The International Island Games is a biennial multi-sport event that brings together athletes from island nations and territories across the world, often described as a “mini Olympics” for island communities.
In 2025, Orkney became the proud host of the Games for the very first time, welcoming competitors from more than 20 islands to take part in 12 different sports. For the local community, this was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase Orkney’s culture and hospitality on the global stage.
From the moment the Games were announced, it was clear that this would be the most ambitious event ever undertaken in the islands. Spread across multiple venues and featuring large-scale opening and closing ceremonies, the Orkney 2025 International Island Games were more than just a sporting festival – they marked a defining moment in Orkney’s history.
At the centre of it all was Games Director, Kirsty Talbot, leading a small core team of just three paid staff tasked with delivering an event of extraordinary scale. “It was the biggest event Orkney had ever seen,” she recalls. “And with such a small team, we needed tools that could help us deliver on a global stage.”
Before OnePlan: Planning with PowerPoint
The Games presented significant planning complexities. Multiple venues had to be coordinated simultaneously, infrastructure requirements for a wide range of sports needed to be accounted for, and partner organisations – including Orkney Islands Council, EventScotland, and sportscotland – required regular updates and input throughout the planning process.
Making matters more complex, they had no specialist event planning software in place. “We were essentially trying to plan the size of a small Winter Olympics using PowerPoint,” says Kirsty. “It just wasn’t sustainable.” The lack of accurate visualisation tools slowed the process, complicated collaboration, and made it difficult to give stakeholders the clarity and confidence they needed.
The transition to OnePlan
Recognising the need for a smarter, more professional approach, the Orkney Games team turned to OnePlan and the shift was immediate. Two key staff members became the primary users, regularly updating plans and sharing them across venues and partner organisations. Instead of static PowerPoint slides, the team now had accurate, interactive layouts that could be exported as PNGs or shared as view-only links, giving everyone access to the same reliable information.
Stakeholder collaboration became noticeably smoother. “With organisations like Orkney Islands Council, EventScotland, and sportscotland involved, being able to share clear and consistent plans was vital. OnePlan made it easy for everyone to access the information they needed, and having accurate, professional visuals really made all the difference for our stakeholders,” explains Kirsty.
Practical benefits in action
Throughout the planning and delivery phases, OnePlan became the backbone of the operation. Venue teams and build crews relied on exported PNGs to ensure site plans were accurate and up to date. The platform also removed the need to invest in expensive CAD software, with OnePlan instead ensuring it was easy for anyone in Kirsty’s small team to plan in real-time.
One particular feature stood out. “The pedestrian barrier calculator was magic,” says Kirsty. “It made ordering so much easier.” What would have otherwise been a complex and time-consuming task was now quick, accurate, and cost-effective, saving both money and stress for the team.
For a small staff working at the limits of their capacity, these efficiencies were transformative. Kirsty said: “OnePlan brought us so many benefits – it saved us time, reduced the number of site visits we needed to do, improved accuracy across all our venues, and made collaboration with our partners so much easier. Most importantly, it meant we could focus on delivering an unforgettable event rather than wrestling with planning tools that weren’t fit for purpose.”
By the time the Games came to life, the benefits of using OnePlan were undeniable. Not only did the event run smoothly across all venues with professional-quality plans keeping everyone aligned, but the platform also delivered significant cost savings. For Kirsty and her team, avoiding the need for expensive CAD software or multiple tools meant OnePlan’s Team package provided everything they required in one affordable, efficient solution. As Kirsty puts it, “No need to buy CAD or other software – OnePlan gave us everything we needed in one place.”
The Outcome
The Orkney 2025 International Island Games demonstrated what is possible when powerful event planning software is placed in the hands of a dedicated but resource-limited team. OnePlan not only removed inefficiencies and costs but also gave stakeholders the clarity and confidence needed to deliver an international event of remarkable scale across Orkney’s diverse venues.
In the words of Games Director Kirsty Talbot, the results speak for themselves: “Use it! OnePlan is a great tool. The Orkney Games were a huge success – welcoming over 2,000 athletes and officials from 24 islands – and the planning was so much smoother thanks to OnePlan.”
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