high-end packages and packages are not a hit – Libération

Attend the opening ceremony on a private bridge or watch the sailing events from a boat: The exclusive offers from the Olympic Games are not yet sold out, according to the agency promoting them. “This is a great specificity of the Olympic Games, linked to the fact that the qualifications of athletes and teams are very late and reinforced by an underlying trend that we increasingly observe in many tourist activities: last-minute purchases”. explains Fabrice Favetto Bon, general manager of the agency On-site for France, which admits to have been “surprised” according to the extent of the phenomenon.

Specializing in hospitality offers (VIP packages combining tickets to an event, access to a private lounge, hotel, etc.), this subsidiary of the American entertainment giant Endeavor was chosen in 2021 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be the official supplier of parcels in Paris, Milan and Los Angeles. “We have designed the largest hospitality program ever marketed for the Olympic Games,” assures Fabrice Favetto Bon. On Tuesday 23 April, he presented the various offers in ParisOn-site, especially gastronomic, in the presence of around forty chefs – including the two-star Stéphanie Le Quellec. Luxurious offers, in privatized emblematic locations: barges on the Seine, first floor of the Eiffel Tower, House of Latin America, Palais de Tokyo…

However, at the end of 2023, presenting their updated budget, the organizers of the Olympic Games in Paris revised the income down (minus 20 million euros). “hospitality” And “licenses”, convicted “ambitious” in previous budgets. “Demand is strong, but late” Fabrice Favetto Bon defends himself and explains that the Games’ Organizing Committee (Cojo), “like a good father”, “preferred to reduce the variable part of the income that we pay them”. But “we will fulfill our commitments on the revenues that were guaranteed in the Paris 2024 budget”, he assures.

Packages costing over 20,000 euros

In total, €1.42 billion in ticket revenue is planned for the Paris 2024 budget, according to a document cited by The team, the minimum guaranteed contribution from hospitality companies amounts to $230 million, or €215 million. Without wanting to give figures, the manager indicates that he initially bought 750,000 tickets for the Olympics: “Every day we get more tickets when we think there’s demand, and we also return some,” some events are more popular than others.

The opening ceremony meets with the most enthusiasm: “We have already sold more than 7,000 packages for the opening ceremony. Demand is very strong for exceptional products” with two privatized bridges, Pont de l’Alma and Pont de la Concorde, which are sold out at 8,500 euros excl. tax per person, details the boss.

The customers come from 120 countries. If the French are the most, those who have used the most are the Americans, followed by the British. An individual clientele, but also companies, “SMEs like CAC 40 companies”. But many invitations sent by companies to their clients remain unanswered at the moment, the manager of a Parisian palace recently told AFP. The so-called Sapin 2 law from 2016, aimed at fighting corruption, limits the ability of large companies to respond to invitations, which may explain the reduced presence of this clientele.

Another factor that may play a role in the slow departure of high-end offers: their prices, with packages costing more than 20,000 euros. “We create exceptional experiences for exceptional customers, but we also have entry-level products at 85 euros excluding taxes. We address an extremely broad audience” replies Fabrice Favetto Good.

“I’ve worked in football long enough to know that until the game is over and the referee blows the whistle, it’s too early to know the result!” he slips. The manager assures us: for the last release of tickets last week, On-site recorded its biggest sales day.