The Russian Federation hosts its first ever Winter Olympic Games in 2014, and intensive preparations for a worldwide audience are underway in Sochi, a coastal city along the Black Sea. Business sponsors of the Sochi Winter Games are gearing up for the mega-marketing opportunity, and German automaker Volkswagen (VW) recently unveiled a mega-inflatable structure in Moscow to prepare for the event’s large global audience.

The Extended Trident, developed by Inflate Products Ltd., London, England, consists of a configuration of the company’s Trident inflatable dome structures providing approximately 13,000 square feet of space. The free-standing inflatable structures of rip-stop nylon and polyester-reinforced PVC can sustain wind speeds of up to 30 mph, but with custom trusses the Trident can meet regulations for permanent structures.

The inflatable domes can be connected with tunnel systems, allowing modular arrangements to suit the cars, exhibits and snowboarding show VW plans to offer the Sochi athletes and visitors. The white domes give a wintery feeling outside, while inner trusses carry lighting, sound and projection systems to drive the lively showplace inside. The inflatable components are fire-resistant, noise reducing, pack into just two shipping containers and set up in a matter of hours, not days.