The Los Angeles 2024 bid committee is taking over an exhibition space inside the USA House in Rio to anchor its on-site campaigning during the Olympics.
The Los Angeles showcase will occupy a third-floor theater room in the U.S. Olympic Committee’s primary hospitality center, which is being constructed inside Colégio São Paulo, a Catholic school on Ipanema Beach rented by the committee.
The exhibit will be open to any authorized guest of the USA House, including voting members of the International Olympic Committee, sport federation leaders, major sponsors and other VIPs.
In a prepared statement, Chief Bid Officer Danny Koblin said the display will be an “interactive and immersive experience” that will demonstrate Los Angeles’ climate, diversity, beauty and “responsible games concept.” LA 2024 declined to comment further.
The IOC strictly regulates bid campaigning during the Games in order to hold down spending and level the playing field. Even the size of the display is capped by rule at 20 square meters.
“I would expect that each of the bidding cities will have showcase centers within their national houses,” said Michael Payne, a former IOC director of marketing. “But if you don’t actually put down a rule on the measurement, you’ll suddenly find that one bid has gone and hired the palace, and given the small office to the national Olympic Committee. That’s not quite what was intended.”
Los Angeles is vying for 2024 hosting rights with Paris, Rome and Budapest. A vote will come in September 2017.
