One World, One Dream, Much Planning By Ana Torres

Beginning this week, Beijing will host the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. Of the 125 million tourists that will visit the Chinese capitol city this year, about 7 million will be present at the athletic events. The rest of the world will watch from home as the world’s athletes compete. But, how does this massive event come together?

“The scope of the Olympics is staggering, with so many moving parts that it would make even the most experienced event planner start wheezing with anxiety,” wrote Elizabeth Millard in Baseline Magazine. Event planners are crucial to arranging all aspects of the Games, including everything from transportation and accommodations to VIP seating and catered meals.

When an event planner has received the proper education, including business, sales, and public relations strategies, planning an event as detailed and expansive as the 29th Olympics becomes possible. The Wedding Planning Institute, while specializing in weddings, teaches industry essentials such as planning, budgeting, vendor contracts, and signature event production. WPI’s A6 Event Production (Anticipation, Arrival, Atmosphere, Appetite, Amusement, and Appreciation) teaches the six aspects of planning any size event through premeditating the guest experience.

Anticipation
Invitations, announcements, and parties generate anticipation for a wedding ceremony. For the Olympics, tickets, advertisements, and other forms of media titillation are used to stir the imagination of millions. This year’s Olympic theme, “One World, One Dream” has inundated worldwide media since soon after the 28th Olympics four years ago.

Arrival
The arrival experience includes accommodations and transportation, as well as making guests feel welcome. A major priority for athletes at the Olympics is making sure they are provided safe and timely transportation. The Olympic Village is greeting all guests with a welcome letter from the head of the village, Chen Zhili. Mr. Zhili understands that details such as these make participants feel comfortable and happy to be a part of the big event.

Atmosphere
Atmosphere encompasses the five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. Beijing is working diligently to create the best atmosphere possible for the world and its athletes. The city wants to be perceived as modern, healthy, and capable of hosting such an extraordinary event. To that end, they have begun a beautification campaign, which includes planting trees and flowers as well as instituting measures against the heavy smog that usually lingers over the city.

To insure the city is aromatically pleasing, steps have been taken to remove or reduce problems that have long plagued residents. The sense of smell can create powerful memories and associations with an event and city officials are working diligently to make those memories positive.

Appetite
Beijing has taken measures to ensure athletes and visitors that its food is safe to eat. At the Olympic Village, one hundred foreign and twenty-three hundred Chinese chefs and waiters will offer an around-the-clock catering service. However, due to safety concerns and perceived cultural differences, some athletes are opting to hire personal caterers.

Amusement
Elaborate plans have been made to present the world with extraordinary sights and sounds to surround the spectacle of athletic competition. From the venues to the opening and closing ceremonies, no expense or preparation has been spared to create Beijing’s vision of a spectacular Olympic Games.

Appreciation
In order to depoliticize the Games and show their appreciation for the opportunity to showcase their country, Beijing’s residents have embarked on the largest “Olympic Education” campaign in history. Despite recent questions regarding Internet access for visiting athletes and press, the host city is touting a wide selection of amenities for journalists, competitors, and spectators.

The fundamentals of event planning do not change with the size of the event. The skills and resources needed to plan a dream wedding are congruent with those used to plan events as prodigious as the Olympic Games. Certified Wedding Planner graduates of the Wedding Planning Institute are trained experts in the essentials of wedding and event planning for today’s demanding world.