Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Van Wagner Productions Grooms Next Wave of Professionals With Van Wagner Academy

Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games has established the Van Wagner Academy in partnership with Van Wagner Productions, a Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment Company. Van Wagner Academy is an educational program designed to teach young professionals productions skills, including scriptwriting, show-calling, on-site producing, video production, and more. In collaboration with the local organizing committee, Van Wagner Academy will select 100 high school and university students to learn from some of the best sport presentation professionals in the world.

In keeping with Lausanne 2020’s mission of the Games being an event for youth, by youth, and with youth; the students who participate in the Van Wagner Academy will have the unique opportunity to apply their new skills at the Games.

“All of us at Van Wagner Productions share in the Youth Olympic Games’ vision of developing the virtues of sport in young people around the world,” said Paul Kalil, CEO of Van Wagner Productions. “Van Wagner Academy is our way of giving back to the international community that has been so good to us the world leader in sport presentation and video production by providing young people an avenue to enter the world of sport off the field of play.”

The program will start in October 2019 and be led by Van Wagner Productions Executive Producer Christy Nicolay. “We’re investing in the future of our business and our sport. We look forward to showing the world the important role of sport presentation and video production with Lausanne 2020,” said Kalil.

“We are so pleased to be working with Van Wagner Productions on this unique partnership. It embodies Lausanne 2020’s mission to be a true developer of talents, leaders and sports ambassadors,” said Ian Logan, CEO, Lausanne 2020. “Since the beginning, we have been working in collaboration with young people, involving in every aspect of the Youth Olympic Games, not just on the field of play but also in the preparation of the Games themselves. And now for the first time ever, through the Van Wagner Academy, young people will be involved in delivering the Games!”