Over 400 officials from the Organising Committees of Milano Cortina 2026, Dakar 2026, LA28, and Brisbane 2032, as well as representatives from the newly selected committees of the French Alps 2030 and Salt Lake City-Utah 2034, are in Paris participating in this programme, the most comprehensive ever offered by the IOC.

For 21 days, participants attended more than 80 activities across six learning areas, including the observation of operations during the Games, expert presentations, roundtable discussions, and various "A Day in the Life" experiences with specific stakeholders.

"The Observers Programme is an invaluable opportunity for future Organising Committees to understand the scale and complexity of the Games," explains Chris Payne, Associate Director of IKL at the IOC. 

"This knowledge is fundamental to optimising their own plans and is one of the most valuable learning programmes we offer."

Optimised and innovative planning

Unlike the programmes for Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022, which were limited by COVID-19 measures, Paris 2024 offers future hosts a full opportunity to benefit from experiential learning. Reynold Hoover, CEO of the LA28 Organising Committee, highlights the importance of these activities for present and future organisers, allowing the exchange of knowledge and experiences.

"The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are our only chance to observe large-scale Summer Games before 2028," says Hoover. "The IOC Observers Programme, in collaboration with Paris 2024, has been essential in providing behind-the-scenes access and a significant amount of information on every aspect of the Games. We thank the IOC and Paris 2024 for their well-organised and efficient programme."

Similarly, Cindy Hook, CEO of the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, has been impressed by the programme’s activities. "The IOC and Paris 2024 teams have provided an incredible learning experience," she says. "We are at a crucial stage of planning, and learning from our counterparts and seeing the real-time execution of one of the world's largest events is fundamental."

“My team and I are grateful for the access, time and thought that has been put into the Observers Programme for future Organising Committees to participate in. We will return to Australia post-Games with new-found knowledge and connections, ensuring we continue optimised and innovative planning,” Hook says.

Seeds of knowledge

Although each Olympic Games has its own character and vision, Chris Payne, Associate Director of IKL, believes that the Paris 2024 Observers Programme is inspiring future hosts to develop what they have learned in their own context. According to Payne, the feedback from future hosts about their experiences in Paris also underscores the value of this initiative.

The IOC began its knowledge transfer initiative during preparations for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, leading to the creation of the Olympic Games Knowledge Management (OGKM) programme in 2003. Now known as IKL, this programme continues to help Organising Committees prepare for and successfully execute their editions of the Olympic Games, offering a wide range of services, materials, and learning opportunities.