Opening and closing ceremonies, and finals

The following text is an extract of EVF rules:

These are the “highlights” of the European Veterans Fencing Championships, for the media and the audience, therefore their staging must be produced to a high standard to leave a pleasurable experience, without compromising the sporting component.
The organisers must pay special attention to:
• the aesthetics of the scene
• the ease of understanding for the on site and televisionaudiences
• the ease of filming for TV cameramen and photographs
• the respect of the schedule
• the officialprotocol
• the reliability of the equipment.
The Organising Committee will designate a person in charge of the protocol and of the general organisation of these phases, the Protocol Manager.

The Protocol Manager, under the supervision of the EVFC President :
a) ensures that the EVFC protocol is followed in conformity with the EVFC Administrative Rules;
b) establishes the order of priority of seats in the VIP box ;
c) ensures the security service enforces the rules concerning occupancy of the reserved or assigned seats;
d) constantly communicates with the EVFC President or his/her representative to get and communicate the name of the EVFC personality and/or others who will present the awards;
e) is responsible, and contributes to the organisation of the award ceremonies, in cooperation with the President of the EVFC or his/her representative.

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony must be organised just before the first final of the European Veteran Fencing Championships and must respect the following order:
a) an optional interlude (small show) of short duration (20 minutes maximum)
b) ) a parade of participating nations flags
c) brief speeches (2 minutes maximum per speaker) of the Organising Federation’s President, of any guest of honour and eventually the EVFC President, pronounced from a lectern equipped with microphone, installed on the final’s podium
d) the declaration by the EVFC President that the European Veteran Individual/Team (as applicable) Championships are open
e) the hoisting of the EVFC flag, while the anthem of Europe (Ode to Joy) is played.

The ceremony will not last more than half an hour.

Running of a final

a) Presentation of the finalists:
• announcement of their respective sporting achievements (their 2 best most representative results)
• the fencers must be dressed in fencing clothes, with a weapon in their hand. They must salute the public, weaponguard to the chin.
• Their sporting achievements will have been collected beforehand.
b) Presentation of the referees.
c) Fencers and referees will have been instructed beforehand about the introduction ceremony and the etiquette process relating to the prize-givingceremony.
d) The bouts must begin immediately after the presentation. The fencers must present themselves fully dressed and ready to fence, with their weapons checked.
e) With the exception of the first day when the final will follow the opening ceremony, the finalbouts will take place as soon as possible after the last semi-final, all semi-finalswill be fenced one after the other, follone as soon as possible by the finals.
f) The medals and anyprizes must be awarded quickly after the last final each day.
The following must be ready or prepared as quickly as possible:
• the podium.
• the medals, (trophies and flowers optional).
• the national flags of the finalists ready for hosting at base of the mast.
• the National anthem of the Gold medalwinner.
The officials scheduled to award the prizes will have been warned beforehand and will be led from the stand of honour to the podium by a hostess.
The security personnel must ensure that the piste is not invaded by the public.
As their places are announced, the finalists, previously informed, must arrive in official track-suits (zipped up to throat), without weapons, on the podium.

The ceremony will not last more than half an hour.

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony must be organised just after the last final of the European Veterans Fencing Championships and it must respect the following order:
• speech of the Organising Federation’s President
• speech of the EVFC President, closing the European Veteran Fencing Championships
• the EVFC flag is slowly brought down the mast, while the anthem of Europe (Ode to Joy) is played. If the next year’s Championships have already been awarded, the President of the Organising Federation, or his/her representative, then gives the EVFC flag to the EVFC President or to his/her representative, who in turn passes it to the President of the next Organising Federation, or his/her representative.
• The EVFC flag must be returned to the EVFC President or his or her representative after the closing ceremony.

The Master of Ceremonies

The Master of Ceremonies, will conduct all these public phases and is chosen for the quality of his or her voice.
The animation must:
• be reserved
• spoken in one of the EVFC official languages first, then in the language of the organising country
• not interfere during the bouts and must not comment on the referee’s decisions.
• Empty periods must be filled (entertainment, shows, background music…).