LA28 Is Less Than Two Years Away. How Los Angeles Small Businesses Should Start Preparing Their Marketing Now

Short answer: The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring a global audience to Los Angeles, with the Paralympics starting August 15, 2028. LA County has launched Path to 2028, an initiative to help small businesses prepare for demand across tourism, hospitality, construction, transportation and the creative economy. The businesses that benefit most won't be the ones that start advertising in July 2028. They'll be the ones that spend 2027 building search visibility, reviews, multilingual content and contracting readiness so they're already the obvious choice when visitors and buyers arrive.

01What's already in motion

After the 2026 World Cup, the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity launched Path to 2028, a countywide series of events and resources to help businesses prepare, compete and connect to opportunities around the Games. The City of Los Angeles has added a Business Navigator hub for permits, resources and procurement opportunities, and the LA Area Chamber of Commerce launched the Get in the Game LA supplier hub to help small businesses become contract-ready.

Not everyone is convinced the benefits will reach small businesses automatically. NBC Los Angeles reported city council members criticizing LA28 organizers for not showing specific plans to protect local businesses. That's a reason to prepare deliberately rather than wait.

Two ways small businesses win

1. Serving visitors

Restaurants, bars, hotels, retailers, tour operators, wellness, transportation and entertainment near venues and visitor neighborhoods.

2. Supplying the Games and their partners

Construction trades, catering, security, cleaning, staffing, creative production, signage, IT and logistics, through procurement programs and subcontracting.

A marketing timeline to 2028

Now through 2027: build the foundation

• Rank for what visitors will search: "best tacos near [venue]", "family-friendly hotel Long Beach", "bike rental Venice". Strong Google profiles and helpful neighborhood content take months to build.
• Collect reviews steadily. International visitors rely heavily on review counts and recency.
• Go multilingual on the pages that matter most, especially Spanish and the languages of expected visitor groups.
• For suppliers: prepare a capability statement, certifications and case studies, and register in procurement portals.

Early 2028: get specific

• Publish venue and event pages: what's nearby, how to get there, special menus or hours.
• Build ad campaigns targeted around venues, hotels and transit hubs, ready to switch on.
• Line up creator partnerships and short-form video that shows your neighborhood at its best.

During the Games: be available and responsive

• Update hours and offers daily on your Google profile and social.
• Answer every reservation, booking or quote request within minutes. An AI follow-up agent does this in multiple languages without adding staff.
• Capture visitor contacts so the relationship outlasts the Games.

The bottom line

The Olympics will reward LA businesses that are already visible, well-reviewed and easy to book before the crowds arrive. Use 2027 to build the foundation. See how we help Los Angeles businesses prepare, or explore our local SEO service.

Frequently asked questions

When are the LA 2028 Games? The Olympic Games take place in summer 2028, followed by the Paralympic Games starting August 15, 2028.

How can a small business get Olympic-related contracts? Use the city's Business Navigator and the Chamber's Get in the Game LA hub, attend Path to 2028 events and prepare a clear capability statement.

Is it too early to start marketing? No. Search rankings and reviews take months to build, so 2027 is the right time to start.

Sources

• LA County launches Path to 2028, The Signal, August 2026
• Mayor Bass launches new Business Navigator, Office of the Mayor
• Los Angeles launches Get in the Game LA supplier resource hub, LA Area Chamber of Commerce
• LA officials not confident 2028 Olympics will help local economy, NBC Los Angeles
• CityBeat #1385, City of Los Angeles