Zappos.com is set to debut its largest activation yet with the Special Olympics next month at its 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Fla.
Among its plans for the event, the Las Vegas-based e-commerce company has partnered with seven of its top brands – including Reebok, Ugg, Crocs, Billy Footwear, Brooks, Asics, and Sorel – to deliver products and experiences to both athletes and fans at the Games.
As platinum sponsor, Zappos has created an experiential retail space within the USA Games’ Fan Zone to highlight and display its adaptive product range. According to Dana Zumbo, business development manager at Zappos Adaptive, the company will drive its events trailer from Las Vegas to Orlando to anchor the retail space, which will be home to a different activation each day from June 6-10.
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Zumbo told FN on a call that activations will range from the original Big Piano, where guests can step on a large floor piano, to a bubble zone and an interactive digital wall. There will also be an event sponsored by Ugg, where attendees can meet some of the participating athletes. Crocs will also be hosting an activation where guest can fish for baby Crocs and can win a range of giveaways.
What’s more, Zappos is a supporting sponsor of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program, which provides health screenings to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities throughout the world. According to Zumbo, Zappos will incentivize the athletes to go through their health examinations, spanning across seven disciplines including eye exams, hearing tests, nutritional education, and shoe fittings.
As an incentive for athletes to take advantage of these free health screenings, Zappos will offer participants a free pair of shoes of their choice from Zappos’ 2022 Special Olympics USA Games designs if they complete five out of seven tests. “The goal is to reach 12,000 exams throughout the week-long event,” Zumbo told FN. “This is an opportunity for athletes to have these exams for free, while also finding their true shoe size. In 2018, 50% of athletes at this event reportedly were wearing the wrong sized shoes. We want to help fix that.”
Zumbo also mentioned that about 160 Zappos employees will be volunteering throughout the week at the Games. “Employees don’t always get the opportunity to participate in something quite this large,” she added. “It’s quite exciting for us to engage with the athletes and their families while also connecting with our coworkers after several years of working remotely.”
Zappos CEO Scott Schaefer is also getting in on the fun at the event. Zumbo told FN that Schaefer is one of over 20 CEOs that will be paired with an athlete to compete together in the ESPN Executive Unified Sports Challenge on Monday, June 6.
The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games is expected to bring together over 5,500 athletes and coaches from 63 U.S. and Caribbean delegations, and more than 125,000 spectators across seven days of games.
