River Plate AC

 

Today our group ventured off to the River Plate Stadium to experience the history and pitch of the greatest club football team (soccer) in Argentina. River Plate is a non profit organization that has over 90,000 members who partake in many different activities at the stadium in Buenos Aires.

When we arrived to the stadium we were greeted by the employees of the River Plate and we visited the official store. Following the store we were led into a time machine where we had the pleasure of viewing the history of the team from the start.

For every decade there was a small room that displayed cultural symbols and icons of that time for the stadium, football club and argentine culture. One thing to know that we learned about River Plate is that it is not just a football club, the stadium is also home to many activities and even a school system. There are many classrooms that are utilized along the stadium. Although football is the most popular and highly sponsored activity, there are many more such as basketball, tennis and swimming. After seeing many of these activities and facilities we learned how these activities are marketed at the stadium during a marketing presentation following the timeline walkway.

 

 

During the presentation we learned about the sponsorships such as Coca Cola, Adidas and many other companies. Many Argentine businesses and corporations believe in building relationships and personal experiences with their clients and partners. That is what River Plate prides itself on as an organization. Not only does the organization market to its sponsors, but River Plate also tries to market a winning culture and belief for the 17 million fans and the teams that play. After a decade of dissapointment, River Plate football club has recaptured their spot as one of the leading clubs in Argentina.

 

Following the insightful presentation, we got a tour of the stadium where we were able to take pictures of the beautiful pitch, and sit in the most prestigious "luxury boxes" at the stadium. It is safe to say, despite the rain and clouds, the River Plate stadium was one of the more memorable moments of our International Experience so far.