Logistics at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Village

Logistics at the Olympic and Paralympic Village

The Rio 2016 Olympic Games are already here. Over the next two weeks, our daily lives will revolve around competitions, medals, world records, the euphoria of victory, the tears of defeat, and the drive for self-improvement. An infrastructure focused on athletes’ performance, who must combine high-level competition with proper rest. For the latter, the Olympic and Paralympic Village will serve as a hotel for elite athletes. Putting such a structure into operation can only be achieved with the best hotel logistics.

High performance, high demands

When a guest occupies a room in any hotel, it is very important to meet their expectations so that everything is ready to be used and the experience is unforgettable. Now imagine that guest is an elite athlete, who has been preparing since childhood to be the best in the world in their discipline, with the eyes of the global press focused on them. Wouldn’t those demands be more of a necessity?

Hotel Logistics is responsible for coordinating the proper installation of all hotel amenities, resorts or, as in this case, an Olympic Village. It covers everything from furniture to the straw for the drink a guest wishes to enjoy by the pool. Hotel Logistics is based on the “turnkey” concept, which guarantees the owner that the final delivery of the product includes the immediate start-up of everything involved in the project.

In the case of the Olympic Village, we can imagine how complex it is to put a hotel for athletes into operation. It requires the supply of special meals, equipped gym rooms, perhaps several jacuzzis, staff disciplined with schedules… In total, it is a complex of 31 buildings with 3,604 apartments, ready to accommodate nearly 18,000 athletes and technical staff members. Nearly 18,000 workers were involved in its construction. A total of 430,000 m³ of concrete (about 215 Olympic swimming pools), 43,000 tons of steel, 360 km of piping (water, sewage and gas), and 7.5 km of cables were used.

Hotel Logistics, the integration of multiple services

If there is a sector dedicated exclusively to Hotel Logistics, it is because it is extremely complex. Logistics operators must have a constant supplier network and strict planning regarding the order of arrival of goods. They also need to stay in contact with interior and industrial designers to keep up with the latest style trends and propose new decorative elements to clients.

A good logistics operator must also have the insight to identify opportunities for developers to reduce costs. In some cases, better rates can be achieved by consolidating a larger number of containers, combining different operations for several clients, even from other sectors such as perishable goods, bulk liquids, or bottled beverages. Another way to reduce costs is to have a thorough knowledge of customs regulations, in order to anticipate potential issues that could result in unexpected expenses.

Hotel Logistics is therefore a sector that brings together multiple industries and requires all services to be perfectly integrated. At TIBA, we offer solutions for your logistics operations in Hospitality, as well as in other verticals such as Perishables, Beverages, Bulk Liquids, Automotive, Projects, Oil & Gas, and Event Logistics, with advantages such as a network of warehouses (dry and refrigerated), cargo insurance, and customs advisory services. Would you like to get to know us?

All photos in this article are the property of “Brazil 2016”, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.