LONDON 2012: LOCOG Formally Established
The Organising Committee for the Games of the XXX Olympiad – London 2012 (LOCOG) held the first meeting of its interim Board this week in London. During the meeting, a number of issues were resolved, notably, the Organising Committee was formally established, office space for LOCOG was confirmed and a funding agreement was announced.
LOCOG Established
During this first interim Board meeting, LOCOG was formally established as the organisation that will plan and stage the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Commenting on the meeting, Lord Coe, the Chairman of LOCOG, said, “The first Board meeting is always a significant event for a new host city and we are delighted that we have been able to hold this meeting in the earliest stages of preparations for the London Games.”
Board
The interim Board of London 2012 is made up of members of several stakeholder groups: Lord Sebastian Coe (Chairman), Keith Mills (LOCOG CEO) and Neil Wood (LOCOG Finance Director); British IOC members Craig Reedie, Sir Philip Craven and HRH The Princess Royal; British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association representatives Simon Clegg and Mike Brace; local government representatives Neale Coleman (Greater London Authority), Mary Reilly (London Development Agency) and Howard Bernstein (Manchester City Council); and Patrick Carter (Sport England) and Jonathan Edwards (athlete representative).
Office Space
During the Board meeting, LOCOG also agreed on the terms and conditions for the lease of new office space in Canary Wharf, close to the site of the Olympic Park. LOCOG will share these offices with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), which is responsible for the planning and construction of new venues and other Games-related infrastructure.
Funding
LOCOG Chairman Lord Coe also welcomed a GBP 50 million three-year funding agreement, which will form the basis of the Organising Committee’s operating budget in the early stages of its operations.
LONDON 2012
London was elected as the host city for the Games of the XXX Olympiad on 6 July 2005 at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. London eventually succeeded in the fourth round of voting, taking 54 votes from a possible 104. London faced stiff opposition during the vote from the other four candidate cities: Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid.