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Power Logistics for Olympic Torch Celebrations
When the Olympic Torch arrived in London on its journey to Athens, Power Logistics supplied the power for the celebrations on the Mall, London.
The prestigious Olympic torch event attracted 70,000 people to the Mall to see the Olympic flame welcomed to London by the UK Olympic Patron, HRH Princess Anne. A concert followed, featuring an array of artists including Rod Stewart, James Brown, Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne, Will Young and Emma Bunton.
Power Logistics’ project manager, Tony Harpur, managed the installation of the power equipment, loading in 10 days prior to the event. The unique site location offered many challenges for the production team and suppliers; most notably because the Mall was open to the public whilst the production team was building the event and, secondly, high-level security procedures on site were very stringent. This meant everyone had to work to a strict load-in and set-up schedule, with working times based on the Mall’s allocated road closure times to ensure minimum disruption to the area’s traffic system. The Power Logistics team also had to be constantly aware of the environmental sensitivity of the site, working amongst the natural surroundings while the public still used the area.
Power Logistics installed a 455kVA and a 250kVA twin-pack to provide power for the event’s lighting requirements, and a 250kVA twin-pack for the sound and video supply, which also included the event’s outside broadcast needs. A series of 10 remote generators were deployed for the screens and delay towers set up along the Mall, with either a dedicated generator to each tower or cabling running between two towers on catinary wire. In some cases, towers could be more than 60m apart. An additional five generators were used to provide the production facilities and seven tower lights were incorporated into the work areas to aid the build through the night. The high-profile event was televised live across the country increasing the importance of a reliable and continuous power source. The supply was fully backed up to ensure a stable supply and the fuel was constantly managed.
This was the first event to be held on the Mall since the Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Power Logistics’ experiences, as part of the team of contractors who worked on the Golden Jubilee event, was invaluable in preparing and managing the logistics. The unusual site dimensions of 350m long by 20m wide meant the Power Logistics team had to manage the installation and cabling in very tight conditions and teamwork between all the suppliers was vital to the build’s success. Following the concert, the load-out was carried out immediately and the roads were reopened first thing Monday morning.
The event’s production manager Robbie Williams (of Robbie Williams Productions) commented: “The Power Logistics team provided an exemplary service as always and we had no problems whatsoever. ”
In picture: James Brown in concert at the Mall, London.
14th July 2004
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