Friday, May 13, 2005

Friend advances Dalai Lama's visit here

Number of ticket-invitations scaled back to 10,000


Kiril Sokoloff

By DANA DUGAN and MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writers

Months after it was announced the Dalai Lama would visit the Wood River Valley in September, it has become apparent that bringing one of the world's most recognized spiritual leaders to the rural West is no easy feat.

Still, investment guru Kiril Sokoloff, a friend of His Holiness and the man behind the planned visit, has nothing but confidence that the arrangements will be fulfilled.

Nevertheless, organizers are trimming the scale of the main appearance by the Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader of Tibetan Buddhists, scheduled to occur on the fourth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Sokoloff said only 10,000 tickets will be offered for the spiritual presentation, and they will not be available on ticketweb.com, as previously stated. Previous reports stated that "less than 50,000 people" would be invited to the Sept. 11, 2001, anniversary gathering.

"The event is about compassion and kindness," Sokoloff said Thursday from Boca Raton, Fla., where his company 13D is located. "We're going to give as much as we can and inconvenience the least amount."

Addressing questions about how security and crowd control will be handled—questions that have been important to Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling—Sokoloff said many logistical aspects of the Dalai Lama's visit still need to be ironed out.

"Whatever his concerns are, we're going to meet them," Sokoloff said. "You have to remember it's only mid-May."

Also, one of Sokoloff's aides said previously that the U.S. State Department is formally responsible for the Dalai Lama's personal security.

Two possible locations are still under consideration for the large public audience on Sunday, Sept. 11, Sokoloff said. One near Silver Creek, but not on property owned by The Nature Conservancy, has been confirmed as a possibility. The other meeting place could be a more restricted venue in the Wood River Valley.

Invitations to prominent American CEOs and money managers have been extended for a private audience at Sokoloff's Ketchum home. Sokoloff said he expects no more than 500 attendees.

In addition, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to give an address to an audience of Idaho's children, Sokoloff said. These plans are still in the works.

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, who requested that His Holiness meet with the children of Idaho, made the official invitation to the Gem State.

The Dalai Lama is also scheduled during his visit to dedicate a large Tibetan prayer wheel in Ketchum.

Meanwhile, Friedman Memorial Airport authorities are anticipating a major traffic jam of aircraft when corporate executives invited to meet with the Dalai Lama arrive in their jets in September. Although 500 senior executives have been invited, airport Manager Rick Baird said he has no firm idea of how many might descend on the field in corporate jets, but that flight restrictions are likely when more details become available of the meeting's guest list.

Editor's Note: The full interview with Sokoloff will appear in the Mountain Express on Wednesday, May 18.




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