Lorenzo’s experience at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games

Date

16 February 2026

Thanks to Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), Lorenzo Mangini - a student in the BA in Video Design - took part in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games as a Venue Games Services Assistant.

“The most exciting aspect is seeing from the inside the largest production machine in the world. There are workers from every nationality, all very friendly, and it’s easy to build connections and exchange advice and experiences, even related to my field of study. For someone studying Video Design, it feels like attending a continuous masterclass on how a global event is managed.”

Can you tell us about your role and what a typical day looks like?

My role is Venue Games Services Assistant for OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Services). I provide logistical support within the Broadcast Compound, the technical area where control rooms and international crews are based.

Before the Games, I am responsible for distributing and collecting uniforms sent from the IBC in Milan, but during the event the pace will be driven by competitions and live broadcasts.

My task is to ensure that crews have all the support they need to work efficiently, from managing shared spaces to sourcing urgent materials.

How has what you learned in the Video Design course at IED helped you in this role?

Studying Video Design gave me the vocabulary and sensitivity to understand the context I’m working in. Even though my current role is logistical, I understand on-set dynamics, I know what the pressure of “live” production feels like, and I can recognize technical hierarchies.

Thanks to IED, I understand why certain requests are urgent or why an operator might be under stress at a given moment. This awareness allows me to be more efficient and to move within the compound while respecting production timing and space, something that would be difficult to grasp for someone outside the industry.

How important is teamwork?

It’s everything. Here I understood that television is an extreme team sport.

OBS is made up of thousands of people who didn’t know each other before, yet they must operate as a single organism. You learn to trust your colleagues and to communicate in a clear and concise way.

If you had to describe this experience in one word, what would it be?

Multicultural.

Because it fully immerses you in an environment made up of thousands of people with different languages and cultures.

What does it mean to work in such an international and multicultural environment?

It is incredibly enriching.

At the venue you hear dozens of languages and see completely different working methods coexisting. Working side by side with professionals from the US, Japan, the UK, or Spain broadens your perspective: you realize there is no single way of doing things.

It pushes you to be flexible and to improve your technical English, which is essential for anyone who wants to work in film or broadcasting.