The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games wrapped up yesterday with a scintillating gold medal hockey game between Canada and the U.S. and the closing ceremony. Millions of people around the world were participating in some fashion, and the electric gold medal hockey game and the pageantry of the closing ceremony had me in a reflective mood about the values and unity that the Olympics represent.
I think the most touching, and surprisingly tangible, aspect of being in Vancouver was the spirit of community in the city, which was probably helped by the gold medal run that Canada was enjoying while I was up there (check out this link for pictures on Avaya's facebook page). At pretty much any moment of the day, there were thousands upon thousands of people walking around the streets, many of which were closed to cars. The Olympic experience encompassed much of the downtown, as venues, pavilions, the cauldron and the broadcast infrastructure were stitched throughout the very pretty city. In effect, it was the largest street fair I have ever seen. The support was decidedly Canadian red, but there was a very healthy sprinkling of supporters from many of the countries at the Games and it was cool to hear so many languages being spoken.
Aside from walking around and enjoying the energy of the crowds, there were also several pavilions that enriched the experience. Pavilions are hosted by sponsors or governments to share their experience working on or for the Olympics. Many of these had a very heavy focus on sustainability, which I have noted is a strong component of these Olympics and we at Avaya are proud to have earned two sustainability stars from VANOC. I thought the most interesting pavilion was the Four Host First Nations, which celebrates the key role of these Nations, with the Games within the traditional and shared traditional territories of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh.
It was interesting speaking with people that are fortunate to live in Vancouver about their feelings towards the Olympics. I read various reports about some residents booking it from the city to get out of the craziness and congestion, which is understandable. In fact, my wife is from the Slat Lake City, Utah area and she did the same thing during part of those Olympics. However, those that stayed were universally proud and pleased with the Games, and with Canada picking up the coveted gold medal in hockey I would wager that the excitement has only increased. They also spoke hopefully about the legacy of the Olympics, and this is an issue that has become more important to the International Olympic Committee and hosting cities/regions. An example of positive legacy is the fact that much of Avaya's gear in the venues will actually remain at those locations through partnership relationships with those sites. This is the most effective and sustainable use of these valuable resources, as they are already right sized for the needs of the locations.
In closing, Vancouver and all of Canada should be very proud of their work showcasing the thousands of athletes, the vigorous competition that took place and the favorable impressions made on visitors and viewers alike. A job well done, and Avaya is so honored to have been part of these successes as the Official Converged Network Equipment Supplier for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Don't forget to follow green avaya on twitter at @greenavaya.
Comments
The Vancouver experience sounds amazing. I am so glad you got to experience it and to see first hand the efforts of Avaya.
Posted 2 Mar 2010 at 01:47 AMThanks dad!
Posted 27 Apr 2010 at 07:49 PM