The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations’ (ASOIF) Olympic and Multi-Sports Games Consultative Group (AOMSG) held its first meeting of 2017 and top of the agenda was the International Federations’ (IFs) increasing role in the preparations of Olympic Games as well as Youth Olympic Games.

In the light of Olympic Agenda 2020, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) strategic roadmap for the Olympic Movement, IFs are required to be more involved in the planning and delivery of the Olympic competitions, including the transfer of some technical responsibilities from the Olympic Games Organising Committees (OCOGs) to the IFs.

This comes after a number of IFs expressed concern over venue standards during the run-up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In April 2016, the gymnastics federation, FIG, held its Rio test event and concerns were raised over power outages, the scoring system and missing equipment at a temporary training venue.

The ultimate goal is to better utilise IFs’ growing events expertise and thereby ensure seamless organisation and a reduction of costs of the Olympic Games, for instance when it comes to venue design and development or the integration of IF workforce personnel into the OCOG.  

IOC experts joined in the AOMSG meeting to update the group on the preparations for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held next year in Buenos Aires and about future plans for the development of the event.

During a detailed review of the YOG concept last year, driven by Olympic Agenda 2020, IFs gave important feedback on their experience with the first two summer YOG editions.

The IOC will deliver a report to all ASOIF members during a dedicated working meeting in Lausanne in April.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games may be seven years away, but candidate city Los Angeles has already started to recruit volunteers to boost its bid.

Competing against Paris and Budapest when the 2024 decision is announced at the 130th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Lima on September 13, the LA 2024 committee has urged ‘Angelenos’ to sign up for its recently-launched volunteer service programme.

Bid chairman Casey Wasserman said: “The LA 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games will be a celebration of all Angelenos and the diverse communities of Southern California. Eighteen million talented, creative and caring Angelenos are our greatest asset for hosting the Games.

“If Los Angeles is elected host city, tens of thousands of Angelenos would volunteer to support the events and welcome the world to our city. But we're not waiting until 2024. LA 2024 wants to use the power of the Games to galvanise volunteerism today, making LA an even better place to live for all Angelenos, well before the Games.”

The programme will spotlight opportunities in 2017 for residents to make a difference in their communities through volunteer work and community service, providing tangible benefits to the region during the bid phase.

Participants will then engage with the programme online via desktop and mobile as part of LA 2024’s commitment to communicate with young people on their platforms and on their terms. In recognition for their service, participants will receive priority consideration for volunteer opportunities during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, should LA be elected host city by the IOC.

This process will ensure that visitors in 2024 would find a dedicated and experienced team of volunteers with detailed knowledge of the LA 2024 Games Plans.

Janet Evans, LA 2024 vice chair and director of athlete relations, said: “Thank you to the hundreds of Angelenos who have already signed up to join LA 2024 as we give back to our communities and make a difference in our communities today. We hope many more join us in this effort.

“Shows of support like these bring to life what polls tell us - that an overwhelming 88% of Angelenos want to bring the Games back to LA in 2024. The Olympic enthusiasm that LA 2024 will harness to give back to our communities today is the same enthusiasm that athletes, fans and members of the Olympic Family can expect when they are warmly welcomed here in 2024.”

Expo 2020 Dubai will award 47 construction contracts worth $3 billion in 2017 as preparations for the Middle East’s first world expo continues to gather pace.

A further 98 non-construction contracts totalling more than $98 million will also be distributed before the end of the year. These will range from legal advisory services to event management and merchandising.

The construction contracts for 2017, which are open to local, regional and international businesses, include the third and final infrastructure package for the event’s support areas.

Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, said: “We are committed to working with leading businesses from across the world in order to deliver an exceptional event of this scale, on time and on budget.

“This is particularly true when it comes to the development of the physical site, which will live on long beyond 2021 to become an anchor for the UAE’s developing knowledge economy in Dubai South.

“But just as importantly, the non-construction contracts to be procured this year will allow us to spread the investment made in the Expo as far as possible and enable local, regional and international businesses of all sizes to be part of what will be the most inclusive and international event in Expo history.”

In 2016, Expo 2020 Dubai awarded more than 1,200 contracts, investing more than $544.5 million in the economy. This included the appointment of an Orascom-Besix joint venture at the end of the year to develop the deep infrastructure at the Expo site in Dubai South. Once complete, the site will cover 4.38 square kilometres and host up to 300,000 people a day between October 2020 and April 2021.

Ahmed Al Khatib, vice president of real estate and delivery, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “While 2016 was an important year for design, 2017 is when the momentum of construction will really build, ahead of international participants beginning work on their pavilions in 2018.

“These important contracts will help us meet our target of completing the majority of construction with a year to go before Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors in October 2020, providing the opportunity for all-important readiness testing.”