Behind the scenes of the Paris Olympics: Hospitality in action

In July, I set off on the 27-hour journey to Paris to join a renowned event management company, iLUKA, as part of a crack team to deliver partnership activations for a variety of clients and Olympic sponsors.

iLUKA has 17 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 16 global football events, and 150 other events under their belt. The head office is based in London, UK, with a core team that swells by ten times for big events.

This article was originally published in the latest AccomNews print edition. [Read it here.]

This was my seventh Olympics or Commonwealth Games undertaking since 2000. It started at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where I worked for iLUKA with one of the Games’ major sponsors.

My role involved working in accreditation and showcasing areas of the venue. Through that experience, I continued to work in various hospitality roles at the 2004 Athens Olympics, 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The Paris Olympic experience was amazing. The city itself was spectacular, with many of the Olympic venues based around iconic landmarks. There was a huge security presence, with police and army personnel drafted in from Belgium, Germany, and the French provinces.

Friendly, helpful security personnel were on every street corner, making the whole area feel very safe. Outside the touristy areas, Paris was quiet; many locals had left, which was a pity as the city had transformed into an Olympic wonderland.

My role at the Olympics

So, what was I doing? A “Housekeeping Management Consultant” amid the Paris Olympics? My role in this Sponsorship Hospitality Programme was “Hotel Manager.” The programme involved the major sponsor client inviting their special guests to Paris. They attended Olympic events and participated in a business working component of the programme. Every part of their experience was about sharing our client’s story and creating lifelong memories.

Event management companies such as iLUKA specialise in these programmes. The preparation is handled by the advance management team. This includes all aspects of the programme: arrival at the airport or train station, transfer to the hotel, check-in at the hotel, lounge and food and beverage at the hotel, event tickets, transport to and from the events with event hosts accompanying them every step of the way. The hosts provide hospitality at the events, transport to and from the business component of the programme, and oversee final departures on the last day.

On this programme, we had 10 “waves” of guests checking in and out, often back-to-back. The programme was comparatively small, with our clients taking 40 of the 80 hotel rooms. This is where my hotel team stepped in. We welcomed guests at our dedicated arrival lounge, guided them through their itineraries, and introduced them to the hospitality lounges. We liaised with Housekeeping and Front Office to ensure the rooms were ready and in immaculate condition. The team set up all the giveaway goodies in the rooms prior to arrival and performed a final check. My challenging role also involved coordinating all the food and beverage options in the lounges—all-day grazing, pre-function receptions, and late-night hospitality. The lounge was open daily from 7am to 1am.

Part of the challenge was that I arrived three weeks before the start, while the rest of the team only came on board a week before the Olympics began. It took meticulous effort to train the team, prepare the venues and lounges, and coordinate effectively with the hotel.

Challenges and rewards

What skills are needed to take on such a role? You have to think on your feet, adapt quickly to change, and solve problems calmly and efficiently. This was put to the test when, on Day 2, I tripped and fell, breaking my wrist. Working in a high-adrenaline environment with little sleep and collaborating with multicultural and diverse teams is tough. The payoff, however, is immense—meeting a huge range of people, attending some incredible sporting events, and sharing the buzz of being part of the Olympic Games.

I was fortunate to attend some wonderful events: beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, athletics and the closing ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, and the highlight for me—the modern pentathlon finals at Château de Versailles.

Looking ahead

Brisbane 2032 will be here before we know it, and there’s a massive amount of work to do to ensure it’s an Olympics to remember. Reflecting on my experiences in Paris, I’m inspired by the incredible potential Brisbane holds to deliver a Games that will captivate the world and leave an unforgettable legacy.

Here’s to being part of another chapter in Olympic history!