Olympic Day is celebrated annually on June 23rd. Meetings professionals can infuse the Olympic spirit into their next event by selecting a venue that has hosted the world’s greatest sporting competition.
London, England (1908, 1948 and 2012)
Dive into the London Aquatics Centre, located within Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Spaces can accommodate anywhere from 18 to 250 people for meetings. Event professionals also have the fun option to host a function atop the pool on a raised floor. Free Wi-fi is available in the building as well.
Lake Placid, New York (1932 and 1980)
Olympic heritage is frozen in time in Lake Placid, New York. Make your event as memorable as the historic Miracle on Ice. With more than 90,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the Conference Center at Lake Placid is complete with 12 breakout rooms, a 9,000 square-foot ballroom, full-service kitchen, state-of-the-art AV and lighting, stages, storage and Gold LEED Certification. Receptions can be held high in the sky atop the 120 meter ski jump tower at the nearby Olympic Jumping Complex. Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa is the most exquisite hotel in the quaint village tucked in the Adirondack Mountains and offers 130 guest rooms in addition to meeting space.
Los Angeles, California (1932 and 1984)
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was named a National Historic Landmark on July 27, 1984. Sitting on a sprawling 18 acres in Downtown LA’s Exposition Park, event professionals can stage an event here of any magnitude. The stadium fits 93,000, but smaller spaces are available as well. The field, promenade, locker room, boardroom and more can be rented for groups of 35-8,000. Los Angeles is hoping to win the bid against Paris host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Squaw Valley, California (1960)
Pass the torch to Squaw Valley, which offers 40,000 square feet of breathtaking event space and can host 900 champion attendees. Venues, such as High Camp, feature floor-to-ceiling windows to give you a birds-eye-view of the slopes and venues down below. The Olympic House also rents out various spaces for private functions.
Calgary, Canada (1988)
Go for the gold in Calgary at the site where all the medal ceremonies took place. The world’s best athletes stood on the podium within the city’s Olympic Plaza. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame gets a perfect 10 as a sports-themed venue. The 40,000 square foot building houses a grand hall, boardroom and 120 seat theater.
Seoul, South Korea (1988)
Set your sights on Seoul! The Seoul Olympic Museum has two floors, plus an underground level, of exhibits and event space dedicated to preserving 1988 Olympic history. Monuments and flags are sprinkled throughout Olympic Park to commemorate the games. Three gymnasiums and the Olympic Hall can play host to events of all shapes and sizes.
Lillehammer, Norway (1994)
Håkons Hall was used for the ice hockey competition during the 1994 Games. The arena can seat 2,500 for a meal and can also be configured as a pillar-free conference center. The Norwegian Olympic Museum contains artifacts and interactive displays to immerse visitors in the Olympic spirit. It’s the only one of its kind in all of Europe.
Atlanta, Georgia (1996)
Make your event as magnificent as the Magnificent Seven gymnasts at the 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. Guests will flip for the Fountain of Rings, Georgia’s most photographed monument. The park has open grass spaces, an amphitheatre and plaza that can hold up to 15,000 people. Operated by Georgia World Congress Center Authority, the park is currently undergoing a $17 million renovation, scheduled to be completed in January 2019, so they are temporarily not accepting new bookings.
Sydney, Australia (2000)
Bring your winning spirit Down Under and make a splash at The Water’s Edge event space, which fits up to 2,000 guests poolside at the Aquatic Centre. You can wow your guests with an acrobatic or diving show, fireworks, jet skis, hovercrafts and more. The entire Sydney Olympic Park can accommodate all sorts of events at various venues that have been well maintained and utilized ever since the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.
Salt Lake City, Utah (2002)
Hold an event rinkside at the Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can rent the very venue where Apolo Anton Ohno captured the hearts of Americans. The 39,000 square foot venue can accommodate receptions as large as 6,400 attendees. And, lace up your skates because the rental comes along with exclusive use of the ice.
Turin, Italy (2006)
The Olympic spirit was never extinguished in Turin, Italy more than a decade since playing host to the winter games. The Oval arena houses more than 215,000 sq. ft. of space and two meeting rooms. Its auditorium can comfortably fit 13,000 attendees. The glazed walls enhance its natural lighting.
Vancouver, Canada (2010)
Buckle up for the thrill of a lifetime at the Whistler Sliding Centre. Corporate groups can slide down the ice track at high speeds in bobsleds and on skeleton sleds. The facility can accommodate 120 at its Thunderbird Pavilion, located in the track. Other sites at the venue, as well as throughout Whistler Olympic Park can host larger group sizes. Event professionals can arrange for teambuilding activities such as biathlon, snowshoeing, tobogganing and more Olympic sports.
Lausanne, Switzerland (International Olympic Committee Headquarters)
Reach for the stars at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, home of the International Olympic Committee Headquarters. Event professionals can plan meetings, receptions and seminars in the museum for anywhere from 60 to 300 attendees. Guests can participate in team building activities such as Tai Chi, archery, curling, slackline or an Olympic trivia quiz.
