Preparing Team GB

Team GB’s Kitting Out is the flagship experience for the UK’s elite athletes and Olympic hopefuls, a showcase experience of inspiration and education designed to prepare Team GB for the latest Olympiad in Tokyo 2021. The event brings together athletes, sponsors and brands to engage and inspire through keynotes, breakout sessions, distribution of bespoke athletic and formal inventory and the opportunity to network with team members and media in their own ecosystem.

The restrictions of COVID-19 were ongoing. Athletes who had trained for 4 years to attend what for many would be their one and only opportunity to compete at an Olympic Games were naturally nervous about attending a showcase experience designed to prepare and inspire them to their next level performance. We were challenged to build an experience that showcased the support of Team GB sponsors and partners, introduced athletes to brands and media in what was still a world in the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic. Design and build a truly memorable experience that endorsed the achievement of Olympic athlete status without putting athletes at risk.

We needed to give Team GB a physical home for 4 weeks and bring a flavour of Tokyo and the Olympic experience. To do this we focused on creating a safe, multi-sensory experience that was instantly inspiring no matter what sport or the profile of the athlete. For Team GB partners such as Adidas, Aldi, Ben Sherman, Simon Jersey, Purple Bricks and a DFS we delivered turn-key activations that engaged with athletes while managing the restrictions presented by COVID-19.

We gave Team GB its own Olympic and Tokyo themed village across 3000sqm of The NEC, Birmingham. Every deliverable was executed to create a physical experience for athletes to explore. Through use of beMatrix build systems, recyclable textile graphic treatments, LED video content and in house theming to bring the Tokyo games to Birmingham