Replacing the original logo featuring the ‘globe and the torch’, the new brand mark was designed by “Pacific Icon”, a Samoan company responsible for the South Pacific Games 2007 brand mark.
Earlier in 2008, a number of designs options were received from various interested artists, and on September 22 at the Council’s General Assembly in Rarotonga, the successful version was chosen by an overwhelming majority of the 22 member nations and territories.
The brief that accompanied the design stated that the new logo had to encapsulate the image of the Pacific Ocean (the common geographical and cultural feature all 22 members share); it had to represent the Pacific’s three regions (Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia), and it had to have a horizontal structure so that like the Olympic and Commonwealth Games brand marks, it could sit comfortably beneath the logo of an organizing committee or beneath the logo of a team coming to the Games. This was something the original ‘globe and the torch’ logo was not designed for.
Meanwhile, the Executive Board of the Pacific Games Council has completed its negotiations with a number of international federations concerning the use of their sport’s eligibility regulations at the 2011 Pacific Games.
Consequently, the following three sports will have their competitions designated as official qualification events by their respective international federations:
CRICKET – all matches will be deemed by the International Cricket Council as “Official Internationals” meaning that participating countries have the opportunity to move up into a higher ICC membership category.
FOOTBALL – the Men’s event will be the first stage qualification for the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where the Pacific Games gold, silver and bronze medal winning teams will progress to a second stage tournament against New Zealand. In the Women’s event, the Pacific Games gold medal winning team will progress to a second stage play-off with New Zealand with a spot at the London 2012 Olympic Games available for the play-off winner.
TENNIS – the Oceania Tennis Federation will use the Pacific Games as an official selection event for the Pacific Oceania Davis Cup (Men) and Federation Cup (Women) teams.
The 14th Pacific Games were awarded to New Caledonia, who defeated Solomon Islands when bids were considered by the Council at the General Assembly held in Palau in July 2005.
The 2011 Pacific Games will have the maximum number of sports, 28, and these sports will be confirmed by the organizing Committee by August 2009.
NC2011 has constituted an organizing Committee, whose President is Pascale Bastien-Thiry and whose Vice President is Charles Cali (the President of CTOS, the host Pacific Games Association). Philippe LePoul is the CEO of NC2011.
