16 August 2008 :Right now, 372 pairs of eyes are eager not to miss any details of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. They look for the latest technology innovations used at the venues, they observe protocol finesses during the medal ceremonies, they check on energy saving solutions in the Olympic Village, and the functioning of the public transport system.
The attentive eyes belong to 372 observers from future Organising Committees who are in Beijing to learn from success stories, but also to understand the challenges which naturally occur for such a huge and complex operation.
44 visits in 21 days
Over 21 days, the observers from the three Organising Committees of the future Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Sochi 2014, the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, and from the four Bid Cities for the Games of 2016 will go on 44 visits to 15 competition venues and about 20 non-competition sites. The largest delegation comes from the host of the next Olympic Summer Games in London, with approximately 200 observers. The choice of the observation period between 5 and 26 August allows the participants to see the arrivals and departures period, as well as Games-time activities. The observers look into a wide range of functional areas which really determine the success of a Games. However, as each host and bidding city is different, it is essential to apply the insights and experiences to the local context.
Knowledge transfer a great opportunity
The Beijing 2008 Observer’s Programme is a key knowledge-transfer process which offers participants the opportunity to live, learn and experience real Olympic Games operations. "What a great programme – what an opportunity" is thus the echo heard from many of the participants.
The IOC initiated the Olympic Games Knowledge Management (OGKM) programme as a learning platform after the Sydney Games. In Beijing, the IOC organises the Observer’s Programme in partnership with the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Organising Committee (BOCOG), with key BOCOG personnel acting as the main presenters for each tour.