It’s apparent by the way we speak about the Games that we are passionate about the Olympics. We love to create fan stories and talk about the culture behind these amazing international events..

As individuals we have had the honour to attend, cover and enjoy several Olympic games.

In 2006, Kris and I where part of a delegation of Vancouver companies that attended the games in Torino, Italy. Accredited by the Piedmonte Media Centre, we generated fan stories, using YouTube and other web tools to share our experiences. We tested a new video streaming device built by iMate (JazJar), running on a software created by ComVue. We also held a symposium on Social Media and the Olympics at the BC Canada House.

This first hand experience helped us create our strategy for 2008 where we attended the games in Beijing, China. Again, we covered fan and cultural stories and took part in an academic symposium on Olympic research. Some of our social media coverage gain popularity and was distributed by the BBC, the LA Time and various other media outlets.

Before our adventures in Torino and Beijing, our multi-talented friend Dave Olson attended the games in Salt Lake City and was living in Nagano before the 1998 Winter Olympics.

Over the past few years, as a group, we have spoken at various conferences and events about the impact of citizen journalism, social media and the internet on the various Olympics, IOC and “ANY”OC brands. We sent VANOC several letters over the past 18 months requesting to meet with them, and have a discussion about this change in culture… Without any replies.

Andrew Lavigne, a filmaker has been working on a project called “With Glowing Hearts” a documentary film about the use of social media and the upcoming 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver..

In this webisode, Kris, Dave and Rebecca speak about an ad-hoc project we have been tinkering with since November 2008, it’s called the True North Media House.

“The True North Media House project aims to inspire social media creation and educate about best practices for sharing content with audience. We’ll do this through a variety of meet-ups, photo walks, field trips, and outings with international media makers and aggregating Olympic culture-related content licensed with a Creative Commons license.”

If you would like to register with the True North project, it’s simple.. just fill up our online application.

To find out more about Andre and his project, follow him on Twitter…

“The false creek area will be at the heart and centre of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.”

Historical tour of False Creek

During World War I, the easternmost part of False Creek, which formerly ran to Clark Drive, was filled in by the Great Northern Railway and Canadian Northern Pacific Railway to create new land for their yards and terminals. Talk of draining and filling the inlet to Granville Street continued into the 1950s, but that never occurred.
The False Creek area was the industrial heartland of Vancouver through to the 1950s. It was home to many sawmills and small port operations, as well as the western terminus of the major Canadian railways. As industry shifted to other areas, the vicinity around False Creek started to deteriorate.

The future of False Creek south was subsequently shaped by debates on freeways, urban renewal, and the rise of citizen participation in urban planning.

Through the 60s, the ruling NPA city government and senior city bureaucrats had hatched a plan – with little or no public consultation – to run freeways through the city. In the same period, the City razed large portions of Strathcona under the aegis of urban renewal. A group of influential citizens formed The Electors Action Movement (TEAM) to oppose the freeway and to radically change the way decisions were made on land use. A key figure amongst these people was Walter Hardwick, a Geography professor at UBC who envisioned the retrofit of this brownfield industrial site into a vibrant waterfront mixed-use community.

Close

First elected to City Council in 1968, Dr. Hardwick led the City’s redevelopment team and helped secure the participation of the Federal Government which owned Granville Island. A major public involvement and co-design process followed which established public priorities for an accessible waterfront seawall; mixed-tenure housing including market condominiums, co-op and low-income housing and live-aboard marinas; and a vibrant waterfront market. These plans were formalized in a 1972 Official Development Plan. The form and mix of development were revolutionary for Vancouver at the time. A third of the site was set aside for housing at 40 units/acre with the balance converted to park, waterfront and commnuity uses.

The North Shore of False Creek was further transformed in the 1980s, as it took centre stage during Expo 86. Following Expo, the Province sold the NFC site to Li Ka-shing who brought ideas of a higher density waterfront community to the downtown peninsula. Vancouver’s experience with South False Creek and the public participation that shaped it was key to developing NFC as a livable high-density community. For example, Ka-shing’s company wanted to develop “islands” of market condo’s on the waterfront but was soundly rebuffed by the public and by planners who favoured the extension of a 100% publicly accessible waterfront and seawall. The 1991 Official Development Plan enabled significant new density commensurate with the provision of significant public amenities including streetfront shops and services, parks, school sites, community centres, daycares, co-op and low-income housing. Since then, most of the north shore has become a new neighbourhood of dense housing (about 100 units/acre), adding some 50,000 new residents to Vancouver’s downtown peninsula.

On December 1, 1998, Vancouver City Council adopted a set of Blueways policies and guidelines stating the vision of a waterfront city where land and water combine to meet the environmental, cultural and economic needs of the City and its people in a sustainable, equitable, high quality manner.

South East False Creek has been developed and will serve as the athletes’ village for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Fully built out, South Ease False Creek it will eventually become a residential area for 16,000 people.

(above information from Wikipedia..)

The 2010 Winter Games will welcome media from around the world to a state-of-the-artunaccredited British Columbia International Media Centre (BCMC) at the heart of downtown Vancouver in Robson Square Plaza. The BCMC will be open to serve media from February 1 to February 28, 2010.

The BCMC is a full service broadcasting facility, which includes comfortable, secure, and fully wired networking and operating space. The Centre will provide access to athletes, dignitaries and government leaders, as well as contacts to stories happening outside official Olympic venues. Programming will also occur at the Centre and throughout Robson Square Plaza to showcase B.C. through special events, displays and celebrations.

A prime hub for members of the working press, the BCMC will promote British Columbia, its businesses, communities and tourism opportunities to the world. It will also be a key provider of support services tailored specifically to meet media’s needs.

Accreditation for the BCMC is now closed. For accreditation enquiries please click here.

Accreditation Badge Pickup

Members of the working media who have been approved for accreditation to the BC International Media Centre can collect their accreditation badge before Games-time by visiting Robson Square from January 25 to 29 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (PST). Media badges will be available in room C245 on BCMC Level C. Please follow signs from the UBC Lobby.

Robson Square is located at 800 Robson Street (between Hornby and Howe). The UBC Lobby entrance is located on the west side of the GE Ice Plaza.

(Media badges will be available again beginning February 1, 2010 at BCMC registration).

Note: You must pickup your own badge and you must present valid picture ID to receive your badge.

Badges must be worn and clearly displayed at all times while at the BCMC.

BCMC Accreditation Policy:

The British Columbia International Media Centre (BCMC) at Robson Square Plaza in Vancouver will be open February 1, 2010 to February 28, 2010 to all journalists representing news organizations covering the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Centre will provide working space for media who do not have an Olympic accreditation card from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – referred to as unaccredited media.

Unaccredited journalists include media professionals with journalistic status, including radio, television, print and online reporters, photographers and videographers wishing to cover events in Vancouver, Whistler, and British Columbia during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Obtaining an accreditation card to the BCMC will allow media to cover all events at the Robson Square Plaza, including press briefings, and will provide access to work spaces and the many services provided at the Centre. Accreditation will not allow media access to events at any official Olympic venue.

BCMC Application Procedure:

BCMC staff, or designated service suppliers, will assess accreditation applications for media wishing to gain access to the BCMC based on the criteria listed below. Media will not be permitted on-site without prior notice and acceptance by BCMC staff. To obtain credentials, media must prove employment and assignment by a recognized media outlet based on:

• A byline, in print or online, from a recognized media source (recognition will be authorized by the BCMC)
• Letter from assignment editor of a recognized media source (recognition will be authorized by the BCMC)
• Photo identification proving employment with a recognized media source (recognition will be authorized by the BCMC)
• Proof of employment (screen capture with byline) from a website in existence and defined as “covering related news” (recognition will be authorized by the BCMC)

Due to limited capacity, the BCMC will offer no more than 30 accreditation cards for online media. Online journalists wishing to obtain accreditation for the BCMC must submit detailed information about the website they provide content for, including, but not limited to, number of unique visitors and recent major events covered by the website. Applications for accreditation will be assessed by the BCMC on their individual merits.

Journalists meeting the required conditions will receive an electronic confirmation letter which must be presented to BCMC accreditation staff to obtain photo identification credentials. Accredited media will be able to claim their credentials beginning on January 25, 2010 at the Centre’s Robson Square location.

The B.C. International Media Centre will be a prime gateway for timely information and services, including transportation, technical assistance, Internet, and some catering and entertainment. We are unable to offer any expense assistance for visiting media.

Media not able to obtain accreditation at the BCMC will still have the opportunity to access a range of services provided at Games time. If media wish to cover Games-related activities remotely, they can do so by accessing the BCMC website, where up-to-the-minute information will be available around the clock in the form of live and archived news conferences, high-resolution photos, and news releases.

Contact Information For The British Columbia International Media Centre:

Lara Gerrits
Phone: 604.252.3613
Email: Lara.Gerrits@LBMG.ca

Notes on Accreditation:

• During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, journalists who wish to use the BCMC should register according to the rules and regulations posted by the BCMC.
• Provide valid identification documents upon first entry to the BCMC and go through the security check.
• After completing the registration procedures and receiving a BCMC accreditation card and a journalist’s kit, you will be an accredited BCMC journalist and will be eligible for all BCMC services and events.
• If the photo provided through online registration does not meet BCMC requirements, you will be required to have another photo taken in the accreditation hall.
• We recommend that journalists wear the accreditation card whenever covering or reporting on events in Vancouver as well as in the BCMC.
• Accreditation for the BCMC closes November 30, 2009.

Notes on the BCMC website:

• Media unable to visit Vancouver during the 2010 Games, but still wishing to cover Games-related activities, will have the opportunity to do so remotely via the BCMC website: www.BCMediaCentre.ca.
• All news conferences and other events, including athlete appearances, taking place within the BCMC press theatre will be available in real time, live streaming video on the BCMC website.
• All partner news releases and advisories available to media within the BCMC will be posted in a timely fashion on the BCMC website.
• During the Games, the BCMC website will act as the prime source of information for media wishing to cover stories related to the Games as well as the Province of BC.
• Media using the BC International Media Centre are encouraged to monitor Twitter for up-to-the-minute information on events, athlete interview opportunities and other happenings at the BCMC.

Coverage of the Olympic Games is dominated by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) contracted rights-holder and accredited major media conglomerates. However some feel there is a role for crowdsourced documentation of both sporting events and the cultural context in which it happens.

This expert panel discusses changes, challenges, and opportunities facing grassroots media makers around the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

From Northern Voice 2009.

Speaking about Citizen Journalism and Gonzo Olympic coverage at Media Democracy Day Vancouver 2008: Panel 3, The Battle for New Media and Open Communication from www.workingtv.com/mdd2008.html .

More information at www.mediademocracyday.org/vanc ouver.

Short video that I made while walking around the Olympic green in Beijing, China in August 2008…

What a party.. walk with me in the Holland house for what could be one of the best party here in Beijing!

Open every night until 2am..
Live music and lots of Orange!
Amazing beautiful people and always loads of fun.. If you’re looking for me after midnight, you know where I’ll be!

In this installment of the Beijing Summer Olympics social media report, we join Robert Scales and Kris Krug as they spread their on-the-ground reportage around the world. Indeed, their barrage of videos, photographs and words are deepening the coverage for fans, pundits and athletes’ families as their coverage is picked up by social and mainstream media outlets.

Coverage Highlights

BBC’s Canadien Correspondent

Robert Scales’ second entry from his Olympic diary is up on BBC – this time he talks about the opening ceremonies (video) and their venue reconnaissance (video) with visits to the Birds Nest’ national stadium, the ‘Water Cube’ aquatic centre, the fencing hall and the Yukeson basketball stadium while fortified by snake, silk worms, scorpian and salamanders (videos).

Beijing’s Faces in LA Times

Krug’s Olympic photos are in the LATimes blog with a photo essay called the Faces of Beijing – the candid photos show KK’s skill of relaxing the subject to be themselves – you can almost feel the humidity in the photos.

International Men of Mystery

Kris scored one of the rarer tickets of the Games – after a long wait in the rain, he hauled his camera gear into the Men’s Basketball game between the USA and China.

Besides providing fan’s eye view shots of the elite players in the game (watched by over one billion people), he snapped a bevy of world leaders hanging out in the stands. The identification game continues as Flickr followers add tags and notes to ID the luminaries beyond the Bushes (i.e. Prince of Denmark, Emperor of Japan, Henry Kissinger’s wife … etc.)

Brazil is social broadcasting

Kris Krug’s evocative photos are included in Empresa Brasil de Comunicacao the official broadcaster of Brazil with a great social media rich and ready Olympic coverage site in Portuguese.

Cultural Exploration

Scales and Krug’s cultural journey rolled on with visits to various hospitality
houses hosted by countries’ teams and sponsors.

After a visit to the
Canada house (not much going on there), they visited the Netherlands house (video)
to enjoy tasty croquettes and partying good time (the Nederlanders,
always clad in orange, are easy to find) and also hung out at the last
Drive-in theater in Beijing.

Symposium and Academia

Robert and Kris participated in the Olympic Studies Symposium with Dr. Andy Miah – we’ll hear more about this later with full recap on the opinions and trends discussed by this academic panel.

In the meantime, listen to them read a stirring passage from the companion book about Olympics and Social Media (video).

Quick hits

Social Coverage

Miss 604 is keeping an eye on the Beijing 2008 social media coverage by and for the people!

Canada’s broadcasting online

CBC is hosting athlete’s diaries
- which begs the question: What is the difference between an online
diary and a blog? Is nomenclature the only distinction? And bear in
mind, there are restrictions about what athletes can say and show.

How about blogs by CBC regulars? The IOC doesn’t consider blogging journalism so what are these dispatches to be called? And is there a role for political conversation around the Games?

Also, thanks to CBC for offering raw live feeds from the venues – just what i wanted and i am sure the athletes’ families are thrilled!

Note/request to BBC

While I am stoked the BeeB is outreaching to
the “amateur” media makers, I’d really like to see better url namespace
and even unique feeds for the diaries to make it easier to follow
along with the authors you want to read.

Meats on sticks

Speaking
of namespace, Kris contributed a radio interview to Vancouver local
radio station who gave a lesson in obnoxious post titling and url
writing.

Give BZ’s interview with KK
a listen nevertheless to hear about eating odd foods on a busy market
street.

I’ve often said “meat on a stick is what unites the world” but i’m not
so sure in this case.

Canadians try harder

The Canadian trail has been bereft of medals thus far despite lots of Canadian records in the pool and some solid rowing/sculling qualifying (video) performances, but my fave Canuck Olympian so far is Badminton ace Anna Rice who handled the massive interest in her sport with aplomb and enthusiasm after going out in the group of 16 to a Chinese opponent. North Van represent!

Questions

So, with all the talk about the great firewall … how is the Internet access anyhow? How do people connect? Is all access created equal?

What’s up with fencing? Those helmets are out of control and i still don’t understand the scoring!

Scales/Krug are posting videos to YouTube but cannot post to to (my
preferred) Blip.tv. Is this a technical or political issue?