Paris 2024: centralizing and sharing data from the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Unique users during the Olympics
shared datasets
API calls
Company profile
Paris 2024 was the biggest global event of the summer with 15,000 athletes, 12 million tickets sold, 45,000 volunteers and more than 15 million visitors to the Île-de-France region. Managing the data generated by such an enormous event was a major challenge, involving centralizing information, and sharing it with different stakeholders, all while ensuring a seamless experience for end users.
Sector
International organizations
Location
France
Data leader
Challenges: Balancing centralization and accessibility
- Centralizing multiple data assets for a diverse ecosystem of users
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games presented a unique technical challenge in terms of data management. We had to manage an unprecedented volume of information, while creating a robust infrastructure that was capable of supporting millions of requests. The project initially focused on the creation of a data marketplace data-sharing platform for internal use, allowing the Paris 2024 Committee to centralize sensitive information and share it securely with different Olympic and Paralympic stakeholders.
- Expanding the project: from the internal platform to the Games Map
The initial scope of our project quickly expanded beyond internal data management. After seeing the capabilities of the Huwise platform, the Paris 2024 team decided to extend sharing by opening up certain data assets to the general public via an open data portal.
This was part of the same push that created the Games Map, an application that provided details on Olympic and Paralympic sporting and cultural events, as well as tracking the route of the Olympic torch relay from Marseille to Paris. This new tool made it possible to collect and share a wide range of data, both with the general public and our official partners.
"The biggest challenge was to centralize information and ensure data quality so that all users - whether they are partners or just spectators - can benefit from it."
This evolution of the project required close collaboration between our own and Huwise’s technical teams, with the technology skills of Paris 2024 a major advantage throughout the project. For example, through Huwise’s Salesforce connector, we were able to automatically synchronize data between the solution and their chosen CRM tool.
Both teams also had to build a solution that could anticipate and cope with peaks in traffic, guaranteeing a smooth and efficient experience for all users, even during critical moments such as the arrival of the flame in Paris or on busy days during competitions.
Everything was done very quickly, with intensive technical preparation and modeling to ensure that the solution was stable and scalable to meet expected demand.
Data experience: When simplicity meets performance
The platform developed by Huwise made it possible to centralize data from multiple sources including Salesforce, Excel and SharePoint and to transform it into a single format, ready to be consumed by our different stakeholders. Centralizing data was key to simplifying information management and ensuring consistency throughout the Games.
Officially launched on May 8 2024 alongside the torch relay, the Games Map quickly became extremely popular with the public. It allowed users to easily locate the different events, cultural venues, fan zones, and official points of sale around the Games. In all, more than 6,700 sites were shared, spanning 1,870 locations. When the map was integrated into the official mobile app on July 5, the number of views skyrocketed, with millions of unique users accessing it, generating traffic spikes of more than 200 requests per second.
As well as the public and staff, the data platform also made it possible to securely share specific, sensitive information with relevant partners. Media outlets, for example, had access to real-time data on the competition calendar, allowing them to provide interactive views of different venues. If the event program changed these views automatically updated, ensuring accurate and flexible coverage of the Games.
Through the platform, local authorities were able to access sensitive geographic data, such as the precise location of the Olympic torch and entrances to competition venues. This helped in the management of visitor flows and the coordination of security measures.
The platform’s sharing capabilities also made it easy to integrate relevant data into apps such as Google Maps, allowing users to quickly locate different entrances and exits to Olympic venues as well as improving their on-site experience.
"Thanks to Huwise, we have managed to bring together all of our data in a single platform."
"We anticipated these increases in traffic by working closely with Paris 2024 and optimizing the way the map queries its underlying datasets. This allowed us to keep providing a smooth user experience despite the pressure of enormous demand."
Huwise: A tailor-made data marketplace solution
Secure and flexible sharing
To access sensitive or restricted datasets, every stakeholder had to create an account on the platform, with their request for data access subject to administrator approval. This validation process ensured secure data sharing, controlling access according to the needs and profile of each user. In total, more than 30 stakeholders and 100 of their staff used our platform, benefiting from tailored, granular and secure access to data.
Transparency and accessibility
Through the data portal – which was online at data.paris2024.org – Huwise enabled us to share more than 50 datasets, internally, with partners and some with the general public. This initiative, matching our slogan “Let’s Open the Games Wide”, provided users with the chance to download this open data and explore it via an intuitive interface.
Results: A lasting success
- Gold medal performance
Given the enormous volumes of traffic and range of users, the Paris 2024 project was a true test of Huwise’s technical strengths, with the results demonstrating its scalability and high performance. During the Games itself, the platform handled 80 million API requests, including 63 million during the Olympic Games and 9 million during the Paralympics. The remaining requests were during the torch relay between Marseille and Paris, and after the end of the Games, showing the public’s enduring interest in this data.
- The digital legacy of the 2024 Games: a new resource for the future
The digital legacy of the Games is another key point of our collaboration. Together with the Ministry of Sport and ETALAB, the 2024 Olympic Games Committee focused on ensuring that the data we collected can continue to be used, even after the event was over and the Committee dissolved.
The datasets have therefore been transferred to public platforms including data.gouv.fr and dataeducation.gouv.fr, guaranteeing long-term access to information and offering new opportunities for sharing and analysis. For example, the Ministry of Sport plans to reuse information to promote sport and inclusion, support national federations and help with the organization of future events.
We want the data from the 2024 Olympics to be used for other projects, whether for research, education, or to inspire future organizing committees. This digital legacy is an opportunity to continue to bring the spirit of the Games to life far beyond the event itself.
Conclusion: A model for international events
Our collaboration with Huwise has demonstrated the latter’s ability to manage large-scale projects, balancing openness and security. Thanks to this experience, Huwise is positioned to be a partner of choice for other major international events, such as the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
"The 2024 Olympics were the ultimate technical test for our solution. Thanks to our experience, we’re now proven and ready to take on other large-scale projects."
The Games Map has been a real success, with massive public adoption and a seamless user experience.
About the Data leader
Guillaume Martinetti
Head of data and analytics, Paris 2024
Guillaume Martinetti is Head of data and analytics at Paris 2024
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