The Fireworks barges are set as well as a ton of other technical equipment all along the Huangpu River in Shanghai. This evening’s production should be spectacular as it will take place all down the river and be huge. Patrick and I are guests of DAE and have secured a fantastic vantage point next to the Control Area. It’s been nice catching up with acquaintances from DAE who we worked with in Vancouver as well as the great crew from the PA People.

Nik and I continue our meetings at Sportaccord in Dubai.

SportAccord International Convention is a five-day gathering of 1500 leading representatives from international sport. The annual convention encompasses the Congress and General Assemblies of over 100 international sports federations and their related associations. Its mission is to offer the sports community a powerful opportunity to come together on a global scale.

We caught up with old friends and have been making new contacts, while attending the conference.

Last night we attended a ceremony on the beach.  We listened to an address by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge.  He paid tribute to former president Juan Antonio Samaranch.   I was most impressed with the speech by the wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain.   She talked about the impressions the rest of the world has on the Arab world.  She commented that sport can break down those impressions and barriers.

We spent some time last night looking at the plans for the 16th Asian Games to be held in “Flower City” of Guangzhou, China in November 2010.

Patrick and I are in Dubai for the 2010 Sport Accord Conference. Dubai is a very unique place. Over 70% of the people are ex-pats so it is fascinating seeing the diverse collection of people in this ultra modern city. It almost feels more European than Middle Eastern. The city is still full of cranes and construction but many of the places we have visited have been curiously empty of people. It certainly is currently not crowded. The scale and style of the buildings and architecture is impressive. On a quest for some computer equipment we found ourselves at the Mall of Emirates and Ski Dubai. Obviously, from recently being in Whistler this hill is very small but it would be a great place for little kids to learn. We thought that Mall was large but we then were at the base of Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world) and went to Dubai Mall which has over 1,000,000 square feet. We tried to find some of the old world and went to the Gold and Spice Souks (markets) and got back to some old fashioned haggling and then rode across the river on a Dhow (old arabic sailing vessel). Even though this area was older it still was quite clean.

I’m looking forward to getting out of the city and into the desert later today.

Our next ceremony production is taking shape.

No single location in Vancouver, BC captures the spirit and history of this city, its people and its many achievements as the Pacific National Exhibition.

For the past 100 years, millions of guests have enjoyed shows, exhibits, sporting events, amusement rides, concerts, cultural activities and, of course, the annual summer Fair at the PNE.
PRP in addition to our task of programming and creating shows for the 2010 Fair at the PNE - PRP Creative Events is producing an Opening Ceremony for the 100th Anniversary of the Pacific National Exhibition.  It will feature hundreds of performers and will be staged in the temporary home of the BC Lions - Empire Field. It’s on the site of the former Empire Stadium, which was the home of the BC Lions Football team from 1954 to 1983.

In 1910 Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier officially opened the first annual Pacific National Exhibition, known at the time as “The Industrial Exhibition.” The Fair was seen as a showcase of British Columbia to the rest of Canada and the world, and was the second largest event of its kind in North America, behind the New York State Fair.

There are so many stories to tell in a hundred year history.  I imagine we will acknowledge the historic events of Empire Stadium,  Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister,becoming the first man in history to run the mile in less than 4 minutes. We are very excited about producing this historic anniversary event.   Stay tuned for more details.

This is one of the most exciting days of the year for me as the NHL Playoffs begin. There’s nothing quite like the start of the playoffs when there a ton of games to watch, the weather is warming up, and there is the excitement of ‘real’ overtime. This year we have the pleasure of assisting the Vancouver Canucks with a portion of their pre-game entertainment for every game. Hopefully, this will last right into June.

Over the years I’ve watched or kept track of games in the many strange places work has taken me. I used to sit backstage at the Vancouver Opera with the Canuck anthem singers Richard Loney and Mark Donnelly and the crew. Last year I was stuck on a plane in Shanghai desperately trying to get information on Game 7 of the Finals on my Blackberry. This year I need to find a place in Dubai where I can watch hockey at breakfast time.

Vancouver Canuck Rehearsal