BEYOND THE PODIUM:
LEVERAGING THE GAMES FOR BUSINESS

Michelle Morris, Executive Director & Principal, MI Global Partners
June 2025
 

When Brisbane was announced as the 2032 Olympic host city, I didn't just see a sporting event on the horizon, I saw a twice in a generation business opportunity. Having worked on the Sydney 2000 Games and with companies on subsequent Games since, I've witnessed first-hand how the Olympics can transform not just cities, but also elevate business trajectories.

Here's what most people miss: the real Olympics is about creating lasting value, showing up in a way that matters to people, creating moments they remember and want to be a part of - in culture, in business and in communities.

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Some companies choose to make significant investments to become official sponsors and partners, this provides incredible value if well executed. Many organisations would not have the size or scale to invest in this way and as such, explore other ways to leverage the Games in a host city that do not infringe on the rights of the IOC, B2032 and their Partners.

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The Olympic Business Strategy Nobody Talks About

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I remember walking through Tokyo during the 2021 Games and noticing something fascinating. The companies making the biggest impact weren't necessarily the ones with the flashiest advertisements. They were the ones solving real problems.

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The Tokyo 2020 Medal Project stands as a powerful legacy of the Games in Japan, with small businesses across Tokyo playing a vital role by collecting used electronics to help create the world’s first Olympic medals, made entirely from recycled materials. This grassroots effort not only showcased Japan’s commitment to sustainability and innovation - it engaged local communities in a meaningful environmental initiative that continues to inspire small businesses to embrace eco-friendly practices, leaving a lasting impact well beyond the Games.

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Flight Centre’s Sydney success is another great example, with the Australian travel company seeing the Sydney 2000 Olympics as a chance to showcase their expertise in complex travel logistics. Instead of trying to compete with the big sponsors, they focussed on becoming the go-to experts for Olympic travel logistics. That expertise is still paying dividends today, continuing their focus on sports travel and expanding their offering globally.

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Airbnb during Rio 2016 also saw an opportunity to leverage their business. With hotel capacity severely limited, they stepped in to provide accommodation for approximately 85,000 visitors in local homes. This solved a critical Games challenge while generating a modest return for each local host - creating economic opportunity where it was needed.

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Finding Your Olympic Advantage

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Over the years, I've had hundreds of conversations with business owners who have nailed Olympic engagement and here's what I keep hearing: "We didn't have millions for sponsorship, but we had solutions".

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The Olympic economy extends far beyond official venues and these Olympic adjacent opportunities often deliver exceptional opportunities to be involved. I've seen medium-sized local businesses thrive by identifying specific Olympic needs that align with their existing capabilities. Here's a few examples:

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• Citymapper's app breakthrough is a prime example of a company that enhanced an existing product during the London 2012 Games, offering Olympic venue routing and real-time crowd updates, gaining them approximately 2 million new users and establishing their blueprint for major event partnerships - positioning them as the go-to urban navigation solution globally.

• A regional construction firm that provided temporary facilities for pre-Games training camps, showcasing their capabilities to international clients. 

• A restaurant group creating Olympic themed dining experiences celebrating international cuisines and driving foot traffic.

There are also many examples where non-Olympic sports and venues have really thought through how they can play their part in the lead in to and during the Games. 

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• During Paris 2024, the French Squash Federation leveraged Olympic excitement by hosting themed open days, youth programs and social media campaigns at squash venues, resulting in record participation and heightened visibility for the sport despite its non-Olympic status.

• MI have also recently helped a Queensland based non-Olympic sport with their Olympic strategy, reviewing their venues and offerings to design a Brisbane 2032 specific solution and roadmap for the sport, focussing on leveraging their strengths and portfolio of venues.

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The Real Gold: Creating Olympic Legacy

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What separates truly successful Olympic business strategies from mere marketing is their focus on legacy and value that endures long after the closing ceremony.

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After Vancouver 2010, Cisco’s Networking Academy, a global technology education program established by Cisco Systems, expanded its reach, training technicians who supported Olympic IT infrastructure and continued to address Canada’s technology skills gap. This legacy model grew further at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games, where the Academy provided thousands of local youth with digital skills and direct pathways to technology careers.

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Similarly, Recruit Holdings' Digital Transformation (a mid-sized Japanese HR company) built a volunteer management system for Tokyo 2020's massive volunteer program. That side project became their core business, transforming them into a tech powerhouse serving major corporations across Asia.

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The Paralympic Opportunity

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Something else often overlooked is the Paralympic Games, often delivering more authentic engagement opportunities than their Olympic counterpart. A global banking organisation discovered this when they shifted focus from Olympics to Paralympics. Their accessibility initiatives, from adaptive banking technology to inclusive hiring practices, found perfect alignment with Paralympic values.

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The Paris 2024 Paralympics created significant economic opportunities for disability focused businesses by integrating social and economic objectives through initiatives like the Social Charter, which ensured inclusive procurement favouring small and medium sized enterprises. Over 500 local social economy businesses, many disability focused, were contracted to provide services in construction, catering, furniture and laundry, directly contributing to the Games’ organisation.

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The storytelling opportunities around inclusion, innovation and human potential creates emotional connections with audiences that ensures a values driven approach to the Paralympic Games.

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What I tell every South East Queensland Business Owner

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When people ask me about Brisbane 2032, I get quite animated. You only have seven years to get your business Olympic ready!

And here's what I'm telling every Australian business owner I meet:

Start with your Strengths

• What do you already do well that the Olympics might need? Don't try to become something you're not.

Think Problems, not Promotions

• The companies that win, solve genuine Olympic challenges, such as hotel booking chaos, transportation nightmares, volunteer coordination, resource allocation or perhaps skills training. There's your opportunity!

Plan for Legacy

• My most successful clients think beyond the closing ceremony. What will you have built that has a lasting legacy?

Get your Team Excited

• The best Olympic business stories happen when entire organisations rally around the opportunity.

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The Starting Block

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After watching companies transform through Olympic engagement for over 20 years, I'm convinced we're looking at the greatest business opportunity of our generation.

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I know family businesses that became international players. I've watched startups pivot into market leaders. I've seen medium-sized companies land contracts that changed everything.

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The Olympic opportunity isn't about having the deepest pockets, it's about having the brightest ideas and biggest heart.

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Unlike the athletes training for their moment, you don't have to wait four years between chances. Your Olympic journey can start tomorrow morning.

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Our company exists because of what we started learning from Sydney 2000 and every Summer Games since has taught us something new. We exist to solve problems and realise opportunities. Now, I want to share every insight, every strategy, every hard-won lesson with businesses preparing for Brisbane 2032.

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Ready to turn the Olympics into your competitive advantage? Let's chat!