The Olympics are more than an event; they are a living, breathing ecosystem. A test of coordination, pride, and national identity.
While the athletes will be judged by milliseconds and millimetres, Australia’s hospitality sector will be measured by something equally defining: our ability to deliver excellence, consistency, and care at scale, and to show the world who we are through our food.
As Brisbane 2032 approaches, the spotlight will turn to our kitchens, farmers, suppliers, and venues. The question is, are we ready to feed the world?
At Imagine Collective, we’ve spent years building bridges between brands, venues, and distributors. We’ve seen firsthand how strong operations underpin memorable food experiences. But the Olympics demand more than business as usual; they require vision, structure, and unity.
This is not just a hospitality challenge. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase Australia’s incredible food culture while proving we can operate with the precision and grace the Games deserve.
The Hospitality Games: Our time to shine
The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring millions of people to Australia, including athletes, officials, tourists, and global media. For Queensland and the nation, it’s a golden opportunity not just to host the world, but to feed it, and tell our story through the plate.
Because make no mistake: food is part of our national identity.
From the laneway coffee culture of Melbourne to the coastal produce of Noosa, the fusion flavours of Sydney to the sustainability-led chefs of Byron and Tassie, our food scene represents who we are as a people: creative, collaborative, grounded, and diverse.
Imagine the global stage that awaits:
● Venues filled with local produce, reef fish replaced by sustainable land proteins, native ingredients telling ancient stories.
● Menus co-designed by local chefs and communities.
● Olympic villages showcasing everything from bush herbs to Brisbane brews.
If we approach this with intention, the Brisbane Olympics could become the greatest culinary showcase in Australian history.
But that dream can only happen if the systems that support it — logistics, supply chain, operations — work seamlessly.
Why venues need a guide to Olympic ops
One of the biggest risks we face isn’t creativity, it’s coordination.
Every venue, café, and caterer operates differently. During a normal season, that diversity is our strength. But during the Olympics, it can become chaos without structure.
We need a national Olympic Food Operations Go-To Guide, a living, practical framework that gives venues and operators clear direction.
It should outline:
● Approved supplier networks and contact protocols
● Stock allocation and menu planning timelines
● Delivery and logistics scheduling
● Food safety and compliance templates
● Sustainability and waste reduction practices
● Communication and reporting pathways
Think of it as a playbook for success, one that allows even small independent venues to operate at Olympic standard, while still keeping their local identity and creativity intact.
This guide must be built with the industry, not imposed on it, drawing on the expertise of venue consultants, chefs, suppliers, and distributors who understand the realities of service delivery on the ground.
Building a unified supply chain committee
If there’s one thing the pandemic taught us, it’s that fragmented supply chains fail under pressure.
Australia’s major distributors, PFD, Bidfood, Superior, and MOCO, each play vital roles in the national food network. But during the Olympics, competition alone won’t cut it.
We need collaboration.
I believe it’s time to form a National Olympic Supply Chain Committee, a unified taskforce of distributors, industry leaders, and government partners working together toward one goal: to feed the Games seamlessly and sustainably.
This committee would:
● Map out distribution zones to prevent overlap and traffic congestion.
● Coordinate warehouse stock allocations based on forecasted venue needs.
● Develop unified delivery tracking and communication systems.
● Run full rehearsal days to stress-test logistics under peak conditions.
● Liaise directly with transport authorities and venue managers.
This isn’t about removing competition; it’s about creating coordination for the greater good of the country. Because when the world is watching, no one cares which truck delivered the chicken breast, only that it arrived, fresh and on time.
Practice Runs: The hidden key to readiness
Just as athletes train for years to perform flawlessly, our industry needs its own practice runs.
Imagine coordinated “Olympic Simulation Days” across Queensland:
● Major distributors trial their delivery routes to key venues.
● Venues rehearse stock intake, prep, and service windows.
● Communication between drivers, coordinators, and chefs is tested in real time.
These test days would reveal weak points long before the pressure hits. They’d help identify how traffic, timing, and warehouse load might affect delivery consistency.
At Imagine Collective, we know from years of venue and supply work that preparedness is everything. Practice runs turn reaction into readiness, and readiness is what keeps service calm, confident, and world-class.
Designing the Olympic distribution network
The Olympic food supply chain can’t operate like business-as-usual. It needs to be structured like a national logistics ecosystem.
Here’s the framework we recommend:
- Regional Distribution Hubs:
Each major distributor sets up designated Olympic supply zones across South-East Queensland, with overflow support from warehouses in NSW and VIC.
- Shared Data Systems:
A real-time logistics platform enables approved suppliers and venues to track deliveries, view capacity, and report disruptions in real time.
- Stock Allocation Protocols:
Certain SKUs, particularly perishables and high-demand staples, are allocated based on forecasted event zones.
- Sustainability Integration:
From reusable packaging to consolidated deliveries, sustainability must be built into every layer of the supply model.
- Central Operations ‘Control Tower’:
A centralised coordination team oversees daily logistics, working with local councils, traffic management, and venue operations to ensure smooth flow and safety.
This isn’t just efficient, it’s the kind of system that demonstrates Australian capability on the world stage.
Showcasing Australia’s food culture to the world
This is where our industry’s heart beats strongest.
The Olympics are a chance to tell our story, not just through sport, but through flavour, design, and hospitality.
Australia’s food scene is one of the most dynamic on the planet. We blend cultures and cuisines effortlessly. We respect our land and celebrate its produce. We innovate without losing authenticity.
From the Northern Rivers to the Barossa, from regional farms to urban kitchens, the diversity of our food culture is extraordinary.
Imagine every venue and hospitality touchpoint during the Games becoming a culinary ambassador:
● Hotels serving breakfast with native fruits and artisanal granola.
● Stadium menus are built around regional produce.
● Pop-up activations spotlighting local brands, beverages, and emerging chefs.
● Educational signage and storytelling that highlight Australian growers and sustainable practices.
At Imagine Collective, we believe this is the story the world needs to see, a celebration of who we are, what we grow, and how we connect through food.
Because when visitors remember the Games, we want them to remember not just the medals, but the meals, the warmth, and the people who made it possible.
Building a legacy beyond 2032
The Brisbane Olympics shouldn’t just be a one-off operational exercise. They should become a legacy framework for Australia’s hospitality industry.
The systems we design now, the supply committees, the venue playbooks, the distribution models, can be used again and again:
● For future sporting events and music festivals.
● For tourism surges and emergency responses.
● For better alignment between distributors and regional operators.
If we do this well, 2032 becomes the moment Australia leads the world in hospitality logistics and the integration of food culture.
It becomes proof that calm, well-structured systems don’t suppress creativity; they enable it.
From Imagine Collective’s Perspective
Every day, we see how structure liberates creativity. When operators have clear systems, they can focus on what they do best: creating, connecting, and serving.
The Olympics will test every part of our industry, from supply chain logistics to emotional endurance. But it will also remind us of why we’re here: to bring people together through food and experience.
This is the moment for distributors, suppliers, and venue leaders to sit at the same table.
To plan, rehearse, and commit to a shared standard of excellence.
To showcase Australia’s capability and its cuisine to the world.
Because the world will be watching, and our food culture deserves its standing ovation.
The call to collaborate
If you’re a venue, supplier, or distributor reading this, consider this your invitation.
Let’s come together to form Australia’s first Olympic Food & Hospitality Committee.
Let’s design the playbook, run the rehearsals, and build the systems that will feed the Games, and show the world what Australian hospitality truly means.
At Imagine Collective, we’re ready to help coordinate the frameworks and conversations to make this happen.
The Games will come and go, but the legacy we build, the story we tell through our food, and the systems we create together will serve Australia for generations.
Kristie Booker is the founder of Imagine Collective, a food and beverage consulting group helping brands, venues, and suppliers create calm, scalable, and sustainable operations. Based in Australia, Imagine Collective works across foodservice, retail, and distribution to align business systems with creativity and legacy.
