LA28 Is Closer Than You Think

A 4-Step Strategy for Long Beach Small Businesses

In my last post, I explored what Long Beach can learn from the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and how secondary cities often become the emotional story of global events.

Now let’s talk about what matters most:

How small businesses can thrive during and after the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.

AL28 is two years away. In Olympic planning terms, that is not far off.

The businesses that benefit most will not be the ones who react in 2028. They will be the ones who prepare now.

Here is a practical four-step framework.

1. Engage Early

Join Chamber conversations. Attend LA28 briefings. Monitor procurement pathways like RAMP (Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement.

Even if you never bid on a contract, understanding the structure of Olympic operations will help you anticipate visitor patterns, hospitality windows, and partnership opportunities.

Information is leverage.

2. Clarify Your Olympic Value Proposition

Ask yourself:

Why would an Olympics visitor visit or choose my business?

• Is it convenience?

• Is it atmosphere?

• Is it local authenticity or online reputation?

• Is it proximity to competition venues?

This is the moment to refine your positioning — not in 2028, but in 2026 and 2027.

Clarity compounds.

3. Collaborate, Don’t Compete in Isolation

Olympic impact multiplies when businesses coordinate.

Restaurants can partner with retailers.

Creative firms can support hospitality activations.

Service providers can bundle offerings.

The most successful host cities operate as ecosystems — not silos.

Long Beach has the advantage of scale. We are large enough to matter (hosting 11 Olympics and 7 Paralympic events!) and compact enough to collaborate.

4. Plan for Post-Games Momentum

The Games last weeks.

The legacy lasts decades.

If 2028 brings new visitors, investors, or media attention, how will you capture returning business?

How will you convert Olympic visibility into long-term growth?

The flame will extinguish. The opportunity should not.

A Civic Opportunity

As local Chamber of Commerce members, we have a unique window to organize thoughtfully.

The lesson from Milan–Cortina is clear:

Secondary cities that define their identity and prepare strategically often emerge stronger.

Long Beach has the infrastructure.

We have the location.

We have the business community.

What we need now is alignment and early action.

LA28 is coming.

The question is not whether it will change Long Beach.

The question is how intentionally we shape that change — so our small businesses don’t just participate in the Games…

They build momentum that lasts long after 2028.

Our chambers are uniquely positioned to help our business community prepare for LA28 — through education, advocacy, connection, and coordinated activation. If you are a small business owner, now is the time to plug in. Attend briefings. Join task forces. Build relationships across industries. The more aligned we are as a Chamber community, the stronger our collective economic impact will be in 2028 and beyond.