With the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games now underway, I’ve taken some time to reflect on my experience at the Olympic Games. Since mid-June, I’ve had the immense pleasure of working as the Deputy Event General Manager at Eiffel Champ de Mars (ECM), a site that includes two key Games venues. The Eiffel Tower Stadium, which hosted Beach Volleyball during the Olympics (and what I believe to be the most spectacular venue at the Games, although I’m a little biased!) is now the stage for Blind Football at the Paralympics. Meanwhile, the Champ de Mars Arena, which featured Judo and Wrestling during the Olympics, is currently hosting Wheelchair Rugby and ParaJudo for the Paralympics.

1 site. 2 venues. 3 sports. 16 days. 69 sporting sessions. 600,000+ spectators.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working on numerous mega sporting events, but this one stands out as the largest by far. I approached this experience with eyes wide open and having come out the other side, gaining a full spectrum understanding of front-of-house and behind-the-scenes operations for an event of this size - the good, the complex, the rewarding and the unexpected.

The Paris Olympic Games were an incredible success, this is no secret. A spectacle of stunning venues in a stunning city, the atmosphere, the people, sporting achievements beyond comprehension and the most sustainable Games in history. But what did it take to get there?

Events are rarely smooth sailing; unforeseen issues arise, plans shift, and decisions must be made on the spot to address operational challenges. While event readiness is crucial, it is the result of meticulous planning and the tireless efforts of our dedicated team that ensured a successful outcome. Thanks to their hard work and enthusiasm, we experienced no incidents on site.

However, managing this cluster of venues and events has been a complex operation and was certainly not without its challenges, and I wanted to share the top 10 hurdles we navigated behind the scenes.

1. The Eiffel Tower Stadium, in Olympic mode, was an outdoor venue with a sand surface, so monitoring weather conditions was crucial. We had high temperatures, wind and rain, all impacting the venue experience for athletes and spectators alike. Managing dirt and dust presented a continuous challenge throughout the entire site - particularly for our Cleaning and Waste team.

2. Before the venue opened, a comprehensive police sweep was conducted, requiring a full evacuation of the site. This rigorous exercise, involving police, sniffer dogs, and bomb squads from multiple countries, required meticulous planning from all teams. Coordinating across various nationalities and overcoming language barriers were critical aspects of ensuring our venues were safe and secure before we welcomed the crowds.

3. Size of the site – given the site's size (encompassing 6 pedestrian and 6 vehicle access points), strict management of all entry points by our Security, Logistics, Transport and Spectator Services teams were critical. Considerable time and planning was placed into the flow of athletes, media and spectators ensuring clear signage was in place.

4. With six sports featured during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, it is crucial to understand the diverse needs of client groups (such as spectators, athletes, and International Federations) associated with each sport. Building and maintaining strong relationships with each Federation and FA Sport Teams, while considering the history, past experiences in France, unique personalities, and specific needs of each sport and its athletes, is essential. Continuously adapting your planning to cater to the distinct requirements of different athlete and spectator groups at each venue was key.

5. With multiple sports sessions each day, we implemented an ‘intersession’ area at each venue to manage the tight 30-minute turnaround for clearing, cleaning, and setting up for the next session. This approach proved highly effective, requiring constant communication with our security, event services, and ticketing teams, as well as coordination with the Police, Food and Beverage, and Cleaning and Waste teams.

6. Language – French is not my mother tongue, however as my second language it was challenging in the early days to keep up with meetings and conversations with native French speakers. When there are various nationalities working for your international event, ensuring all apps and platforms used are easily translatable is essential, especially for those that can't read or speak the native language.

7. As an iconic venue, the Eiffel Tower Stadium’s cultural significance led to numerous protocol requests on a daily - and sometimes hourly - basis. Our team had to efficiently manage external people flows with the assistance of police, security and our internal protocol team. This included transporting groups from drop-off points to each venue via electric mobility vehicles or on foot and addressing their needs with the support of security. Managing the flow of people within the venue’s internal concourses, particularly during peak times such as when the Eiffel Tower was illuminated at night, highlighted the crucial role of teamwork and communication in ensuring a smooth operation.

8. Signage – our venue required a lot more than others and some did not arrive on time. Whilst the perfectionist in me was dying inside looking at the A4 & A3 laminated signage on site as a last resort, it’s better to have it than not.

9. Technology & Translation – Given that some communications were not translatable (via certain apps used) and with a daily influx of 300-600 messages to some non-French-speaking staff, significant time was spent translating information.

10. Rostering / Hours of Operation – Major events lead to long days and extended shifts for personnel, along with multiple shifts making rostering and tiredness a frequent challenge. Keeping staff motivated despite fatigue was essential, and incorporating elements of fun played a vital role. Snoop Dogg’s appearance certainly lifted spirits – and the management team did our best to ensure we celebrated our wins, recognised the end and the success of the Olympics, ensuring we were prepared and ready for the Paralympics.

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Over the past two months, we have transformed setbacks into success and the below elements have reinforced the critical role of a high-performing event and venue delivery team.

Elements Powering Our Team’s Success

1. We’ve all heard it before, but it remains true - teamwork really does make the dream work. This success begins with exceptional leadership from the entire Event & Venue Management team - who are not only knowledgeable, talented, efficient, and hardworking, but also know how to make the process enjoyable. When teams are consistently putting in 16+ hour days, having fun is not just a nice-to-have; it’s essential.

2. Strong relationships have been the key to our success - both internally and externally. These mutually respectful connections were established long before the Games began and were nurtured throughout, involving all our Functional Area leads, contractors, volunteers etc.

3. Excellent stakeholder management with Ville de Paris, police, neighbours, heritage & environment protection, security providers, IOC, IPC, Olympic Broadcasting Services, Logistics, Catering, Cleaning & Waste and the list goes on.

4. Consistent and clear communications. This is so simple yet is often the breakdown of a great team. Our exceptional communications improved our efficiency, built trust amongst our many stakeholders who had never worked together before, supported our onsite problem solving, prevented confusion and above all, enhanced the experience for everyone.

5. Significant planning and meticulous attention to detail was essential to ensuring seamless processes, especially transitioning Champ de Mars from a Judo to a Wrestling venue in less than 24 hours.

6. Consistently delivering the highest level of service to athletes, media, spectators, and all key stakeholders, which was achieved by our ability to prioritise and quickly react and resolve any issues that arose through fast communication and actions.

So, what are the invaluable insights I've gained from the Paris Olympics after two decades working in events that I recommend taking into consideration for your next event?

Here’s my summation in 10 words…

• Preparation.

• Communication.

• Adaptability.

• Agility.

• Teamwork.

• The relentless pursuit of excellence.