2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games: A Constructive Critique
Aside from an unfortunate beginning, some glitches in equipment and uncooperative weather, the 2010 Winter Olympics felt like and were, by all accounts, a great success. There were many lessons learned that can be constructively applied to the design, planning and programming of permanent and events oriented resort development and operations. The following are a few of our observations that you as resort developers and planners may find useful in the creation of your next project. These have been compiled by the staff of BHA, who were there for every minute of the Games.
• Whistler Village was magical. It worked very well as a pedestrian oriented attraction in its own right. The scale, feel and quality of the space enabled the visitors to move, stop, observe and enjoy all that the Olympics in Whistler had to offer. It was the stage within which and from which everything was able to happen. The resultant ambience was a key ingredient to the success of the Games.
Lesson: Well implemented design and planning that has anticipated the needs and expectations of the tourist breeds success.
• The programmed elements and props acted as focal points, drawing visitors to these areas, creating new desire lines and circulation patterns within Whistler Village to the benefit of adjacent restaurants and commercial outlets. Conversely, this negatively impacted on those merchants now in less visible areas.
Lesson: Carefully placed amenities and attractions will animate previously low traffic areas in the base area, but consider the potential negative impacts.
• Zog’s Dogs (a hot dog fast food outlet in Whistler) had huge visibility in front of the CTV stage. They did an enormous volume of business without raising their prices. In an equally high traffic area, another hot dog outlet tripled their prices and did very little business.
Lesson: Visitors are price sensitive and they aren’t stupid.
• The Olympic Rings, the Inukshuk and the Caldron in Whistler acted as major photo op attractions.
Lesson: Destination visitors want to go home with photographic proof that they were there. Accommodate them. It can be a relatively cheap marketing opportunity, especially when they immediately email the picture of your resort all over the world.
• The logistics of the security overlay at the Alpine Venue in Whistler Creek, trumped the economic well being of the existing local merchants and didn’t remotely take into account the quality of entrance/exit experience for the spectators. This became particularly frustrating when obvious and simple solutions to both issues became apparent.
Lesson: The planning and placement of facilities must carefully consider the economic and quality of experience impacts to the guests and merchants. It can have a significant influence on a visitor’s decision to return and the sustained prosperity of the resort.
• The Whistler Medals Plaza was a restricted secure area for the nightly medals presentations and concerts with a capacity for 5,000. Spectators were encouraged to arrive early and were allowed to enter 2.5 hours in advance of the 6:30 start time. Unfortunately, they were not allowed to bring food and drink in and had no in/out privileges, only to find that were no food outlets within the venue. This forced many disgruntled visitors (especially those with young children) to leave in advance of the festivities. What a missed opportunity for a high quality experience and to generate revenue.
Lesson: Carefully anticipate the needs and expectations of your guests in all aspects of their visit throughout the day. Space use programming within any facility, is an extremely important planning element, impacting on the quality of experience, the memory created and the economic success of the area or event.
• The oversized stage in Whistler Village Plaza acted as a visual barrier to restaurants and commercial outlets located behind. This impeded physical and visual access, and a notable shortfall in patronage as compared to the facilities on the front side of the stage.
Lesson: If the visitor doesn’t see the facility, they don’t know about it, don’t go there and don’t spend their money. Proper initial space use planning and programming allows public spaces to accommodate various size events, without impeding sightlines, desire lines and key access points to neighbouring facilities. Carefully plan and programme consider the implications of the placement, type, size and scale of short term facilities.
• The highly frequent transit system, internal to Whistler worked very well. It encouraged great interaction between everyone, especially with the shared sense of purpose and enthusiasm that the Games bring. Everyone engaged because they knew there was no parking available.
Lesson: Plan for ways and means of encouraging visitors to use transit. However, to be successful it must be seamless and hassle free. If not, people will look for ways to get back in their cars. Proper placement and design of drop off points, transit stations and destination access become key in this role.
• The jumbo-tron at the Whistler Alpine Venue was a key element in viewing the skiing events. For reasons that are unclear, it was placed in exactly the same position as the sun at 11 am. This was the same time that the majority of the key viewing of the skiing events were underway, causing all spectators to shade their eyes in an effort to see the event.
Lesson: Consider all aspects of the experience being created in the placement of facilities being developed, be they short term or permanent. A solar analysis is a simple exercise that can help make or break the quality of the experience.
Lesson: Well implemented design and planning that has anticipated the needs and expectations of the tourist breeds success.
• The programmed elements and props acted as focal points, drawing visitors to these areas, creating new desire lines and circulation patterns within Whistler Village to the benefit of adjacent restaurants and commercial outlets. Conversely, this negatively impacted on those merchants now in less visible areas.
Lesson: Carefully placed amenities and attractions will animate previously low traffic areas in the base area, but consider the potential negative impacts.
• Zog’s Dogs (a hot dog fast food outlet in Whistler) had huge visibility in front of the CTV stage. They did an enormous volume of business without raising their prices. In an equally high traffic area, another hot dog outlet tripled their prices and did very little business.
Lesson: Visitors are price sensitive and they aren’t stupid.
• The Olympic Rings, the Inukshuk and the Caldron in Whistler acted as major photo op attractions.
Lesson: Destination visitors want to go home with photographic proof that they were there. Accommodate them. It can be a relatively cheap marketing opportunity, especially when they immediately email the picture of your resort all over the world.
• The logistics of the security overlay at the Alpine Venue in Whistler Creek, trumped the economic well being of the existing local merchants and didn’t remotely take into account the quality of entrance/exit experience for the spectators. This became particularly frustrating when obvious and simple solutions to both issues became apparent.
Lesson: The planning and placement of facilities must carefully consider the economic and quality of experience impacts to the guests and merchants. It can have a significant influence on a visitor’s decision to return and the sustained prosperity of the resort.
• The Whistler Medals Plaza was a restricted secure area for the nightly medals presentations and concerts with a capacity for 5,000. Spectators were encouraged to arrive early and were allowed to enter 2.5 hours in advance of the 6:30 start time. Unfortunately, they were not allowed to bring food and drink in and had no in/out privileges, only to find that were no food outlets within the venue. This forced many disgruntled visitors (especially those with young children) to leave in advance of the festivities. What a missed opportunity for a high quality experience and to generate revenue.
Lesson: Carefully anticipate the needs and expectations of your guests in all aspects of their visit throughout the day. Space use programming within any facility, is an extremely important planning element, impacting on the quality of experience, the memory created and the economic success of the area or event.
• The oversized stage in Whistler Village Plaza acted as a visual barrier to restaurants and commercial outlets located behind. This impeded physical and visual access, and a notable shortfall in patronage as compared to the facilities on the front side of the stage.
Lesson: If the visitor doesn’t see the facility, they don’t know about it, don’t go there and don’t spend their money. Proper initial space use planning and programming allows public spaces to accommodate various size events, without impeding sightlines, desire lines and key access points to neighbouring facilities. Carefully plan and programme consider the implications of the placement, type, size and scale of short term facilities.
• The highly frequent transit system, internal to Whistler worked very well. It encouraged great interaction between everyone, especially with the shared sense of purpose and enthusiasm that the Games bring. Everyone engaged because they knew there was no parking available.
Lesson: Plan for ways and means of encouraging visitors to use transit. However, to be successful it must be seamless and hassle free. If not, people will look for ways to get back in their cars. Proper placement and design of drop off points, transit stations and destination access become key in this role.
• The jumbo-tron at the Whistler Alpine Venue was a key element in viewing the skiing events. For reasons that are unclear, it was placed in exactly the same position as the sun at 11 am. This was the same time that the majority of the key viewing of the skiing events were underway, causing all spectators to shade their eyes in an effort to see the event.
Lesson: Consider all aspects of the experience being created in the placement of facilities being developed, be they short term or permanent. A solar analysis is a simple exercise that can help make or break the quality of the experience.
• Event scheduling in the Whistler Olympic Park overlapped on some days causing long wait lines for buses. Due to poor weather conditions many of these days had visitors and guests waiting in the rain, uncovered to get on a bus back to Vancouver or Whistler.
Lesson: Carefully consider the overall experience at a venue; access, transportation, lineups for security checks and food outlets. Make all effort to stagger events in order to minimize the overlap of guests upon arrival and exiting. Consider the worse case scenario, i.e. weather. Be prepared for all situations to ensure that you are providing guests the best experience possible.
• The programming of free events, cultural performance spaces, stages and viewing screens energized both Whistler Village and Downtown Vancouver. There was a constant stream of visitors and locals alike, arriving on public transit to socialize, celebrate, view and soak in the atmosphere.
Lesson: Pay attention to public space planning and the linkages between. Focal points and plazas, connected by carefully articulated strolls, designed to handle events at varying scales, will facilitate a vibrant character and encourage visitor interaction. But also consider, quiet spots and people watching opportunities within the action. Happier, more comfortable people stay longer, support local business, and generate and promote a destination as an exciting place to visit.
• While security is clearly an issue that must be attended to in events such as the Olympics, the experience and cost must be taken into account.
o What was the Whistler Medals Plaza protecting as a secure zone? The athletes had to walk through the unsecured village to go into the secure zone to receive their medals after which they walked back into the unsecured Whistler Village.
o Why was the Vancouver Cauldron behind a chain link fence? What were they protecting?
Lesson for the Host Nations of Future Olympiads: Be rational in the application of security issues. While there are many disgruntled factions in the world, only too happy to disrupt and destroy peaceful celebrations, the “law of diminishing returns” suggests that you can only do so much before things become silly and the prospective terrorists win by default.
Lesson: Carefully consider the overall experience at a venue; access, transportation, lineups for security checks and food outlets. Make all effort to stagger events in order to minimize the overlap of guests upon arrival and exiting. Consider the worse case scenario, i.e. weather. Be prepared for all situations to ensure that you are providing guests the best experience possible.
• The programming of free events, cultural performance spaces, stages and viewing screens energized both Whistler Village and Downtown Vancouver. There was a constant stream of visitors and locals alike, arriving on public transit to socialize, celebrate, view and soak in the atmosphere.
Lesson: Pay attention to public space planning and the linkages between. Focal points and plazas, connected by carefully articulated strolls, designed to handle events at varying scales, will facilitate a vibrant character and encourage visitor interaction. But also consider, quiet spots and people watching opportunities within the action. Happier, more comfortable people stay longer, support local business, and generate and promote a destination as an exciting place to visit.
• While security is clearly an issue that must be attended to in events such as the Olympics, the experience and cost must be taken into account.
o What was the Whistler Medals Plaza protecting as a secure zone? The athletes had to walk through the unsecured village to go into the secure zone to receive their medals after which they walked back into the unsecured Whistler Village.
o Why was the Vancouver Cauldron behind a chain link fence? What were they protecting?
Lesson for the Host Nations of Future Olympiads: Be rational in the application of security issues. While there are many disgruntled factions in the world, only too happy to disrupt and destroy peaceful celebrations, the “law of diminishing returns” suggests that you can only do so much before things become silly and the prospective terrorists win by default.
