Meeting with the athletes, participation in the opening ceremony, access to the sports village… A luxury agency offers very wealthy people the opportunity to pay up to $500,000 (more than 464,000 euros), “ultra-exclusive” packages for the Olympic Games which will begin on July 26 in Paris.
This daydream for sports fans is brought to you by GR8 Experience, a “global experience agency” owned by basketball star LeBron James’ business manager Maverick Carter and the tennis player’s PR manager Rafael Nadal, Benito Perez-Barbadillo. In a detailed document sent to wealthy individuals and consulted by the British daily The Guardianthe company offers for example the possibility of purchasing a package including tickets for the 14 most popular events of the Games, such as the coveted men’s 100 meters final, coupled with access to the opening ceremony, for the modest sum of $381,600.
Lunch with the athletes, participate in the opening ceremony…
In addition to these “premium” tickets, the agency claims to be able to organize “experiences that money cannot buy” such as meetings with athletes, within the Olympic village (restricted area) or during afternoon private. The general director of GR8 Experience, Barnabas Carrega, spoke to the British newspaper of “a few tennis players” and more broadly “a certain number of athletes in different sports”, without being able to name them. All for a ticket ranging from $25,000 to $500,000, depending on the format of the meeting, which could vary from “15 minutes for photos and a quick chat to others who are much more engaged… Like spending lunch “, he explains.
The athletes themselves will be selected for their “charisma” and their ability to offer “the desired experience to the client”, specifies the director of the agency. According to Barnabas Carrega, the company has already organized meetings with Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic in the past.
Another promise from the company: it would be possible to purchase access to “be part of the Olympic ceremony”. That is to say, having direct access to the Trocadéro, where most of the ceremony will take place and entry to which is not authorized to the public. According to its director, this access would be negotiated via relationships with the athletes’ families and the country delegations, the only ones able to access it. Six to eight spots would be available for $25,000 each. In comparison, the most premium tickets from the Olympics’ official hospitality partner, “On Location”, allow you to attend the opening ceremony along the Seine for 7,500 euros before taxes, with no entry possible. on the Trocadéro.
A totally illegal offer, according to the Olympic committee
But these offers could actually be just window dressing. Because according to the Paris 2024 organizing committee, interviewed by the Guardian, all this activity is in reality illegal. “On Location” is the only “official and exclusive hospitality provider for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games”, and “any entity selling hospitality packages including tickets, which is not an official sub-distributor of On Location, is doing so illegally,” explains a press release.
The committee also warns buyers interested in these exorbitantly priced packages: “access to the athletes’ village or to participate in the Opening Ceremony is not chargeable and is only authorized for people with valid accreditation. “Anyone entering the village or the opening ceremony will be subject to multiple security checks,” he said. Anyone purchasing tickets or hospitality packages outside of official channels “runs the risk that the tickets or packages will not be delivered to them or that they will be refused access by the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee”, in accordance with the rules in force, also alerts the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
While a vast ticket and fraud control program is planned by the IOC, GR8 nevertheless refutes to the Guardian include tickets to the Olympic Games in its luxury packages. “When a potential customer decides to pursue a given route, GR8 puts them in touch with an official reseller to obtain the necessary tickets,” assures a company spokesperson.