Winning strategies: Event planning takeaways from the Olympics.

It is THE global event—the Olympic Games! This year, Paris gave event planners a striking template for creating innovative and engaging experiences. While many of us won’t find ourselves managing the biggest event on Earth anytime soon, there’s a lot to learn from how the Olympics set themselves up for success and handled a few unexpected challenges.  You may be surprised to learn that many of the strategies used by the Olympics are the same as those used for small-scale conferences. That’s because, when it comes to organizing event experiences, some of the most effective strategies are highly scalable. Whether you’re managing an event for hundreds or tens of thousands, the 2024 Olympics offers a gold-standard example of successful event planning.  Join us as we dive into (pun intended) the strategies and innovations this year’s Olympics used to create a game-changing event experience! 

Sustainability.

Sustainable event planning is quickly becoming the default worldwide, and there’s no better example of this than the 2024 Olympics. A major reason why Paris was chosen to host this year’s games was their focus on sustainability. The Olympics has long struggled to reduce its carbon footprint, but Paris took a different approach this year.  Sustainability was baked into the planning approach from day one, reshaping their approach to event planning. They set a carbon emissions goal and treated it like a financial budget, accounting for the “carbon cost” of every choice to ensure optimal sustainability. They focused on the areas that contributed the most to their carbon footprint and reduced the impact of these areas. This approach can easily be adopted by new and expert event planners alike!  Major impact areas 

• Travel 
• Catering 
• Energy consumption 
• Disposable materials (pamphlets, maps, etc.)

When you begin planning with sustainability in mind, it’s easier to find innovative solutions to these common challenges. You’ll give yourself the time to find quality alternatives and research new ways of accomplishing traditional tasks with a lower carbon footprint.  Renewable energy was a priority for the 2024 games. While diesel generators are the common choice for large-scale events, Paris opted for energy produced off-site via wind and solar farms. Their geothermal-powered Olympic Village will be the first in the Game’s millennia-old history.  Event planners who use clean energy can reduce their carbon footprints and, in many cases, reduce their energy costs, too! Who doesn’t love more money? 

Leverage existing infrastructure.

Traditionally, the arrival of the Olympics means the arrival of building crews. All-new stadiums, housing, and more are built to accommodate the influx of attendees from across the globe. This year, however, Paris opted for an innovative and sustainable approach. Instead of building new facilities, they adapted pre-existing buildings.  Classic structures, like Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, which hosted the 1924 Olympiad, were updated to suit the modern games. By updating classic structures, they brought the city’s unique character into the games. They even hosted the first opening ceremony outside of a stadium. It was held along the Seine, establishing these games as uniquely Parisienne. If you’re hosting a destination event, take a hint from the 2024 Olympics and find ways to incorporate your chosen city into the event experience.  The less you build, the less you have to transport and the more time you can spend preparing or completing an event rehearsal. Many venues come equipped with chairs and auditorium spaces. Instead of putting up multiple tents, find an event venue with pre-existing covered spaces that give attendees access to fresh air.  The Paris committee also chose venues that were centrally located, and easily accessible to public transportation. This increased event accessibility and reduced their carbon footprint. Making public transport intuitive is the best way to encourage attendees to use it. 

Working with local businesses.

While the Paris Olympics have incorporated more of the existing city into their event planning, they also created significant employment opportunities for local businesses. As you’d imagine, it takes a lot of people to run the Olympics, and by streamlining the application process, they made it easier for the local community to get involved. An impressive statistic states that roughly 90% of suppliers for the 2024 Olympics were French, and 75% of those suppliers were small—to medium-sized businesses. This bolsters the local community and boosts the Olympic Committee's reputation by presenting them as supporters of the city and country they are—technically speaking—guests in.  Event planners looking to save on travel while expanding their network could benefit from a similar approach. Even small-scale conferences require staff to run the check-in table, serve food, direct traffic, and more. Look to the local community to fill these positions.  Choose local vendors and suppliers for your event catering, decor, and live entertainment. By supporting the local community, you’ll develop a network of partners who will aid in future events, growing your brand and business.  This strategy also infuses more of the local culture into your event experience, giving it unique flavors that your attendees will remember for years. This year, the Olympics incorporated Parisian architecture and looked to local French suppliers to build the experience, distinguishing it from the long history of the Olympic Games! 

A rainy opening.

You can learn just as much from failure as from success. While the 2024 Olympics did a lot right, there were some bumps they had to navigate. Most notably, that impressive opening ceremony along the Seine was disrupted by near-constant rain. It wasn’t just a light sprinkle, either, but occasional downpours.  This led to technical difficulties with some of the floats, which disrupted the show’s flow. According to some event experts, these issues could have been avoided. When they decided to hold the ceremony outdoors, they could have put covered areas for cameras, technical equipment, and other areas that would be impacted by rain.  These very visible difficulties underscore the importance of having effective contingency plans in place to prevent unwanted disruptions. While you can never predict the weather perfectly, knowing the weather patterns in your chosen area gives you an idea of what could happen and, therefore, what backup plans you should prepare. 

Innovative technology.

It doesn’t get any bigger than the Olympics. That level of collaboration and planning requires innovative tools to ensure a seamless workflow. Fortunately, new event technology was used to supercharge Olympic planning and reduce previously necessary expenses.  OnePlan, a UK technology firm, created “digital twins” of all major Olympic venues. It was the first time the Olympics used a GIS (geographic information system) to map out their plan for the event infrastructure. This allowed event planners to manipulate the environment and see the closest approximation to the final layout. Virtual reality tools like these can be used to move “digital” barriers, seating arrangements, fencing, etc.  Immediate capacity elements gave Olympic planners unique insights into the efficacy of their venues. They were able to test seat arrangements to ensure optimal viewing for all spectators. These 1-to-1 digital twins can also win over high-profile clients by giving them a visceral representation of your vision.  OnePlan helped planners reduce their carbon footprint by eliminating the need for multiple site visits—until they get closer to the starting gun, so to speak. Virtual sight tours are a popular way for planners to explore potential venues. Reduces spending (and carbon emissions) on multiple flights. Even better? You’ll save more money! 

Gold medal event planning.

Looking to exceptional events like the 2024 Paris Olympics is a great way to learn savvy strategies for elevating your event planning. It also offers irresistible inspiration, showing us what can be accomplished when we set our minds to a goal and surround ourselves with a reliable event planning team. If they can do it, so can we!  Remember, the Olympics are no different than any other event. It starts with a single question: How do you create a memorable experience? From there, it’s one idea after the next, one partner after the next, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself on the top podium!  By studying gold-medal events like the Olympics, we can learn to exceed our own expectations for ourselves and our clients.