Greece Selects Long Beach as Location for Team House for 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games

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PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The Hellenic Olympic Committee has selected Long Beach as the location for Greece's Team House for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to their recent announcement. Long Beach has one of the oldest and most vibrant Greek communities in the United States, making it a desirable location for Greece to activate their Hellenic Olympic House that will serve as a welcoming space dedicated to showcasing the best of Greece and Olympic pride.

"It is an honor to be selected by the Hellenic Olympic Committee as the location for their Team House for the 2028 Games," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "Greece is the historic heart of the Olympic Games, and their team presence in Long Beach will bring a whole new level of excitement and historical and cultural value to our community. We look forward to welcoming them to our incredible city and to hopefully welcoming more Team Houses as we move closer to 2028."

During the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Hellenic Olympic House plans to host a variety of events and exhibitions related to Greek history, culture and arts, and will serve as a meeting point for all Olympic Game enthusiasts. Additional planned activations include official events, hosted by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, to provide an opportunity for visitors to meet and interact with Olympic athletes, celebrate their hard work and learn about the true notion of the Olympic Ideals of excellence, friendship and respect.

Greece is the birthplace of the Olympic Games, having hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896. Greece aspires to make the Hellenic Olympic House a place where people come together to honor its enduring role in the long history of the Games and witness the spirit, creativity and hospitality of Hellenism. More information about the Hellenic Olympic House will be shared as the 2028 Games approach. Once plans for activities and events become more solidified, they will be reviewed and finalized pending the approval of applicable permits.

The Hellenic Olympic House will be located at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Long Beach as part of a public-private partnership between the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the church. The Hellenic Olympic Committee will work with City of Long Beach leadership and staff, the Embassy of Greece in Washington D.C. and the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles to bring a unique hospitality experience to Long Beach.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Hellenic Olympic House to our District 3 community during the 2028 Games," said Third District Councilmember Kristina Duggan. "The Team House will be a space that celebrates culture, unity and the true Olympic spirit. We are honored Greece has selected our city for this activation, and we look forward to working with them."

"The establishment of the Hellenic Olympic House in Long Beach is a dynamic symbol of Greece's timeless connection to the Olympic Games and a living bridge between the birthplace of Olympism and the global Olympic community," said President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Isidoros Kouvelos. "In Los Angeles, through this House, we will share our culture, history, traditions and the Values of Olympism-excellence, friendship, and respect, which remain our most powerful contribution to humanity."

Team Houses are temporary hospitality venues set up by a country's National Olympic Committee (NOC) to serve as special event and gathering spaces during Olympic and Paralympic Games. Team Houses are most often used as public places to celebrate national culture, host receptions and engage with fans; venues for media events, sponsor activations and networking opportunities; and meeting spaces for athletes, coaches, families and dignitaries. Team Houses can be located in either public or private venues, such as museums, cultural centers or rented facilities, depending on the intended use by the country's NOC.

The addition of Team Houses and other NOC activations will further elevate Long Beach's already significant presence in the 2028 Games. Team Houses will offer additional opportunities for local businesses to get involved, drive additional local economic activity and tourism, and generate even more excitement from the community. Due to its ease of mobility, proximity to Los Angeles and its significant Games footprint, Long Beach is being considered as a premier location for NOCs to utilize during the 2028 Games for a myriad of team needs.

The City, in partnership with VisitLB, when approached facilitates the establishment of Team Houses by serving as liaisons, connecting NOCs interested in activating spaces in Long Beach with public and private property owners interested in renting out their space. City staff support these efforts with various logistical needs such as coordinating permits and zoning for temporary use of spaces, facilitating public safety plans with NOCs that are consistent with the City's standard special events public safety coordination process, and supporting tourism and cultural engagement through Citywide planning efforts.

The City is currently working on an interest form to connect businesses and property owners interested in renting out their space with interested NOCs. The interest form is expected to be available in the coming weeks.

While the City's role in Team Houses may vary depending on the needs of the NOC and activation of the space, the City does not directly fund or operate Team Houses. The City may incur associated costs that would be reimbursed through supplemental agreements with each NOC. As with much of the 2028 Games preparations, the City intends to take a fiscally responsible approach to minimize City costs and shared resources.

Hosted by the City of Los Angeles, the 2028 Olympic Games will take place July 14 through July 30, 2028, and the 2028 Paralympic Games will take place Aug. 15 through Aug. 27, 2028. Long Beach will serve as a 2028 Venue City set to stage the largest number of sporting events outside of the Host City of Los Angeles, staging 11 sporting events for the Olympic Games and seven for the Paralympic Games.

More information about Long Beach's commitment to the LA28 Games is available at longbeach.gov/2028Games.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

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