OK I am finally back in front of a laptop to give you a run down!
The organising committee (in this case LOCOG) organise yearly press briefings to inform us on what is going to happen about all aspects on the upcoming Olympics. It includes everything from catering to technology to security. This was the 3rd World Press Briefing and it has run for 3 days. Thursday is the last official day where we do tours - I'm off to Wimbledon. It's been a great event as we have spoken directly to the organisers airing concerns and receiving updated information.
I won't bore you with all the details but I can say London really has it together! It will be an amazing games. The facilities are really something. Even the transport looks good - "The Javelin" will run from Kings Cross to the Olympic green in 7 minutes. They are talking 200 trains per hour during the peak period!
Our sessions covered things like: transport, security, rate card (the shopping catalogue of services), Press operations, Logistics and deliveries into the Olympic park (a real nightmare!), the Paralympics which i think will be great (I really want to see wheelchair rugby after hearing about it! they have a team welder!), location of photo positions at the venues, Technology to be used (wifi won't be used at the Olympics for Press due to reliability for example), and external things like the Torch Relay and the cultural and festivals.
One highlight for me was Tuesday night were we were given an official reception by the London City Council in Guildhall near St. Pauls. This was truely amazing. The building is several hundred years old (like most things in London). Playing in the corner was the London Philharmonic Orchestra! Champagne was flowing and Canapes were everwhere. After the official speaches we were treated to something not many people would - a private "West End" performance. This started with the lead from the Wizard of Oz singing over the rainbow. The next - which to me was the show stopper, was Music of the Night from Phantom, sung by Anthony Warlow. Next was Les Miserables, followed lastly by Billy Elliot. London does know how to turn it on! That was really one of the biggest highlights of the night.
Wednesday I was one one of the tours to the Olympic Park, where we visited the Olympic Stadium, the Main Press Centre (MPC) and the Aquatics venue. Altough brief we got to see how it was all looking. The Aquatics is almost finished, they are just working on the temporary parts of the structure, the Stadium is almost done too (track laid as well). The MPC is still a "shell" so all the offices need to be built. To give you an idea of numbers, over 6,000 media will be covering the Olympics (not counting broadcast).
This is inside the main stadium, at the photographer head on position (which looks up the main straight). During the 100m final there will be around 200 photographers in this area and down in the Moat - all trying to get that winning frame.
Overlooking the Swimming pool, the diving pool is on the far end.
And of course me on the pool deck!
