I spent ten days this summer attending the Olympic games in Paris and am in awe of the experience. Chapeau (hats off) is the best way to describe how I felt watching the athletes compete live and the impeccable organization to create a fantastic user experience.
First and most important, seeing the athletes so close was fantastic. Knowing that they had been training for years for this minute or hour of fame and seeing their success (or not), seeing them cry, laugh, and cheer was moving. I rarely watch sports on TV (the Olympics is an exception), and I seldom saw sports live (except for a few baseball games and watching my kids play), but this was such a powerful experience.
Also, I was very impressed by how they created a supportive atmosphere for the athletes by managing the crowd and encouraging the attendees to participate and support the athletes regardless of their country. In each venue, they hired excellent masters of ceremonies who made us sing (karaoke style), wave in specific patterns, clap, and cheer for the athletes. During breaks, they had dancers and acrobats to entertain us, short videos about the Olympics and more. And even if there were supporters from different countries, it was all friendly and had no aggressive behaviors you can sometimes find in stadiums.
As for the practical experience, my Parisian friends had warned me for months that Paris would be a mess, and most of them decided to leave Paris and not bother with the Olympics. And for good reasons since the Paris mayor encouraged Parisians to leave the city if possible and work remotely or go on vacation (it is summer, the traditional time for French people who usually take 2-4 weeks off in July-August). I decided to come anyway as it is the opportunity for my family to see my mom, who lives in Paris, and to share this experience. I was ready to deal with the crowd and the inconvenience of navigating the city. Instead, we found a fantastic organization: from the tickets on the app, which could easily be transferred to your family members or friends, and an official resale platform to buy more tickets or sell them back without price gouging (the platform simply took a 10% commission for the seller and the buyer based on the initial price of the tickets). In addition, the public transportation platform suggested the best and fastest way to get to events. And because most of the events were in Paris and I stayed in the 15th quarter, it took us 15- 20 minutes to get to most events.
I also appreciated that they created a shared experience for all in Paris. Even if you did not buy a ticket, each arrondissement of Paris had a public space with giant screens to watch the Olympics for free and food and programming all day long, making the Olympics accessible to everyone as a shared experience.
On the impact side, the Paris Olympics is the most eco-friendly game ever, as the public transportation system is fantastic. Cars were discouraged, and they decided to place many events in the center of Paris using current facilities or building temporary outdoor bleachers. We also attended an event an hour and ½ outside Paris, but you could go there through the train system that runs near Paris (RER) quickly, and then they have tons of buses to bring us the last few miles to the venue. LA claims that for the 2028 Olympics, they want to copy Paris and offer an event without cars, and I am curious to see how they can transform a car-focused city in only four years.
On the negative side for the city, I heard restaurants, taxi drivers, and shops complain that they did not have many activities as the Parisian and regular tourists were mostly gone. The Olympic crowd was too busy with the games to shop around. And when I looked at the color of the Seine (the river where the athletes had to swim), I was not convinced that it was worth the over 1 billion euro expenses. I would not have wanted to jump in the murky maroon water! I also understand that the communication to Parisians discouraged many to stay and watch the games as the city was worried about overcrowding. The opposite happened as I can say this was the least crowded summer in Paris I experienced. From a user experience, I would say that the olympics were overly focus on one group of people (those who attended the games and to a lesser extent those staying in Paris and who were interested in the games) but neglected to fully understand and manage the impact on tourism and for the parisians that had to work and make money in the city.
What is the magic behind the experience?
They recruited 45,000 volunteers through rigorous programs (over 150,000 applied), including a full day of in-person training as well as online training. The volunteers were everywhere, and not only were they helpful, but they also contributed to the festive experience. For example, a volunteer sitting on a high chair used her megaphone to share songs from her phone and entertain the crowd while in line to get into the venue.
They found ways to manage the crowds at venues and on public transportation by offering different options, having many entries, and having volunteers.
The entertainers and the ambiance created a friendly and noncompetitive atmosphere.
The app, resell platform, and transportation platform mainly were flawless.
They offered free tickets for French people and provided a way for those without tickets to share this experience through free events and giant screens throughout the city
I had extra tickets and invited a few of my Parisian friends (who had not planned to come), and they were all so amazed by the experience that they decided to purchase tickets for other events. I initially bought tickets for seven sessions but I also decided to purchase three more sets of tickets as I loved the experience so much. I was one of many, as this Olympics was the most successful in terms of ticket sales.
How might you learn from the Olympic experience next time you want to create a fantastic experience?
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