PARIS, FRANCE – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and a delegation of City Councilmembers and civic leaders from Los Angeles declared small business growth a key priority for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games during a meeting with Business France and French companies who have invested in Paris 24. The delegation discussed possible investment in Los Angeles with businesses participating in the discussion after learning about their investments in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, and how to learn from Paris to bolster small business growth.
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Building on the progress made today, the delegation will also meet with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield CEO Jean-Marie Tritant to see firsthand how Westfield plans to activate their partnership during the Paris 2024 Games. The delegation will visit one of their eight retail sites, and discuss how they can generate economic growth for Los Angeles during upcoming major events.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to engage with Business France and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield CEO Jean-Marie Tritant to witness first-hand the collaborative nature of businesses and consumer engagement during major events,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “We are working urgently to ensure that Los Angeles will grow economically during the 2028 games and that our small businesses will grow and thrive past the 2028 games.”
This announcement builds on Mayor Bass’ efforts to reverse City Hall’s perception and reputation in the business community ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. During her first year, thousands of businesses opened and California’s leading business bank, Banc of California, announced they’d be relocating their headquarters to Los Angeles. Mayor Bass will continue to take action to support small business creation, development and growth and will use lessons learned about business growth ahead of the Paris Olympics as Los Angeles prepares to host the Games in 2028.
The delegation includes Council President Paul Krekorian, Councilmember Traci Park, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, LA84 Foundation President and CEO Renata Simril and Priscilla Cheng, Senior Vice President for Government Relations at LA28. All three Councilmembers sit on the Ad Hoc Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Councilmembers Park and Yaroslavsky serve as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively and President Krekorian was a member of the Ad Hoc Committee when the host city contract was signed. Mayor Bass served as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs for 12 years and has led many international delegations.