National hospitality houses at the Olympic Games were once landing points for athletes, support staff and families. But over the years, they’ve evolved into ecosystems for partnerships and engagement. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer, national houses are expected to make a grand post-pandemic return—among them, Canada Olympic House, which is being produced in collaboration with Toronto-based agency Mosaic.
La Maison Olympique du Canada will feature more than a dozen partner activations and experiences for the athletes, coaches, support staff, invited guests like friends and family, as well as dignitaries, officials and VIPs. National houses are set to pop up in Paris’s Parc de la Villette as part of the Park of Nations during the Olympic Games. Canada will take over a space within the Cité des Sciences, the park’s science museum.
“We expect a volume of throughput,” says Greg Wamsley, vp-production at Mosaic North America. “People will stay all day; some will come for a few hours and then move on to the next one—it’s now a thing, where people go ‘house hopping,’ for lack of a better term. There are 15 houses within a few miles, which is a real advantage for everybody, because those who want to take in some of those cultures and experience different food and drink can do it all in one area of the city.”
Canada Olympic House will feature more than a dozen partner activations and collaborations, including a Lululemon pop-up shop (the brand is outfitting the nation’s athletes this year); a Canadian Tire Celebration Arena for special events; a Petro-Canada Living Leaf installation that will “connect fans in Paris to fans back home”; a Toyota “Start Your Impossible” postcard station and photo op; an Air Canada Flight Deck patio; and a Mondelēz “Create Your Athlete Card” experience.
The transformation of Cité des Sciences includes a 60-foot projection wall, tiered seating and a grand stand, temporary carpet and walls, signage and wrapping, furniture, a bar, and a broadcast studio occupied by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation which will air live eight hours each day back in Canada (the studio will double as a photo op for fans). Wamsley says the city anticipates more than 100,000 people will traverse the park daily, despite not a single competition taking place there.
“It’s for people who want to experience the games, but don’t necessarily have a ticket to get in to see sports,” he says. “It’s the one place you can come and be shoulder to shoulder with Canadians, celebrate the athletes and their successes, watch the games, and get a flavor of Canada.”
Mosaic is also producing events in cities across Canada with the Canadian Olympic Committee to bring a taste of the house to Canadian sports fans with big screens, partner activations and other entertainment. And fun fact: All the materials for Canada Olympic House are currently en route to Paris by sea to accommodate an early timeline for the world’s largest sports stage.
Image credit: Rendering of Canada Olympic House/Canadian Olympic Committee
