Dress Rehearsal for Olympic Torch Relay

Dress Rehearsal for Olympic Torch Relay Takes Place Today

Today the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is holding a full dress rehearsal to test the operations around the Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. The rehearsal is taking place on the Leicester to Peterborough stretch of the Relay route and is the culmination of the Olympic Torch Relay test schedule. Previous tests have focused on torch performance, hotel operations, desk top exercises and testing the vehicle convoy.

(PRWEB) April 20, 2012

Today the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is holding a full dress rehearsal to test the operations around the Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. The rehearsal is taking place on the Leicester to Peterborough stretch of the Relay route and is the culmination of the Olympic Torch Relay test schedule. Previous tests have focused on torch performance, hotel operations, desk top exercises and testing the vehicle convoy. 

• Dress Rehearsal covers the Relay route from Leicester to Peterborough
• Rehearsal day to test operational elements of the Relay
• 122 students and participants acting as Torchbearers

The Leicester to Peterborough stretch of the Relay was chosen because it will test every element of the Relay including convoy splits and alternate modes of transport. It represents a typical day of the Relay including both rural and city locations and is the first time that elements such as crew, convoy and communications are being tested. The convoy consists of 14 core vehicles, including a pilot car, Torchbearer drop-off and pick-up shuttles, Presenting Partner vehicles, a media vehicle, a command car and security vehicles.

The rehearsal is an operational rather than a spectator event as there is no evening celebration and no Flame, meaning that torches will not be lit. The exercise is also a chance for host communities to experience how the Relay looks and operates in advance of the Olympic Torch Relay start at Land’s End on 19 May 2012.

A crew of approximately 400 people are working on the dress rehearsal; a typical day on the Relay will include around 370 people. The rehearsal will test rotational team members and allow each of them to test their individual roles. Core teams of LOCOG staff, the Metropolitan Police Torch Security Team, Presenting Partners, host Police Forces and host Local Authorities are working together in a live environment for the first time.

Photos from today’s Olympic Torch Relay rehearsal will be available to download throughout the day. Broadcast footage will be available on request from footage@london2012.com

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: ‘The dress rehearsal is a great opportunity to test all parts of the Olympic Torch Relay. I would like to thank the host Local Authorities and Police Forces for working with us on this rehearsal.

‘Tests are essential to ensure the smooth running of our operations around the Torch Relay. When all the final elements are added for the Relay itself the excitement will really build for the start of the London 2012 Games and the UK will get its moment to shine.’

During the dress rehearsal, the convoy will pass through 12 communities along an 80-mile route. Starting the day in Leicester and continuing through Quorn, Loughborough, Hoton, Wymeswold, Asfordby, Melton Mowbray, Langham, Oakham, Uppingham and Stamford before finishing in Peterborough. 122 participants are acting as Torchbearers during the rehearsal. These participants have been recruited through the host Local Authorities, the Relay’s three Presenting Partners and from the Royal College of the Blind, Loughborough College and Leicester, De Montfort, Loughborough and Northampton universities.

The Olympic Torch Relay will start at Land’s End, Cornwall on the morning of 19 May 2012. On leaving Land’s End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK giving thousands of communities and individuals their moment to shine as the Olympic Flame comes to a place near them.

The Relay will take the Olympic Flame to within ten miles of 95% of the population and will showcase as much of the UK as possible. The route for the rehearsal and for all 70 days of the Olympic Torch Relay were devised after extensive consultation with representatives in each nation and region.

James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, The Coca-Cola Company, said: ‘With just a few short weeks to go before the Olympic Flame arrives in the UK, we’re really excited to be putting our Torch Relay operations to the test during the Leicester to Peterborough Dress Rehearsal. We’ll be unveiling our ‘Beat Fleet’ – the vehicles that will travel around the UK galvanising nationwide support the Relay and for our Future Flames, the inspirational people we have chosen as Torchbearers. We can’t wait for Relay to begin on the May 19th and for everyone around the UK to share in the magic of London 2012 by lining the streets to celebrate their local Future Flames!’

Sally Hancock, Director, 2012 Partnership and Group Sponsorship at Lloyds Banking Group, said: ‘As the National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch relay Lloyds TSB is bringing the Olympic Flame closer to our customers and communities. For Lloyds TSB, the Relay binds all of our programmes together in 2012; allowing us to continue to take the inspiration and excitement of the Games to the heart of communities across the UK.

'Our Torchbearers will be representing their local communities, Local Heroes will be carrying the Flame for their sport and young athletes all over the UK; schools will be lining the route and helping us celebrate along the way, and with branches on nearly every high street we’re inviting our customers and the local community to celebrate with us as the Torch passes their front doors. The test event brings us one step closer to the start of the Relay and the moment when every corner of Britain will start to feel the excitement of London 2012.’

Mr Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Global Sports Marketing, Samsung Electronics, said: 'Today is about fine tuning the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay logistics and as Samsung thrives on robust testing, we're delighted to be part of this final run through. The dress rehearsal marks nearly two years of creative and logistics planning by Samsung with LOCOG, so as a Presenting Partner this is a tremendously important milestone in our London 2012 journey. This is a very exciting time for everyone and we look forward to welcoming all our Olympic Torchbearers and Olympic fans from across the UK and around world. I believe this will be the very best Olympic Torch Relay in the history of the modern Olympic movement and we're extremely proud to be playing our part in making it happen.’

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

Notes to editors:

About the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners:

As the longest standing Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola will be using its heritage and experience to spread excitement across the UK ahead of London 2012. Coca-Cola's national nomination campaign - Future Flames – has focused on finding inspirational young people from across the country to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. This summer Coca-Cola will celebrate these Future Flames: young people who use their passions in areas like sport and physical activity, music and dance, and community and the environment; to spread happiness in their local communities.

As the only National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the spirit and inspiration of the Olympic Flame right to the heart of communities across the UK. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Scotland will be the National Presenting Partner in Scotland. Schools can be right at the heart of the celebrations through our Flame Followers programme, giving them access to free resources to get their pupils inspired and excited about the Olympic Torch Relay. Customers can be the first to hear how they can follow the Olympic Flame, through our customer-exclusive programme Trackside.

As a Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Samsung aims to encourage everyone to be part of the greatest show on Earth to make London 2012 ‘Everyone’s Olympic Games.’ We aspire to offer new and memorable experiences for everyone around the world through our own innovative and smart wireless technology. Samsung is providing 1,360 Torchbearers, who have “gone the extra mile” by contributing to the local communities, through its worldwide public nomination campaign. In total over 25,000 nominations were received. Samsung will support towns and cities to celebrate the exciting moment of the Torch Relay and help showcase Great Britain’s cultural landmarks to provide a more enjoyable experience to everyone. The evening celebrations that will be staged by Samsung in 66 towns and cities throughout the Olympic Flame’s journey across the UK, will allow Samsung to entertain the community they are visiting. The Samsung caravan, complete with LED screen on the side showcasing runners and goodwill messages, will follow the Torchbearers around the UK cheering up everyone to celebrate the Torch Relay with music and interaction with local communities. It is Samsung’s ambition that London 2012 will be an event that reaches and involves more people than on any other Olympic Games occasion.

The Supporters of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay are:

Worldwide Olympic Partners Procter and Gamble and Visa, Tier One Partners adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT and EDF, Tier Three Providers Aggreko, Holiday Inn and NATURE VALLEY.

London 2012 Games partners:

The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS.

There are now 28 domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery