Zurich Bid Captures One Young World 2011

CANNES, France, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- One Young World co-founders David Jones, Global Chief Executive Officer of Havas Worldwide, and Kate Robertson, Euro RSCG UK Group Chairman, today announced that Zurich, Switzerland has won the hotly contested bid to host One Young World 2011, the global forum for future leaders, beating competition from a number of other leading world cities in the process.  

The announcement, made at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, will signal the start of Zurich's preparations to host the annual One Young World Summit, described by CNN earlier this year as the 'Young Davos'. Zurich will welcome over 1,000 young leaders and the target is to ensure that every country in the world is represented at the event in September 2011.  

The Zurich bid was considered along side two other finalists, Vienna in Austria, and Pune in India. More than ten cities were part of the initial bid process and members of the One Young World organising committee visited the three finalist cities to evaluate the bids.

Zurich is set to hit the ground running. Already signed up are a number of distinguished counsellors including Desmond Tutu and Bob Geldof, who were both instrumental in the inaugural event. Both will be working to promote the event and other high profile counsellors will be announced over the coming months.

Zurich picks up the baton from London, the host city of the inaugural One Young World Summit held in February 2010, which attracted nearly 1000 young leaders from 112 countries.

Speaking at the Havas Cafe at The Carlton Hotel in Cannes, alongside Founder of One Million Voices Against FARC (and One Young World Counsellor), Oscar Morales and Kate Robertson, David Jones said: "Ten cities were considered as potential hosts for the second One Young World summit after the phenomenally successful launch event in London earlier this year.  

"This was a hotly contested competition but in a field of outstanding bids, Zurich was the winner for a number of critical factors: the outstanding levels of support from the mayor and the key business figures in the city, the world class facilities, and the high degree of committed support from the Swiss broadcasters."

"Over the coming weeks we will be working with the Swiss authorities on an event in Switzerland to officially announce Zurich as the next host of One Young World, passing on the "host city baton" and beginning the build up to what will undoubtedly be a hugely successful event," added Jones.

Visit www.oneyoungworld.com for more information on what Marketing Week has called "the most forward-thinking piece of corporate social responsibility ever."

About One Young World

One Young World is the premier global forum for young people of leadership calibre. Its purpose is to connect and bring together the youngest and brightest and to ensure that their concerns, opinions and solutions are heard and taken into account by those in power, whether in government, business or any other sector.

The One Young World Inaugural Summit was held in London on February 8 to 10, 2010 and drew 823 young leaders from 112 countries, with the support of Counsellors including Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof, Muhammad Yunus and Desmond Tutu who facilitated debate and dialogue between the Delegate speakers and their audience.

SOURCE Euro RSCG Worldwide