Olympic Games ceremony then became the first Winter Games to hold competitions before the opening ceremony. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, various elements frame the Opening Ceremonies of a celebration of the Olympic Games. Most of these rituals were canonized at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The artistic program is what creates the idiosyncratic element of each ceremony. Coubertin's initial vision of the Modern Olympics featured both athletic competitions and artistic achievements. As the modern Olympics have evolved into a celebration of sport, it is in the opening ceremonies that one can see the most of Coubertin's ideal. The opening
London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games formed to continue the work started by the bidding team. LOCOG was officially designated as the organisers of the Games at its first board meeting on 7 October 2005. The board members were: Members of the IOC from the host country are required by IOC rules to be on the organising committee board, as well as representatives of the host Olympic association and Paralympic association. The senior team comprised: London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) was the organisation responsible for overseeing the planning and development of