Reinventing Olympic overlay

The Summer Olympics in Sydney 2000 set a new standard for Games overlay – effectively changing forever how host cities approach operational planning for large global events. Here’s how they ushered in a new era for the Olympics

By Nigel Dickson

Planning and coordinating Games overlay work is a specialist activity conducted by a small number of highly experienced practitioners around the globe. Half a dozen expert companies have skills that can be effectively used for Games overlay planning, thus removing risk, facilitating understanding of complex parameters and creating an organisational framework for planning major international sports events. Many of these groups grew out of the planning for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

Sydney Olympic planners went back to basics
to understandevery facet of major sporting
event planning

Why did this occur? After many operational difficulties at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics the Sydney Olympic Games planners went back to the basics to understand every facet of major sporting event planning. They thoroughly dissected all the planning of operational issues for large televised sporting events. Many of those who were involved were Australian architects and project managers who had designed and built complex factories, commercial towers and infrastructure. These people added a new dimension to the sports event skills that already existed in Australia.

Today many of those who were involved in the heady days leading up to the organisation of Sydney Olympic Games have stayed connected with Games planning for subsequent events including Salt Lake 2002, Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, Athens 2004, Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, and Doha 2006 Asian Games. Some have roles in the lead up to Beijing 2008 as well as the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010 and other events including the Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cups, as well as advising many bidding cities.

There are a number of key reasons why this occurred. Firstly, the Sydney Games area was like starting from scratch. There were no venues of any substance; Homebush Bay was distant from the downtown and had limited resources. The planners had to design the parameters for roads and rail links that were being designed and the capacity needed to be established.

Next, Atlanta did not provide a ready role model, since Sydney had almost all venues concentrated at Homebush Bay as well as the Athletes’ Village in a total start-up phase which was so different to the previous Games models. Games planners had to reconcile an on-site load where operational requirements would be at capacity for extended periods peaking at 500,000 people a day.

Furthermore, Sydney was removed from the northern hemisphere and borrowed expertise was hard to come by. Australians have always prided themselves on their inventiveness under adverse circumstances and this rallied a type of enthusiastic professionalism. Games planners created complex models and visualisations of operations to pre-plan the event.

Games planning uses design and planning techniques and processes drawn from project management and design. Workshopping techniques are used to facilitate and train venue organisers.

Games planners work very closely with the key managers who will look after the various functional areas including: security, accreditation, logistics, catering, transport, sponsors, VIP spectator services, ceremonies, athletes, press and broadcast, sports presentation and venue management.

Planners also work effectively with the bidding team to understand the bid strategy, stakeholder relationships and interests. The inter-connection of Games financial planning, broadcast rights, sponsor relationships, ticketing, procurement, licensing and merchandising is the knowledge foundation for Games planners.

Much of Games planning is also about training and working with potential venue managers, with the right mixture of experience and skills to oversee the event preparation, test events and event operations. Understanding the decision-making processes necessary to develop facilities for an event, including the infrastructure and volunteer satisfaction, is essential. Realising post-Games benefits including tourism is a critical issue that begins with Games planning.

Most Games have a common pattern whereby attention is given to the creation of new venues with brave architectural expressions. While these symbolic buildings may have a use in developing the Games identity and national pride, Games planners need to work beyond the political circumstances and deal with all the necessities of the Games. Most often this is dealing with the clever and cost-effective use of existing facilities, as well as temporary venues.

Because Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Cups are enormous events with national pride, budgets and accountability, venues and resources are pushed beyond their normal operating capabilities. Stadiums which normally hold 40,000 need to be converted for extended operation with large demands for broadcast, press, catering, logistics and spectator services beyond the designed capacity. Accreditation regimes need to be put in place to deal with the various stakeholders which invariably are beyond the standards for the original venues. The working footprint of a major venue in Games mode may be three to four times its normal full capacity mode.

Events like yachting, mountain biking and beach volleyball require temporary venues to be created amongst residential and commercial neighbourhoods where the sensitivities of existing land uses are paramount. Games planners need to pre-empt political issues with temporary venues and consider options carefully. Temporary venues can affect transport and due to the publicity of large events the fall-out may be greater than the actual effect itself.

Games planners must work closely with the existing venue management team, through the Games organisers, to appreciate the existing venues fully and consider the manner in which the Games overlay must be coordinated.

Some of the key tasks that Games planners prepare are Operational Plans. These are scaled coloured plans which indicate all of the precinct-specific approved user requirements in colour. These drawings show the full secure perimeter of the precinct or venue in relation to the surrounding area including public transport arrival points, and local road system.

The secure perimeter is identified clearly; the back-of-house areas for all of the functions can operate with sufficient area, and allow access for deliveries; dedicated transport access for athletes and VIPs is secured; broadcast compounds are positioned with principal cable routes identified; emergency access and egress and crowd breakout areas are identified; crowd assembly areas are identified and the areas for spectators are secured and appropriately sized.

There is transport access including: all transport type routes and secure compound entry area and remote parking areas; vehicle sweeps and accesses, boot and bonnet inspection areas, taxi drop-off and pick-up locations; accreditation check points at all venue entries and centres as appropriate; sponsor vehicle access, drop-off and pick-up and vehicle parking areas.

There are security check points and access including: access to and from the precinct security command; parking areas for security vehicles within a venue; plus arrivals from remote parking and public transport arrival.

Other aspects of running a venue are also indicated on Operational Plans. Medical stations associated with spectator services areas will be shown; logistics compounds and containers will be shown for the various concessions, with the associated vehicle access and security check locations; catering, including back-of-house storage areas and containers; as well as vehicle access routes and manoeuvring areas.

Broadcast compounds, depending on the layout information provided by the broadcasters’ principal cable reticulation trays and secure fencing, may be shown together with: generators and satellite positions; OB (outside broadcast) van parking areas and ENG (electronic news gathering) vehicle parking; VIP access, drop-off and pick-up in relation to the secure perimeter and security check points; athlete arrival and drop-off locations in relation to the secure perimeter; vehicle manoeuvring areas; and technology requirements, including UPS, generators, and air-handling equipment; venue management areas; plus staff and volunteer areas, including entry, uniform stores and change rooms.

The operation needs of all Games are complex, and finding the best fit for the metropolis is daunting for any successful bidding city. Most successful cities are busy economies functioning at capacity, so the Olympic Games are a burden on the already strained resources.