Calling all Olympic Collectors! AICO House at Paris 2024

This blog post was updated on July 2, 2024.

For the first time in history, Olympic collectors will have a place to call "home" at Paris 2024. The International Association of Olympic Collectors (AICO) will be opening the doors to the House of the French and International Association of Olympic Collectors in Parc de la Villette.

It is believed that AICO House will be open for the duration of the Olympic Games. The experience will be centered around two cultural events: the very exciting Olympic Collectors Area and an extraordinary International Exhibition of 24 Olympic collectors from around the world. More on both below.

Here are the House Party Blog, we're known to love Olympic pin trading - so we couldn't be more thrilled about this experience at Paris 2024!

Villette Makerz. Courtesy of Fab City Grand Paris.

AICO House: Key Details

Location

Villette Makerz

86 quai de la Loire

75019 Paris

Opening Dates & Hours

July 26 to August 11, 2024

Hours to be announced

Access & Ticketing

AICO House will be free to access and open to the public.

Villette Makerz Graphic. Courtesy of Villette Makerz.

AICO House: Experience

Labelled as a key event in the "Cultural Olympiad" by Paris 2024, AICO House has two incredible experiences on offer.

Olympic Collectors Area

We couldn't have said it better ourselves. From the AICO press release:

"Where collectors and fans of the Olympics will be able to freely trade their little Olympic treasures or acquire them: pins, mascots, torches, cards ... and any other Olympic collectibles. The opportunity to meet Olympic enthusiasts from all over the world and to find, perhaps, the Olympic souvenir you were missing, or to start your collection? It will be now or never!"

For collectors, tables can be reserved in 4-hour timeslots to exhibit their collections. Bookings will be open to the public, with a limited number of spots.

As of July 2, 2024, Olympic Collectors can now book a 4-hour timeslot for a table at AICO House, at a cost of €10 per table per session.

Make a Table Reservation at AICO House

The International Exhibition

In addition to the Olympic Collectors Area, 24 Olympic collectors representing 9 countries from around the world have been selected to showcase their private Olympic collections.

From the press release:

"Each collection, through its objects and documents, all original, tell a story, both personal and universal, and will bear witness to the Olympic heritage and passion of the exhibiting collector."

In addition to the collections themselves, a personal portrait of each collector will be shared.

AICO House: Nearby Experiences

AICO House is located in Parc de la Villette, in the "North East Cluster" of Paris 2024 Hospitality Houses.

The closest Paris 2024 sport events to AICO House will be:

• Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics at La Chapelle Arena

• Artistic Swimming, Diving and Water Polo at at Centre Aquatique Olympique

• Athletics and Rugby at Stade de France

All of these venues are within 40 minutes of AICO House on public transit.

Are you an Olympic pin collector?

• 0%Yes! I can't get enough of them!
• 0%Not yet, I'm starting at Paris 2024.

Watch this space: we'll continue to share details on the House Party Blog as additional details about the House of the French and International Association of Olympic Collectors come available.

Casa Colombia: 5 Things We Know So Far

It's official! The Colombian Olympic Committee (COC) will be welcoming fans from around the world to "Casa Colombia" during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. In April, Ciro Solano, President of the COC, declared that Casa Colombia will be “a space for Colombians to meet with the world."

What We Know: Location

Casa Colombia will be located in Parc de la Villette, in the "North East" cluster of Paris 2024 Hospitality Houses. Specifically, it will be located at a venue called À la Folie, a bar-restaurant-club in the heart of la Villette.

Casa Colombia Rendering. Courtesy of the Colombian Olympic Committee.

À la Folie is a well-known event space in Paris boasting 5,000sqft of interior space, a rooftop, garden terrace, restaurant and multiple bars, over two levels. The garden terrace itself is impressive, boasting 3 bars, an incredible array of seating options and pétanque courts.

As noted on the À la Folie website:

"À la Folie, a cultural [café-meets-dance-hall] with a large tree-lined terrace, is a place with multiple entrances. Friendly and welcoming, sheltered from the noise of the city but constantly bustling, it opens its doors to all open minds. Inaugurated in 2015, À la Folie has established itself in just a few years as an essential place to live, eat and party in Parc de la Villette."

What We Know: It's Public

Casa Colombia will be open to the public at Paris 2024 from Saturday July 27 to Sunday August 11 for the Olympic Games, and again from Wednesday August 28 to Sunday September 8 for the Paralympic Games. Opening hours have not yet been announced.

Casa Colombia Logo. Courtesy of the Colombian Olympic Committee.

As noted on the Casa Colombia website:

"[Casa Colombia] functions as a social, cultural, sporting and business embassy, ​​welcoming people from all nations with hospitality and warmth. It is the meeting point par excellence, with a scenic setting and the participation of the Colombian Olympic team."

Here at the House Party Blog, we are eagerly awaiting news if access to Casa Colombia will require tickets or if it will be free.

What We Know: The Venue has Personality

À la Folie, which roughly translates to "to insanity", is bursting with personality. The venue is full of exciting architecture and interior design, creating a special place for visitors to connect and have fun.

Designed by Franco-Brazilian artist "assumes vivid astro focus" called "avaf" for short, the floors to the ceilings are an explosion of unexpected shapes and colours. Here at the House Party Blog, we think this might turn into one of the most "Instagrammable" Hospitality Houses at Paris 2024.

What We Know: A Varied Program is Planned

Casa Colombia is going to function as the place to meet for Colombian citizens and fans alike. As noted on the Casa Colombia website, this Hospitality House will host:

• a "Fan Fest" experience: offering food, entertainment, opportunities to shop and for brands to connect with the public

• Events and Meetings: including sport activations and a place where COC members can meet with vendors and sponsors

• a Coworking space: including spaces for networking and collaboration between companies and entrepreneurs

• and a VIP zone: for special guests, dignitaries and "prominent personalities"

Casa Colombia will also act as mobile consulate, to provide assistance and consular services to Colombian citizens attending the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Casa Colombia Terrace. Courtesy of the Colombian Olympic Committee.

What We Know: Nearby Sport Events

The closest Paris 2024 sport events to Casa Colombia will be:

• Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics at La Chapelle Arena

• Artistic Swimming, Diving and Water Polo at at Centre Aquatique Olympique

• Athletics and Rugby at Stade de France

All of these venues are within 40 minutes of Casa Colombia on public transit.

Are you planning to visit Casa Colombia?

• 0%Yes! I wouldn't miss it.
• 0%I haven't decided.

Stay tuned: we'll share more details on the House Party Blog as news about Casa Colombia is released.

Czech House: 5 Things We Know So Far

On April 22, the Czech Olympic Committee (COC) officially announced the opening of Czech House, or "Český dům", at Paris 2024. A popular Hospitality House at the Olympic Games, organizers welcomed 35,000 visitors at Pyeongchang 2018 and 40,000 visitors at Rio de Janiero 2016.

What We Know: Location

Czech House will be located in the "North East" cluster of Hospitality Houses at Paris 2024. Specifically, it will call the venue Cabaret Sauvage its home, in Parc de la Villette. Overlooking the Canal de l'Ourcq, Cabaret Sauvage is a circular-shaped live concert hall, with capacity for up to 1,200. It hosts musical acts, shows and themed nights.

Interestingly, Cabaret Sauvage will host TeamNL House for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. A popular venue for events and experiences, it seems!

Czech House Promo Video. Courtesy of the Czech Olympic Committee.

As noted in the press release:

"'The organizing committee in France approached us as the first country to ask if we would like to be part of the La Villette park, where the largest fan zone with other national [Hospitality] Houses is being created,' explained Jiří Kejval, chairman of the Czech Olympic Committee."

What We Know: It's Public and Ticketed

Czech House will be open to the public at Paris 2024 from 12:00pm to midnight. Guests will require tickets, which will go on sale on May 1. From Blanka Konečná, the head of Czech House:

"Until the end of June, [tickets] will be at a discounted price of 20.24 euros (roughly 500 crowns), and from July they will be 24 euros. 'The price is among the lowest among all national houses. Tickets purchased online guarantee entry at any time during opening hours on that day, which will be of great benefit in the evenings when we expect to be full. Fans can spend as much time as they want in the Czech House.'"

Czech House Venue. Courtesy of the Czech Olympic Committee.

Czech House is also hosting a special Opening Ceremony event on July 26, their opening day. This "special event" ticket costs €35 until June 30 and starting July 1, the cost increases to €40.

It should be noted that entry is free for children under the age of 6, and there are no re-entries.

What We Know: The Program Includes Sports, and Beer!

Offering programming in Czech, French and English, organizers have lots on offer at Czech House during Paris 2024:

• Broadcasting of Paris 2024 sports

• Athlete appearances

• A "Sport Art" exhibition from the Czech Centre in Paris

• Sports quizzes, audiovisual shows and other Czech entertainment

Czech House Celebration. Courtesy of Czech Olympic Committee.

A very cool offering: Czech House organizers have also announced the presence of 16 microbreweries from across Czechia:

"Český dům will offer tastings of Czech beer. 'We have agreed with sixteen microbreweries across the country that together we will show in Paris how good beer is brewed in the Czech Republic. The breweries in the house will change during the Games and the offerings will be really varied.'"

We're always a yes for beer tasting, here at the House Party Blog. Cheers! Na zdraví!

What We Know: Pre-Registration is Open

Czech fans can pre-register for the ticket release now. According to the Czech House website, fans who pre-register will have the first opportunity to buy tickets on May 1.

Pre-Register for Czech House Tickets

We recommend using the translate feature on your web browser, as the Czech House website is only available in Czech for now.

What We Know: Nearby Sport Events

The closest Paris 2024 sport events to Czech House will be:

• Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics at La Chapelle Arena

• Artistic Swimming, Diving and Water Polo at at Centre Aquatique Olympique

• Athletics and Rugby at Stade de France

All of these venues are within 40 minutes of Czech House on public transit.

Are you planning to visit Czech House?

• 0%Yes! I wouldn't miss it.
• 0%I haven't decided.

We'll update the House Party Blog when tickets go on sale on May 1. Stay tuned!