This week, the formal planning process entered a new phase.

On Monday morning, the Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games met with stakeholders from Weber County and Ogden as part of a listening tour to discuss planning for the games’ presence in the area. The Ogden area will take a very active role in the 2034 games as Snowbasin Resort will be hosting the Alpine skiing events. Following that meeting, members of the committee and area leaders spoke with the media about the planning process and some of the goals for the next eight and a half years.

Brad Wilson, Organizing Committee CEO, laid out what discussions were had earlier in the morning.

“We talked about what does our structure look like as we get ready for 2034, what is our committee looking into in terms of its big initiatives and efforts and we also talked about creating a roadmap for Utah and for this community here in Weber County between now and 2034,” he said. “As we have learned, there is no community that has been working harder and has come to the table more aligned around the opportunity 2034 presents than the Ogden-Weber community.”

Committee board of directors member Abby Osborne also praised the region’s enthusiasm.

“This community is embracing the Olympics,” she said. “It’s been defined by the Olympics and it’s just going to be the greatest gift going forward for the next generation.”

She said this would be the first of many similar listening sessions statewide.

“This couldn’t have been a better start to, really, the next six months of listening tour that Brad will take us on as the CEO,” she said. “We’ll go throughout the state hearing what communities want out of the Olympics, need out of the Olympics and need out of our executive committee.”

Weber County Commissioner Jim Harvey said this will be a positive experience for generations to come.

“This will positively affect the lives of our kids and our grandchildren,” he said. “We love the spirit of the people that are here. It just creates an easy place for people to come and feel what it’s like to bring the world together and do the right things.”

Visit Ogden President and CEO Sara Tolliver said the experience with the 2002 Olympics helped shape the community into what it is today and she expects the 2034 games to do the same.

“We really look at the 2002 Olympics as a catalyst for this community and so much of the great transition and transformation that has happened over the last 20-25 years here in our community,” she said. “We expect 2034 to be the same. It’s our next evolution. It’s an opportunity for our community to participate in this global event.”

Snowbasin Resort General Manager Davy Ratchford said he’s hoping a local resident or two will be part of more than just planning the games.

“Our job at the resort is to pull off an amazing event and (provide) the best product out there for the athletes,” he said. “With that in mind, our job is to find the next athlete to win a gold and happen to be from our community. If you’re a 15-year-old right now and you’re thinking about what to do in this world, start to compete.”

One such local who competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics was also on hand Monday.

Olympian Bill Schuffenhauer said it would be huge at home and abroad to find an Olympic or Paralympic athlete from the region.

“We have such a great opportunity with the Olympics being eight and a half years out to go into our communities and find the next Olympic athlete, find the next Paralympic athlete,” he said. “What that’s going to do, not only for Utah, but for people around the world is foster a sense of community, foster a sense of championship in these young kids that we have literally hiding in our communities.”

Wilson added that there will be several opportunities in the future for the public to be involved and give input in the planning process.