Each edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games brings innovation and a rise in the level of service, and spectators of different profiles need to have their expectations met. Furthermore, the advent of social networking has turned thousands of spectators into opinion formers, as they swiftly transmit information to the public, often in the heat of moment.

In a question of seconds, anyone with a cellular phone with internet access can disseminate their opinions; all they need is to be at the scene and know what’s going on in order to broadcast a comment or post a photo to the internet.

To the IOC, spectators aren’t just those who buy tickets to watch a given competition; they’re anyone who partakes in the Olympic experience over the course of the Games.

“Whether watching a competition at the arena, or on Live Sites (public areas where competitions are broadcast live) or strolling through the city, people can affect or be affected by the Games”, asserts Cláudia Leite, a specialist in Spectator Experience, a profession that for the first time in history has its place in the Organising Committee – established four years before the Games begin.

Cláudia has been at the other end, and has a good idea of the emotions felt by those taking in the Olympic atmosphere. And the emotion that gives rise to these magic moments, she explains, is precisely what makes spectators some of her main clients.

“It’s a unique experience. The grandeur of the Games can provide memorable encounters between people from all over the planet, be them athletes or fans of the sport. It’s a moment when people from all over the world celebrate together. We’re placing the spectators’ eyes right inside all of the locales so they may have a consistent standard that’s focused on this type of client”, says Cláudia, who was at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Athens, Peking and London, as well as the Winter Games in Vancouver; at the last three of which she was involved in the Olympic Movement.

Facebook as a meeting point for fans of Olympic sports

Cláudia took part in a Facebook group comprised of over 100 members. All of them have been through the Olympic experience, and during the London Games they used the internet to exchange information. The group is made up of admirers of the Olympic Games from various states in Brazil, as well as Brazilians and foreigners living elsewhere.

The group began by exchanging messages via a common email address in 2004, following the Athens Games. But according to Valéria Carneiro, one of the pioneers of the group, the participants started exchanging information with greater frequency once the group had been relocated to the social networking site.

“They’re commenting a lot more now. When the group was limited to email, the commentary was more restricted. The virtual group seems to have closed the geographical gap”, says Valéria, who has been at the last four editions of the Summer Olympic Games herself.

The spectator’s view into Rio 2016™

The Spectator Experience area is responsible for assessing and recommending the level of services across all the different areas that can impact the spectator’s experience. The main objective of working in conjunction with each of the different areas is to assure a memorable experience for everyone participating in the Games, whether at sporting events or at the celebrations around town.

“Spectators have a voice on the committee. It’s our obligation to pay attention to the details, starting with basic necessities like food, transportation and hygiene, all the way to the presentations at the sporting venues and the programming”, says Cláudia Leite in closing.