AICO - New international organisation for Olympic Collectors

[memorabilia]

The Olympic Movement has a new international organisation to promote the olympic collectors activites : AICO (Association Internationale des Collectionneurs Olympiques)

http://afcos.forumactif.com/t707-aico-association-internationale-des-collectionneurs-olympiques

[mr.bernham]

So what exactly is this?

[memorabilia]

AICO is acting as an International Federation, coordinating the collaboration between the national groups of collectors from all around the world.

The following aims and activities could be the followings:

- To promote learning and friendship between Olympic collectors the world over;

- To share knowledge about Olympic stamps, coins and memorabilia for the benefit of all members;

- To facilitate access to Olympic reference material;

- To produce publications;

- To collaborate with the IOC in spreading the Olympic ideal;

- To provide international focus for Olympic collectors world-wide;

- To encourage and collaborate with the organisers of exhibitions/fairs of Olympic collectibles.

[mr.bernham]

AICO is acting as an International Federation, coordinating the collaboration between the national groups of collectors from all around the world.

The following aims and activities could be the followings:

- To promote learning and friendship between Olympic collectors the world over;

- To share knowledge about Olympic stamps, coins and memorabilia for the benefit of all members;

- To facilitate access to Olympic reference material;

- To produce publications;

- To collaborate with the IOC in spreading the Olympic ideal;

- To provide international focus for Olympic collectors world-wide;

- To encourage and collaborate with the organisers of exhibitions/fairs of Olympic collectibles.

I would love to see the fairs travel to all former host cities and possibly some bid book reprints...

[memorabilia]

Here is the list of cities, the World Olympic Collectors Fair visited !

2014 : Lausanne, Switzerland

2013 : Bo, Norway

2012 : Athens, Greece

2011 : Chicago, USA

2010 : Beijing, China

2010 : Koln, Germany

2009 : Warsaw, Poland

2007 : Beijing, China

2006 : Lausanne, Switzerland

2005 : Lausanne, Switzerland

2004 : Lausanne, Switzerland

2003 : ?

2002 : Lausanne, Switerland

2001 : Seoul, South Korea

2000 : Lausanne, Switzerland

1999 : Lausanne, Switerland

1998 : Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1997 : Lausanne, Switzerland

1995 : Lausanne, Switzerland

1994 : Lausanne, Switzerland

[memorabilia]

AICO, General Assembly May 22nd 2014 - Olympic Museum, Lausanne

[memorabilia]

From insidethegames.com

Pole elected President of new collecting organisation as agreement signed with IOC

Tuesday, 27 May 2014

By Nick Butler

An agreement has been signed between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Association Internationale des Collectionneurs Olympiques (AICO) following a General Assembly at the World Olympic Collectors Fair in Lausanne.

It followed the election of Poland's Roman Babut, of the Polish Olympic Philately Club, as first President of the new collecting body, and the head of a five person Executive Board. [/size]

AICO has been formed this year following a three-year process of negotiations, replacing the Federation Internationale de Philatalie Olympique (FIPO), dissolved at the request of the IOC in March 2013.[/size]

Unlike FIPO, which was essentially controlled by the IOC, AICO has been established with the principal aim of being both by collectors and for collectors, while it will also consist of all forms of Olympic collecting, not just philately.[/size]

The General Assembly consisted of 19 different collecting organisations, where an AICO Mission of "fostering quality Olympic philately, numismatics and memorabilia collecting related to the historical and cultural aspects of the Olympic Movement" was established. [/size]

The IOC supported the establishment of AICO on the condition they sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) spelling out the rights and responsibilities of both parties. [/size]

AICO President Roman Babut shakes hands with Francis Gabet, director of the IOC Culture and Heritage Department, to signify the agreement between the two bodies
©IOC[/size]



As well as Babut, the inaugural AICO Board will consist of two vice-presidents, American Mark Maestrone of Sports Philatelists International and Gianni Galeottis of the Italian Union of Olympic and Sport Collectors.[/size]

The Board is completed by Christophe Ait-Braham of the French Association of Olympic and Sport Collectors, who will be secretary, and Bransilav Delej, a representative of the Slovak Society of Olympic and Sport Collectors, who will be treasurer.[/size]

At the Board's first meeting they voted to sign the MOU with the IOC.[/size]

Babut claimed one of AICO's first priorities was to invite other Olympic collecting clubs not currently members of AICO to join. [/size]

A second priority is to establish a web site to be the centrepiece of effective communication between Olympic collectors worldwide.[/size]

AICO will now also start a process to seek formal recognition from the IOC for the right to be called an "IOC Officially Recognised Organisation". [/size]

This process is expected to take six to nine months to complete and will give AICO the same status as other organisations, including the Olympic Historians Society.[/size]

More information, including about how to join AICO, can be found by contacting Ait-Braham at [/size]secretaire@afcos.org

[memorabilia]

Around The Rings podcast about AICO and the Lausanne 2014 Fair :

https://soundcloud.com/aroundtherings/atr-podcast-olympic-collectors-fair

http://www.aroundtherings.com/site/A__47135/Title__ATR-Podcast----Olympic-Collectors-Fair/292/Articles