12 July 2024 – As the countdown to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 continues, the Worldwide Olympic Partners are preparing to play a fundamental role in making the Games a success. In our “Road to Paris” series, Partners talk about some of the essential support they will be providing and reveal their excitement at helping to shape an unforgettable Olympic and Paralympic experience for fans and athletes alike. Here, we speak with Andrea Fairchild, SVP, Sponsorship and Experiential Marketing at Visa.

Why is an Olympic partnership important to Visa?

At Visa, our Olympic and Paralympic partnerships are incredibly important to us. We are one of the original founding members of The Olympic Partners programme, and one of the longest-standing partners of the International Paralympic Committee and the Paralympic Games. These values-based global platforms resonate not only with everyone at Visa, but also with our clients and cardholders in every corner of the world. They provide an incredible opportunity for us to activate and interact with people in a context they are passionate about.

“We believe that sport can change the world, that it can change minds, that it can break down barriers; and this is something that has always been important to us at Visa. Our mission as a company is to uplift everyone everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid, and so inclusion on a global scale is very important.”

Andrea Fairchild – SVP, Sponsorship and Experiential Marketing, Visa

How much is Visa looking forward to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024?

Having been a proud partner of the Olympic Games for almost the past four decades, and a partner of the Paralympic Games for more than two decades, we are eagerly anticipating Paris 2024. Our Team Visa Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls are the real stars here, as they reflect so much about this year’s Games: diversity, inspiration and a commitment to community. We are also thrilled that, in these first post-pandemic Games, the athletes will have their loved ones and fans from around the world in Paris to cheer them on.

How important is it for Visa to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes?

As part of our Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic partnerships, athletes have been at the centre of what we’re doing for many years. Very early on in our partnership, we recognised, as many do, that the athletes are the driving force behind the Olympic and Paralympic Movements; it’s their passion and their trials and tribulations, and success or failure, that inspire everyone around the world. We had been sponsoring athletes for many years, but took the step to create a formal global athlete sponsorship programme more than 20 years ago that we call Team Visa. The aim is to provide athletes with the tools, resources and support they need to achieve their lifelong dreams in sport and beyond. So far, we have supported nearly 700 athletes, and the 2024 Team Visa roster includes 146 athletes from 67 countries, boasting the largest group of Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls in the programme’s history, as well as the most diverse; and they all embody Visa’s brand values, including standing for gender equality and making an impact in the community. We are especially proud that 79 of those 146 athletes are female, as Visa continues its mission to foster inclusivity, championing women’s sport and female athletes.

Speaking of Visa’s brand values, you have also launched a new brand campaign ahead of Paris 2024 – can you tell us more about that?

Our “Prodigies” film highlights Visa’s enduring belief that, no matter how you define it, success does not happen overnight. It happens through the power of small steps as people put in the work to continuously improve. This is true of some of the world’s biggest names in sport, music and art, and for anyone at any level.

Therefore, we brought together cultural icons to reveal what their initial hopes and dreams were, long before they were recognised as accomplished stars, and we show the hard work and challenges they faced on their path to becoming the best in their respective fields. It really serves as a tribute to the power of small steps to move you forward, resonating with anyone striving to achieve their goals, because we really believe that, given access and the right tools, anyone can make it. This campaign underscores the importance of perseverance in achieving greatness.

How else will Visa be supporting Paris 2024?

As the exclusive payment technology partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Visa aims to provide the best digital payment experiences for athletes and fans at Olympic and Paralympic venues, with technology that enables Visa contactless payments at official event venues across France. Visa has implemented a custom payment services solution for Paris 2024 that will bring seamless contactless payment acceptance to 3,500 points of sale across 32 Olympic venues and 16 Paralympic venues.

“Visa’s global network makes it easier for athletes, fans and those travelling from around the world to pay securely and conveniently.”

Andrea Fairchild – SVP, Sponsorship and Experiential Marketing, Visa

In the Paris metro area, “Pas Sans Vous” will come to life through Visa’s commitment to giving back to local young people and small businesses. Visa has partnered with youth sports programme “Sport Dans La Ville”, providing hundreds of tickets to Paris 2024 for programme participants, funding new sports centres and a girls’ mentorship programme, as well as a development programme for young journalists with Le Monde, one of France’s top news platforms. Additionally, Visa invited small businesses across France to participate in the “Les Paiements Gagnants,” or “Winning Payments” national promotion, in which more than 25,000 small businesses opted in to offer Visa cardholders a chance to win Games tickets, helping small businesses to benefit more from the commercial opportunities the Games bring to a host market.

Blending sport with culture, Visa has commissioned six global artists to create works of art to appear on billboards throughout Paris and other nearby host cities, celebrating the Games and highlighting local commerce. In a tribute to Paris, the global capital for street art, pieces will appear in train stations, airports, the metro and elsewhere around the city to help support and promote local small businesses, which contribute to the city’s vitality. Participating artists include leading street artist from Seine-Saint-Denis Marko 93 (France); influential street artist and activist Swoon (USA); pioneering graffiti artist JonOne (USA); native Parisian artist Olivia De Bona (France); prolific colour-blind street artist Alex Senna (Brazil); and multidisciplinary artist Vexta (Australia).

In recognition of Visa’s long-standing partnership with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 proudly accepts only Visa for card and mobile payments, along with cash, at Olympic and Paralympic venues and the flagship Paris 2024 Megastore on Paris’ iconic Champs-Élysées and other official merchandise shops around France. Visa is also the Official Way to Pay for official merchandise online at the Olympic Shop.

We have also launched Visa Go, a new mobile application for Visa cardholders visiting the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, which offers access to unique experiences and exclusive content, spotlights Team Visa athletes and shares their progress during the Games. The app will also offer a curated selection of discounts and offers from official partners and local shops and restaurants. Fans can purchase a virtual Visa prepaid card through Visa Go, if needed.