The Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 took place in the Middle East for the first time, celebrating its 50th year and making history with more nations and more women athletes than ever before. We helped to deliver the world’s largest sport and humanitarian event, to drive genuine societal change.
Our teams helped deliver the Torch Run for the World Games in seven Emirates across the UAE, as well as managing three of the World Games venues and delivered the entire Look and Feel across all venues. Working with the Local Organizing Committee, the Ministry of Interior, and working groups from across all seven Emirates, we led the planning and execution of the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, managing the event production, logistics, and operations of the tour. During the World Games, the team set up and managed three of the World Games’ venues: Al Forsan Club in Abu Dhabi for the equestrian events, the Dubai Police Club Stadium for athletics competitions and Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai for the swimming competitions. In the build-up to the World Games, our team managed the site and infrastructure, operations and logistics across these venues.
Our Live team also conceptualized, designed, defined and delivered the entire Look, Wayfinding and Signage Program for the Games, with 10 competition venues scoped, designed, printed and installed.
World games 2019
The results
We toured over 3000km with over 100 international police officers and Special Olympic athletes, coordinating with 35 governmental entities over 10 days, across seven Emirates, to spread awareness of inclusion and champion the spirit of the Special Olympics movement. We coordinated all operations and logistics, ceremony production, protocol, branding, Ambassador & sponsor integration, and media management, including overseeing 16,000 meals, 2,000 hotel check-ins, 10 Royal dignitaries, 50 community leaders, 80 venues, 52 torch ceremonies and 4 sponsor events.
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1K+ MEDAL CEREMONIES DELIVERED
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52 TORCH CEREMONIES
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10 COMPETITION VENUES PRODUCED
Client testimonials
“I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Wasserman for contributing to making the Games a resounding and unprecedented success. All these achievements and many more would not have been possible without the amazing support of people like yourself whose efforts helped us highlight the global importance of the event and helped shine the spotlight on the extraordinary athletes who were competing. Your role as the event agency ensured us a world class venue for each athlete competing as well as the successful delivery of the Final Leg of the Torch Run. For all of this, we are forever grateful”
– Peter Wheeler, CEO Special Olympics Abu Dhabi 2019