggest such event in a provincial area in Korea, with the exception of the Olympic Games, which took place in Seoul and Busan and other major cities. 

The FIS Congress is a decision-making session by one of the highest authorities in winter sports wherein ski association representatives from member countries, including International Olympic Committee members, will discuss and make decisions on the establishment of all rules regarding skiing/snowboarding, congress venue selection, and various regulations and preparations necessary for holding events. 

The upcoming Congress will elect the sixteen members of the FIS Council for the next two-year period from 2012-2014 and select the host of the 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. The gathering will also coincide with the FIS Congress 3rd Ladies Seminar, which will focus on medical issues in female sports. 

The FIS has held a total of 46 biennial congresses, primarily in Europe and North America, since the 1910 meeting in Oslo, Norway. 

Korea will be the first Asian country to host the FIS Congress since the organization’s establishment. 

High 1 Resort’s hosting of the upcoming 2012 FIS Congress shows that the ski resort has already established and implemented a long-term plan on winter sports.

High 1 Resort has a track record of achievements since its opening in December 2006 despite such a short time span. It attracted 900,000 skiers and snowboarding enthusiasts during 2011. 

Kangwonland has inaugurated a series of winter sporting teams including an ice hockey team, a skiing team and a ski jumping team. 

It has been credited with promoting and securing the capabilities for growing into a world-class international conference and convention venue and for playing a part in contributing to winning the hosting rights for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Thanks to these efforts, High 1 Resort was selected as the venue of the 2012 FIS Congress by obtaining 15 out of a total of 16 votes at the FIS Council Meeting in Helsinki in November 2008, beating six other candidates.  

On top of the official meetings and program schedules, the participating delegates will be offered programs through which to experience and appreciate Korean culture and be introduced to Gangwon Province. 

On Day 3 on May 29, participants are scheduled to tour the Byeonbangchi Observatory Skywalk, a tourist attraction overlooking the scenic Dong River, and the Arari Village Theme Park during which they are given the opportunity to sample traditional Korean cuisine and appreciate Arari traditional Korean performances, both located in the Jeongseon area near High 1 Resort.  

The visitors will be shown the Alpensia Ski Resort, Yongpyong Resort, and Bokwang Phoenix Park, the winter sporting venues of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. 

Diverse Korean folk performances and traditional Korean culture experience events, including a tea ceremony, trying on hanbok (traditional Korean costume), and Dano rituals will take place at the Unamjeong Pavilion of High 1 Resort as part of side events to get a glimpse into Korean cultural heritage. In particular, the tea ceremony and trying on hanbok are expected to be popular among the participants and help the visitors return home with unforgettable memories. The guests will also be given an opportunity to experience calligraphy writing, kimchi-making and other traditional Korean culture.

Concerning the significance of High 1 Resort’s hosting the international convention, Lee Sang-bok, head of the task force team for preparing for the 48th FIS Congress, said, “High 1 Resort’s hosting the FIS Congress will serve as an important opportunity to establish itself as an area supporting the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games venues and demonstrate its capabilities °™ being equipped with excellent facilities and resources necessary for hosting a variety of international events.” High 1 Resort’s planning and managing of such mega-conventions as the FIS Congress will further elevate its staff’s awareness and service capabilities to global standards, he added.

Lee said High 1 Resort has solved the most vexing problem of the usual three-and-a-half hours to transport the participants of the FIS Congress from Incheon International Airport to the venue by establishing an exclusive rest area for their convenience and comfort.

He expressed the hope participants would be impressed with High 1 Resort’s excellent facilities and return home with good memories of Korea, particularly Gangwon Province’s tastes and charms. 

Kim also wished that High 1 Resort’s successful hosting of the FIS Congress will enhance its global standing and Korean and foreign press coverage and international VIPs’ word of mouth will lead to global attention and an upsurge of visitors.  

VENUE OF 2012 FIS CONGRESS 

The Kangwonland Convention Hotel is a specialist convention venue, five-star hotel offering elegance and new, all-in-one-concept versatility °™ a combination of conferences, lodging and banquets as well as diverse leisure-sports such as skiing, golf and casiono, a factor differentiating itself from the existing convention facilities like COEX and KINTEX. The hotel has a four-sided glass wall shape. With the upper three floors topped with LED lamps, the hotel showcases a dynamic force. The 23-story hotel, with a floor space of 45,170 sq. meters has 250 rooms; a 2,040-seat, 5,689 square-meter conventional hall, making it the nation’s biggest; a 1,000-seat banquet hall; event halls; briefing rooms; fitness & spa facilities; and other diverse amenities. It is fitted with a six-language simultaneous interpretation system, advanced and computerized lighting, and other facilities. 

HIGH1, A GLOBALLY-SCALED SKI AREA 

Developed in Sabuk-eup and Gohan-eup, Jeongseon-gun, and opened in December 2006, High1 features over 21 km of ski slopes within an area of 4.98 square kilometers. The ski grounds include a 403-room resort hotel, two ski houses, two rest areas, and an observatory at the top of the mountain. There are 18 slopes at High1 resort. All of the slopes are at least 1.5 km in length, while the longest slope stretches for 4.2 km. The average width of the slopes is 40 meters, which is almost the same width as a 10-lane motorway. Among these slopes, 11 received international authorization from FIS.

High1 was admitted as a globally-scaled ski area, with three slopes officially authorized for use in World Cup ski competitions. Furthermore, High1 contains special slopes and facilities for disabled patrons. In 2008, the High1 ski resort hosted over 100 athletes from 13 countries who participated in the IPC international World Cup for the disabled.