With the XX Winter Olympics in Turin winding up to a close this evening, both Fiat and Lancia report that their activities in the Sponsors Village, the Casa Fiat and Lancia Ice Bar respectively, have been a huge success.

In the two weeks since the Sponsor Village opened to the public, around 400,000 people have visited the sprawling area located in the central Piazza Solferino which houses the man promotional activities of all the official partners of the 'Torino 2006' Games. In particular, the peak was reached on Sunday 12th February with more than 27,921 visitors entering the Village, and then on Saturday 18th February with 25,673 arriving. More than two thousand people have worked hard night and day to ensure the project's success, with around three hundred security staff and policemen attending every day to keep public order running smoothly on the site.

Amongst the higher 'numbers' at the Sponsor Village, 35,000 people to date have skated on the "GE Ice Plaza", 16,000 glasses of ice have been used for consuming beverages in the "Lancia Ice Bar" and 1,450 euros was the price that Alberto Tomba's ski outfit fetched during an auction. 30,000 hot chocolates have been sold at Nordic Village "Neutrogena" and over 20,000 tattoos of the Italian flag have been applied on the Fiat stand; 60,000 mini cans of Coca-Cola have also been given out free.

Fiat and Lancia have been heavily involved in the running Torino 2006, which is taking place in the middle of their historic home city, and have ably entertained the thousands of visitors streaming into the Sponsors Village for the last fortnight.
 

Both brands have presented a range of activities that have been designed to also allow people to see their respective model ranges close-up. The Lancia Ice Bar, which was constructed out of a ton of crystal-clear ice obtained at great effort from freezing waters of the River Torne in Sweden, has been an judged an overwhelming success, its unique style, theme and direction perfectly fitting with the Lancia brand's core values.

This stunning bar, another step in Lancia's year-long centenary celebrations, was the outcome of a joint venture between the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi and the Lancia brand. It has been open since 9th February every day from 10 am to 10 pm allowing visitors to sip fruit juices, aperitifs or drinks out of ice glasses. It will close for the last time tomorrow evening. The Lancia Ice Bar has organised themed evenings, meetings and presentations, presided over by its hostess, the figure skating champion Carolina Kostner, a proponent and star of the Lancia Ice project. Lancia's staff have wrapped up guests in thick cloaks and gloves from Lapland, enable the temperature inside the Lancia Ice Bar to be kept at a constant -5°C. Current Lancia models have been displayed, which video footage has blended their cars abilities' neatly with the speed and ability needed to take part in the ice skating discipline.