POWERGRAMS

23 "All the bids we received were of very high quality, and it was not easy for us to reach a decision," Perurena said. "We have to deliver nothing less than outstanding World Games. We are convinced that Birmingham will exceed these expectations." Porter was named chairman in the summer of 2016. He succeeded Edgar Welden, who was instrumental in securing the bid for Birmingham. Porter quickly started raising support for a $75 million campaign. He points out it is a team effort with the private sector, the city of Birmingham, the state of Alabama and public entities, in addition to community groups and volunteers. In September 2016, the planning commiee hosted IWGA CEO Joachim Gossow and Hagan Bossdorf, the IWGA media coordinator. This past March, the World Games Foundation named DJ Mackovets the chief executive officer for the World Games 2021. Hailing from Atlanta, Mackovets is no stranger to the complexities of international sporting events. With nearly 40 years of experience in event planning, transportation and logistics, he has held positions for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival, Goodwill Games, World Football Challenge, World Police and Fire Games, Super Bowls, Major League Baseball All-Star Week and U.S. Figure Skating Championships. "We believe DJ Mackovets is more than qualified for this position," Porter said. "His talents and expertise have been displayed on the world stage and we are very pleased to bring him on board." Mackovets envisions how the games will make an impact. "The World Games 2021 will certainly be a showcase opportunity for Birmingham and I am very excited to be a part of the planning and delivery team for this event," Mackovets said. Porter, Mackovets and the planning commiee are energized by the estimated $256 million economic impact and the worldwide visibility the World Games will bring to Alabama. "We are going to make sure everyone has a tremendous experience when they travel to Birmingham and our state for this event," Porter said. "It's the Southern hospitality we know we have, in culinary, lodging, accommodations, aractions. When people leave Birmingham, we want them to do business, talk about and live in Birmingham." The 2021 World Games are expected to bring more than 4,000 athletes in about 35 sports from 100 countries. Athletes, spectators and media from around the world will visit 26 venues across the Birmingham area during the 11-day event. "In addition to the sporting experience, there is an even broader impact the World Games will bring. It's the connections, something sustainable for our city and our state," Porter said. All this will become closer to reality this summer. In the closing ceremony of the World Games in Poland on July 30, the official flag will be handed over to the representatives of Birmingham. The Birmingham World Games are planned for July 15-25, 2021. Porter is excited to see the unifying effort of the entire city pitching in to host the games in which more than 4,000 volunteers will assist. "The eyes of the world are going to be on Birmingham. We will need everyone pitching in to make this event a success. We'll be working together to make the World Games 2021 an event the world will not forget and that Birmingham will be proud of for years to come," Porter said. "The eyes of the world are going to be on Birmingham."

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