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Heineken Hopes Altitude Will Be Key to Prominence for NOC Hospitality Venue at London 2012 |
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Olympics - 15 Mar 2012 - By Simon Ward
Dutch beer brand Heineken hopes to have a significant presence at this year’s Olympic Games in London, even though it is only a minor official sponsor, in part by occupying a prominent venue in the north of the UK capital.
For the fifth successive summer Olympics, Heineken is teaming up with the Netherlands Olympic Committee and Netherlands Sports Federation (NOC*NSF) to offer Holland Heineken House, a hospitality venue for Dutch athletes and officials and their guests, during the games in July and August.
The facility will be one of the various hospitality houses run by national Olympic committees which have become one of the features of the games and are used showcase the culture and cuisine of their respective countries.
Although the Olympics will be based largely in east London, Heineken and the Dutch sports bodies have chosen Alexandra Palace, the entertainment and sports venue in north London, as their base.
The venue is located at one of the highest points in London and Hans Erik Tuijt, the global activation manager for Heineken, told Sportcal that it had been “very deliberately chosen because you can see almost every [Olympic] venue” and there are good transport links.
He added: “We went there with all the sports federations last year and all the presidents were very excited.”
In London's initial bid for the 2012 Olympics, Alexandra Palace was earmarked as the location for the fencing and although the sport was subsequently moved to the main Olympic Park, the venue has since developed its reputation as a sports and entertainment venue by hosting events such as the PDC World Darts Championship, Masters Snooker and boxing fights, as well as regular music concerts.
As a tier-three domestic sponsor of London 2012, Heineken will have exclusive pouring rights for its range of beer and cider brands at Olympic and Paralympic Games venues where alcohol is available, including at hospitality outlets.
However, it is also keen to promote its association with the Dutch Olympic team and Dutch culture via Holland Heineken House, which made its debut at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Tuijt said the concept “was born in 1984 at the Los Angeles Olympics when the athletes said, ‘it’s great to win a medal but we’d like to celebrate somewhere.’ It started on a small scale in Barcelona in 1992.”
He added: “It is a true joint venture between the Dutch Olympic Committee and Heineken and every athlete who wins a medal comes to Heineken House and we celebrate that. Other athletes knock on our door too.”
The popularity of the Heineken House is shown by the fact that the venue at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney had 150,000 visitors and, to avoid overcrowding, Tuijt said that the company is planning an offering that is “a bit more premium” in 2012.
Nonetheless it will be a facility where athletes, federation and government officials, business executives, media and fans can come together in celebration of Dutch Olympic sport.
Large television screens will show Olympic action throughout the day and there will be performances by Dutch music acts and meals served by a two-star chef.
Various national Olympic committees have now announced their hospitality houses for the London 2012 Olympics
While the British Olympic Association and its athletes and guests will be based at Westfield Stratford City, the shopping centre close to the Olympic Park, other countries have opted for sites across the capital.
The US Olympic Committee will be located at the Royal College of Art in Kensington in west London. This will be close to Africa House, the home for 53 African national Olympic committees, in Kensington Gardens, and Team Russia Park in the adjacent Perks Field.
Brazil, which will be promoting the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, has hired the impressive central London location of Somerset House as the venue for Casa Brasil, a celebration of Brazilian culture.
Other country-themed attractions will include the French Olympic Village at Old Billingsgate, the German House at the Museum of London Docklands, the Irish House at Kings Cross, Casa Italia at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and Jamaica Village at Finsbury Park.
The London Olympics run from July 27 to August 12.
Sportcal |
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