The Holland Heineken House in London has “become one of the biggest
draws on the Olympic party circuit,” and it “prides itself on being the
most boisterous of dozens of national hospitality houses set up at
London landmarks for the duration of the Games,” according to Davies
& Addley of the London GUARDIAN. The hospitality venues, “mostly
established by individual countries' national Olympic committees (NOCs),
are designed to showcase those countries and provide a base for the
visiting teams.” But there is “a world of difference between Ireland's
low-key hangout in a north London pub and Brazil's contemporary art at
Somerset House, or, for instance, the hi-tech branding exercise that is
the Sochi 2014 pavilion and the laid back charm of Africa Village.” Some
countries, “such as Georgia, decided to eschew the limelight,
keeping their NOC houses private and accessible only to delegates and
special invitees.” Others, such as Serbia, have “kept the proceedings
within their own embassies, thereby minimising cost.” The USA House, in
the Royal College of Art, “operates on a high-security, invitation-only
basis for anyone not an athlete, sponsor, official or staff member of
the U.S. team.” Members of the public “are able to access a shop,
providing they are U.S. citizens and have ID to prove it.” The massive
Sochi.Park pavilion in Kensington Gardens “is a paean -- complete with
ice rink -- to the Black Sea host city of the next winter Olympics,
while the sophisticated Casa Brasil endeavours to use London 2012 as a
publicity platform for Rio 2016.” With these aims in mind, it is
“perhaps unsurprising that many NOCs have been anything but stingy with
their hospitality houses, scrapping over prestigious venues such as
Somerset House and giving the London events industry a huge cash
injection” (GUARDIAN, 8/8).
Meanwhile, up to 700 people Wednesday were "evacuated from New
Zealand's Olympics hospitality house after a fire." A gas canister
"being used for a barbecue exploded" at the venue dubbed Kiwi House (BBC, 8/8).
