The Vancouver 2010 Olympics open tomorrow for two weeks of international winter sports competition. On the eve of the opening ceremonies, we asked Alex Huot, head of social media for the International Olympic Committee, to discuss how the Olympics are not only bringing together athletes but also connecting fans through social media.
My first exposure to the Olympics was in Montreal, Canada. It was 1976, and I was 8 years old. I remember watching the games with my father in the attic of our house that we had converted into a den.
Buzz and excitement surrounded the Olympics in my parents' house. I didn't completely understand it then, but a few years later it all made sense.
While following the Montreal Olympic Summer Games in 1976, I discovered that for the Athens-to-Ottawa stage of the torch relay the Olympic flame traveled by air--but not by plane. Instead, relay organizers placed in the flame a sensor used to detect ionized particles and turn them into coded impulses. Those impulses were transmitted by satellite to Ottawa, where they then activated a laser beam that duplicated the Olympic flame in Olympia, Greece.
That's when the Olympics came to life for me.
Technology has changed dramatically since 1976, but the magic of the Olympics has endured. When the Vancouver Winter Games open tomorrow, fans of the Olympics from every corner of the globe will be able to be part of the magic through social media.
When I started managing social media for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this year, I immediately saw the connection between the concept of a "fan" on Facebook and the long-standing fans of the Olympic Games. Just as the Olympic rings are universally recognized, so too is the concept of a "fan" of Olympic sports.
The IOC launched the official Olympic Games Page on Facebook in January, and it since has grown to nearly one million fans. Through the page, you can stay updated on activities and events at the Games, while sharing your own stories about what the Olympics mean to you. You'll even be able to stay updated on future games even after this year's Winter Olympics end.
Our fans on Facebook even helped to create an Olympic pin inspired by their passion. Inscribed with the Olympic rings and the phrase, "I am a fan," the pins are available only to these fans.
The Olympic Games Page is just one of many ways people can connect with the games in Vancouver. Others include:
It is clear that without fans the Olympic Games would not be the same. By bringing together the more than 2,000 athletes and millions of spectators in Vancouver with 400 million people on Facebook, we think the 2010 Winter Games could be the most magical yet.
Alex thinks that without fans the Olympic Games would be a lonely place.
My first exposure to the Olympics was in Montreal, Canada. It was 1976, and I was 8 years old. I remember watching the games with my father in the attic of our house that we had converted into a den.
Buzz and excitement surrounded the Olympics in my parents' house. I didn't completely understand it then, but a few years later it all made sense.
While following the Montreal Olympic Summer Games in 1976, I discovered that for the Athens-to-Ottawa stage of the torch relay the Olympic flame traveled by air--but not by plane. Instead, relay organizers placed in the flame a sensor used to detect ionized particles and turn them into coded impulses. Those impulses were transmitted by satellite to Ottawa, where they then activated a laser beam that duplicated the Olympic flame in Olympia, Greece.
That's when the Olympics came to life for me.
Technology has changed dramatically since 1976, but the magic of the Olympics has endured. When the Vancouver Winter Games open tomorrow, fans of the Olympics from every corner of the globe will be able to be part of the magic through social media.
When I started managing social media for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this year, I immediately saw the connection between the concept of a "fan" on Facebook and the long-standing fans of the Olympic Games. Just as the Olympic rings are universally recognized, so too is the concept of a "fan" of Olympic sports.
The IOC launched the official Olympic Games Page on Facebook in January, and it since has grown to nearly one million fans. Through the page, you can stay updated on activities and events at the Games, while sharing your own stories about what the Olympics mean to you. You'll even be able to stay updated on future games even after this year's Winter Olympics end.
Our fans on Facebook even helped to create an Olympic pin inspired by their passion. Inscribed with the Olympic rings and the phrase, "I am a fan," the pins are available only to these fans.
The Olympic Games Page is just one of many ways people can connect with the games in Vancouver. Others include:- Becoming a fan of athletes and Olympic teams: More than 200 athletes and Olympic teams are on Facebook, ranging from country and sport teams such as the Swiss Olympic Team and U.S. Figure Skating to Canadian bobsledder Justin Kripps and U.S. snowboarder Shaun White. They are sharing everything from personal photos to status updates about their preparations and their excitement upon arriving in Vancouver. Once you're a fan, you can post your own well wishes and questions directly to your favorite teams and athletes.
- Playing the Vancouver 2010 Official Minigame: This game, available on the web and as an application on Facebook, lets you compete virtually in such events as snowboard cross, giant slalom and ski jumping as you prepare to watch the real thing from Vancouver.
- Sharing photos: The IOC is inviting fans of the Games who will be in the Vancouver area during the Olympics to share their photos of the action through The Olympic Games Facebook Page. The IOC will then will pick the best photos, awarding the winners with free tickets to events and sharing the images on olympic.org and vancouver2010.com.
It is clear that without fans the Olympic Games would not be the same. By bringing together the more than 2,000 athletes and millions of spectators in Vancouver with 400 million people on Facebook, we think the 2010 Winter Games could be the most magical yet.
Alex thinks that without fans the Olympic Games would be a lonely place.
