Roma 2024 EAC lands in the Metaverse with XMetaReal
The new experience for sports in Italy set to begin in September
Rome, July 18, 2023 – A sports event to be physically experienced within the stadium and on
the city streets, as well as from a distance, by immersing in a new interactive digital
environment. The Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships will have a “phygital”
dimension, thanks to the innovative project developed by the EuroRoma 2024 Foundation
(LOC) and XMetaReal, a company specializing in creating experiences, services, and content
within the Metaverse.
The dream of Rome 2024 is taking shape in the digital world as well. Starting from
September, all athletics enthusiasts will have a dedicated space available to them and will be
able to explore the venues of the Championships, where the best european athletes will
compete next summer. It will be a unique and immersive experience, never before
experimented with for a sports event in Italy, with a strong appeal for younger generations
and beyond.
Young Italian athlete Larissa Iapichino, who recently became the European Under 23 long
jump champion in Espoo 2023 in Finland after winning a silver medal at the indoor European
Championships in Istanbul and triumphing with Italy at the recent European Team
Championships in Poland, will be the first athlete to enter the Rome 2024 Metaverse as the
official ambassador of the project. “While the countdown to next year’s Championships at the
Olympic Stadium has already begun, I can’t wait to leap into the Rome 2024 Metaverse and
use my avatar to meet other visitors. The virtual world can represent a positive opportunity to
engage new people, especially the youth, in athletics disciplines, expanding the audience not
only in reality. It will be an honor for me to participate in such an innovative project, where
technology becomes a real launching pad to establish Rome 2024 as an event capable of
intercepting and valorizing the new trends of society,” said Iapichino.
As the Metaverse Experience Supplier for Rome 2024, XMetaReal will build a new digital
environment inspired by the venues that will host the athletics competitions. The Rome 2024
Metaverse will be inaugurated in September, nine months before the start of the competition,
which will take place from June 7 to 12, 2024. Thus, the space-time limits of reality will be
overcome, granting the opportunity for anyone to experience Rome 2024 as if they were in
the “physical” locations. Users connected from around the world will be able to visit the
Metaverse using an avatar, teleport from one place to another, take a complete tour of the
Stadio Olimpico track, and get a preview of where the jump and throw platforms will be
positioned during the Championships. In this way, fans of different athletics disciplines will
have a new tool to select and book the ideal seat in the Stadio Olimpico to watch their
favorite events live next summer.
To explore the Rome 2024 Metaverse, it will be sufficient to connect using the most common
mobile and fixed devices, while those wearing VR headsets, specifically designed for Virtual
Reality, will have an even more immersive experience. Users will also be able to interact with
digital assets and receive Roma 2024 tokens, claiming full ownership.
During the experience within the Metaverse, visitors will also be able to move among the
avenues and squares around the Stadio Olimpico (Foro Italico) and visit the Commercial
Village, where digital stores will be opened. This new channel made available to the event’s
partners amplifies and extends commercial opportunities over time, while waiting for the
opening of physical stores at the Foro Italico during the Championships.
“The partnership with XMetaReal for the creation of the Metaverse brings a new dimension
to the organization of the Championships and will allow athletics enthusiasts to immerse
themselves in a modern, interactive, and engaging space. Innovation is one of the key
concepts of our plan, and with the Rome 2024 Metaverse, we will offer a unique experience
to the global audience, with a strong impact,” said Paolo Carito, CEO of the EuroRoma 2024
Foundation, which is the LOC that organizes the Roma 2024 European Athletics
Championships.
“The creation of the Metaverse for Rome 2024 opens up new scenarios and new ways to
experience sports in an innovative and inclusive manner. The possibility of transforming a
sports event into a social event, expanding the audience and spreading the values of sports,
represents the reality of today, both physical and digital together. We should be proud as the
‘Italian System’ to have initiated such an important initiative. Embracing digital innovation in
a particular field like sports truly means nurturing a mindset that looks to the future. Another
‘leap forward’ towards the Digital Transformation of our country,” concluded Vittorio
Zingales, Founder and CEO of XMetaReal.
roma2024.eu
xmetareal.com
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