That hospitality could include, for the first time, scripted interaction between Olympic athletes and spectators in the stands. Traditionally, the athletes simply march into the stadium.

Some 11,600 athletes and team officials were on the field in Sydney after the lengthy parade of nations ended. Salt Lake City has to deal with only about 3,500.

In Sydney, though, some teams were especially exuberant as they entered. Australians, for example, tossed toy kangaroos into the crowd from pouches that were part of their team uniforms.

Just what SLOC might do in 2002 to guarantee more such moments hasn't been decided yet. And even when it is, Mischer is loathe to make it public.

"We want to keep the element of surprise," he said. "The more surprised they are, the more people respond."

That includes the person who will be chosen to light the Olympic cauldron that will be erected in Rice-Eccles Stadium for the Games, Mischer said.

The design of the cauldron also likely will be kept under wraps. Sydney didn't unveil its mechanical marvel until the final torchbearer climbed a set of stairs to the top of the stadium stage.

The torch was revealed only when the torchbearer, Aboriginal Olympian Cathy Freeman, walked onto a pool of water and touched the flame to the ground.

Although the ring of flames easily moved over her head, it jerked to a stop and stalled for a moment before climbing a portion of the grandstand that had turned into a waterfall.

Mischer, who was backstage with Ric Birch, the producer of Sydney's show, said it was a tense moment that included some tears.

He sympathized with his Sydney counterparts. "To have something go wrong — albeit not a major disaster — it's heartbreaking," he said.

Still, he praised the show. "If I were an Australian, I'd be very proud today because I think it was stunning and spectacular." In the end, it's the locals' reaction that matters most.

"More than anything, we want to make the people of the community hosting the Games feel pride in what's being done."

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