The Olympics is undoubtedly the most significant multi-sporting event globally every four years. There are two categories of Olympics – Summer and Winter Olympics, with the former being more popular, attracting millions of followers globally.
The Olympics has evolved significantly since the 1896 inaugural tournament in Athens, Greece, which involved 245 male competitors 43 competitions spread across nine broad disciplines. The 2021 edition in Tokyo, Japan, featured 33 sports and 339 events.
Organizing and successfully staging the Olympics is among the most complex assignments event organizers undertake in the moderning sporting world. The event’s scope, scale, and complexity require high-level multi-sectoral planning and collaboration to make the event successful.
The Tokyo Olympics were held under one of the most challenging environments when Covid-19 ravaged the world, disrupting every aspect of human activity. Minimal human contact was being advocated to contain the spread of the virus. Nonetheless, the organizers were able to pull off what looked like an impossible mission and stage a successful event amid the pandemic.
Lessons to Other Event Organizers
Any aspiring or experienced event organizer can learn much from the Olympics and apply the knowledge in their events. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has a Knowledge Transfer Platform where aspiring hosts can learn from the experiences the past organizers.
Most cities bidding to host the Olympics are doing it for the first time: Therefore, the Knowledge Transfer Platform is a very important source of information for them.
The following are lessons you can pick from the Olympics organizers:
Outline Your Objectives
Countries bidding to host the Olympics provide clear objectives of what they intend to achieve from the tournament and how the participants and all stakeholders will gain. This helps them design strategies to achieve the objectives.
An event planner with clearly laid down objectives can organize a successful event by creating a plan to achieve them.
Your Brand Identity is Key
Almost every sports fan can identify the Olympic logo, arguably one of the most recognizable logos globally. It has been the same for over 100 years without changing.
Create a strong brand that everybody can recognize and avoid rebranding many times. Some companies rebrand for big events, which is not advisable as it makes it look unreliable. Your brand identity matters, and unnecessary changes might not achieve the intended purposes.
However adding a logo or colors that signify an event that is happening can help a brand move with the trends. Some sites like OS GUIDE know how to take advantage of branding during Olympics.
We are in the Era of Social Media
Organizers of the last few Olympics understood the impact of social media and have utilized that to their benefit. Several instances during the event have been amplified on social media by making them viral. The “disappointed” face of McKayla Maroney and Michael Phelps “death stare are some examples that went viral.
You can use social media to put your brand on the global map. Create something memorable to engage your attendees and encourage them to share with their networks. This will help your audience and brand to grow.
Site Visits are Important
The Rio Olympics taught the importance of site visits before the main event occurred. Australian national team arrived at the Olympic Village only to find uninhabitable accommodation with blocked toilets, gas smell, exposed wires, and plumbing leaks. The team was moved to an alternative hotel as fixes were being conducted.
Site selection is essential to event planning, and site visits are crucial to avoid last-minute shocks. As an event planner, I visit the venue in person before the actual day to ensure that all the necessities are available. This will guarantee the comfort of your attendees.
Security is Priority
Security, in any event, is paramount and Olympic organizers have demonstrated it by the elaborate measures they undertake to ensure the safety of every participant.
Athletes at Rio Olympics reported being mugged and their valuables stolen from their rooms. Brazil’s government hired 85,000 security personnel to boost security by patrolling Olympic venues and key installations such as airports.
Event planners can borrow a leaf from Olympic Organizers to elaborate security measures to ensure their events are secure. Plan for emergency procedures to cover accidents and other emergencies.
Teach basic safety procedures to attendees to enable them to act accordingly in case of security breaches such as fire breakouts.
