George Washington Students Travel to Rio to Research Olympic Games

With the Rio Summer Olympics right around the corner, one George Washington University School of Business professor is leading a group of grad students to Brazil to study the ins and outs of the summer games.

According to an article on GW Today, Lisa Delpy Neirotti, Associate Professor of Sport Management, and 27 students will be collecting data on space utilization in all the Olympic venues, including: seats, parking lots, and security portals, as well as study spectator behavior and motivation.

This data isn’t just being collected for fun. The information culled by the GW students will be used by the International Olympic Committee, organizing committees for future Olympic Games and local tourism organizations in order to better understand venue requirements, what Olympic spectators are most interested in, and how guests spend their money.

According to Neirotti, the program is a great opportunity to gain experience in the sports management field, saying, “students get to see firsthand the best practices in sports management and marketing.”

In addition to conducting on-site research, the students are expected to write term papers and study issues like transportation, media, marketing, event security and the ceremonies. They will also have the opportunity to hear from various speakers, including members of the organizing committee as well as athletes, and meet with Olympic and local government officials.

Neirotti leads the Olympic class every two years. She told GW Today that her favorite Olympics were the 1992 games in Barcelona in 1992 and Lillehammer in 1994, “Barcelona was extremely picturesque and the first time I lead a group of GW students to the Games, In Lillehammer, the international spirit was off the charts.”

The Olympic Games are scheduled to begin on August 5 at 7PM EST with the Opening Ceremony.

regions: Washington, DC

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