1 — Who’s behind this bid 1. introduction to bidding entity: a. Define and describe the bidding entity, agency, or consortium. Helsinki (Helsinki region) unified metropolitan area of Helsinki, Espoo, vantaa, kauniainen and Lahti municipalities. b. identify the designated contact person for the WDC bid process. this person will be responsible to all correspondence regarding the WDC 2012 bid process. Please provide the following information: Name: mr. Pekka timonen Title: Cultural Director Organisation: City of Helsinki Mailing Address: City of Helsinki Cultural Office simonkatu 3 Pb 4710 Fi 00099 City of Helsinki Telephone number: +358 9 310 37000, +358 50 3374386 (mobile) Fax number: +358 9 310 37009 Email Address: pekka.timonen@hel.fi d. Give an overview of the administrative structure and decision-making protocols for the bidding entity. An organisational chart may be included for clarification the highest decision-making entity is the City Council. the Council makes the most important financial decisions as well as those related to City administration. the Council further vests their powers in other organs such as the City board, various committees and boards and individual officials. the Council elects the members of the City organs and makes the appointments to the most important offices. in Helsinki, the City board accepts applications for all major international events and programmes. this WDC 2012 application was accepted by the City board on the 23rd of march 2009. Decisions involving the Helsinki region are co-ordinated by City boards and regular mayor’s meetings. the WDC 2012 application is also similarily officially accepted and supported by four other metropolitan municipalities: Espoo, vantaa, kauniainen, and Lahti. the bidding entity is supported by the Government of Finland. three ministries—the ministry of Employment and the Economy, ministry of Education and Culture, and ministry of Foreign Affairs— are represented in the Helsinki WDC 2012 organising committee. Open Helsinki — Embedding Design in Life World Design Capital 2012 Application