IOC workshop gives Candidate Cities 2024 valuable insight into IBC/MPC, Olympic Village
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday concluded a successful two-day workshop with the Candidate Cities 2024, dedicated to the Olympic Village, the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and the Main Press Centre (MPC).
Representatives from the four Candidate Cities vying to host the Olympic Games in 2024 – Los Angeles (United States), Rome (Italy), Budapest (Hungary) and Paris (France) – took part in the meetings at the headquarters of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) in Madrid on 6 and 7 April.
The workshops complemented those organised last November as part of Stage 1 of the Candidature Process, which focuses on Vision, Games Concept and Strategy. The Olympic Village and the IBC/MPC are two specific areas where the Candidate Cities requested further information in order to find optimal, cost-effective technical solutions best suited to meeting the long-term needs of the city while developing their Olympic projects.
This week’s technical meetings were in line with Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, which facilitates an open, two-way dialogue between the IOC and the Candidate Cities.
The meetings were led by Jacqueline Barrett, Associate Director - Olympic Candidatures, and OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos and their teams. Together they reviewed past Olympic Games plans, best practices and legacy case studies, and discussed how these can be applied to each individual project.
“One of the aims of the workshop was to demonstrate to the cities that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution and how early planning can lead to extensive cost savings in the long-term,” said Jacqueline Barrett.
OBS CEO Exarchos said: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet with the Candidate Cities 2024 and discuss in detail their specific IBC plans, as well as the legacy possibilities for each of the proposed structures. It is often overlooked, but IBCs from previous Games have historically been facilities that have proven to be integral to the continuing economic and cultural growth of the host city. From the workshop, it was clear that this same opportunity exists for each of the four Candidate Cities.”
Quotes from the Candidate Cities
We are very grateful to the IOC for giving us the opportunity to participate in the workshops. We are always eager to learn from the IOC’s vast experience and expertise, and it was extremely useful in giving us a greater understanding of what is required to deliver a technically outstanding Olympic Village and IBC and MPC.
– Gene Sykes, CEO, Los Angeles 2024 –
As part of the new collaborative Olympic Agenda 2020 process, we welcome this opportunity to discuss our emerging plans in more detail. We will use the feedback to refine our preliminary designs. We look forward to further discussions as the process progresses.
– Diana Bianchedi, General Coordinator, Rome 2024 –
The workshop was a fantastic opportunity for us to discuss our bid projects and learn about these facilities, and understand the priorities of the key stakeholders. The timing of the workshop has been ideal to ensure we can continue our planning towards an optimal solution and ultimately present a project that will be well received by the IOC and meet the needs of the city of Budapest.
– Sandor Finta, Director of Architecture & Urban Planning, Budapest 2024 –
This new candidature process that allows us to interact in this early stage of the project with experts from the IOC and OBS was definitely very useful to boost our learning curve. We were provided with invaluable advice that will help us better fulfil the needs of the various clients groups. Appropriate design and smart planning is very important to deliver the Games in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
– Etienne Thobois, CEO, Paris 2024 –
Cities are listed in the order of drawing of lots.