Barry,
The venue is actually pretty nice. Think of the floor size of the Expocentre but in a round arena. Concessions are another matter - there is one booth outside in the concourse that had a stack of packaged sandwiches on the counter that you could pick from. For drinks they had a cooler with 5-6 different types of soda and juice. The only other vendor is the tshirt stand, where he has four shirts handing from a hanger. Once you find the shirt you want and agree on a price, he digs through his box to pull out your size. Just a little different than back home.
The services here would probably be the first thing you'd miss. I will do my best to not complain too much in the future about the costs and lack of choices at the Expocentre after experiencing what a true lack of choice is.
The security here is truly amazing. I've been on military bases with less military personnel visible. There are guard dogs outside the venue, metal detectors to get inside, and multiple guards at every door and hallway. Every seat in the front row (upper level, not down on the floor) is filled with a policeman for every minute of the event. I've been told that the IOC told Azerbaijan that their Olympic bid was dead in the water if there were any incidents at the Worlds; guess they're going to make sure that doesn't happen!
By the way, I am back at the tournament and currently have Internet access. Hope this lasts!
