Catalogue description Records of the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) was established in July 2005 shortly after the Olympic bid was won by the UK Government London Olympic Bid Team. LOCOG was responsible for organising, publicising and staging the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2012.

Among its responsibilities were venue and competition management, sponsorship, ticket sales, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the Volunteer programme and monitoring and reporting project progress to the International Olympic Committee. LOCOG was also responsible for preparing and delivering all venues in Games mode, including infrastructure at temporary Games venues and, in the lead up to the Games, to host 'test' events to ensure that the venues were ready for use.

LOCOG was chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe with Paul Deighton as its Chief Executive. Its Board members comprised the UK Government, the Mayor of London's office, the British Olympic Association (BOA), the British Paralympic Association (BPA), British members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), former Olympic athletes as well as other members with special expertise. LOCOG was the first Olympic organising committee to cover both Olympic and Paralympic Games; they had been organised by separate Organising Committees in previous Games.

Under the LOCOG Board the organisation was arranged as follows: Executive Office; Brand and Marketing Department; Commercial Department; Communications and Public Affairs Department; Culture, Ceremonies, Education and Live Sites Department; Finance Department; Facilities Department; Games Operation Department; Broadcast Department; Security Department; Sport Department; Paralympic Integration Department; Transport Department; Venues and Infrastructure Department; Games Services Department; Human Resources Department; Legal Department; Strategic Programmes Department, and finally, the Technology Department.

The vision which drove the Games - 'to host an inspirational, safe and inclusive Olympic and Paralympic Games and leave substantial legacy for London and the UK' - was underpinned by the four strategic objectives which were agreed by the UK Olympic Board, which were;

• to stage an inspirational Olympic Games and Paralympic Games for the athletes, the Olympic Family and the viewing public;
• to deliver the Olympic Park and all venues on time, within agreed budget and to specification, minimising the call on public funds and providing for a sustainable legacy;
• to maximise the economic, social, health and environmental benefits of the Games for the UK, particularly through regeneration and sustainable development in East London; and finally,
• to achieve a sustained improvement in UK sport before, during and after the Games, in both elite performance - particularly in Olympian and Paralympian sports - and grassroots participation.

As the Organising Committee, LOCOG's specific key objective is located as the first of the Board's strategic objectives (above) 'to stage an inspirational Olympic Games and Paralympic Games for athletes, the Olympic Family and the viewing public'; this included the delivery of the following sub-objectives:

• 1. Deliver an inspirational environment and experience for athletes and provide a first-class experience for the Olympic Family and spectators;
• 2. Meet International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) needs and specifications, including venue overlays;
• 3. Ensure effective and efficient planning and operation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (including security, transport, technology, health, volunteering and accessibility);
• 4. Maximise audience size at venues; secure support and engagement across all sections of the UK public;
• 5. Deliver effective media presentation and maximise global audience size;
• 6. Communicate Olympic values across the world, particularly amongst young people;
• 7. Stage inspiring ceremonies and cultural events;
• 8. Deliver an operating surplus from the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games;
• 9. Operate sustainable and environmentally responsible Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The IOC owns the rights to the Olympic Games and is responsible for supervising the organisation of the London 2012 Games. It does this through a Coordination Commission which works closely with the Organising Committee on the planning, development and operations of the Games. LOCOG reports directly to the IOC on the fulfilment of London's 2012's obligations as set out in the Host City Contract and to the IPC on the fulfilment of the Paralympic Games. The IPC has a representative on the Coordination Commission to follow developments from the Paralympic perspective. The IOC is represented on LOCOG's Board by the UK IOC Members.

The British Olympic Association is responsible for British participation in the summer and winter Olympic Games, providing support and services to all those competing as members of Team GB and promoting the Olympic movement and safeguading Olympic values throughout the UK. The BOA and the British Paralympic Association have a seat on LOCOG's Board.

The Government, through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is responsible for co-ordinating cross-Government support and delivering government-led objectives. DCMS reports directly to the Secretary of State who co-chairs the Olympic Board with the Mayor of London. The Government is represented on LOCOG's Board by the Minister for the Olympics / Sport.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is responsible for maximising the economic, social, health, and environmental benefits of the Games in London. The Mayor of London, together with the BOA and LOCOG is jointly responsible for delivering the Olympic and Paralympic Games under the terms of the Host City Contract. The Mayor of London co-chairs the Olympic Board with the Secretary of State and has a representative on LOCOG's Board.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is a public body charged with building the venues and infrastructure for the Games. The ODA and LOCOG were co-located in Canary Wharf and worked very closely together on delivery of venues and infrastructure to ensure the Games time use and legacy use are considered in tandem.

IPC and the British Paralympic Association are represented on LOCOG's Board to oversee development and progress on the Paralympic Games.

LOCOG is a private company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, with its registered office at One Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5LN and registered number 05267819. Consequently its records are not defined as public records and its records were not originally subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.