Overview of the Planning & Venue Management function that I directed at the Rio 2007 Pan American Games

1. Venue Operations
Roberto Siviero

2. Introduction
- Venue Operations in 2 sentences:
-Yes, it is your responsibility.
-Yes, it is your job.

3. Venue Operations
- What we did
- Operational Planning & Venuization
- Recruitment and Training of Venue Managers
and Operational Supervisors
- Main Clients: EVERYBODY
- But:
- SPORT
- PRESS & BROADCASTERS
- GAMES FAMILY & SPONSORS
- SPECTATORS

4. Venue Operations
General Overview
- Beijing Sport Program plus 6 non-olympic
- 3 Major Complexes to run
- Maracanã - beware of Cerimonies!
- Riocentro (mixture of comp and non-comp
venues)
- Sports City
- 20 sport venues

5. Venue Operations
General Overview
- 38 Venue Managers
- 12 Deputy Venue Managers
- 37 Operational Supervisors
- 47 Operational Assistants (Volunteers)

6. Key Dates
- June 2004 to July 2005
- Strategic Planning, Budget Allocation, Concepts of Operation
- August 2005
- Model Venue Exercise
- September 2005 to July 2006
- Venue Planning/Operational Planning
- July 2006 to December 2006
- Planning re-alignment and Detail of Operation and “early”
venuization
- January 2007 to April 2007
- Resource build-up, transfer of knowledge, completion of
venuization
- May & June 2007
- Operational Readiness & MOVE TO VENUES!

7. Objectives and Key Tasks
• Objectives
– Integrate the functional areas into a cohesive venue
team
• Easier said than done
– Lead the detailed operational planning process
• Planners vs. Operators
• Key Tasks
– Define and refine scope of operations
• Again and again and again… and then some
– Change Management
– Transfer of knowledge
– Command and Control
– Creativity at problem solving

8. Organization chart
• Model Venue Exercise – July/August 2006
– Central Planning Team & Venue Team
• Venue Planning and Operational Planning Phase
– August to October 2006
General Manager
Roberto Siviero
Planning Supervisor
Paula Andrade
Cluster Manager Cluster Manager
Barra/P.Açúcar Maracanã/Deodoro
Osiris Silva Jorge Miranda

9. Organization chart
• November to December 2006
General Manager
Roberto Siviero
Planning Supervisor
Paula Andrade
Cluster Manager Cluster Manager
Barra/P.Açúcar Maracanã/Deodoro
Osiris Silva Jorge Miranda
Zona Sul Barra Maracanã Deodoro
Marco Dornsbach Julio Balthazar Rodrigo Garcia Pascoal Vaz

10. Organization chart
Barra P. de Açúcar Deodoro Maracanã
Compl. Riocentro Arena Triatlo Hipismo Compl Maracanã
Maracanã
Volêi de Praia Tiro Esprtivo
Pavilhão 2
Mracanãzinho
Lagoa Tiro c/ Arco
Pavilhão 3
Júlio Delamare
Caiçaras Hoquéi
Pavilhão 4
Havelange
Pq. Flamengo Pentatlo
Compl Autódromo
Miécimo
Marina
Pq Aquático
Arena
Velódromo
• January to March 2007
Outeiro
– Gradually…
Cid. Rock
– “Getting” people from other FA’s
Marapendi
– Low turnover rate
CFZ
Barra Bowling

11. Challenges and Solutions
Key Challenge Solution
Planning phase: Working Simplification of planning
understaffed for Olympic demands, optimizing FA’s
planning model time, focus on operations &
standards policies
Late “real” venuization, Focus on creating &
late surge of workforce documenting FA’s
for FA’s procedures > transfer of
knowledge
Lack of test-events on Make the most of
every venue opportunities, promote small
events, use venue training
as an test event

12. Key Decisions Made
• CO-RIO had a understaffed team for Olympic planning
model standards.
– Olympic planning model requires larger number of workforce at
least one year before the Games
– We understood that we could not pursue the level/amount of
planning required with our numbers
– We re-designed the planning and the outputs needed to “fit” the
production capacity of the FA’s
– Mixed results: FA’s were responsive to the new model, but the
planning level is not top notch – sufficient in the majority of the
FA’s but insufficient in others

13. Key Decisions Made
• Late Venuization, late surge of workforce for FA’s.
– We had a power struggle in between the venue teams and the FA’s –
focus on the venue or the FA?
– The planning demands were gradually changing for the venue
operation, but the FA’s wanted to keep the focus on their business.
– We understood the issue and gave FA’s some “breathing room” to focus
both on their operations (late tenders) and the venue demands.
– Mixed results as well – although Venue Managers were given the
“institutional” authority, FA representatives held “allegiance” to the FA’s.
– Venue Managers (cluster managers at the time) did not have “real”
authority to demand performance from the FA’s until very late.
– Focus was given on detailed procedures and ability to transfer
knowledge quickly to the new comers

14. Key Decisions Made
• Lack of test-events on every venue.
– Real problem – teams don’t act as teams if they don’t play!
– Venue teams that had test events operate significantly better
than the ones that haven’t
– We brought many of the other venues’ FA’s representatives to
work on the venues with test events – even if wasn’t necessary
– Some venue teams arranged games to be played, even without
public, to test at least FOP operations.
– Some venues had a really late delivery and suffered in the
beginning of operations – hit the ground running!

15. Risks and Contingencies
Risk Contingency plan
Way too many to • Do whatever it takes
describe • Make things happen
• Anticipate!
• “You are not here to make friends”
(Mr. John Quayle)
• Have the ability to pay for the last 5%
- it will make a difference

16. Lessons Learned
• What are the key outcomes?
– We now have effectively created a tremendous workforce with
large events experience
– These people will be multipliers of the knowledge gained in the
Games
– Just with that Sport Operations in Brazil will improve greatly in
the next 5 – 10 years
– The government and ourselves understand now the scale,
complexity and most of the scope of Multi-Sport/Multi-Venues
Events
– Brazil and Rio have now the sport infrastructure built to become
a major player in the international events industry

17. Lessons Learned
• What are the key lessons learned?
– If you are planning on the Olympic Model, ensure to have a large
enough team in the strategic and concept of operations phases
to produce a well structured scope - it will make a difference to
have a solid base – it will make change management easier.
– If there is legislation that have strong impacts on procurement try
to get temporary relief.
– Keep your budget flexible! (as much as you can)
– Get the most detailed sport information you can – if you don’t
there will be problems with the technical delegates
– Venue designs are very important – but try to make the venue
planning concise – people always want to change something -
keep the focus on OPERATIONS - bad venues are tough to
operate

18. Lessons Learned
• What would you do differently?
– Have more personnel somehow, specially when the scope is
being defined – or have more experienced central team at that
phase.
– Have (good) consultants along the planning ride – shortcuts are
really valuable and the issues do repeat themselves
– Have a strong project management central team to control the
“boring” part – operational manuals, master plans – it is VERY
important to know how your organization is performing – it’s
human nature to hide mistakes and shortcomings
– Have enough resources to venuize at least 8 months before the
games.
– Move to the large venues at least a month prior to the Games