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To mark the 10th anniversary of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, a free public forum on Friday 17th September will look at the behind-the-scenes legacy of an event that wowed the world.

The Australian Centre for Olympic Studies (ACOS) at the University of Technology, Sydney is gathering a clutch of heavy hitters from the management of the 2000 Olympics and its venues to consider whether the glow of success is still visible after ten years.

Reflections on the Management and Legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games will ask if Sydney set new benchmarks for the management of the Games and sport in particular; what were the outcomes, both planned and unplanned, positive and negative; and, what lessons have been learned from the staging of the Games.

The forum is being held in the Small Lecture Theatre (Room No. KG02.04.51) at the UTS Kuring-gai Campus, Eton Road, Lindfield NSW.

The program is:

Session One, 10am to 12 noon: The Management and Organisation of the Sydney Olympic Games

Expert Panel Speakers:
• Jim Sloman (former Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, Deputy Chief Executive)
• Jill Davies (former senior SOCOG Program Manager)
• Glenn Tasker (former SOCOG Competition Manager - Swimming)
• Bill Ronald (former SOCOG Competition Managerâ - Fencing)
• Ross Coggan (former SOCOG Competition Manager and Venue Manager - Water Polo)
• Darren Peters (former Chief Executive, Rowing Australia and Chief Executive, Australian Paralympic Committee)

Key questions:
1. Looking back at the Sydney Olympics, what were the main strengths of the organisation (and the sport program) of the Games?
2. With the benefit of hindsight, what were the main weaknesses in the organisation (and the sport program) of the Games?
3. Have there been any substantial changes, 10 years later, in the way an Olympic Games (and the sport program) are managed and organised?

Session Two, 1pm to 3 pm: Legacy of Sydney Olympic Park: A case study

Speakers:
• Alan Marsh, Chief Executive, Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA)
• Tony Houhlias, Manager Sports Development, SOPA
• Darlene van der Breggen, Executive Manager Design, SOPA

Discussants:
• Professor Graham Brown, University of South Australia
• Professor David Rowe, University of Western Sydney

Key questions:
• Has Sydney Olympic Park developed a new model of legacy, one which balances development and sustainability?
• Identify any impediments that have inhibited the realisation of legacy.
• What new challenges will be faced in 2030?
• Does Sydney Olympic Park provide a model for other Olympic cities to emulate?

For further information and/or to RSVP contact Stephen Frawley on 02 9514 5111, E: Stephen.Frawley@uts.edu.au

Image: Cathy Freeman at the opening of the Sydney Olympics. Courtesy of  The P.A. People.

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