Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014, led a Sochi 2014 delegation to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Official Debrief of the Beijing 2008 Games that took place in London between 24 and 27 November. The event was co-hosted by the IOC and London 2012 (LOCOG) – as the host of the next Summer Games.

For the four day event, Sochi 2014 joined senior officials from Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010, London 2012, the IOC and other Olympic and Paralympic Games stakeholders - such as representatives of the 2016 Candidate Cities and IOC TOP Partners.

The Beijing Debrief is a key part of the IOC’s Olympic Games Knowledge Management (OGKM) program. It gives the Sochi 2014 organizers the chance to learn from the experience and knowledge of their counterparts from Beijing 2008 - gained through their seven years of preparation. Moreover, Sochi will host the IOC Official Debrief in one and a half years where officials from Vancouver 2010 will share their experiences and recommendations on best practice.

In London the Sochi 2014 team participated in sessions focussing on the planning, operational and technical elements of delivering an Olympic and Paralympic Games. These covered areas such as sport, accommodation, transport, culture, education and logistics. All participants also had the chance to engage with Games stakeholders including athletes, spectators and the workforce.

Following comprehensive analysis of the work of the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee, four and a half gigabytes worth of documents were developed. These documents provide Sochi 2014 with an excellent example to study and use as a reference of best practice.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014, said:

“Taking part in the Beijing Debrief allowed us, in partnership with the Olympic Movement, to consolidate the knowledge we gained during the Beijing 2008 Observer Program and potentially gain new and useful insights from the experts at Beijing 2008.

“The OGKM is a unique knowledge resource with information about how each Organizing Committee managed every step of the Olympic Games delivery process. Whilst Sochi 2014 will learn from the past experience of other Organizing Committees, we will not copy them. Each Olympic Games is special in its own right and cannot be repeated. Sochi 2014 will deliver our own Games, which will be the most innovative Olympic and Paralympic Games ever!

“After the 2014 Games, we will share our experience with other Organizing Committees. Since the very first day as an Organizing Committee, Sochi 2014 has been developing its own knowledge bank - which includes our achievements to date and the challenges we have overcome so far in Games preparation.”

During the Debrief, Dmitry Chernyshenko met representatives of the IOC TOP Partners who play a vital role in the preparation and staging of Olympic and Paralympic Games - regularly participating in Debriefs.

The Sochi 2014 marketing program will be launched at the start of 2009. Dmitry Chernyshenko informed IOC TOP Partners of the opportunities for international partners to collaborate with Sochi 2014 in the preparation and staging of the 2014 Winter Games.

On sponsorship, Dmitry Chernyshenko said:

“The IOC TOP Partners play an important role in promoting the Olympic values, technical support of the Games and the creation of an unforgettable Games-time atmosphere. That’s why we are committed to providing the best possible conditions to support their work in Russia”.

“During our meeting, we told the TOP Partners about the new Olympic Law. This law regulates the use of the Olympic brand, provides visa-less entry into Russia for members of the Olympic family and confirms tax exemptions in Russia for the IOC and relevant third parties.”

“It’s extremely important for us to build strong dialogue with the IOC TOP Partners. They have great experience in the organization and staging of the Olympic Games, and most of them have been members of the Olympic Family for a long time”.

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