Editor's Note: A version of this story ran in SportsBusiness Journal in the July 11-17 issue.
Colégio São Paulo on Ipanema Beach will turn into the USA House during the Olympics, when the U.S. Olympic Committee and sponsors will host 24,000 guests over 17 days at its marquee hospitality center.
Most of the action will take place on the first floor and the rooftop of the 50,000-square-foot building. Activations will include mobile-device charging stations from AT&T; a BMW racing wheelchair display; a Bridgestone-branded patio; two Budweiser-sponsored bars; the Citi Terrace; Chobani-sponsored happy hours (featuring smoothies), grab-and-go coolers and a creations cart; and Visa branding in the USA Store.
Forty-four private events are already scheduled, along with celebrity athlete appearances and the ceremony for the Order of Ikkos, an award given by medal-winning athletes to coaches.
The upper floors will be used as meeting and office space.
Organizers are excited about its location, not far from NBC beachfront studios and several other major hospitality locations in the Copacabana and Ipanema neighborhoods. “The location is a little more central than we have been in the past,” said Peter Zeytoonjian, USOC managing director of marketing.
Final construction began July 25. The Brazilian unit of global events contractor GL Events was hired to manage the house.
USOC sponsor USG was the general contractor for the build-out.
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Team USA’s home away from home for the Summer Games (from top): The Beach Room, exterior view of the Colégio São Paulo building, and social spaces on the building’s rooftop.
Photos by: U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
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