BACKGROUND
More than 11,000 athletes from 206 nations were expected to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. STH was thrilled to be appointed as the Official In-Venue Hospitality provider for the Games, to design, deliver and sell the official hospitality programme domestically within Japan, and globally via Authorised Travel Agents for each National Governing Body.
However, the global coronavirus pandemic meant the organisers were forced to postpone the event to July 23 to August 8, 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to be very challenging in Japan and many other countries around the world. This led to a decision taken on March 20, 2021, that overseas spectators will not be able to enter Japan and cannot attend the Olympic and Paralympic Games. On July 8, 2021, two weeks ahead of the Games start date, it was subsequently announced that the Games would be held with no spectators due to the ongoing pandemic.
This also meant that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Official Hospitality programme would no longer be able to go ahead.
OUR ROLE
STH was appointed as the exclusive official in-venue hospitality provider for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after a competitive tender process that was concluded in late 2018.
The rights give STH global exclusivity to design, manage and operate distinct official hospitality programmes for IOC sponsors, domestic sponsors, international federations and corporate and personal purchasers.
With seven package types on offer which included the flagship Platinum Pavilion at the Olympic stadium, to a more informal Premium seating option, the mix of bespoke purpose-built structures and beautifully designed in-venue lounges and concepts, put innovation at the heart of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Official Hospitality offering.
The competition venues were spread into two themed areas: the “Heritage” and the “Tokyo Bay” zones. The “Heritage” zone includes some of the iconic sites used during the Tokyo 1964 Summer Games, while the “Tokyo Bay” zone symbolises the exciting future of the city and showcased events such as canoe slalom, tennis and BMX.
The two zones form an infinity symbol across Tokyo with the Athletes’ Village at the intersection. This was a symbol of unity, bringing together the heritage and future of Tokyo and a symbol of hope. The official Games motto was “United by Emotion”, which was more prevalent than ever in the Games this time.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Official Hospitality were the only official in-venue hospitality rights awarded for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
We created and built a series of custom-made structures as sophisticated hospitality facilities at key Tokyo 2020 venues, including a luxurious Platinum Pavilion adjacent to the Olympic Stadium, for our flagship venue.
Despite the Games being unable to go ahead with spectators enjoying Tokyo 2020 Official Hospitality, the resilience and passion our team showed from appointment through to take down was second-to-none.
Our world class sports and hospitality services ensure spectators can completely immerse themselves in the passion and drama of the occasion and enjoy a shared experience they will remember for a lifetime.
STH is a partner that you can trust. With the strong backing of our shareholders Sodexo, the foundation of our business is secure, and their expertise is also called upon when required to further enhance the professionalism and expertise we bring.
We are industry leading, innovative and trustworthy, with a long and enviable track record of consistent excellence across some of the biggest sporting events in the world.
