Right after I returned from the Olympics in Vancouver, my About.com editor asked me to share about what it was like to represent About.com at the recent Winter Olympic Games. Of course, it was a great experience. There is so much to share!
When I arrived in Vancouver, I felt I was venturing in on "unknown
territory," but I quickly gained confidence.
Getting Media Accreditation gave me equal prestige with all the media that attended the Games. There was a big "E" around my neck that meant "Everything." That got me into any Olympic event and practice.
However....
Before I left, my editor and I read the fine print. There were a few exceptions. "E" didn't really mean everything.
Some "high demand" events (including figure skating) required media to have special tickets. We really didn't know what that meant until I arrived. Was there a chance I'd go all the way to the Olympics and not be able to see the figure skating events? Would I end up just hanging out in the background? Fred and I were not really sure.
Once I arrived and obtained my Accreditation, the Main Media Press Centre had that answer inside.
I inquired at a general help desk and was personally escorted to the USOC office. It took awhile to explain to three or four different people what About.com was, but finally it was determined that About.com Figure Skating, along with Yahoo Sports, The New York Times, icenetwork.com, The Los Angeles Times, and others, had equal clout when it came to getting access to high demand figure skating events. I was "in."
I still had to check back each day to see if I had been issued a press ticket, but I was not treated differently just because I was web, not paper media.
Now, let me share about the Main Media Centre:
The Main Media Centre was a bit like an Olympic Village in itself. I loved the peace and quiet there, but I also enjoyed the royal treatment I was given. On my first day in the Media Centre, I was given a Press Kit, which was a backpack full of "goodies." Inside were pens, paper, Olympic tags, Olympic flash memory drives, disks full of Vancouver information, photos, brochures, Olympic cold medicine, an ethernet cable, and even an Olympic pedometer!
There were plush buses that took us to the events. There was private bank, store, huge big screen televisions, and printed material about all events available. There was also a food court, a travel agency, and even a laundry inside.
One day, I took advantage of free massages given to the media! I found out I certainly needed that massage. I did so much walking and running around. I ended up with blisters on my feet and very sore muscles.
I really only spent time at the Pacific Coliseum, where the figure skating and short track speed skating took place. There was also was a smaller media center there. I could get food there, get coffee, attend press conferences, and pick up printed results and information about the skaters there. There were times the place looked as busy as Wall Street.
Also, there were private restrooms reserved only for media, so I didn't have to wait in the long lines the public used...
In that media center, it was fascinating to hear all the different languages being spoken and to look at the big screen televisions that showed all the Olympic events going on at once. I ventured into the Mixed Zone too, but found I liked being out in the stands watching the skating live. In the arena, we got to sit at huge press desks that had private TV screens so we could see the skating up close if needed. I made friends with media from other countries.
I did not do my About.com writing at either media center, since that cost "big bucks." I wrote at night and in the early mornings from the place I was staying. Once, my internet connection went out and I found a Starbucks. Even there, I met members of the public that read my About.com articles. It seems like we have quite a few Canadian readers.
I told my editor about all the great conversations I had with the public about About.com. I especially wanted to share about that!
Since I did not limit myself to only taking media transportation, I met many people from all over the world as I went to and from events on the Sky Train and public buses. People would see my Media badge and ask questions. I'd pass out my About.com business cards freely. Once, the entire group of passengers on a public bus stopped and listened to what I had to say just after one of the figure skating events! It was so cool! That began to happen quite a bit.
About.com seems to really be widely read all over the world. People kept saying, "I read About.com all the time! I read your articles. They are great!"
I gained so much confidence after this experience. I now feel that I can tackle anything! I am planning now for Sochi in 2014...
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