COVER FEATURE
legacy and cash , because it ’ s going to be cheaper for them .”
With the Paris 2024 production using multiple public and historic buildings in the centre of the city to dramatic effect , the logistical challenges were far greater for suppliers than at other previous Olympic Games where much of the action took place in and around purpose-built longterm venues .
Says d ’ Estienne d ’ Orves , “ Obviously the challenge was to mount , and then dismantle all these structures in places where normally pedestrians , vehicles and businesses operate daily . It was very challenging from an access point of view , with some sites delivered in phases , because it wasn ’ t possible to close off the whole area .”
He says the experience gained delivering such a challenging event will pay dividends in future projects across Europe : “ It has impacted the way we approach Milan Cortina , which we ’ re beginning to tender for , because we learned a lot of lessons in Paris .”
Burke says he is incredibly proud of his team ’ s Olympian performance throughout the whole process ; from tender to winning it , design through to delivery : “ It ’ s been one of the most challenging projects that we have worked on , for all sorts of reasons , but the
Jeff Burke
“ IT ’ S BEEN ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PROJECTS WE HAVE WORKED ON .”
- ES GLOBAL JOINT CEO AND FOUNDER JEFF BURKE
patience the team demonstrated has led us to a very successful outcome .”
Home zones Meanwhile , fans back in Britain were able to get a taste of the Olympic atmosphere by congregating at nine Team GB Olympic Fanzones in cities including Edinburgh ,
Le Bourget Sports
Climbing Venue
Cyrille d ’ Estienne d ’ Orves
Bristol , Manchester , Liverpool and London . However , with Britain battered by riots and thunderstorms , there was no shortage of threats to consider for the events teams .
We Are Placemaking produced the Fanzone in London ’ s Grosvenor Square , where visitors could get a drink from the al fresco bar before sinking into a deck chair to watch the sporting action on a giant outdoor screen .
Senior event producer Will Garner says the project was the latest in a long-lasting relationship with Mayfair London , and the activation saw around 8,000 visitors per day .
Production elements included bar and seating infrastructure , power and distribution , fencing , matting , toilets and flooring , lighting , wi-fi for traders and production , and water for guests .
“ We also had security and medical presence throughout the event ,” says Garner . “ It required a four-month advancing period , before our production and health & safety coordinators headed on site for the 24-day-long build , live and break period .”
When it came to the inclement weather and threats of violent protests , Garner says the team were well prepared for all eventualities : “ We evacuated the site to protect guests from the weather , liaised with protestors to ensure the event was not disrupted , and worked with the emergency services to manage riot risks in surrounding areas .
“ In the end it was just a quintessential summer viewing party that everyone really enjoyed .”
24 accessaa . co . uk