It’s hard to believe this is the last week of being in Paris. Since my last post, I have worked two additional shifts at the USA House and even got to attend as a guest. The night I attended as a guest was very exciting. The major event that night was the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics All-Around Final, so they had the event being shown on their TVs in the main room. Being in a room full of other Team USA fans during such an exciting event was a feeling I will never forget. The room went wild when Simone Biles was awarded her gold medal, and it was just an experience I know I would not get anywhere else in the world. As for my shifts, I have continued to work the front gate and get to know guests who are coming into the House or are interested in coming into the House. I have also helped show guests around on the inside.
Outside of the USA House we have attended a lot of guest speakers and lectures. So far, we have met with past Olympians, lawyers, representatives for OnLocation (the official ticketing partner for the 2024 Games) and even a representative from the NBA. So far, my favorite lecture has been with OnLocation. I enjoyed hearing about how their ticketing process works compared to other distributors the Olympics have used in the past. OnLocation makes a very unique hospitality experience for each event of the Games and learning about how they want to approach the 2026 Winter Games and the 2028 Summer Games was very interesting. I luckily got to attend an event since my last post. I went to see Italy play the Netherlands in women’s volleyball, which is what is pictured below! The arena was very easy to get to, the security and ticket lines were smooth and quick, and the game was made very entertaining by both the announcers and the entertainment that took place between each set. There were also some pre-event activations that were taking place in the entrance of the arena. I even got to see the mascot in person again! After 3 sets, Italy won the match, which made me very happy as an Italian.
