Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective

One of the most genuine and respected experts in the event industry, Tricia Fenton joins the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and gives us a fresh take on the "marooned on an island" question, becoming part of an event family and getting her motorcycle license (recorded 2 April 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Tricia!

PRELIMS
09:06 - Marooned on an island - with a twist!

QUARTERFINALS
14:43 - Journey to SLOC

SEMIFINALS
20:37 - What are "special projects?"

FINALS
27:28 - Events are a math problem
29:46 - A personnel issue

MIXED ZONE
33:08 - "I have money in my bank account"
38:18 - The tragic thing about the pandemic

PODIUM
40:43 - Trying Skeleton
45:57 - The goosebump moment

COOL DOWN
48:08 - Post-SLOC life and lessons learned

It's our 100th episode! Amy Murray graciously guest hosts and interviews Christian Napier, turning the tables and asking all kinds of questions about the podcast and Christian's Salt Lake 2002 experience (recorded 31 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Amy as guest host!
03:21 - Straight from GPFour HQ

PRELIMS
06:08 - Going our own way with the systems
08:42 - Monster VIK

QUARTERFINALS
11:30 - What are we going to have for lunch?
15:55 - Welcoming outsiders

SEMIFINALS
19:41 - Cutting room floor
24:22 - Guest wish list

FINALS
27:14 - Christian's dream OCOG job
29:42 - What is IKL?

MIXED ZONE
32:40 - What will happen with Tokyo? 
36:10 - Island meal and movie

PODIUM
40:15 - Island / walk on music
44:16 - Favorite SLOC memories

COOL DOWN
48:59 - Goosebump moment / wrap-up

SLOC employee number 40, Aimee Preston, takes a break from the Summit County COVID-19 vaccination effort, to join the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and share her story of transitioning from collegiate gymnast to sport administrator and running a completely different sport - Curling! (recorded 29 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Aimee!

PRELIMS
04:30 - Marooned on an island
06:50 - Finding the next thing after gymnastics

QUARTERFINALS
10:53 - Establishing a sport from the ground up
14:26 - Volunteers came out of the woodwork

SEMIFINALS
16:53 - Transitioning to venue

FINALS
21:33 - A new family during test events
23:50 - Games-time emotions

MIXED ZONE
29:01 - Learnings from gymnastics / SPORT
32:07 - Jumping on the couch

PODIUM
33:34 - Memories close to the heart
37:13 - Sitting behind the President

COOL DOWN
40:16 - GB women's victory
43:06 - Life post-SLOC

Calum Clark, Chief Operating Officer, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation and former Salt Lake 2002 Event Services Manager, joins the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and remembers working Snowbasin under Adam Gray, DEPAT and the one question you should never ask (recorded 22 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Calum!
03:53 - UOLF venues open

PRELIMS
05:54 - Marooned on an island
09:48 - A Qwest story

QUARTERFINALS
11:20 - From Sydney to Salt Lake
16:05 - Settling in with first class professionals

SEMIFINALS
19:54 - The Snowbasin assignment
23:27 - Doing things differently

FINALS
27:06 - 9/11 changed the game
30:50 - Working with the Secret Service

MIXED ZONE
35:38 - The Event Services workforce
38:00 - "It was a pleasure"

PODIUM
41:02 - "A washing machine of activity"
45:56 - The Olympic Trials

COOL DOWN
49:15 - Advice and wrap-up

The master of accommodation(s), John Sindelar, joins the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and gives us listeners an online Accommodation 101 course  (recorded 17 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome John!

PRELIMS
04:13 - Marooned on an island
07:06 - Hotel management during the bid

QUARTERFINALS
11:47 - The supply-demand lens

SEMIFINALS
18:32 - The allocation process
22:35 - A lengthy process

FINALS
26:46 - Contract negotiation challenges
31:25 - Building a accommodation team

MIXED ZONE
34:12 - Workforce accommodation
36:55 - Spectator accommodation

PODIUM
40:45 - Accommodation pre-Games
43:36 - Family involvement with the Games

COOL DOWN
49:41 - A post-Games decision to make
55:05 - Advice and wrap-up

One of our most requested guests ever, the incomparable Allen Brooks, joins the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and remembers giving up team handball for an opportunity to work the Games, his parents living in Ogden and finding something within you that you didn't know you had (recorded 17 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Allen!
02:08 - A pivot to leadership / a light on what is really important

PRELIMS
08:57 - Marooned on an island
12:08 - An introduction to Doug Arnot at ACOG

QUARTERFINALS
17:33 - Overseeing the ice hockey venues
20:49 - Creating a leadership approach 

SEMIFINALS
24:16 - A diverse OCOG in a homogenous society
28:28 - "An immediate connection"

FINALS
32:05 - The refinement of venue management
35:33 - Building a venue team

MIXED ZONE
38:43 - The big challenges
44:33 - People doing jobs they've never done before

PODIUM
46:43 - A family affair / the Paralympic Games
53:41 - The people that shaped Allen

COOL DOWN
57:14 - Wrap up

Brad Eggert, global event safety and security professional and former manager of the County Ice Center and Acord Ice Arenas, joins the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and recalls a Pulp Fiction moment, fire alarms and mom driving the Zamboni (recorded 17 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Brad!
04:20 - An odd road to Salt Lake

PRELIMS
05:48 - Lake Placid
08:29 - Helping out with test events

QUARTERFINALS
12:00 - A paid internship / first impressions of Utah
14:53 - Leadership with training wheels 

SEMIFINALS
17:27 - Transitioning to management
18:46 - Unexpected issues part 1 - adrenaline

FINALS
22:52 - Unexpected issues part 2 - angry athletes
25:40 - Unexpected issues part 3 - evacuation

MIXED ZONE
29:19 - Brad's parents sleep on an air mattress
33:09 - College 2.0

PODIUM
34:59 - The personal relationships
39:41 - Closing Ceremony

Our first VOLUNTEER(!!!), the wonderful Jill Andrews, joins the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and remembers pin trading, losing a volunteer assignment only to get a better one, living in a 16-foot trailer during Games-time and a guest book signed by Olympians from around the world (recorded 10 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Jill!
03:05 - Applying for Salt Lake 2002

PRELIMS
05:40 - A systems glitch changes Jill's volunteer assignment
10:04 - Hardcore pin trading

QUARTERFINALS
12:00 - Staying in a trailer on Hill Air Force Base
14:25 - A family affair / Opening Ceremony 

SEMIFINALS
18:41 - Working the 4am shift
22:01 - McDonald's in the Village

FINALS
23:15 - A memorable drive to Snowbasin
26:47 - Greeting the athletes in their own language

MIXED ZONE
29:24 - The volunteer wall
34:04 - Does anyone speak Russian?

PODIUM
35:38 - Pictures on the building
38:31 - Jill's one pin-trading rule

COOL DOWN
40:17 - Wrap up

Mark Hyde, former Soldier Hollow International Client Services Manager and now Public Health Scientist and Physician Assistant, joins the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and remembers being hired by Maureen Sweeney, being interviewed by NPR and  (recorded 10 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Mark!
04:20 - Marooned on an island

PRELIMS
07:00 - An Estonian volunteer opportunity
09:58 - The ICS venue manager role

QUARTERFINALS
11:12 - Todd Dennett - flag expert
14:47 - The smell of the building

SEMIFINALS
16:55 - Imposter syndrome
19:02 - The Russian biathlete

FINALS
23:54 - Small talk
25:33 - Sleeping in the condo

MIXED ZONE
30:38 - Working the Opening Ceremony red carpet
32:47 - Tom and Linda Whitaker

PODIUM
37:00 - The Paralympic Games
40:25 - My path chose me

COOL DOWN
43:39 - Advice / wrap up

Pauline Ploquin, President and Partner at Struck, joins the Salt Lake 2002 Retrospective podcast and remembers there is no "I" in team (except there is in French), banging her head on a desk and a great turn of phrase from Libby Hyland (recorded 2 March 2021). 

If you worked on the Games as a staff member, contractor or volunteer and want to share your story please email [email protected].

Show Notes:

WARM UP
00:26 - Welcome Pauline!
02:33 - Personal pursuits

PRELIMS
04:08 - Marooned on an island
09:34 - From Paris to Salt Lake

QUARTERFINALS
11:56 - First impressions of Salt Lake
14:56 - Roles in Creative Services

SEMIFINALS
20:34 - Overwhelming needs
22:31 - Establishing priorities

FINALS
24:58 - Brand should be there from the beginning
28:10 - Flying cupcakes

MIXED ZONE
32:17 - "I'll do your taxes, you do my creative"
34:17 - The Olympic photo book

PODIUM
37:12 - Games-time responsibilities / mascot opportunities
40:48 - Opening Ceremony

COOL DOWN
43:46 - Post-Games / advice