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MAS 2020 OLYMPIAN JOINS IOC FOR AIRBNB PARTNERSHIP LAUNCH

Mikel Thomas, President Bach, Joe Gebbia from Airbnb, Paralympian Stef Reid

CLASS OF 2020 OLYMPIAN MIKEL THOMAS JOINS THE IOC FOR AIRBNB PARTNERSHIP LAUNCH

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Airbnb have announced an exciting new partnership – Airbnb Olympian Experiences. AISTS class of 2020 participant – and three-times Olympian – Mikel Thomas was a guest at the official launch, held at the IOC headquarters.

The IOC and Airbnb will launch Airbnb Olympian Experiences in early 2020 to provide direct earning opportunities for athletes. Promoting sport and physical activity, these experiences will include everything from the chance to train with an Olympian, to exploring a city with an elite athlete.

Mikel Thomas is currently studying the AISTS Master of Sports Administration and Technology and was invited to attend a panel event to discuss this exciting new partnership and the potential for athletes. Mikel is a three-time Olympic hurdler and sprinter; alongside his journey to study Sports Management with AISTS he is currently training for Tokyo 2020.

He said: “It was such an honor to have been involved at the Airbnb and International Olympic Committee – IOC partnership announcement. This shows clear steps in the right direction to provide new earning opportunities and help support athlete’s journeys both on and off the field. It was an honour also to meet President Bach who attended the event as well as Joe Gebbia, co-founder and chief product officer of Airbnb.”

Mikel Thomas joined a panel discussion for the launch

In the coming months, Airbnb and the IOC, through the Athlete 365 platform, will provide support and training to athletes interested in becoming a host on the Airbnb Experiences platform.

The announcement underlines IOC’s efforts to support athletes and put athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement. For Airbnb, the new category supports their goal of providing economic empowerment to athletes across the globe – beyond the timeframe and geographical location of the Games.

Kirsty Coventry, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, said on the Airbnb website: “On behalf of the Athlete’s Commission, I am delighted that our new global agreement with Airbnb will benefit the athletes directly. This includes direct revenue opportunities from sharing their passion for sport through new Airbnb Olympian Experiences, as well as direct support for their accommodation needs. We work to empower athletes around the world on and off the field of play, and this agreement is another example of how we are supporting and advocating for athletes throughout their career.”

Airbnb Olympian Experiences is part of a wider announcement which will see Airbnb become a global partner for the Olympic Games.

Experience the world of sport in the Olympic Capital

Participants attend several full-day workshops throughout the programme to experience sport. These sessions are delivered by the sport organisations and federations themselves and provide a unique hands-on experience and well as an ideal opportunity to connect to our alumni and experts working in the industry.

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