You can also watch the HD version on Polytech’s web site.

Phase 1: October 1998-2001

Philippe Lebeau, chief executive and triathlete, launches the project of Annecy as candidate to organize the winter Olympic Games. He shares the concept with Patrice Edwards who follows him with enthousiasm in the adventure. Philippe Lebeau creates a commission within the Annecy JCE (Chamber of Commerce of young entrepreneurs) to study the feasibility of the project. An opinion poll is conducted by the Annecy University Institute of Technology on the public support for such a project in the region: the results are very positive.

During the next three years, hundreds of consultations are organized, and conclude to the legitimacy of Annecy as potential organizer of the winter Olympic Games.

Phase 2: 2001-2002

Creation in March 2001 of the non-profit association Olympliquons-Nous supporting the Annecy candidacy, now named Impliquons-Nous. Philippe Lebeau is the founding president. The objective is to convince elected officials to create an Organization Committee and to mobilize the population behind the project. Quickly the association counts 1000 members.

Under the initiative of Roger Pirot, Impliquons-Nous assembles the Chief Executives of 7 major international companies headquartered around Annecy (Entremont, Maped, Mobalpa, PSB, Salomon, Somfy, Tefal) in the Leaders Group. Unanimously, they understand that the project will be beneficial to the image of the region, and hence to their own image and will help attract future employees. They agree to let their managers actively help the project, particularly in the areas of strategy, finance, and marketing. Above all, from this first meeting, “they observe that the Games stayed focused until now on the sporting event itself and its direct participants… However the values of sport could also be associated with several other areas which represent the challenges of the future: education, environment…”

The promotion of the values of sport as an element of the education of the youth will be from then one one of the main missions of Impliquons-Nous.

Phase 3: 2002-2005

2002

• Encouraging meeting with Jean-Claude Killy during the 10-year celebration of Albertville 1992.
• Formal city council on March 25: announcement from the city of Annecy and the Haute-Savoie County of the candicacy of Annecy for the 2014 Olympic Games.
• The regional Olympic and sporting committee fully supports the project and Impliquons-Nous. It’s the start of a particularly lasting and efficient collaboration.
• Dozens of brainstorming meetings with people from all horizons are organized throughout the year
• Full support from the DCF (Sales and Marketing leaders of France)
• On May 28, meeting with Anne-Marie Comparini, then-president of the Rhône-Alpes region.
• November 15 & 16: a delegation from the Mayor of Annecy’s office and from Impliquons-Nous is hosted by the TOROC, the Torino Organization Committee for the 2006 Olympic Games. Their marketing strategy is presented, and completed by the visit of several competition sites.

2003

• •Creation of the commission “Geostrategy and Olympic Studies” by Rémy Naville. On the first meeting’s agenda: “Creation of a bimonthly study” which will spawn a magazine, main communication vehicle of Impliquons-Nous until 2007. That magazine was the ancestor of ALPEO, still a partner of Impliquons-Nous.
• TV8 Mont-Blanc [local TV station] organizes an ambitious show about the candidacy. Several hundred people attend on the set.
• Leveraging the thinking set by the Leaders Group, Impliquons-Nous presents an original concept of Games as “sustainable event”, allowing a campaign around the Olympic values, mixing together several generations and particularly focusing on the youngest one.
• First meeting of the Candidacy Committee Annecy Haute Savoie Mont-Blanc 2014, the creation of which was one important objective of Impliquons-Nous. The president and 3 vice-presidents of the association are members of the Committee.

2004

• First actual achievement: the Olymplicîmes, Sports Values Festival. 500 children wearing t-shirts printed with the Olympic values gather on the Annecy stadium to participate in sporting competitions organized by the USEP (French sport federation for primary schools), with the support of the City of Annecy and with the presence of Olympic medalists and great sport competitors.
  For this occasion, André Dussolier, famous actor from this region, writes: “For me, Annecy is already a dream city, and to imagine Annecy as an Olympic city is to dream my city as a magnificent, a most beautiful, a very cheerful town”.
  Other events follow within the Festival: a conference (The Olympism, educational value), public workshops on Olympic values with enthusiasts, high-level sport competitors, experts, and an award ceremony for managers and athletes of all disciplines from the region.

2005

• The association counts 1450 members
• 2nd edition of the Sports Values Festival.
• Development of the Small Business Club, with close to 30 members in June.
• Series of conferences: “High mountains and the sportive Man” and “The risk of genetic doping in sport”
• Presentation of a detailed project by the “Candidature File” Commission chaired by Pierre-François Verdier, very advanced compared to other French cities: concept based on Olympic values, profitability, draft of competition and administrative sites…
• Decision of the French National Olympic Committee in July: France will not be represented for the 2014 competition.

Phase 4: July 2005-September 24, 2008

Bernard Bosson, Mayor of Annecy, consults Impliquons-Nous. Philippe Lebeau recommends to continue the adventure and to launch the candidacy for 2018. After a debate within the City Council, Annecy restarts the candidacy process. Serge Martinot becomes the 2nd president of Impliquons-Nous.

2006

• Botanic, TSL and Vuarnet join the Leaders Group.
• Nordic Ski World Cup at La Clusaz: several hundred children watch the competition wearing shirts printed with the Olympic values
• Under the leadership of Serge Martinot, design of an ecological Foundation towards “A sportive momentum for the sustainable management of water in mountains”.

2007

• Impliquons-Nous continues its involvement in the promotion of the values of sport towards children and teenagers. The association’s contribution allows more than 3500 children to attend matches of the Rugby World Cup.

2008

• Patrice Edwards becomes the 3rd president of Impliquons-Nous
• Attendance at the Athletics European Cup, organized in June in Annecy
• Membership of Evian and EDF in the Leaders Group
• First meeting of the “Small Business Club for Annecy 2018”
• Participation of 1500 children in the Scolahand (handball) event organized by USEP
• Impliquons-Nous brings titled athletes to speak in primary schools, within an educational project designed with the state education Academy, on the theme of the values of sport. Successful experiments are done with Isabelle Mouthon (Triathlon World Champion), Edgar Grospiron (Freestyle Ski Olympic Champion), Stéphane Brosse (Cross-Country Ski World Champion) and Patrick Lepetit (Silver medalist, Handball World Championship). An “educational project” document is being signed to plan the participation of more than 40 titled athletes who have accepted to speak in primary schools during the 2008/2009 school year.

Phase 5: September 24, 2008-March 18, 2009

• On September 24, 2008, the French National Olympic Committee opens a request for application to French cities for the organization of the 2018 Olympic Games
• Annecy’s French competitors are Grenoble, Nice and Pelvoux
• On December 1st, Jean-Luc Rigaut (Mayor of Annecy), Christian Monteil (president of the Haute-Savoie County Council) and Bernard Accoyer (Representative and Mayor of Annecy-le-Vieux, and president of the National Assembly) officially launch the city candidacy for 2018.
• On December 17, at the initiative of Impliquons-Nous, more than 700 business leaders confirm their commitment to support the candidacy project.
• On December 19, the project is presented to Jean-Claude Killy. Young athletes meet and express their belief in the success of Annecy 2018
• Patrice Edwards and Philippe Lebeau are members of the official Steering Committee
• On January 21, 2009, the application is submitted to the French National Olympic Committee and the Annecy 2018 team presents on stage: Antoine Dénériaz, Edgar Grospiron, Perrine Pelen, Gilles Ziglioli, Christian Monteil and Jean-Luc Rigaut.
• The day before the election, on March 17, the Small Business Club of Impliquons-Nous counts 120 company members
• On March 18, Annecy is elected on the 1st round of votes by the French National Olympic Committee to represent France.