INNSBRUCK, Austria--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The First Winter Youth Olympic Games are not just about sporting excellence – music, art, culture, lifestyle and community spirit are all important too. As Worldwide Olympic Partner in the wireless communications category, Samsung has taken on the task of making sure that these aspects are highlighted throughout the Games.
The Samsung Mobile Explorers (SMEs) – ambassadors for the First Winter Youth Olympic Games
The SME programme has long been one of Samsung’s key activities during the Olympic Games. 20 young people from Austria, Britain, Slovenia and Switzerland will post reports from Innsbruck, Seefeld and Kühtai every day, capturing their experiences at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Equipped with Samsung Galaxy S II smartphones, the SMEs will bring the Games to life for everyone who cannot be there. Their photos, videos and personal reports will document how young people perceive the Games. As well as covering the competitions in 15 disciplines, the SMEs will be reporting on parties, fashion, art and events. All of their posts can be found at Samsung’s Olympics portal www.samsungwakeup.com.
It’s not just the athletes who are in competition...
The SMEs will also compete in various “disciplines”, to prepare them for top performance. A number of group activities are planned that will put the budding young reporters' various skills to the test, and a jury will nominate the best report of Innsbruck 2012. Online readers will rate posts from the SMEs to decide the overall champion. Starting today, visitors can vote for the best videos, photos and other posts from the SMEs at www.samsungwakeup.com. Everyone who votes will be entered into the prize draw for tickets to the Austrian Samsung Cup.
A look behind the scenes
On 19 January, six young people aged 15–17 will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at this major sporting spectacle. The six students from Innsbruck will accompany the Samsung Mobile Explorers for a day, attending the sporting events, looking over the shoulders of the SMEs while they draft their reports and getting in on the action as guest reporters themselves. They will be sure to benefit from the SMEs’ experience and take home plenty of tips and tricks.
Music Festival and Samsung Media Art Exhibition – art and culture for Olympics fans
During YOG various top acts from Austria and abroad can be heard at the Music Festival: British hip hop institution Stereo MCs, German reggae star Patrice, Norwegian live sensation Kaizers Orchestra, chart topper Aura Dione and Austro-Russian combo Russkaja will all rock the Tyrolean capital. Along this festival Presenting Partner Samsung will provide a rich, celebratory cultural programme before and after the medals ceremonies at Medals Plaza. The Samsung Media Art Exhibition can be seen daily from 14–21 January 2012. Video projections by big name international media artists will add a stunning visual backdrop and light up the whole of Innsbruck. Admission is free of charge.
Samsung’s mobile Olympic Games exhibition “Smart Cube”
Samsung has converted a truck into a mobile exhibition caravan, specially for the Youth Olympic Games. The Youth Olympic Games Smart Cube is bringing the Olympic spirit to the people. Visitors can use the latest Samsung devices to operate an interactive projection screen, and choose their area of interest or find out about the 15 Olympic disciplines being staged around Innsbruck. A fun quiz at the end of the exhibition gives everyone a chance to show off the knowledge they have gained during the visit. Every visitor will also have an opportunity to sign the digital guestbook and express their support for the first Winter Youth Olympic Games. After travelling to Vienna and Salzburg, the exhibition has been stationed in Innsbruck’s Maria Theresien Strasse since today, 13 January and will remain there until 22 January.
Relax or party at Top of Europe – with free entry
Top of Europe, the Samsung Fun Club at Universitaetsstrasse 1 – Innsbruck’s city centre party hotspot – is the central meeting place for all fans and spectators during the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Games. In the morning and afternoon, the Samsung Fun Club is a place to kick back and relax, with free wireless internet access, a free buffet including soft drinks, video games and numerous competitions where visitors can show off their gaming skills and win top prizes. When night falls, Top of Europe is transformed into THE party location in Innsbruck. From 10pm daily, live performances and DJ sets by renowned international acts will keep the location kicking. English hip hop institution Stereo MCs, star DJ (and Alicia Keys producer) Iroc and Tyrolean turntable wizard DJ Chrisfader are all on the bill, as well as top German artists including Samy Deluxe, Dynamite Soundsystem and Blumentopf – guaranteeing some nights to remember.
Samsung and the Olympic Games
Samsung’s first involvement with the Olympics came in 1988, when the company was a local sponsor of Olympic Games in Seoul. It has been a Worldwide Olympic Partner for wireless communications since the Nagano Games in 1998, a commitment that is due to run until 2016. Samsung also supported the Olympic Torch Relay in Athens in 2004, Turin in 2006, Beijing in 2008 and, as Presenting Partner, the Singapore 2010 Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame. Samsung is once again a Presenting Partner of the Youth Olympic Torch Relay for the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company consists of nine independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of semiconductor chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.