A systematic methodology has been developed to design the strategy and tactics of logistics operations for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. This methodology considers Olympic-specific characteristics, host country characteristics, as well as lessons learned from previous games. It comprises the generation, analysis and evaluation of strategic alternatives, the development of core business processes and the prediction of resource requirements. Furthermore, the proposed method provides guidelines to complement the experiential knowledge that has been used exclusively in the past to plan the logistics operations of the games and similar large-scale events.