Olympics-Samsung opens ‘Samsung House’ in Milan ahead of Milano Cortina Games

By Rory Carroll

MILAN, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Samsung Electronics opened its first “Samsung House” at Milan’s historic Palazzo Serbelloni on Wednesday night, as the longtime Olympic sponsor seeks to raise its profile at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

The South Korean tech giant said it will also revive its “victory selfies” program – a form of athlete-led product placement it debuted at the Paris Games – and will give every Olympian and Paralympian a Galaxy Z Flip7 Olympic Edition smartphone, about 3,800 in total.

“Samsung House is a place dedicated to connection, shaped around the athletes and open to all those in the Olympic community,” Executive Vice President Stephanie Choi said at a lavish ribbon-cutting event that featured a South Korean dance troupe and an Italian opera singer.

“It’s here for us to share stories, exchange ideas, and experience the values that define the Olympic Games: excellence, respect, and human achievement.”

Anne-Sophie Voumard, chief marketing officer of the International Olympic Committee, said athletes had responded enthusiastically as the devices began to be handed out.

“I was at the Olympic Village two days ago, and the distribution of those phones was already starting, and I could see sparks in the eyes of the athletes as they were picking up their phones,” she said.

Samsung began as a local sponsor of the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and became a worldwide partner in 1998. Its sponsorship runs through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Milan; Editing by Tom Hogue)