Atos, the Worldwide IT Partner of the Olympic Games since 1989, has signed a contract with the Finnish Olympic Committee (FOC) that includes IT services, sponsorship of local triathlete and joint marketing initiatives until 2018. 

The Olympic Games is one of the world’s biggest IT-projects, its scope bringing special challenges to IT management systems and infrastructure. Atos has been a key technology provider for the Olympic Movement since 1989, when it provided services to the Barcelona 1992 Organising Committee, and is now delivering IT for the upcoming Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games.

“It’s great to see how the international player Atos implements the IT during the Olympic Games in Rio. We will utilize this know-how also in Finland in our own IT-projects of the Finnish Olympic team,” said Ville Köngäs, Client Manager at the Finnish Olympic Committee.

“We pursue to reach a point where our own performance in IT-related issues will raise into a totally new level enabled by Atos.”

As part of the cooperation, audiences will be able to follow the sporting life and competition preparations of ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship silver-medalist Kaisa Lehtonen through social media channels. She will also participate in the upcoming Olympic events.

“It is great to be part of the cooperation with the Finnish Olympic Committee and Atos,” said Lehoten.  

“Through the cooperation I can see from a vantage point the big role technology has also on our athletes’ work; and on the other hand let people follow my daily life as an athlete.

“The cooperation enables me to prepare determinedly to the upcoming competitions and helps me on my way to be part of the ultimate top of the world athletes.”

Atos provides consulting & systems integration services, managed services & BPO, cloud operations, big data & cyber-security solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry.

The Group works with clients across a number of other business sectors including defence, financial services, health, manufacturing, media, utilities, public sector, retail, telecommunications and transportation.

Harri Saikkonen, Managing Director of Atos in Finland said “It is fantastic to start a local cooperation with the Finnish Olympic Committee. Being successful in sports and business has many common elements. Gold-medal achievements and succeeding in international arenas requires from companies an unconditional work ethic, at the same level as top athletes when preparing for competitions. 

“Like FOC fosters the blue-and-white performance of the athletes, we at Atos commit ourselves to empower the performance of Finnish companies into internationally 

The challenges for guaranteeing safety at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the biggest sporting event on the planet, are plentiful, with around 15,000 athletes representing 206 countries and the majority of action concentrated in just one city. 

However, certain aspects receive special attention from the Brazilian Federal Government, as revealed by Andrei Rodrigues, special safety secretary at the Ministry for Justice for major events.

“We have implemented the Integrated Anti-Terrorism Centre, a specific body of police, law enforcement and intelligence, to increase the exchange of information, training and knowledge,” he told rio2016.com. “Police from several countries are working with us, mutual cooperation between countries is vital.”

In 2015, Brazil sent around 100 police officers abroad to learn about the best practices at large international events, including the Boston and Berlin marathons, the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing, the Baku 2015 European Games, the Tour de France and the UN General Assembly.

“We’re going to bring 10,000 officers from the National Force to Rio. And we’ll have almost 5,000 federal police officers from other parts of Brazil,” he said.

Rodrigues is in charge of a body of over 47,000 Brazilian security professionals who will work intensely during August and September. Added to this will be 38,000 members of the armed services, meaning the security operations around the Rio 2016 Games will be the largest in Brazilian history. Thus, Rodrigues maintains full confidence in Rio de Janeiro remaining free from terrorist attacks.

“Brazil is prepared. We have hosted a series of events which have not taken place in any other place, which has allowed us to advance and progress with each step taken”

The vision of the Brazilian Government also involves efforts to make Rio de Janeiro safer as a whole, not only the areas surrounding the Olympic venues. “We cannot think about staging the Games if the city as a whole isn’t safe,” said Rodrigues. “A very large effort is underway to maintain safety on a daily basis.”

With attention focused on Rio de Janeiro, the government promises to be attentive to security in other cities and regions (and not only the football co-host cities). 

“There will probably be an increase in tourism in other places. The Games will signify reinforcement in security, wherever that may be,” Rodrigues said.

Source: rio2016.com

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has backed Rio de Janeiro to deliver a successful Olympic Games in August. 

At the close of its final Coordination Commission visit to the host city, the IOC said the Rio 2016 organising committee is set to resolve “thousands of details” to produce a “great Games”.

“As we enter the final 114 days until the opening of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, and despite the complex political and economic context, we are confident that Brazil and the Brazilians are on track to deliver successful Olympic Games with an outstanding legacy,” said IOC Coordination Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel.

“The last stretch is always the hardest. During the operational phase that we are entering now, there are thousands of details still to manage, and their timely resolution will make the difference between average Games and great Games. The Rio 2016 team is ready to rise to this challenge and deliver Olympic and Paralympic Games that will reflect Brazilians’ warmth, hospitality and passion for sports. We believe that Rio 2016 will make the host nation proud.”

Preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which begin on 5 August 2016, have been beset by organisational problems that have threatened to derail the massive project. 

But in a statement, the IOC said many of the venues are now finished, with the venues 98% complete overall; that 33 test events had been successfully completed with positive feedback from the competing athletes; and that popular backing for the Games remains strong, with over 70% support in Rio de Janeiro – demonstrating that the majority of local citizens see the Games as a positive element in the development of their city and country.

Brazil’s economy was booming when Rio was awarded the Games, but the country is now in the grip of recession. 

“Thanks to the solidarity and support from the IOC, International Federations, and National Olympic Committees during this difficult time for Brazil, we will be ready,” said Rio 2016 President Carlos Arthur Nuzman. 

“We will not be complacent in the last mile. We know that we still have important elements to finalise before the Opening Ceremony on 5 August. We are working hard with all of our partners on each of these points and we are more confident than ever that Brazilians will deliver great Games.”

The IOC cited a number of lasting benefits that will result from Rio hosting the Games, such as improved public transport, better waste management, better city operations, job training, state-of-the-art sports facilities and new schools.

“The strong support from the local authorities, as well as the partnership and solidarity shown by the IOC, International Federations, National Olympic Committees, and other Olympic partners, in line with Olympic Agenda 2020, has been invaluable to the Rio organisers, as they finalise their preparations. I’d like to thank all of those involved for their hard work and dedication to this project,” said El Moutawakel.

The English Institute of Sport, funded by UK Sport, will have provided 950,000 hours of support to more than 1,100 athletes between the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  

This amounts to more than 4,500 hours of support a week over the four year Olympic cycle, in a bid to help Team GB achieve success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil.

The English Institute of Sport (EIS) is UK Sport’s science, medicine and technology arm, with 350 experts helping elite athletes improve performance in more than 30 Olympic and Paralympic sports.

UK Sport provided EIS with GB£59,775,973 of funding after London 2012, where the EIS had worked with 86 per cent of the GB athletes who had won a medal. UK Sport and the EIS have worked together to build a world-leading high performance system in a bid to deliver Team GB’s best ever away performance.

“With less than 100 days to go to the Olympics and 120 to go to the Paralympics, our National Lottery funded sports and athletes are in good shape,” said Liz Nicholl, CEO of UK Sport.

“I have every confidence that they, supported by the EIS, will inspire the nation with their performances in Rio this summer. 

“The thousands of hours of world class scientific, medical and technological expertise provided by the EIS each week to our Olympic and Paralympic athletes is key to ensuring they are the best prepared British athletes ever.

“The EIS has been the ‘team behind the team’ since 2002, and our high performance system wouldn’t be where it is today without the impact of their talented team of experts.”

EIS services support both the physical and mental health and wellbeing of athletes and coaches with expertise provided across areas including biomechanics, performance analysis, performance lifestyle, performance pathways, performance nutrition, physiology, psychology, physiotherapy, medicine, research & innovation and strength and conditioning.

This support combines to help athletes and coaches across a number of areas including maximising competition performance, recovering from injury, identifying talent, enhancing physical and mental health and wellbeing and transitioning into new careers following retirement from elite sport. 

“It is the vision of the EIS to be the world leading institute for sport and through the funding and support provided by UK Sport, our ambitious goal is within reach,” said Nigel Walker, National Director of the EIS.

“The high performance system we have in our country is the envy of many around the world and that is underpinned by our leading practitioners boasting over 1,100 years collective experience across 11 areas of expertise. 

“We remain on track for huge success at Rio 2016 and thanks to ongoing support from UK Sport, the Government and National Lottery, planning for Tokyo 2020 is well advanced as we continue to showcase ‘What It Takes To Win’ on a global stage.”

Olympic diving medallist Tom Daley received support from the EIS Psychology team. “If you can handle the pressure cooker environment of an Olympic final psychologically, you have the power to go all the way and win!” he said. “The support I’ve received from the EIS in sports psychology has made me into the diver I am today.”

Paralympic wheelchair tennis medallist Jordanne Whiley MBE said: “The EIS leave no stone unturned when it comes to helping athletes prepare for competition. The support they provide both on and off the field of play helps increase confidence and allows me to perform at my very best.” 

The 2016 Olympic Games will not be affected by the economic slump or the scandal engulfing Brazil’s government and its national oil company, according to organising committee’s communications director Mario Andrada.

Construction projects for the Games, which takes place in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016, are back on track and will not be held up, despite the worrying prospect that some contractors may be linked to the scandal, Andrada said in an exclusive interview with HOST CITY.

He also said the state government needs to be mobilised to clean up the sailing venue in Guanabara Bay in time.

Brazil’s economy was booming when Rio de Janeiro was awarded the hosting rights in 2009 but the economy failed to grow in 2014 and remains depressed.

The country’s problems are compounded by the fact that several politicians and companies have been implicated in bribery issues relating to national oil producer, Petrobras.

“Brazil is going through a political and an economic crisis,” Andrada said. 

“Petrobras has very complicated issues to manage. Some of the top Brazilian companies have been affected by this because they have been involved in corruption scandal.

“That’s worrying on our side because of the construction work on the Olympic Games.”

While the organising committee is not itself implicated in the scandal – “We are not connected to these allegations in any way, shape or form” – any contractors found to be connected to the Petrobras scandal will be taken off Olympic projects. 

The organisers of the Games have prepared for this by ensuring that venue construction projects are contracted to more than one company.

“Each of the venues is being delivered by two or more construction companies. So if one of them is facing trouble through the Petrobras scandal due to lack of finance, the other companies are able to carry on.

“So far we have been able to be immune to this situation because the construction system guarantees that one of the companies hired for the job will do the job.”

Rio 2016 came under fire last year for a seriously delayed start to venue construction work but it is now on track. 

“It’s not easy to sail through stormy waters, but we have been able to keep the pace,” said Andrada. 

The International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission visited Rio de Janeiro in February and gave an overall positive assessment but identified areas of concern, such as the sailing venue. 

“It was a very favourable visit but we have an issue in Guanabara Bay where the sailing competitions will take place,” said Andrada.

“We need to be more effective in cleaning the bay and helping the government to clean the bay. 

“It’s a matter of mobilising the government. It’s a huge project that involves 12 counties around the bay, so it can only be carried out by the state government.

“The point is to help them to get technicians and experts to work together.”

The test event for sailing starts on 15th August 2015. 

“We still have time to clean it up and to make sure the field of play will be totally clean. Everybody needs to push in the right direction.” 

Construction work on the Olympic Park in Barra has made huge strides since the IOC voiced concerns a year ago, Andrada said, with the work clearly visible above ground. 

“There is a huge amount of things to do but everything is moving in the way we want it to. We are cautiously optimistic but confident.”

Despite the economic slowdown, the organising committee is managing to operate with completely private finance. 

“We are still running the organising committee with private money. This will probably be the first Olympic Games in history where the organising committee did all its work without public funding.

“I believe the Games are the good news for Brazil in the middle of the Petrobras scandal and all the political issues.” 

Mario Andrada was a VIP speaker at HOST CITY Bid to Win and is set to speak again at HOST CITY 2015: The Largest Meeting of Cities, Sports, Business and Cultural Events. Book your place now by contacting adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

Rio de Janeiro staged seven 2014 World Cup matches including the final, but the spotlight will shine even more brightly on the ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ when it hosts the Olympic Games in 2016.

Brazil had to overcome delays and doubts before staging a World Cup now destined to be remembered as more successful for the host nation off the pitch than on it.

Now Rio is under pressure after International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president John Coates branded its preparations the “worst ever” in April.

The city of Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer promises a spectacular setting but also has a reputation for traffic jams and violent crime.

So, did football’s showpiece event leave a legacy for the first Olympics in South America and what challenges remain?

Games Infrastructure

The renovated 78,838-seater Maracanã Stadium will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics and football matches, including both the men’s and women’s finals. 

The Games will take place across four venue clusters:

•The Olympic Park in Barra da Tijuca (widely known as Barra) will host around 60 per cent of events, including track cycling, boxing, tennis, basketball and swimming, and feature the broadcast and press centres. Construction work at the site has recently been extended to 24 hours per day and work on three halls hosting indoor sports only began in August. Work on athletes’ housing in the Olympic Village is more advanced – with 31 17-storey towers already standing – and should be finished by the end of 2015.

•Deodoro, the next biggest cluster, will host 11 events, including equestrian, shooting and rugby sevens, across nine venues in a poor area of Rio. Three venues used in the 2007 Pan-American Games and 2011 World Military Games just need renovations. However, work on a new arena, hockey centre, BMX centre and whitewater stadium only began in July after the IOC warned Deodoro was two years behind schedule and questioned Rio’s social legacy planning. Two temporary structures will also be created – the Rugby and Modern Pentathlon Arena and the Olympic Mountain Bike Park.

•The Maracanã cluster. As well as the football stadium, this includes the João Havelange Olympic Stadium that was built in 2007 for the Pan American Games and will host the athletics. Currently undergoing roof repairs, it is due to close again next year so the capacity can be raised from 45,000 to 60,000.

•Copacabana cluster. A temporary 12,000-seater stadium on Copacabana beach will host beach volleyball. In Flamengo Park, 3,800 spectators in temporary seating will be able to see road cycling and race walking. Nearby, Guanabara Bay will host the sailing, while a temporary 10,000-seat pontoon in Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon will ensure a great atmosphere at the rowing and canoeing finish zone.

Transport rush

While some cities benefited from several World Cup-related urban mobility projects, Rio saw only one – the Transcarioca bus rapid-transit (BRT) scheme connecting Barra to the international airport.

World Cup match ticket-holders were allowed to take the underground to the Maracanã for free and the municipal government declared public holidays for Rio’s three weekday games.

While the arrangements allowed fans to travel without problems, critics say the city came to a halt – something Rio cannot afford over 17 days of the Olympics.

“It appears from the outside that the city functioned well but it was not working as normal,” said Christopher Gaffney, a visiting professor of architecture and urbanism at the Federal University of Niteroi.

The Olympic clusters are considerable distances apart and traffic leaving Rio’s beach zones often slows to a crawl around tunnels through the mountains.

Barra is about 25km west of central Rio, the Maracanã is 13km north of Copacabana and Ipanema, while Deodoro is still more distant from tourist hotspots and hotels.

But four BRT schemes – all terminating in Barra – will help speed traffic by providing express lanes for air-conditioned, articulated buses holding 160 passengers or more.

The first 56km BRT opened in 2012 and the 39km Transcarioca began operating in June – along with a new international airport departures area – and is expected to carry 320,000 people daily and cut journey times by 60 per cent.

The 26km Transolímpica, due to open in January 2016, will link the competition centres in Barra and Deodoro and is expected to be used by 400,000 people per day. 

Finally, the 32km Transbrasil will connect Deodoro to central Rio and could benefit 900,000 passengers daily. However, Transbrasil’s tender date has been delayed and although work could begin in October, transport experts question whether it will be ready for the Games.

A new 16km underground line, a light rail transit service and revitalisation of Rio’s port will also ease congestion and benefit visitors.

The underground’s Linha 4, due to open early in 2016, will have six new stations linking Ipanema to Barra, and should carry more than 300,000 people daily.

A ride from Ipanema to Barra will take 15 minutes and central Rio to Barra will take 34 minutes.

Tough tactics

The Ministry of Justice’s Extraordinary Secretariat for the Security of Big Events (SESGE) co-ordinated arrangements for the World Cup and will do so for the Olympics too. 

Police averted the threat of large protests close to World Cup venues by establishing security perimeters 2km around the stadium.

The tactic was condemned by civil rights groups and failed to prevent nearly 100 ticketless Chile fans breaking into the Maracanã ahead of a game against Spain.

Police also used tear gas and batons against some demonstrators close to the cordon on the day of the final but the Brazilian government views World Cup security as a success given the fears of greater unrest.

In early August Defence Minister Celso Amorim met top military officials in Brasilia to discuss issues for 2016 such as intelligence, disaster prevention and event access.

Central to security planning has been the establishment of Police Pacification Units (UPPs) since 2008 in favelas previously controlled by drugs gangs. 

Around 40 UPPs are now in operation with nearly 10,000 Military Police officers. At least two helicopters will transmit real-time video to a co-ordination centre in Deodoro during the Olympics.

Dignitaries will be driven to events in a fleet of 36 armoured police sports utility vehicles with sirens and GPS systems.

The threat of terrorism is considered low and there are no signs that major political protests are likely, but the security demands for the Olympics are still far greater than on any World Cup city.

World Cup final day saw a record 25,787 security personnel deployed on Rio’s streets but Andrei Rodrigues, special secretary for security and safety at major events, says “several times” that figure will be called upon during the Olympics.

This article was written by Robin Yapp, HOST CITY’s reporter in Brazil, and was first published in the Autumn issue of HOST CITY magazine

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) today announced a partnership with the Beach Major Company to assist with running and promoting FIVB World Tour events including the Season Final and the Major Series. 

Swatch also today renewed its sponsorship of these events.

The Beach Major Company is a joint venture between Red Bull and Hannes Jagerhofer, founder of ACTS Group, who have been cooperating closely for 20 years. 

Soft drinks manufacturer Red Bull, with its slogan “Red Bull gives you wings” has emerged in recent years as a major player in event management and marketing. Jagerhofer has promoted and staged many volleyball events. 

“This new partnership is the next step in the FIVB’s mission to ensure that volleyball is the world’s leading family sport entertainment through engagement, innovation and universality,” said Dr Ary S. Graça, president of the FIVB. 

“Like the FIVB and volleyball, Red Bull is a dynamic, global brand and I look forward to working together to ensure that the FIVB’s beach volleyball events are a memorable spectacle for fans around the world.

“Red Bull is unrivalled in its marketing expertise. In combination with the Red Bull Media House with its outstanding network and knowledge of content production and distribution – this makes them an ideal partner for the FIVB. We are also delighted to be working closely with Hannes Jagerhofer – a renowned promoter who has set the benchmark for staging world-class volleyball events for many years. 

“Finally, today we are announcing the renewal of the relationship between beach volleyball and one of the most respected sponsors in sport – Swatch. These are all incredibly prestigious partners for the FIVB and I look forward to working closely together to ensure that volleyball continues to lead through innovation as the number one family sport entertainment in the world.” 

The joint venture has committed to “long term backing” of the FIVB and is expected to significantly expand the Major Series, which has three events in 2015: Porec, Croatia; Stavanger, Norway and Gstaad, Switzerland.

"The Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series, together with the FIVB as the world governing body, was created to push beach volleyball to an entirely new level and position it on the world's stage of top global sports,” said Hannes Jagerhofer, CEO of the Beach Major Company.

“Only with the strong support of the International Federation, which is entirely responsible for the sport’s progress, is it possible to realise the vision of the Major Series. 

“Bringing Swatch on board as title sponsor, which is not only a strong global iconic brand but also a year-long trusted partner, facilitator and driving force, is the best possible scenario for a new era in beach volleyball history.

“To top it off, the Red Bull Media House, known for its award winning live productions, innovative content creation, action sports series and top ranked social media community will be committed to delivering new standards in beach volleyball production, distribution and entertainment.” 

2015 promises to be a high profile year for the sport, with the 2015 FIVB World Tour marking the start of the second qualification process – alongside the Continental Cup – for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. 

Hosted on the iconic Copacabana Beach, beach volleyball is set to be the signature event of Rio 2016.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission’s eighth visit to the “Marvellous City” of Rio de Janeiro gets underway on Monday, ahead of the IOC Executive Board meeting in the Olympic host city later in the week. 

The Coordination Commission, chaired by IOC vice president Nawal El Moutawakel, is working with the local Organising Committee and its government partners over the next three days, the IOC said, “to see how Rio’s preparations are advancing ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games”.

The inspection comes shortly after the vice president of the International Golf Federation (IGF) said construction on the golf venue is almost complete – a marked turnaround from the situation last year when concerns over venue infrastructure reached crisis point.

The IOC noted that, with the Games now just over a year-and-a-half away, Rio 2016 now has a number of Games-time initiatives underway, such as its ticketing programme, volunteer training programme and the Olympic Torch Relay. 

As well as hearing about these initiatives on the visit to Rio, the Coordination Commission will visit some of the Games venues and listen to reports on a number of key operational areas such as athletes’ services, sport, venues, National Olympic Committee services, International Federation services, accommodation, transport, marketing, media services and preparations for the Paralympic Games.

The progress of Rio 2016 came under intense scrutiny last year, reaching its nadir in April when IOC vice president John Coates described the Games preparations as “the worst I have experienced”. 

In less than a year, Rio 2016 appears to have turned the ship around - at least with respect to the golf course, which has received a vote of confidence from IGF vice president Ty Votaw.

"The construction aspect of it is virtually complete," he told Reuters on Friday. "There are a few items that need to be completed, some infrastructure things, but as far as the golf course itself and the design elements and the grassing of the golf course, that is virtually done.

"We just need to continue to impress upon everybody in Rio, the 2016 organisers and the land owners, that all resources need to be brought to bear to get the golf course in the condition that it needs to be to host a competition of this nature."

The course was originally scheduled for a test event in November 2015 but questions have been raised about whether the grass would be ready. Votaw said a test event would take place before Rio 2016 but did not confirm the timeframe.

"We want to get a sense of how the grow-in season goes over the next 60 to 90 days to determine what the chances are of a late '15 or early '16 test event.

The IOC Coordination Commission runs from 23 to 25 February and is followed by the Executive Board meeting, which takes place from 26 to 28 February.

The International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission has concluded that Rio de Janeiro is making solid progress on preparing to host the Games, but there is an “intense year ahead” with operational activities coinciding with a series of test events that pose “very aggressive timelines” for some venues.

IOC president Thomas Bach led a delegation to meet Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who pledged full support for the Games from “every level and ministry of [her] government as well as from State and City authorities.”

Bach also met with Rio State Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes and Brazilian Minister of Sports George Hilton, and joined the commission on a tour of the Barra Olympic Park.

Speaking at the end of the visit, commission chair Nawal El Moutawakel said: "We were pleased to be able to show President Bach that good progress has been made on the Rio 2016 Games. The advancements made on both the Barra and Deodoro Olympic Parks were very encouraging, with both areas on track to leave fantastic legacies to the people of Rio and the athletes of Brazil.

“However, the Rio team is now entering the most intense phase in the preparation for the Games, as they reach a new level of detail while planning numerous test events.”

Rio de Janeiro’s Games venues are set to host 21 test events in 2015.

“Rio 2016 will have a lot to deliver while still preparing for the Games,” said El Moutawakel.

“We were pleased to see that Rio and its government partners have put in place structures that will allow them to deal with what will be an intense year ahead, filled with thousands of details that will need to be dealt with before the Games. They will also need to ensure that the venues are delivered in time to host the test events.

“The golf course, velodrome and equestrian cross-country venues all have very aggressive timelines that will need to be met over the coming months.”

Carlos Nuzman, president of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, said “As we move at high speed from the planning to the execution phase of the project, we are dedicated to delivering on our vision for the Games.

“In a project of this magnitude, some obstacles will always exist, but with the help of our partners at the IOC and the three levels of government, we will overcome them. Our joint commitment to deliver excellent Games with memorable celebrations is stronger now than ever.”

The IOC coordination commission was pleased with the level of unity shown by government partners with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, “which emphasised the importance of having an integrated approach to the delivery of the Games, especially during a period which is as intense as the coming 17 months.”

Accommodation and transport were also highlighted as areas that the organisers need to focus on.

“A significant amount of work needs to be completed this year to ensure that the Games experience is delivered at the highest level for the athletes, participants and spectators,” the IOC said.

The commission was pleased to see that a number of engagement initiatives have been launched in Brazil since its last visit, such as ticket sign-up, volunteer recruitment, mascots and the Olympic Torch Relay.

Ticket sales are set to begin in late March. Volunteer training, torchbearer applications, and the cultural programme are due to get underway later in the year.

The inaugural Host City: Bid to Win conference has provided a thought-provoking and timely debate on bidding procedures for major events.

The conference examined engaging themes central to the debate including the IOC’s proposed Agenda 2020 reforms and emerging trends in the bidding for and hosting of large-scale, multi-sport and cultural events.  

Speaking at the one-day conference at the St James’ Court, A Taj Hotel in London, IOC Vice-President, Sir Craig Reedie, said the IOC is determined to change its approach in response to the current bidding climate around major events.

“The evidence of the 2022 winter bids shows us that this is necessary. The IOC is right to look at its processes and try and correct the current situation. It wants to adopt a partnership approach and start a dialogue with bid cities.

Reedie also called for the communications gap to be plugged between the IOC and Host Cities.

“The IOC faces a communications gap. There has been a failure to get Host Cities and members of the public to understand that there are two budgets, an organising committee budget for staging the games, and a non-organising committee budget which looks at infrastructure and legacy for the host city.”

“Sochi was certainly not encouraged by the IOC to make the scale of investment that they did. It was for the future of the city not the two weeks the games were hosted.”

Stefan Lindeberg, President, Swedish Olympic Committee, agreed a breakdown in communication had occurred during Sweden’s recent attempts at bidding for the Winter Olympic Games.

Lindeberg, said: “The public has to understand the costs and the risks. The process needs to be transparent and this needs to be communicated much earlier in the bidding process.

“We want much more cooperation from the IOC. We want a situation where we start with a discussion about our city, our legacy, what we want from the Games then work with the IOC to create a host city contract that we understand not something that is imposed on us.”

On declining to bid for 2022 Winter Games, Lindeberg said: “If we could do it again our answer would be yes. At the time we needed a much clearer statement from the IOC about exactly what it means to bid. If we had had the discussion we are having now in January, our answer would have been yes.”

Speaking on the same panel, Alexander Koch, FIFA Corporate Communications Manager, discussed how rights holders choose host cities:

“We need to be asking the countries why they are bidding. In the media it is quite often reduced to the economic value but if you ask this question to each country you will get vastly different answers. If we take Germany, for example, they had a very clear vision for why they wanted to host the 2006 World Cup – to present a unified Germany to the world. The decision to host has to make sense for that country. That is why 2018 went to Russia and 2022 went to Qatar because their bids made the most sense for their countries.”

In a later panel which looked at evaluating bidding and hosting around the world Mario Andrada, Executive Director of Communications for Rio 2016, said:

“The venues will be ready on time; we are 100% confident of that. Our focus will be on transport, accommodation and getting the people ready so they have confidence in the legacy for Rio.

“We will, of course, learn lessons from London 2012 but Rio 2016 will be a different Games, it will have a Brazilian soul. We have to show it is good for the city, good for the country and good for the population. We want to focus on the self-esteem of our people and to deliver an intelligent and efficient Games with a clear and tangible legacy.”

WPP Chief Executive Sir Martin Sorrell, on the issue of the cost of hosting major events, said:

“The argument has not been as made cogently as it could be, bidding just accelerates the investment which is necessary anyway, be it airports, rapid transport or other city infrastructure.  The benefit of the legacy is not being articulated as strongly as it could be by cities.

“Communicating the legacy of hosting these events, the intangible side of it, is critical to engaging the public. In order to achieve success you have to articulate clearly the benefits of staging an Olympics, a World Cup or a Grand Prix.”

Host City: Bid to Win brought together experts and decision makers to explore the challenges and benefits of bidding for major global events. At a time when the bidding process for events is under the spotlight Host City: Bid to Win has engaged expert insight into the heart of the debate including the IOC’s proposed Agenda 2020 reforms and emerging trends in the bidding for and hosting of large-scale, multi-sport and cultural events. 

For further information on Host City: Bid to Win please visit: http://www.bidtowin-hostcity.net