I had the opportunity to attend Opening Ceremonies on Friday night. The weather leading up to them had been very wintry - snowy and cold. Officials were worried about no-shows and empty seats, so those with credentials were invited. If a ticket holder arrived, we would have to give up our seat and find another empty one. Luckily, that didn't happen to us.
One of my roommates is on the Ceremonies Team and helped seat athletes after the Parade of Nations. He said the military and other workers had to clear the entire stadium of snow at least twice. I have to say, as a spectator, you never would have known there had been so much snow.
Having watched the Olympics Opening Ceremonies from home, I was very curious how the LED posts at each seat may have impacted the spectator experience. I thought, "how could they not get in the sightlines of the audience?"
I have to say, I was surprised I hardly noticed them sitting in the stadium. And it made for a more dynamic experience.
It was a fantastic program and I was happy to have been able to attend.
I felt exiting the stadium went very smoothly. But we bottle-necked under the colorful lighted canopies waiting for a bus.
We waited about an hour before we got out from under it and to our bus. Looking around a bit, I'm not sure what other option they had for loading the buses. The light display and music helped keep us entertained.