Did you watch the Olympic Games in Paris this summer? What did you think about the spectacular opening ceremony as athletes arrived by boat on the Seine River while aerial acrobats graced the riverbanks? What about the swimming events seen at the many venues in Paris like the 6,000 seat aquatics center or the temporary pool at La Défense Arena built just for the Olympics and then there is the impressive 30,000-seat indoor stadium to watch rugby teams (Traub, 2024). Perhaps you sat on the edge of your seat watching record-breaking accomplishments by some of the most amazing athletes as they achieved their well-deserved medal or felt the disappointment for others who slightly missed their mark by a mere few tenths of a second? You were probably reminded that every one of them found their passion in their chosen sport and maybe a few realized they had a greater purpose along the way.

While the Olympians were the main focus of these sporting performances, you might also have wondered who was behind the scenes planning every single detail to make these events as impressive as they were and coordinating everything from administration of advertising and sponsorship to volunteer selection. Can you imagine leading and organizing not just one aspect of the Olympics but the overall management of every little detail? Would you ever consider working or volunteering for the Olympics?

Destinations selected to host the Olympics start the planning process many years prior to any athlete ever setting foot in that location and once a city has been granted the honor of hosting, some cities must fulfill their promise to build particular venues designed just for the event. But not all locations can provide new or reconditioned facilities, in fact some may have to accommodate particular sports many miles away from the chosen destination. Consider this year’s surfing competition was held 10,000 miles away in French Polynesia and was not without controversy as some critics expressed their concern for the impact of building viewing structures on coral reefs, fish and other aquatic life (Traub, 2024). Some other sports were relocated to venues outside of Paris like the Basketball’s preliminaries at a stadium 140 miles away, while Soccer was moved to cities from Marseille to Nice which meant that some participants from the U.S. men’s and women’s teams missed the Opening Ceremony (Traub, 2024).

While there are challenges to finding just the right venue for all of the Olympic activities to be scheduled in the right place at the right time, can you imagine being one of the event planners tasked with coordinating one of the most incredible sporting events where teams like the ones who played beach volleyball were viewed day and night at the base of the breathtaking Eiffel Tower (Traub, 2024). Just like the Olympic athletes who dream and work hard to achieve their chance for a gold medal, maybe you might consider building your educational foundation to become a world-class event planner!

For more information about the Hospitality and Tourism Services or Hospitality Sustainability Concentration at Purdue Global, contact Course Lead, Mimi Gough at mgough@purdueglobal.edu

Traub, M. (2024, July 9). Olympic Games’ reach extends beyond Paris. SportsTravel. https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/olympic-games-reach-extends-beyond-paris/

Traub, M. (2024b, July 29). Paris’ Iconic Olympic venues praised by athletes, NGB leaders. SportsTravel. https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/paris-iconic-olympic-venues-praised-by-athletes-ngb-leaders/?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eltrMtgNews&oly_enc_id=1683B6287056B9U