VANOC mission team to draw from Beijing 2008 Games experience as 2010 approaches
July 16, 2008
VANCOUVER, BC – In preparation for the
2010 Winter Games, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is sending a small
mission team to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the Beijing 2008
Paralympic Games. The team will attend the Games to gain valuable
insights and knowledge on certain aspects of Games operations as
part of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) and
International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) observer
programs for future Games Host and Bid Cities.
“While this will be Beijing’s moment on the world stage, there will still be much to learn from their hard work and preparations,” said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. “This will be our last opportunity to see, first-hand, the impact of the Games on a Host City, how the Organizing Committee handles the unexpected and to identify areas where we might find further efficiencies to create the best possible experience in 2010.”
VANOC is sending staff to the Beijing 2008 Games on a rotating basis to minimize costs while maintaining a full workforce complement in Vancouver and Whistler to continue planning and preparations. In total, VANOC will send a team of 36 to the Olympic Games and a team of 12 to the Paralympic Games. Given that VANOC has a significantly reduced official role at the Beijing 2008 Games, this is a much smaller team (approximately half the size) than the one that participated in the Torino 2006 Winter Games.
Key staff will attend the Games at times which coincide with the opportunity to gain knowledge in specific areas. In addition to various working meetings with stakeholders and partners, VANOC team members will participate in Olympic and Paralympic observer tours and roundtable sessions in areas such as accommodation, ceremonies, sponsorship, technology, transportation, ticketing and volunteer management.
With 25,000 accredited media forecast to attend the Beijing 2008 Games, VANOC will take advantage of the opportunity to build relationships; gain enhanced understanding of the media’s Games-time needs and expectations; and share VANOC’s story as the next Games. Together with the Canadian Olympic Committee and the 2010 Tourism Consortium, VANOC will operate a media relations service in the Main Press Centre for the duration of the Games.
Several of VANOC’s corporate and sport partners, at their own cost, have seconded a total of 13 VANOC staff to join their teams during the Games in such areas as sponsorship, medical services, accommodation, and transportation.
As part of a separate and unique program, VANOC has seconded 9 staff to work directly for the Beijing Organizing Committee where they will participate in functions such as press operations, doping control, protocol and technology. These secondments provide a valuable opportunity for VANOC’s team to gain first-hand experience in Games-time operations.
The budget for VANOC’s Beijing 2008 mission team, included in VANOC’s approved and published business plan, is approximately $600,000 including flights, accommodation, transportation, security and logistics.
International Olympic Committee Update and Approvals — Executive Board Meeting, Beijing, August 2008
John Furlong will deliver an update, by teleconference, to the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting on August 3, 2008. Items for review include:
“While this will be Beijing’s moment on the world stage, there will still be much to learn from their hard work and preparations,” said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. “This will be our last opportunity to see, first-hand, the impact of the Games on a Host City, how the Organizing Committee handles the unexpected and to identify areas where we might find further efficiencies to create the best possible experience in 2010.”
VANOC is sending staff to the Beijing 2008 Games on a rotating basis to minimize costs while maintaining a full workforce complement in Vancouver and Whistler to continue planning and preparations. In total, VANOC will send a team of 36 to the Olympic Games and a team of 12 to the Paralympic Games. Given that VANOC has a significantly reduced official role at the Beijing 2008 Games, this is a much smaller team (approximately half the size) than the one that participated in the Torino 2006 Winter Games.
Key staff will attend the Games at times which coincide with the opportunity to gain knowledge in specific areas. In addition to various working meetings with stakeholders and partners, VANOC team members will participate in Olympic and Paralympic observer tours and roundtable sessions in areas such as accommodation, ceremonies, sponsorship, technology, transportation, ticketing and volunteer management.
With 25,000 accredited media forecast to attend the Beijing 2008 Games, VANOC will take advantage of the opportunity to build relationships; gain enhanced understanding of the media’s Games-time needs and expectations; and share VANOC’s story as the next Games. Together with the Canadian Olympic Committee and the 2010 Tourism Consortium, VANOC will operate a media relations service in the Main Press Centre for the duration of the Games.
Several of VANOC’s corporate and sport partners, at their own cost, have seconded a total of 13 VANOC staff to join their teams during the Games in such areas as sponsorship, medical services, accommodation, and transportation.
As part of a separate and unique program, VANOC has seconded 9 staff to work directly for the Beijing Organizing Committee where they will participate in functions such as press operations, doping control, protocol and technology. These secondments provide a valuable opportunity for VANOC’s team to gain first-hand experience in Games-time operations.
The budget for VANOC’s Beijing 2008 mission team, included in VANOC’s approved and published business plan, is approximately $600,000 including flights, accommodation, transportation, security and logistics.
International Olympic Committee Update and Approvals — Executive Board Meeting, Beijing, August 2008
John Furlong will deliver an update, by teleconference, to the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting on August 3, 2008. Items for review include:
-
the Olympic Competition Schedule by hour
-
status of the design of the workforce uniforms
-
accreditation procedures update
-
the Rate Card Program
VANOC will provide further detail on the outcome of its
presentation following the meeting.
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