Year Ahead for Rio 2016 - Big Building, Learning from London

(ATR) Top of mind for Rio de Janeiro in the year ahead is charging forward on the massive infrastructural overhaul necessary to stage the Olympics in 2016.

This early on, IOC oversight comes primarily through two or three project reviews a year along with a visit by the larger Coordination Commission.

When chair Nawal El Moutawakel and the rest of her Co-Comm arrive June 19 for their usual three-day inspection, Brazilian organizers will need to impress with their construction progress to avoid raising any red flags.

Both the Sambodromo – venue for the marathon start and finish as well as archery events – and phase one of the Transoeste Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line are sure to be on display to the IOC with both slated for completion this year.

The other key milestone looming already occupies the attention of all Olympic constituents: London 2012.

Rio 2016 will benefit from a formal debrief on home soil scheduled for Nov. 14-21 but will first need to learn as much as possible during the Games (July 27-Aug. 12 and Aug. 29-Sept. 9) themselves.

"Details on the Observer team are being finalized," an organizing committee spokesman tells Around the Rings, "but we are certainly sending a large group of people for several of our functional areas and stakeholders to take part in the program."

During the Games, historic Somerset House will serve as Casa Brasil in London while a live site in Rio builds Olympic enthusiasm ahead of 2016.

Also on tapfor the organizing committee in 2012 is a bit of the nitty gritty. Think budget reviews, client service planning and the finalization of a responsibility matrix, master schedule as well as first draft security plan.

Announcements of pre-Games training camps are expected to roll out in January following the USOC’s letter of intent with famed football club Flamengo, and a winning golf course design will be revealed in early February.

Then the Paralympic Games sponsorship program will be launched in the first half of 2012, and a line of licensed Rio 2016 products will follow in the second half of the year alongside the opening of an official online store.

Whether a new chief commercial officer will step in to oversee this process remains unclear. Ex-Microsoft exec Maggie Sanchez was sacked in October over "a difference in philosophy" along with two members of her team.

"There is no timeline on replacing Maggie," a Rio spokesman tells ATR. "CEO Leonardo Gryner is also acting as CCO in a temporary capacity until a suitable replacement is found."

Still in need are Olympic partners for the following categories: oil and gas, mining and minerals, bus, airline and energy.

Securing those sponsorships presents perhaps the second most daunting challenge for Rio in the year ahead.

Keeping construction on pace, of course, is the real task for 2012.

Written by Matthew Grayson.

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