ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Staging the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games is different from any other special event in the world. It encompasses a spirit of peace, cooperation and competition unlike any other experience in modern history. The culture of the Olympic movement also implies that the Games are set above the commercialism of privatised events. Although there were published stories of technology, transportation and marketing problems during the Atlanta Games in 1996, the incidents were few and isolated. Overall the Games went very well and the Olympic Stadium operated without a major problem. The conversion of the 85,000 seat stadium to a 47,000 seat baseball venue with a full array of food and entertainment for the entire family was accomplished in less than six months. It took 72,000 staff and volunteers to stage the Games.
