Successful launch of the Handbook for Olympic Festival Organisers

The interactive tool was officially launched at the Global Sport Events Go Local seminar which was hosted in Prague by the project coordinator – the Czech Olympic Committee – and which attracted more than 90 participants from 13 countries, including representatives of 13 NOCs and the IOC.  The seminar has marked the end of 2 years of hard work and dedication of all the experts and organisations involved. The main project activities and results can be summarised as follows:

• 22 months of work.
• 9 organisations (8 NOCs) involved in the project team.
• 10 meetings (8 study visits), 1 common activity, 2 evaluation reports.
• 87 + people involved in the project and the creation of the Handbook.
• 1 network of experts created.
• Inspiration and best practices drawn from 12 sport for all events organized during the Olympic Games in 6 countries – 2014, 2016, 2018.
• 5 stages in the revision and content creation control.
• Close to 100 pages in .doc of the final text.
• 59 attached documents.
• 9 videos.
• Tens of photos.
• 100s of hours of web development and editing.
• 1 Interactive Handbook for Olympic Festival Organisers.
  
  

The interactive Handbook can be accessed upon registration on this website under the “Handbook” tab.  It provides NOCs with recommendations, guidelines, case studies and examples of good practice for the organisation of Olympic Festivals. Its main part is split into 8 sections - Before you start, Organisation, Resources, Marketing, Communications, Sustainability, Evaluation and Common activities – which aim to guide the readers through the complex organisational process. The Handbook is particularly relevant to event and marketing managers, directors and specialists.

Speaking following the launch of the Handbook, President of the Czech Olympic Committee, Jiri Kejval said: “We have come a long way since the first Olympic Festival at Letná in 2014. I am very happy that, thanks to excellent partners and the support of the International Olympic Committee and other organisations, we can now pass on our know-how to the world. The handbook provides detailed instructions and information for those who might be interested in organising Olympic Festivals. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to it.”

Czech Olympic Committee Vice-President Roman Kumpošt added: “During the project, Sport Parks Inspired by the Olympics, and during this year’s Winter Olympics, we became convinced that the Olympic Festivals can be organised on various scales, from small events to events lasting over a fortnight. We tried to reflect this in the handbook. We believe that the handbook will provide inspiration for other countries and that it will, along with the Olympic Festivals, continue to spread under the International Olympic Committee umbrella.“

But this is not where the story ends. As the rich, interactive and insightful panel discussions organised at the Global Sport Events Go Local seminar showed, and as the commitment of all the stakeholders demonstrates, the Olympic Festivals concept and with it the Handbook for their organisers has a bright future ahead.

Sport Events Go Local seminar showed, and as the commitment of all the stakeholders demonstrates, the Olympic Festivals concept and with it the Handbook for their organisers is headed to a bright future.

The Sport Parks project may be approaching its end, but the Olympic Festivals are just at their beginning. See you in 2020, 2022…

For more information, please find the official press release and the seminar presentations here and you can find Sport Parks seminar brochure here.