Road to PyeongChang 2018 Issue #15 — Open Ceremony only 6 weeks away!
The Road to PyeongChang launched our new segment, “On The Clock” an exciting interview series with Olympic Athletes and hopefuls along with their sponsors talking about training, preparations, and the partnership. For more information or to suggest an interview, please see contact information at the bottom.
We are in the home stretch with PyeongChang 2018 edging even closer! Breaking news was lighter this week during the holidays and the deluge of information and announcements up to and during the games will be picking up next week.
Now let’s get to the news this week with only 42 days…
On The Clock (OTC) launches featuring Ashley Wagner & DICK’s Sporting Goods…
December 22nd. Last week I had the opportunity to interview Ashley Wagner. We talked about her preparations for the upcoming US Figure Skating Championships (January 4–7) and her partnership with DICK’s Sporting Goods. DICK’s Contender Program has been a great way to raise awareness on the financial struggles and job challenges that athletes face. In addition, she shared thoughts on her recovery from injury at Skate America, her excitement about her new long program, and the enthusiastic fans in South Korea. Read the full interview here: http://bit.ly/2zh2yiU
Will the cold threaten the PyeongChang Olympic Games?
The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang might have a new problem — it’s too cold for everyone. December 28th. This might be a “Captain Obvious” moment, but it will be cold at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. Really cold. A flurry of articles detailing just how cold it will be hit the streets as the latest “threat” to these games. December and January are the harshes months before reaching February when the temperatures are more mild. Still, make sure to see AccuWeather’s piece (http://bit.ly/2liZZIR ) on PyeongChang being the coldest place on earth for its latitude, the AP piece (https://usat.ly/2zN2ckc ) and the Business Insider piece (http://read.bi/2EdjlHd ).
PyeongChang puts finishing touches on preparations for Winter Olympics…
December 28th. South Korean President Moon Jae met with reporters and shared his hope for the success of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games as South Korea readies for the games to start in just a few weeks. Read all the latest statistics on the countries attending, visitors expected, and overall optimism: http://bit.ly/2BVuMlC
PyeongChang 2018 Olympic ticket sales surpass 60%…
December 28th. South Korean organizers announce the ticket sales for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games have now hit 61%. The number includes much of the unsold inventory that remains at the Authorized Ticket Resellers worldwide, sales remain far behind previous Olympic Winter Games. This is great news for those wanting to go as you can still have your choice of tickets and events. Read more here: http://bit.ly/2kkaviP
PyeongChang 2018 locks international fans out of ticketing and Fan-to-Fan resale site…
December 20th. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee shocked international Olympic fans by locking them out of the tickets.pyeongchang2018.com and the Fan-to-Fan resale sites. Previously opened internationally on October 17th this change forces fans to go through their local national resellers (ATRs) where they pay up to 80% over face value, there is limited inventory, and tickets purchased cannot be sold on the Fan-to-Fan site. This is a major issue for an Olympic Games already struggling to attract visitors. No word on when the site will re-open to international fans.
Focus on Sponsorships…
· Coca-Cola announces special 4-packs of U.S. Olympic Athletes with pictures of Olympic Athletes and hopefuls that will hit stores in January as part of a tribute to their 90-year involvement with the Olympic Games. http://bit.ly/2CloS0e
· Kellogg’s specially market boxes of Corn Flakes, Special K, and Frosted Flakes have started hitting stores in the United States for their sponsored athletes. These first made an appearance with me on our trip to PyeongChang back in November.
· Bridgestone Keeps Brand Wheels Rolling For Olympics, NHL, NFL. Bridgestone contines to focus on their Olympic sponsorship and will expand in other areas. Both their “Clutch Performance” and “Chase Your Dreams No Matter What” have hit the road and feature Olympic Athletes and hopefuls. http://bit.ly/2lstCH8
· Panasonic to Launch Marketing Activities for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. As part of thoe activities, Panasonic will have their theater and projector lines in the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) in addition to other marketing campaigns. Also, they will hold a special exhibit at PyeongChang 2018 call Panasonic Center Tokyo which highlights the Tokyo 2020 games. http://bit.ly/2DvxC0O
Latest Road to PyeongChang bits and bytes for fans who are planning or hoping to attend:
- Hotel availability is improving. In addition to Booking.com and AirBNB, inventory from traditional hotels is showing up on Orbitz and Expedia. In fact, a hotel I featured in my Korean live blog last month popped up at a reasonable price, the Sunrise Yacht Resort. Rooms are reasonable now (<$200 per night) where they were $800 per night a few months ago. Availability and options are likely to continue and possibly even expand as we get closer to the games. Some fans have reported booking rooms for as little as $100.
— Use my travel calculator to plan the perfect trip by knowing distances to and fro events. Understanding how long it will take to get to each venue is a key planning aspect. When making your plans, be sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to PyeongChang Travel Times piece: https://medium.com/road-to-pyeongchang/ultimate-guide-to-pyeongchang-2018-everything-you-need-to-know-about-travel-times-to-the-venues-20a0c00e9f32
— Flight prices cost more this week to get you to South Korea: Flights remain surprisingly inexpensive but they have gone up. Round-trip increased $200 to $725 from Los Angeles to Seoul, South Korea on Eastern China Airlines departing February 6th and returning February 16th, enough time to see the Opening Ceremonies and several marquee events. NOTE: Last week, prices were $528 — we are unlikely to see lower prices as the games approach.
- Korea Grand Sale 2018 coming January 18th! South Korea announced a sale for foreigners just in time for the Olympic Games. Starting January 18th, deal on flights, hotels, and stores around Korea will welcome visitors to South Korea: http://www.koreagrandsale.co.kr/en/
— PyeongChang 2018 Ticket Site Watch: International fans can no longer purchase tickets from the PyeongChang 2018 website or the Fan-to-Fan site. However, if you are located in South Korea you can still purchase at Box Office locations, at Tickets.PyeongChang2018.com and via the Fan-to-Fan exchange.
— Authorized Ticket Resellers Watch: The ATRs are back in style again! With PyeongChang 2018 shutting down their site to international fans, the only choice to purchase tickets right now are through their ATRs. Cosport (USA) and Dertour (Germany/EU) both have a strong inventory of popular events, but overall have roughly only 60% of the total events available.
The Ultimate Guide to PyeongChang 2018, launching on January 12th!
With my experiences visiting South Korea, touring major attractions and traveling to the event locations, and taking over one thousand pictures and videos — get ready for my upcoming Ultimate Guide to PyeongChang 2018 launching early January. It will have all of the latest info and travel tips on hotels, transportation, travel time between venues, dining options and other must-see attractions between Olympic events, info on mobile phones, Internet access, and more. Read an excerpt here (http://bit.ly/2huYTYf) and follow me here or on Twitter @KenHanscom to find out everything you need to know to have a great time at PyeongChang 2018.
About Ken Hanscom
Ken Hanscom is a veteran-fan of the Olympic Games and the recognized expert in ticketing, corporate sponsorships, traveling to and experiencing the Olympic Games. In his role as COO at InviteManager, during Rio 2016, Ken worked directly with the United States Olympic Committee, NBC Universal, Anheuser Busch, & Cartan Tours the authorized ticket reseller for 23 countries across the globe on their ticketing & corporate hospitality programs. While in Rio, Ken attended 30 events while guest blogging for the International Business Times, writing for USA Today, The Post Game, and appearing on ESPN Radio. For more information and interviews with Ken on the Olympics and the upcoming PyeongChang 2018 games, connect via Twitter or directly at kenh@invitemanger.com
