Rio 2016 Olympics: Auction Wrap Up

Of all the records broken during the Rio Olympic Games, we were most interested in the record set for largest Olympic Village. Why? B-Stock was responsible for the B2B marketplace that auctioned off the furniture and fixtures from the 3600 athlete apartments. At the height of the Games over 18,000 people, including athletes and coaches were housed across 31 buildings, each with 17 floors.

Even before the Games began the furnishings went up for bid via our B-Stock Events marketplace. In all, 1.3 million items, including 20,000 beds, 135,000 chairs, 42,000 tables and 10,000 wardrobes were auctioned off in 40-foot containers; auctions opened in June with the last round closing at the end of August.

So if you’re wondering, “where did all this stuff end up?” here’s a quick breakdown:

• The auctions attracted buyers from 36 countries including the US, UK, Spain, Canada, Ghana and Brazil

• The majority of buyers were located in the US

• Buyers included: party rental companies, furniture resale shops, school furniture vendors, churches, and closeout/bargain stores

This short-term event-based marketplace was the first of its kind for B-Stock and we’d like to thank RGS Events for partnering with us (RGS was the Official Furniture and Fixtures Project Manager for the Games and responsible for the set up and disposition of all the items). We were thrilled to help provide a sustainable outcome for the Olympic athlete furniture and fixtures and give business buyers across the globe the opportunity to secure a piece of Olympic history.