Brisbane 2032: What the Games Really Mean for Sunshine Coast Businesses

The Brisbane 2032 Meet the Buyer Luncheon and Commercial Breakout Session took place on Wednesday 8th December. At this event the overwhelming takeaway was clear: the Olympic and Paralympic Games represent far more than a tourism boom – they will be the largest logistical, operational and economic event Queensland has ever delivered.

For Sunshine Coast businesses, the opportunity is not limited to accommodation and hospitality. The scale of procurement, supply chains and operational demand is vast, varied and, in many cases, unexpected.

The Scale of Brisbane 2032

The Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee confirmed the following expectations across South East Queensland:

• 1,000,000 ticketed visitors
• 30,000 athletes (Olympic and Paralympic combined)
• 40,000 entourage members
• 150,000 staff and volunteers
• 24,000 accredited journalists
• 5 billion global broadcast viewers
• 206 nations competing

For context, 12.1 million spectators attended Paris 2024. These figures alone position Brisbane 2032 as the largest economic and tourism event in Queensland’s history.

What Paris 2024 Taught Us

Paris 2024 offered a powerful insight into what it actually takes to deliver an event of this magnitude.

Procurement at scale included:

• AUD $7.3 billion in total procurement spend
• 5,600+ suppliers engaged
• 500 procurement categories
• 83% small and medium enterprises
• 86% locally owned businesses

This highlights a critical point: the Games rely heavily on local and regional businesses, not just multinational suppliers.

The Unexpected Demand

Some of the operational requirements from Paris 2024 were surprising:

• 130,000 bags of laundry
• 400–500 washing machines and dryers
• 150,000 towels
• 3.3 million plush toy mascots
• 900,000 pieces of sports equipment
• 25,000 smartphones
• 267,000 metres of temporary fencing
• 400,000 kilometres of cabling
• 345,000 pieces of furniture
• 8,916 toilet brushes
• 30,000 doonas
• 100,000 chocolate muffins

These examples make one thing clear: opportunity exists well beyond the obvious sectors.

Where Sunshine Coast Businesses Fit

Sunshine Coast businesses should not underestimate how broadly these opportunities extend. Key sectors include:

• Construction and trades
• Event and venue services
• Catering and food and beverage
• Hospitality and accommodation
• Tourism, wellness and cultural experiences
• Technology and digital services
• Transport and logistics
• Merchandise, textiles and manufacturing
• Cleaning, waste and operational services
• Education, training and workforce development
• Professional and creative services

Many businesses will find themselves perfectly positioned to service needs they may never have anticipated.

What This Means for Our Region

Forecasts for South East Queensland point to:

• 3–4 million additional visitor nights
• AUD $4–5 billion in tourism uplift
• Strong pre-Games demand from teams, media and volunteers
• Significant visitor overflow into the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie

This reinforces the Sunshine Coast’s role not just as a destination, but as a key support region for the Games.