The official debriefing of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, held in London, began on 20 November 2008 and ends today. Although primarily intended for the London Organising Committee of the 2012 Olympic Games (LOCOG), representatives of the Rio 2016 commission also attended. The Rio 2016 delegation was led by Márcia Lins, the Rio de Janeiro Secretary of Sports, Tourism, and Leisure, and included four other commission members: Alexandre Techima, infrastructure director; Vitorio Moraes, finance director; Sônia Almeida, sports coordinator; and Denise Afonso, operations coordinator.

During the event, a wide range of themes on the organization of the most recent Olympic Games were presented at seminars given by International Olympic Committee (IOC) directors to nearly 180 participants. The IOC president, Jacques Rogge, emphasized the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the need for constant evolution. “Once an Olympic city, always an Olympic city. The Olympic Games are one of a kind and sport should always be the central focus of the event,” declared Rogge. The event participants had the opportunity to visit the location where the Olympic Park and Olympic Village will be built for the 2012 London Games.

The infrastructure director of Rio 2016 emphasized the importance of the event for learning from others’ experiences. “We have learned a lot from the success of the Beijing Olympic Games, as well as the preparations being made by the Vancouver, Sochi and London organizing committees. The event is also important for making contact with sponsors, who are extremely important for the success of the Games,” said Techima.