06/08/2012
During the course of the London 2012 Olympic Games, there will be over 500 people closely watching the daily operations of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG).
The people in question are all following the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Observer Programme and are from the three future Organising Committees of Sochi 2014, Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018, as well as the 2020 Candidate Cities and representatives of the International Rugby Board and the International Golf Federation.
The Observer Programme forms an integral element of the Olympic Games Knowledge Management (OGKM) platform of learning. It represents a key component of the knowledge-transfer process, providing a unique opportunity to live, learn and experience real Olympic Games operations. The IOC has organised this year’s programme in partnership with LOCOG, as it is their staff who act as the main presenters. For future Games organisers, it is a valuable opportunity to learn and experience the event live. During the Observer Programme, each future Organising Committee can not only witness how things are done, but also study specific areas, so that they can learn and improve upon those subjects within their own organisational and cultural context.
The London 2012 Observer Programme comprises 50 visits and 5 roundtables, which are held over 21 days. The topics covered by the visits include areas such as ceremonies, spectator experience, sport, athlete experience, transport, Olympic Village operations and press operations.