Skift Take
Unexpected rain caused unexpected drama during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, but that was just the beginning.
Andrea Doyle
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For the first time in history, Paris held the Olympic opening ceremony outside a stadium, with athletes marching in boats rather than on foot and waving flags from a pier on the Seine.
The four-hour event, which featured more than 3,000 musicians, dancers, actors and circus performers, was hit by rain that ranged from light rain to heavy downpours. The relentless weather caused several logistical problems.
Some floats broke down due to technical issues, causing temporary power outages and interruptions and leaving the elaborate costumes soaked.
Evan Babins, Events Manager at Global Financial Technology Platform Intuitpointed out that protective structures along the river could have reduced the impact of the rain on attendees.
“When the decision was made to hold the opening ceremony on the river, weather issues should have been taken into consideration. Measures like tents, temporary structures and covers to protect camera lenses from raindrops would have been helpful,” Babins said.
He added that more consideration should have been given to the fact that this was a hybrid event. “They couldn’t connect the people who were in person with the people who were watching virtually,” Babins said.
Some failures
The rain wasn’t the only challenge.
In one notable blunder, the South Korean athletes were mistakenly announced as representing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) rather than the Republic of Korea.
International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams acknowledged the mistake, saying: “There was an operational error and we can only apologise for this error occurring on a night when so much was moving.”
In another malfunction at the opening ceremony, the Olympic flag was hoisted upside down towards the end of the ceremony.
Some feel the Olympic opening ceremony missed its “why” purpose. “Was this ceremony designed to honor the athletes? In my opinion, not at all,” said Event Marketing Executive Alexandra Panyukhinna. “It was all designed for a TV audience, not for crowds on the streets, so it’s no wonder people didn’t stick around for long.”
Emotional impact and Olympic controversy
The ceremony, organized by artistic director Thomas Joly, was not met with all positive emotions.
a Tableau The painting, which depicts the Greek god Dionysus and an ancient festival held in his honor, has been criticized as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” and the scene features drag artists and dancers.
Jolie defended the scene, saying, “The Last Supper was not the inspiration for this scene. Dionysus is at the table because he is the Greek god of festivals and the scene is called ‘The Feast.'”
Paris Olympic organizers apologized to those offended, but for some, that wasn’t enough.
The French Bishops’ Conference represents the country’s Catholic bishops. It said in a statement They claimed the scene was “a mockery and an insult to Christianity.”
Telecommunications carrier C Spire Said Following the incident, the company withdrew all its Olympic advertising.
It’s not easy to grab an opportunity
“In today’s polarized world, people are more critical than ever. Planning an event of this magnitude couldn’t have been easy, so we applaud event planners for seizing the opportunity,” said Nicola Kastner, founder of The Event Strategist and CEO of Event Leaders Exchange (ELX).
The night ended with a performance from the Eiffel Tower by Celine Dion, making her first public appearance since her 2022 diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome.
Despite the disruptions, Babins considered the ceremony a success. “I loved that it wasn’t in an arena and the way they paid tribute to Paris. I think it was a great decision to take a risk and do it differently,” Babins said.
Trish Knox, owner of TK Events, praised the ceremony’s originality. “They threw out the traditional methods to do something different,” Knox said. “It wasn’t perfect, but that’s what happens when you try something for the first time.”
Many event planners are paying attention Closing session Unlike the opening ceremony, which will be held in central Paris on August 11, the show will Stade de FranceIt will feature more than 100 performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists.
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