LA2024 Dazzles on Days Two and Three of Evaluation Commission

Days two and three of the 2024 IOC Evaluation Commission visit to Los Angeles were as jam-packed for media as they were for the future Games selection team.

The combined LA2024 and U.S. Olympic Committee media relations crew treated attending reporters to a full Thursday of venue visits including two university campuses, a Metro station press conference and multiple photo opportunities or bid-centric press events.

May 9 began early at Staples Center, where IOC members took turns shooting hoops on the LA Lakers' home court. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LA2024 Chairman Casey Wasserman and IOC Member Anita DeFrantz also practiced layups and cheered when visiting delegates found "nothing but net" through informal basketball play.

Then two groups of Evaluation Commission members embarked on site visits in separate corteges, with media site visits on a parallel track to the IOC tour experience.

Stop one: The University of Southern California, home of the Trojans and the nation's No. 1 school in terms of total Olympians (451 since the early 1900's). Media heard from Olympic track champion and USC alum Allyson Felix before experiencing a walking tour of a soon-to-open modern dorms that would house the Olympic media village in 2024.

We also toured USC's Annenberg School of Communication, which would house the 2024 Olympic Media Village operations center close to new dorms which reporters visited.

A quick bus ride over to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum lined up with the IOC's morning visit inside the stadium, which apparently included a foot race between Garcetti and at least one Olympic track champion from 1984.

We learned later in the day that more than 50 Olympians met with the Evaluation Commission, with the first women's Olympic marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson sharing a tearful reunion with a fellow LA84 gold medalist Nawal El Moutawakel, who is now an IOC member (both women achieved remarkable "firsts" as female competitors on the same track).

Brief sidebar: The coliseum photo opportunity marked my fourth visit to the venue, and not the first time the cauldron was aglow, but this was the first daytime and ignited flame combination and it was remarkable in that the morning sun and cloudless sky brightened the historic stadium's adobe-hued exterior.

More walking ensued, this time past USC's historic and wonderfully fragrant rose garden (we did, in fact, stop to smell them).

A few hundred meters later we were greeted by -- surprise -- local resident and longtime environmental champion Ed Begley, Jr., on site for an outdoor press conference to promote the fifth anniversary of the LA Metro Expo Line service between downtown Los Angeles and points west.

Our entourage boarded buses to arrive at the University of California at Los Angeles in time for a superior campus dining experience. Several inquisitive undergrads asked me about what our group was doing on site -- our objective, to experience a sample of an afternoon in the potential future Olympic Village.

LA2024's proposal to house the athletes in existing or new dorms is a key differentiator for the bid, saving piles of money while harnessing a fantastic, well-developed and mature tree-filled campus atmosphere. Our hosts pointed out several residences build when the school hosted one of LA84's villages.

We must have walked 5,000 steps on site, including peeks at student gyms, three student swimming pools, Pauley Pavilion (site of Mary Lou Retton's perfect score in 1984) and the school's sports hall of fame celebrating, among thousands of alumni athletes, the school's 420 Olympians.

LA2024 has a strong asset in that the UCLA Olympic Village existed even before the '84 Games, and as announced just after the IOC visit the same day, another batch of several hundred rooms are planned for the campus.

With slightly sore legs and definitely smarting feet, media departed for the beaches of Santa Monica for the IOC's and LA2024's Day Two media Q&A, this time framed by a perfect sunset and light ocean breeze.

The purple and pink skyline over nearby Malibu and Santa Monica Mountains gave attendees a dreamy "Follow The Sun" moment.

As an after-dinner sendoff from the press conference venue, the Annenberg Beach House, a troupe of six synchronized swimmers dove into a logo-ed swimming pool, reminding attendees of LA2024's fast-paced and precise timing executed consistently through the three-day Evaluation Commission process. The swimmers' smiles above the surface, all the while furiously kicking and positioning, may echo the hard work of LA2024's team to prepare and execute the key milestone in the IOC selection process.

Friday morning brought just two press conferences, one each for the IOC and LA2024 officials, again at Staples Center. At the latter Q&A I asked Garcetti and Wasserman to expand on their professional relationship and friendship through the bid process since the IOC had nicknamed them the "1984 boys" who were youthful Angelinos during that summer's Olympiad.

"We met in our 20's," said Garcetti, answering whether they knew each other as kids or teens.

Garcetti went on to explain that his very first official action as LA's newly-elected mayor was to deliver a letter confirming his interest, support and passion for a bid. Now many months later, he confidently summed up the collective efforts of the combined LA2024/City of Los Angeles team.

"We keep looking for a hole in this bid, and we can't find it," said Garcetti.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Games-Minded Media Explored Potential Olympic Venues While IOC Evaluation Commission Quizzed LA2024 Leadership on Wednesday

The official first day of the 2024 IOC Evaluation Commission on Wednesday included more than a half-day of Q&A for LA2024 bid executives and simultaneous venue tours for media during the closed selection process.

May 10 began early with International Olympic Committee officials greeting LA2024's bid team to their 35 hot seats facing two rows of about 20 Evaluation Commission desks in a large downtown conference room. 

Media enjoyed access to opening remarks by IOC Member and Commission Chair Patrick Baumann before the Los Angeles team leaders -- including the city's Mayor Eric Garcetti and LA2024 Chairman Casey Wasserman flanked by the IOC's three delegates to the United States Anita DeFrantz, Angela Ruggiero and Larry Probst -- took turns sharing personal stories of their past Los Angeles Olympic experiences. 

Citing her review of 74 Olympic bid campaigns and her work on eight previous USA bids, DeFrantz put into context the task at hand for her fellow IOC members across the table.

"One of the biggest responsibilities of IOC membership is selecting host cities," DeFrantz said, adding her colleagues at LA2024 are the "finest [she had] ever seen."

Wasserman and Garcetti earned the nickname "boys of the Olympics" of 1984 as both were kids when Los Angeles last hosted the summer Games. DeFrantz spoke of the many legacies of LA84 while Probst and Ruggiero spoke of their passion for a future legacy should the IOC's decision favor California when the Commission votes in September.

Paris, which also hosted two summer Olympiads and presented bids for 1992 and 2012 is LA's lone candidate, with the IOC and media embarking to France this Friday.

I snapped a few photos from the media platform and spotted many faces of LA2024 staff who appeared relaxed and eager to share their part of the city's bid presentation. Calm, cool and collected are each apt descriptors for everyone with the bid team, and though many must have felt a degree of relief after Wednesday's most intense of the three-day Commission visit, guarded confidence seems to reign with this group. 

After the opening session, media boarded buses to the day's first tour stop, Pasadena's iconic Rose Bowl. Olympic medalist and world champion Brandi Chastain spoke with reporters outside the stadium before joining the entourage of reporters and cameras on the field that made her a world icon of female strength. 

In her prepared remarks, Chastain mentioned her first Olympic experience came as a teenage volunteer during LA84. During some 1x1 Q&A on the way into the stadium, I asked her to expand on that story of the first experience, and Chastain explained she vividly recalled "waiting hours and hours for her uniform and credential" and how that experience became "... just a preview, and I didn't know it, of what it would be like to be part of the Olympic Family." 

After on-the-field photos and a few more questions, media trekked south an oceanside rooftop experience atop the Long Beach Hyatt Place Hotel overlooking the harbor, Queen Mary cruise ship, shipping cranes and the sands that would welcome spectators for water polo, triathon. sailing, BMX cycling, open water swimming and handball. 

Southern California-based Olympians Tony Azevedo and Haley Anderson spoke briefly and answered questions on their roles with LA2024's Athlete's Advisory Team. 

The high rise media stop also afforded me a few minutes to speak with Olympic gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin, who joined the media tours most of the day to photograph and post several social media items in real time. We chatted about the bid team experience and a few mutual connections to Olympic gymnastics in Oklahoma.

Then the group was off again to Stubhub Center at which media enjoyed lunch and more venue peeks before LA2024's press conference announcing a detailed Sustainability Plan. Slightly exhausted and sunburned in spite of an overcast sky, media returned downtown in time for a pair of end-of-Day-One press conferences hosted by the IOC and LA2024, respectively, at Staples Center. 

During his IOC press conference remarks, Baumann briefly described LA2024's "excellent proposal" while citing the bid's innovative "two-ceremonies" plan which would double the seating capacity for the opening and closing of 2024's Games by filling Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the new LA Rams' stadium set to open in 2019.

At the LA2024 press conference held courtside (with the mayor and Wasserman standing on the LA Lakers' free throw line) "the boys" described many aspects of the day's Q&A and anticipation of Thursday's venue visits for the IOC. Several reporters asked questions that were on my brain (see here and here for a few responses) while I asked about how the bid might serve as a reboot for the Cultural Olympiad (the mayor responded on point, describing involvement of Getty Trust leadership rallying the arts community for programs spanning several Southern California museums and arts organizations. 

LA2024 capped the evening with a media night in the BMW box at LA Dodgers Stadium (great fun). In the suite, fellow-Atlantan Stan Kasten -- a former client of sorts (in his leadership role for the Atlanta Braves, Hawks and Thrashers, we worked on a few photo opps with him to open Philips Arena in 1999) -- showed up to say hello.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Dozens of Media Follow The Sun and LA2024 to IOC Evaluation Commission Meetings May 10-12

More than 150 media from at least five continents descended on Los Angeles in recent days for the International Olympic Committee's 2024 Evaluation Commission meetings opening today and continuing through Friday.

The IOC will hear presentations and pose questions to guide the selection of the 2024 summer Games host city, with their vote set to take place in Lima, Peru, this September.

Unofficial media hospitality events kicked off Tuesday as the LA2024 Olympic bid team signed in arriving media at the press room at LA Live, the downtown entertainment district inclusive of Staples Center and the GRAMMY Museum.

About two dozen early arrivals joined LA2024's media relations team and other officials for an "authentic Angelino commute" including a short downtown walk and ride on the city's expanding Metro system.

Disembarking at the Hollywood station, attendees enjoyed a green room experience and mini-concert during the taping of the May 9 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Kimmel took time between segments to visit with media and answer a few questions about his take on Los Angeles' bid to host the city's third Olympiad following 1932 and 1984.

When asked whether and which Olympiads he had personally experiences, Kimmel answered that he attended the Games in Atlanta and London and enjoyed both tremendously.

The late night comedian also joked with international reporters from Inside The Games regarding the outlet's neon green and hot pink colors on a staff writer's necktie.

The media entourage returned to downtown for a walk beside the iconic LA City Hall, Los Angeles Times offices, Disney Theater and The Broad museum, each lit up in the soft pink and purple colors of the LA2024 "Follow The Sun" logo.

Dinner at one of the city's newest and highly rated restaurants -- Otium -- included eight exquisite courses served from an open kitchen reminiscent of the prep area in Peter Greenaway's film "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" (I even spotted a young and blonde sous chef grating carrots to top the evening's dessert, much like movie's young cook's assistant).

Olympic gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin spoke briefly to provide a five-ringed welcome.

Today media will attend an opening session before a full day of venue tours. I'll post photos and updates later today as the bus is loading.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Discover LA Rolls Out #EveryoneIsWelcome Mat On Eve of LA2024 IOC Evaluation Commission Visit

This week the good folks at LA2024 will host the IOC Evaluation Commission official visit to check out the Olympic bid city.

Upon receipt of "blogger Nick" media credentials for the festivities a few weeks ago, I booked passage to LAX for a week blending work and fun, family time (relatives in Thousand Oaks) and visits with a few longtime friends.

As a far away LA2024 registered volunteer, I was also mindful of potential options to donate hours while in town, and a fun opportunity -- via LA2024 partner Discover Los Angeles (the City of Angels' tourism authority) -- proved to provide a fun kind of card game at a park just north of the airport.

On Saturday morning it was fun to join hundreds of local Angelinos as stood in assigned spots on a field and followed instructions from an Israeli-American filmmaker engaged to create several "Everyone Is Welcome" human signs that greeting inbound flights to LAX.

On site, volunteers received a designated spot on a grid, a giant two-sided card (about five-feet square), sunscreen, shades and a loaner headset that at first seemed like a noise-cancelling device but proved to be the transmitter for our special instructions and cues to hold aloft our cards.

It was not easy to snap photos with hands full of card!

From the ground you could almost make out the faces of passengers on the jets overhead. No idea whether they could see our waving, but we were told a handful of planes included camera crews set to capture moving images. Two boom cameras and a small army of on-the-ground film crews also moved above and about our volunteer group.

For the morning shift, I was in spot Brown-157, about 10 spots from one side and three rows down from the top edge (the first "e" in the English sign "WELCOME" and also a part of the first "e" in the Spanish sign "BIENVENIDOS" (I hope that's not me who is the crooked part of the "e" in the Spanish image from the event.

After lunch I was more in the middle for a sign greeting Air China flights before we flipped for a two Middle Eastern jumbo jets on the approach to the airport's north runways.

It was fun making new friends including an aspiring actor, a preschool teacher, a special events coordinator for several top Hollywood awards events, and a woman who drove down from Oakland to volunteer (she would have had the record for longest distance traveled if this Atlanta-based blogger had not arrived). At least one LA television station filed a report from the stunt.

Also enjoyed brief visits with a few new friends from LA2024 including their media relations executive, volunteer coordinator and Anita DeFrantz of IOC, USOC, LA2024 and many other key organizations.

Check out the images and local Los Angeles TV coverage of Discover LA's work and recently-unveiled #EveryoneIsWelcome campaign.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver and/or Discover Los Angeles

Four Score, And Seven Years From Now

In the minutes before the International Olympic Committee first-round voting for the 2016 Olympic city on Friday, in an live, on-screen action that seemed a cross between a game show stunt and a nightly Georgia Lottery drawing, Chicago was labeled "four" on the electronic election devices used at the IOC Session in Copenhagen.

This "four" selection -- with Rio de Janiero, Madrid and Tokyo drawing six, seven and eight -- told the voting IOC members what button to push on their voting machine, and half-way around the globe, the notation of "four" inspired several dozen folks (among thousands) at Chicago's Daley Plaza to hold aloft four fingers, with spontaneous chants of "we're No. 4" in jest, as the voting started.

It's widely reported, and completely safe to say, no one anticipated Chicago's elimination from the bid process moments later, with the first round knockout by just a few votes. Actually, (perhaps ironically?) by only four votes.

Standing in the Plaza that morning, at the moment IOC President Jacques Rogge announced Chicago was out, it was deafening silence across the throngs of witnesses on site. I will not soon forget how, in those few seconds of silence, news helicopter rotors chopped the autumn sky louder and louder before WMAQ-TV Chicago NBC 5 cut to Phil Rogers, who was also standing with large eyes, jaw dropped and breath briefly taken away.

Stunned.

Shocked.

Shite!

And as Kevin Kline's Oscar winning character in "A Fish Called Wanda" would say, "DISAPPOINTED!"

But also, no regrets -- I would gladly repeat and re-invest volunteer time (about 100 hours during the past year), resources and financial contributions to the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid if asked to do it all again (part of me started hoping they will try, but Chicago Mayor Richard Daley dashed those 2020 Olympic bid wishes with his apt statements upon return to O'Hare from Copenhagen).

And I am honestly pleased that Rio de Janiero will host the Games of the XXXIst Olympiad in just seven years. Obrigado, IOC!

As I understand it, according to an IOC press release and published reports, the first round voting for the 2016 Olympic host city was ...

ROUND 1
MADRID - 28

RIO DE JANEIRO - 26

TOKYO - 22

CHICAGO - 18

ROUND 2

RIO DE JANEIRO - 46

MADRID - 29

TOKYO - 20

ROUND 3

RIO DE JANEIRO - 66

MADRID - 32

One of my Olympic circle friends theorizes that McDonald's, a Chicago-hometown corporation, did not have as visible a presence with the 2016 Chicago Olympic bid process as did Coca-Cola, a fellow worldwide TOP sponsor of the IOC, did for the 1996 Olympic bid presented and won by Atlanta. I've reflected on the suggested "Ronald McDonald" factor in the 2016 bid, and though I concur McDonald's was not as visible with the '16 bid, this may be by design (the 1996 Olympic bid, after all, took some flak -- especially from runner up Athens, Greece -- as "Coke bought the IOC" in the wake of the Centennial Games selection process).

I believe the first round was split just about the way many Olympic bid pontificators indicated (a very close four-way race). I just didn't think that four votes would spread among Chicago's competition as they did. Some thoughts on where those votes went instead of The Windy City:

• The questions the IOC members asked of the Chicago bid presenters (in the very early hours CST on Friday morning, aired live from Copenhagen on Chicago's WGN-TV and other network affiliates) hint that the geographic spread (a proposed venue for Chicago 2016 as far away as Madison, Wis.) was a potential item of concern for at least one voting member. (one vote)


• There's some decades-long allegiance to IOC President for Life Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC delegate to Spain, whose son is now on the IOC scene with a Madrid 2016 connection. (one vote)


• As Chicago 2016 leader Pat Ryan stated on his NBC5 interview with Phil Rogers after the loss, in the Western Hemisphere, most IOC votes south of Mexico went to Brazil. (two or more votes)
  

Of Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo, the phrase "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained" rings true on so many levels. In the case of Tokyo, a former host city, and Madrid, in a nation that hosted the 1992 Olympic Games at Barcelona, a new or renewed appreciation for the past hosting duties may be on the minds of Spanish and Japanese Olympic observers.

I love Chicago and remain thankful that the Chicago 2016 bid effort led me to learn more about the city in-depth (in the last six years, travel took me there an average of three times annually, and some bid volunteer gigs provided even more reason to learn the city of late, including the lessons of the IOC Evaluation Commission in April).

Flying into Chicago on Thursday morning, our flight path took us right over all of downtown Chicago's gorgeous lakefront real estate at sunrise. I will always wish the IOC could have seen the city that morning -- Chicago can be a great future destination for the Olympic Movement.

For certain, in time, more reflections on "what could have been" are likely to come to mind. In the meantime, I'll be sampling some additional brands of cachaça and practicing Portuguese in spare time.

Veja-o em rio em sete anos.

IOC Commission Report

The International Olympic Committee 2016 Evaluation Commission Report is now public regarding the Olympic bids of Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janiero and Tokyo for the 2016 Olympic Games.

About 90 pages await review, and some media reports are already popping up stating the fine print. Will post more later, but here's a link in case you want to peek yourself. Oct. 2 is only a month away ... big day on the Olympic calendar for the IOC vote.

It is my understanding the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid team will host a press conference later today. More updates to follow this evening.

Olympics In The News

Lots of Olympic headlines this week:

Today's Wall Street Journal features a good read of what the 2016 Olympic bid cities, including the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid committee, will tackle on the home stretch of the International Olympic Committee bid process.

The U.S. Olympic Committee yesterday announced a new multi-Olympiad sponsor, Proctor & Gamble, as reported by USA Today. Here's the link to the U.S.O.C. press release.

National Public Radio also got into the act recently with an update on the Olympic bid process.

More to come later regarding the I.O.C. announcements expected today.

The IOC, Chicago and "All That Jazz"

Just returned from a fulfilling volunteer experience with the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid during the International Olympic Committee's Evaluation Commission visit to the city.

My post was at the downtown Sheraton, in the media hospitality and workroom area just steps from the river and Michigan Avenue (the organizing committee helped with a special rate at the neighboring Embassy Suites, which was lovely -- Southeast room facing Lake Michigan, much like a similar room at the same hotel for a 2007 visit with client Rock City Gardens).

Flying into the city from Atlanta, it was a clear night and I caught a glimpse of the John Hancock Tower, site of an evening event with commanding views of the city. About an hour after landing and meeting for a CTA ride with my girlfriend (she arrived from Milwaukee via Coach USA as the plane touched down), we were up on top of the world with a few colleagues and the new contacts at Chicago 2016 inside The Hancock.

Every inch of the city, from the arrivals area at O'Hare, to The El, taxis, the train station, flag and light poles, bridges, shop windows -- everything -- had colorful signage proclaiming "we support the bid" or other "Chicago 2016" messages. It was impressive and reminiscent of arriving at Torino, Beijing or other Games decked out with "look of the Games" treatment.

Official volunteer business commenced on Saturday with a series of official press briefings at the Sheraton. Our team, lead by the media relations staff and partner P.R. firm team members, included several of Chicago's best and brightest communicators and volunteers with media-specific backgrounds. One minute some of us would compile or update press releases, the next we'd set up or take down portions of the press conference room.

I was fortunate on the first day to be assigned to two Olympians who were on site for media interviews after the press conferences -- Olympic Champion Donna de Varona was one of these athletes and it was fun to briefly get reacquainted (we first met at British Columbia Canada Place -- an Edelman client -- in Beijing last August) before she spoke with several Chicago TV stations. Later in the day, judo Olympic silver medalist Robert Berland (a Chicago 2016 staff member) also spoke with several reporters.

Day one was punctuated by viewing (and contributing to a press release for) President Obama's welcome video presented to the IOC. It was remarkable, and I believe unprecedented, for a sitting U.S. president to provide such advocacy for an Olympic bid at this stage of the process.

Day two was all over town! With four teammates packed in a rental car, we drove from site to site in advance of two media buses shadowing the IOC entourage visiting McCormick Place (a massive convention center and potential site of the 2016 Olympic media center and several sports disciplines), Soldier Field, Washington Park and United Center. I had not experienced any of these venues previously, but each one blew my mind!

Soldier Field, for instance, has the most mac daddy luxury suites ANYWHERE -- commanding views of the field with downtown's skyline decorating the horizon (historic and amazing!). Washington Park would be developed as the Olympic Stadium site, and reminded me of St. Louis' glorious Forest Park (site of the 1904 Summer Games near Washington University).

At our final stop of the day, dozens of young athletes played team handball and basketball, or did gymnastics, across the United Center floor while the IOC evaluators viewed a welcome video from hometown hero (and two-time Olympic champion) Michael Jordan.

Tuesday (day four) included a final volunteer assignment inside the final, and only, IOC press conference of the week -- it was enriching to be in the room with the IOC guests providing feedback to several of the nation's (and the world's) top Olympic and sports reporters. It was moving to see one of the Chicago 2016 official videos the IOC had screened earlier in the day -- athletes and folks of all ages were shown across the U.S. handing off 2016 batons symbolic of the city's strengths at sharing Olympism. A few fellow volunteers and most members of the media team then handed out the same batons to the working media, who had some strong and positive reactions to the display.

But I have to skip back to day three for the cake and icing assignment of the week: Red carpet for the "City Night" dinner and cultural event at The Art Institute of Chicago. With thanks to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for running with the story suggestion (submitted by our Chicago 2016 P.R. team from the Sheraton on Tuesday), I'll just add that seeing Oprah Winfrey in person, in her home town, was an experience I'll never forget -- at once it was similar yet drastically different from seeing Bill Gates speak at the Microsoft Vista launch in New York (disclosure: an Edelman project) or interacting with Ted Turner at the Atlanta Press Club (I only need to encounter Rupert Murdoch to complete the 'trifecta' of media mogul encounters).

It still does not seem real that Oprah was inches away speaking to reporters about all the positive potential Chicago 2016 has as an Olympic host. Hearing her enthusiasm and booming broadcaster voice in person was dramatic. I'm sure my jaw was gaping when she turned to face us.

The week did include a few critics of the bid. Part of the media volunteer assignment included keeping an eye on comments reported by media, or responding to those who have not yet embraced the Games' potential to be all positive for the USA, the Midwest, Illinois and Chicago. At least one of the responses we worked on is available online.

Several of the working media on site blogged or twittered from the experience. It was good to gain a few new Twitter followers, and start following new folks, during the week (in case you need it, follow me to http://twitter.com/nickwolaver for the real-time updates from April 3-8).

The complete volunteer experience was enriching -- I hope there will be further opportunities to contribute a verse to Chicago's efforts. It will be intense to track the other cities in the running, now that Chicago's presentations are complete, and very exciting when the IOC votes on October 2 in Copenhagen.

Spotlight Chicago

On Thursday in Chicago, a small delegation of International Olympic Committee members arrived for their Evaluation Commission visit to assess The Windy City's potential as the 2016 Summer Olympic Games host.

Both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times (and many other media outlets) have early reports on the IOC arrivals, including a photo gallery highlighting the IOC evaluators (for those reading in Atlanta, see if you can spot the former Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games ACOG executive in the Sun-Times' gallery -- hint: he has been in the "bid biz" since the late 1980s).

During the next few days, I will be volunteering with Chicago 2016 and Tweeting from the experience (twitter.com/nickwolaver) while posting on this blog as time and the scope of the volunteer assignment permits.

As I understand it, one of the "E.C." activities will be in progress as my afternoon United flight touches down at O'Hare -- the iconic John Hancock Center hosts a private sunset gathering in its newly refurbished Observatory from which guests can see four states and all of Chicago's magnificence (my girlfriend and I visited last summer and it is spectacular). (disclosure: the John Hancock Observatory is a client of Edelman, the P.R. firm where I work)

At least a couple of reports state that one Chicago "Big O" and our nation's "Big O" will meet with the world's "Big O" Games executives while they are in town. Oh, to be in the thick of Chicago's Olympic bid gives me big, oh ... um ... goosebumps.

Reminds me of this one time in Beijing when Chicago's Mayor Daley shared a few minutes in front of my Flip Camera to talk about the bid.

But seriously, the Olympic bid process is fascinating to me, and I hope to learn a bit more about the nuts and bolts of the effort while contributing to Chicago's Olympic bid team.

Anyone can volunteer or be a part of it with just a few clicks -- more than 1.1 million people already clicked their support, and many of them are following Chicago 2016 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/chi2016.

See you in the Second City!