Author: Ava Butler

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Paris

Final Thoughts

Ava Butler

Today was my last day in Paris. As I board the train to spend a week in London, I want to reflect on my first blog post where I discussed some of the things I was looking forward to for the trip.

The first thing I was looking forward to was the beach volleyball game. I was incredibly lucky to get to see the United States play as when I bought tickets the teams were not determined yet. The venue was beautiful and the atmosphere was very exciting. I had never been to a beach volleyball game before and had so much fun with the cheers. At 10 pm, the stadium turned off the lights so we could see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, which was an amazing view.

The second thing I was excited about was volunteering at SponsorshipX. I volunteered on Thursday and worked on registration. I was able to watch a few speakers on my breaks and explore Canada House after. I even got some Lululemon Team Canada merch! I really enjoyed Canada House and meeting those in charge of the conference.

Since it was my first time in Paris, I was also looking forward to exploring the city. Although we were incredibly busy I still had time to go to a few tourist spots like the top of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Trimpoh, and the Catacombs. I definitely want to come back to Paris soon to see the city and see how the atmosphere is different when the Olympics are not happening. One of the big things I still need to do is go to the museums but I got lucky to see the Rodin Museum while hearing from P&G!

My fourth goal of going to Champion’s Park unfortunately did not happen. I did have the opportunity to see many Olympic athletes while volunteering at USA House and also while out and about in the city. I am happy I got to attend so many hospitality houses because I believe those had a similar atmosphere and crowd, especially the French House.

My last goal was to meet new people and I definitely accomplished this. I had such a great time getting to know the students on this program, especially being an undergraduate and hearing about their experiences getting a Masters in a program I am considering. I also enjoyed meeting new people while volunteering at the USA House. Although surveys were challenging to get, talking to people while at events or traveling was also a great way to hear about others experiences and learn more about the Games.

I am so thankful for this experience and am looking forward to having a class reunion soon!

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Paris

Last Week in Paris

Ava Butler

It is now our last week in Paris and our time has gone by incredibly quickly. I have had so many amazing experiences and will be sad to leave.  

The Olympic Truce event on Sunday was hosted at the Oly House. This was my first time here and I enjoyed the setup of the location. My favorite part was the section with the athlete’s signed posters from each of the Olympic Games. It was interesting learning more about the Olympic Truce and I had fun spending time at the outdoor reception after. 

On Monday, we attended the GW Alumni Reception. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet other GW Alumni who are here in Paris. I have learned so much through meeting and hearing from those who are here working at or attending the Games. There are so many different career paths and roles within the Olympics and sports. Hearing the multitude of opportunities has been a huge benefit of this trip as I near graduation this Spring. 

I was also very lucky to be able to go to the Olympic Village this week. On Tuesday we explored the international hub of the Village. We went to the Samsung store, saw a live band, and even tried the TikTok famous chocolate muffin. Seeing each building decorated with flags from their countries was such a cool experience. 

One of the highlights of my trip was our class cruise. Last minute our amazing group leaders planned a group cruise with the help of a few students! This experience was so fun and I loved being able to see everyone all together again with our busy schedules. We got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle and took lots of group photos. 

We also attended SponsorshipX this week. SponsorshipX was hosted at Canada House and we each got an opportunity to attend the sessions and volunteer. It has been interesting getting to see the differences in setup and style of each hospitality house. The hospitality house concept has been a very successful idea and is something I hope they continue in future games when possible.

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Paris

Halfway Through Paris Check In

Ava Butler

We have officially been in Paris for over a week and the experience has been amazing. I had my first shift volunteering at the USA House where I got to spend time in the Roblox room. My second shift I worked outside the blue tent and enjoyed talking to people outside the USA House answering their questions. On Thursday I got to attend as a guest of USA House. We got to cheer on the Women’s Gymnastics team for the Individual All-Around Finals and even meet a few members of the Men’s Gymnastics team. 

On Friday, we were able to visit the Olympic Club. This has been one of my favorite parts of the trip as everything was set up incredibly well. Each room had incredible details from the wallpaper choices, to table settings, to designs on the couch pillows. The guides were incredible and even gave us drinks and snacks as they answered our questions. I can see how this would be an incredible experience for the guests of the club.

Later that day we went to the Nations Park to visit a few hospitality houses. The first house we visited was Club France. The setup of Club France reminded me of a music festival with an outdoor stage and food vendors set up along. It was packed so we ended up heading to the Netherlands hospitality house which has been my personal favorite house so far. There was an outdoor seating section as well as an indoor area with a DJ set, a dancefloor, and a large viewing area. 

Another highlight of the trip was our tour with Jetset. Jetset gave us a tour of their setup at the Four Seasons. The Four Seasons was stunning and we were able to come early to check out an activation with USA Basketball that consisted of a 3×3 court and a sports bar. Then we saw Jetset’s setup and learned how they function as an organization to be one of the best hospitality experiences at the Olympics. 

We have a little less than a week left and I am looking forward to our next events including an alumni reception, our class cruise on the Seine, and attending SponsorshipX!

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Paris

First Impressions of the Paris Olympics

Ava Butler

My first few days in Paris have been filled with many incredible experiences. I arrived Thursday morning on my delayed Air France flight incredibly happy to be off the plane I spent an extra two hours on. We were able to leave our suitcases at our hotel and grab lunch nearby. Later we checked in just in time to head to Coca-Cola’s Music Tour event and see the Olympic Torch. The event was very exciting and I was able to grab a souvenir flag to cheer on those carrying the torch. There were also a few French artists performing on the Coca-Cola stage.

The next day, we headed to USA House for our orientation tour. The location of the house is gorgeous and they did an amazing job putting together activations for guests. One aspect I found interesting was the Ralph’s Coffee set up with the special logo for the Games. I think Ralph Lauren did an amazing job adding this to the USA House in addition to the merch they are designing for the team. My first volunteer shift is tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to working one of the activations.

On Saturday, my roommates and I had a free day so we spent the time exploring more of Paris. We were able to see an Olympic Fan Zone near the Notre Dame. The zone was free to enter and had three screens each showing a different event. There were also areas to play sports like badminton and football, photo opportunities, and food and drink stands. From here we headed to a few stores including one of the Official Olympic Merchandise locations. This location had a 3×3 pickup basketball challenge sponsored by Adidas occurring outside. We also got to meet a les phryges mascot!

Sunday was our first day with speakers. We heard from three very accomplished speakers about their roles in the Olympics. I enjoyed hearing the different perspectives as each speaker had a different role in the Olympics. On my break I had time to stop by the Eiffel Tower and see the view from the very top. I have really enjoyed my time in Paris so far and am looking forward to hearing from our future speakers and attending more events.

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Paris

Five Things I am Looking Forward to at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics!

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Ava Butler

In three days, I will be getting ready to board my flight to Paris. I first learned about the opportunity to go to the Olympics over a year ago in my first Tourism and Hospitality course at GW. I never imagined I would actually get the chance to go but I am so thankful I decided to apply! This opportunity is a dream come true and I cannot wait for the growth this experience will bring to my professional and academic life. 

In preparation for the trip, I have made a list of a few of the many events that I am looking forward to attending. Here are five things that I am looking forward to in Paris:

  1. Attending the Beach Volleyball Event 

I finally purchased tickets to what will be my first Olympic sporting event. I chose to attend a beach volleyball match after seeing the stadium location in an official Olympics TikTok. The beach volleyball events will take place at the Eiffel Tower Stadium–a temporary stadium set up on the Champ de Mars with an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower.

  1. Volunteering at SponsorshipX Paris

I am looking forward to the opportunity to volunteer and attend the SponsorshipX events. I can’t wait to see Canada House and hear from the Speakers, many of whom are from TOP sponsorships we have been learning about in our class.

  1. Exploring the City of Paris 

This will be my first time in Paris and I am incredibly excited to explore the city. I am hoping to visit several museums, especially Musee Rodin since I’ve learned a lot about his works in my art history classes. I also want to shop for some souvenirs and try the local cuisine. I am slowly making a list of things I want to do in my free time and cannot wait to experience the city for the first time!

  1. Going to Champions Park

I hope to have some time to go to Champions Park and experience the concept for the Park which involves celebrating the previous day’s medal winners. I am interested in seeing how this will work with such large crowds and expecting 13,000 people a day. 

  1. Meeting New People

On this trip, I am really looking forward to all the amazing networking opportunities. We will be conducting a survey with people attending the Olympics which will push me out of my comfort zone to meet new people. I am also very excited to get to know everyone else on the trip and share this incredible experience!

Eiffel Tower Stadium where the Beach Volleyball Event will occur
The Eiffel Tower Stadium where the Beach Volleyball Event will be Hosted