The North Carolina Organizing Committee (NCOC) for the 2029 FISU World University Games announced today that GroupHousing of Decatur, Georgia, will serve as the Official Housing Bureau for the 2029 Summer World University Games to be held from Wednesday, July 11, to Sunday, July 22, 2029, in central North Carolina.
“After a months-long selection process, we are delighted to name GroupHousing as our Official Housing Bureau for the 2029 World University Games,” said Hill Carrow, Chairman & CEO of NCOC. “GroupHousing will provide an important single point of contact for accommodations for the Games that will facilitate ease of bookings and best prices for everyone from the passionate fan to corporate VIPs. While providing a housing bureau for hotel accommodations is fairly unique among the World University Games, it is a valuable tried and tested system here in the United States. We are looking to GroupHousing to provide the best possible Games experience to friends and families, Games partners and supporters, international sports executives, and, of course, the sports fans who will be traveling to North Carolina from all over the United States and the world for the big event.”
GroupHousing was founded in 2008. The company specializes in group travel arrangements, particularly for sports tournaments, corporate events, and conventions. GroupHousing focuses on securing the lowest hotel rates for event attendees while maximizing the benefits of large group bookings. Key services provided by GroupHousing include a dedicated website for accommodations selections and bookings, expert knowledge of all host hotels, automated and organized hotel bookings processes, and 24/7 hotel and event attendee support.
“It’s an honor for GroupHousing to be selected to serve as the Official Housing Bureau for an event as large and prestigious as the World University Games,” said Mike Bower, GroupHousing’s CEO. “We are excited to be able to bring our technology, our major sports event experience, and our in-depth knowledge of the hotel industry to the table to deliver a first-rate bookings and accommodations experience to visitors and guests at the 2029 FISU Games.”
Mike Hill, GroupHousing’s Vice President of Sales & Business Development added, “We look forward to working with the many fine hotel properties across the Triangle and Triad areas of North Carolina to put together a great group of Host Hotels that will feature a wide variety of price ranges and amenities that will ensure a quality guest experience for the thousands of fans and visitors expected for the Games.”
Host Hotels for the 2029 World University Games are expected to span across the entire footprint of the Games, which currently extends from Downtown Raleigh at the Raleigh Convention Center to the Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem. Hotels in the Host Hotel Program will be selected based on their reputation for high-quality guest experiences, their amenities, their price points, and their locations proximate to Games venues and events.
The 2029 World University Games, considered the “Olympics” for college and university athletes from around the world, will take place in the Triangle and Triad regions of North Carolina in July of 2029, and will host more than 10,000 athletes, administrators, and officials representing over 100 countries. Events will take place at as many as 40 venues. The 12-day event features competition in 18 Olympic sports including Archery, Artistic Gymnastics, Athletics (Track & Field), Badminton, Baseball/Softball, Basketball. Diving, Fencing, Football (Soccer), Judo, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Rugby 7s, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Volleyball, and Water Polo. The Games, which are the second-largest global Olympic multisport event behind only the Summer Olympics, will be broadcast to as many as 300 million viewers worldwide.
ABOUT GROUPHOUSING: Founded in 2008, GroupHousing Travel is backed by more than three decades of experience in the sports and convention tourism industry. Today, the company has grown to serve a myriad of corporate, non-profit, and amateur and professional athletic organizations, including 10 of the industry’s largest amateur sporting events and associations. Our mission is to provide a high level of customer service for events with innovative technology and customized travel services to give organizers tools to promote their brand to be successful. Our vision is to provide the highest level of customer service and technology to the sports industry. Each of our team members has deep experience in the sports and convention tourism industry, and knows what it takes to produce a successful event. We understand all facets of sports and convention hospitality, including the infrastructure that must be in place to create a unique, world-class experience for your specific organization, as well as the careful contractual negotiations that must occur with our hotel partners. For more information, visit www.grouphousing.net.
About the 2029 FISU World University Games: The 2029 FISU World University Games will include over 10,000 participants from more than 100 countries representing over 600 universities competing in 18 Olympic sports during 12 days in July of 2029 (July 11-22, 2029) at up to 40 venues stretching from Downtown Raleigh, NC, at the Raleigh Convention Center to the Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC. The Games were awarded by FISU, the International University Sports Federation, to North Carolina USA and will be centered in North Carolina’s University Hub region which includes the host communities of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Elon, High Point, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem; the host counties of Wake, Durham, Orange, Alamance, Guilford, and Forsyth; and the following host institutions: Duke University, Durham Technical Community College, Elon University, High Point University, Meredith College, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, Shaw University, St. Augustine’s University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Wake Forest University, Wake Technical Community College, and William Peace University. 2029 World University Games Partners include the State of North Carolina, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Wake County, and Duke Health. Official Supporters are Monte Brown, Carolina Region Volleyball, Checkmate Government Relations, Duke University, Durham County, Galloway Ridge at Fearrington, Hannah Sheridan & Cochran, Hummingbird Creative Group, Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, Maynard Nexsen, Nan Hannah, Priam Properties, Research Triangle Park, RTI International, Smedes York Family, Sports & Properties, Inc., the Stan Campbell Family, Stuart Law Firm, The Cemala Foundation, Temple Sloan Family Foundation, Triangle Sports Commission, the W. Trent Ragland Jr. Foundation, and Wasserman. The 2029 World University Games will be the largest event ever held in North Carolina and will present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase the state to a worldwide broadcast audience of up to 300 million. For more information about the 2029 Games, visit www.ncusa2029wug.com.
About the North Carolina Organizing Committee: Located in Cary, North Carolina, the North Carolina Organizing Committee (NCOC) is the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the 2029 FISU World University Games. The LOC has the responsibility for planning, developing, organizing, and executing the 2029 Games in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill-Cary-Greensboro-Elon-High Point-Winston-Salem region of North Carolina. The NCOC is affiliated with, and supported by, the Triangle Sports Commission, which primarily serves Wake, Durham, and Orange Counties, but also hosts events in Guilford and Alamance Counties in North Carolina. The primary goals of the NCOC are to host one of the best World University Games ever, with a great participant experience being the primary barometer; and to showcase North Carolina, and the communities and universities that comprise its central University Hub region, to the world. For more information on NCOC, visit www.ncusa2029wug.com