Two global sporting events. Tens of millions of eyes on the action that unfolds. Two months apart.

How did Aggreko power both the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in such a short space of time, not to mention providing temperature control in two wildly contrasting climates?

It seems like an impossible task, but Aggreko’s event services teams are specialists in mobile and modular power, heating, cooling and energy services for good reason.

The Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games of 2018 took place in average temperatures of -4^oC. Power totalling 140 MW was provided using Aggreko’s containerised generators as well as around 985km of cabling – 100 times taller than the height of Everest. This was sufficient to power 20 venues, overseen by 95 of Aggreko’s experts on site to ensure a smooth project.

Just two months later, the portable power, temperature control and energy storage specialist deployed 30 MW of power, stretched across 1700km of Australia’s beautiful Gold Coast, for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. This involved 120 experts on site and 34 venues in balmy temperatures of 23^oC.

Both occasions were enjoyed by millions. Spectators packed the stands at both locations, enthralled by the thrills and spills of sporting competition. Behind the scenes, Aggreko were hard at work, optimising output, making sure that every variable was monitored and performing to its maximum.

To get to this point involved months of planning and design. The respective sites shared no common ground, and the teams responsible for constructing a plan had to consider plenty before finalising a directive for action.

During the Gold Coast Games there was much more space to cover than in Pyeongchang, but in Pyeongchang, the average temperature and ice-cold mountain winds would require special preparations for equipment to face this extreme climate.

Aggreko works closely with organising committees and this collaboration helps to highlight pre-existing systems, the functionality of the local grid and various solutions that can work around these potential pitfalls. This forms a partnership rather than a conventional business setup, where trust is created, and the supplier can get the best idea of exactly what is needed.

Each project is different and with Aggreko’s extensive experience in this sector, they have the expertise – and the modular products – to mould their specialist solutions to perfectly fit the varying requirements.

This is how Aggreko overcame the odds to offer these global events the reliability they craved, ensuring that its reputation for excellence in the field of events is maintained and warranted.

Host City: The theme of Host City 2018 is “The Future of Major Events”. What do you see as the biggest challenge and opportunity for the future of major events?

Niels Nygaard: It is clear that one of the biggest challenges facing any major sports event is overcoming the negative perception in the media and among the public that they are intrinsically financially unsound.

A lot has already been done in recent years to make improvements in all aspects of event delivery, but it will require more time and effort to reverse the negative discourse. The European Olympic Committees is fully aligned with the International Olympic Committee, Olympic Agenda 2020 and The New Norm, meaning that we are absolutely committed to lowering the costs and complexity of our events while improving their efficiency and sustainability. The onus is definitely on us to not only talk the talk but walk the walk when it comes to delivering the best possible events without gigantism, overspending and leaving white elephants behind.

Of course, one of the best ways we can do this is to host sustainable events that leave many positive and long-lasting benefits for the local communities – something we can then use as tangible proof in the debate. We hope that Minsk 2019 will become a touchstone for future discussions on the issue.

Host City: What impact do you expect the 2019 European Games in Minsk to have on the city and region?

Niels Nygaard: We certainly expect that there will be some level of cultural and socioeconomic impact on Minsk and Belarus as a result of the European Games. We see the Games as being a watershed moment in the opening up of Belarus to the rest of Europe and vice versa.

I think for many Europeans, not a great deal is known about the country – it hasn’t traditionally been on the shortlist of travel destinations on our continent. But that could very well change – in fact, Belarus was recently named by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 destinations globally to travel to in 2019. I think anyone who visits Minsk for the first time cannot help to be impressed by how beautiful the city is, how green, clean and safe it is, and how friendly the people are.

Fortunately, there will be next to no environmental impact on the city as these Games will be one of the most sustainable multi-sports events in history. This is because 11 of 12 venues used at next June’s Games are existing structures. The single venue that had to be built was that for beach soccer – an open-air facility seating 1,500 people that took only two months to construct.

And for sports fans it can’t get much better – the venues are state-of-the-art and are all within 30 minutes’ drive of the Athletes Village. It means that you can take in a number of different sports in the same day if you are so inclined, all in great comfort surrounded by passionate and knowledgeable local sports enthusiasts.

We believe Minsk 2019 can set an example for other multi-sports competitions in the future. There has been a lot of talk lately about how Games should be moulded around the host city and not the other way around. Well, look no further than Minsk 2019, which should become a prime example of how to host a major sports event without spending a lot of money.

Host City: Are there any areas of Games preparation that need particular attention right now?

Niels Nygaard: We are quite pleased with the way things are progressing so far, and get regular updates from our Coordination Commission and from the local organisers themselves. With 11 of the 12 facilities already existing, we have no issues with venue preparation – Minsk could hold the Games tomorrow if need be.

But in the lead-up to the Games we are asking our counterparts in Belarus to step everything up a notch in terms of organisation. In total, Minsk will host 22 test events ahead of the Games on 21 June, which will be a critical learning curve. They have proven to be excellent hosts in the past, but the European Games will be the largest event they have ever staged and it will require a great deal of flexibility and quick decision-making at all levels to be hosted successfully.

Host City: How is the candidature process for 2023 progressing?

Niels Nygaard: We had a good deal of interest in the 2023 European Games prior to our bid launch in September this year. This is why we were confident that even though our window for bid submissions is only 6 months, we are likely to have a strong pool of candidates from which to choose come 28 February.

By naming the 2023 Host City on the eve of Minsk 2019, we wanted to ensure that the 2023 Host City would have a full four years to prepare for their edition of the European Games.

The interest being shown in the 2023 European Games signals that this event is regarded as Europe’s premier sporting event. I believe it has a bright future and we look forward to seeing the Games evolve and improve over time.

Host City: With the European Championships having been successfully hosted in Glasgow this summer and another edition due to take place in 2022, how do you envisage the European Games coexisting alongside this new model?

Niels Nygaard: The two competitions complement each other well, with the European Games remaining Europe’s only continental Games, bringing together the best athletes from Olympic and non-Olympic sports and serving as qualifiers for the Olympic Games.

At the European Olympic Committees, it is our job to promote sport at all levels across the continent. We are pleased at the success of both our European Games and the recent European Championships, which are clear indications that sport is alive and well in Europe. If these events help to inspire people, especially young people, to take up a sport or get active then we can say that we are successfully delivering our mandate.

Host City: During the World Sailing Championships this year, IOC President Thomas Bach said that Denmark could organise a fantastic Olympic Games. Obviously 2032 is a long way away but can you envisage Denmark bidding and how might this work?

Niels Nygaard: We are of course flattered that the IOC President believes Denmark could organise Olympic Summer Games sometime in the future. I do not see it feasible for Denmark to host the Games alone, since we would have to build to many new facilities in sports where we are not strong today.

With reference to Olympic Agenda 2020, I could see Sweden, Norway and Denmark together could host the Games. This would require that the Governments and the people of Sweden, Norway and Denmark would like the three countries to have a much closer cooperation in political, business and cultural matters. In this case hosting the Olympic Games together could be a strong catalyst for such a stronger cooperation.

Niels Nygaard, President, National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark and Vice President, European Olympic Committees is speaking at Host City 2018 in Glasgow on 20-21 November. Register here today.

Host City: 2018 has been a big year for Aggreko powering major events, starting with the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang – what were the biggest challenges there?

David de Behr: As with any winter event we do, the weather conditions are always the biggest challenge – and with the magnitude of the Olympics, the volume of equipment, processes and people needed to execute promptly are key.

We faced extreme cold temperatures and winds while building up the temporary power services requested to run the Games smoothly in PyeongChang – and this required a lot of endurance from our equipment and a lot of energy from our specialist engineers.

We adapted to meet these challenges head on. We modified all our fuel tanks by adding heat elements, generators were equipped to run in the cold climate and the project team had to plan all operations very tightly to meet the client deadlines.

The endurance level of our people deserves to be recognised; they never lost sight of the objective and their dedication in the face of some incredible obstacles was key to our success.

Host City: Your next project in 2018 was the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast – how did this compare as a project for Aggreko?

David de Behr: The Gold Coast Games were special as they were not located within one city but held in a region. Australia has always been very special to Aggreko as it is one of our oldest markets and so it was fantastic to see the synergy between Aggreko Australia and our experienced Major Events team putting together this project.

We worked with a very experienced organising committee (GOLDOC), which had a very clear view on how they wanted to deliver the Games, and the partnership with our experienced project team meant we had a very fluent build up towards the Games.

Using our design program to give financial transparency throughout the contract was appreciated by the organising committee and the rest is history: great Games in a beautiful region with enthusiastic engagement from the public – a job well done!

Host City: The European Championships in Glasgow was a new format of event, combining multiple sports – what were your perceptions of this and how did Aggreko contribute to its success?

David de Behr: Glasgow is and always will be special to Aggreko – our roots and our manufacturing plant are located in Glasgow.

This new format of event coming to our town, and being able to harness a lot of the infrastructure from the 2014 Commonwealth Games, made it a perfect match for us.

We were very impressed by the enthusiasm around the Championships and strongly believe it will grow as an event in the future.

For our teams on the ground it was a pleasant return to the venues we powered in 2014. Working very closely with the organising committee, we were able to tailor and deliver the event within everyone’s expectations.

Host City: After all those multi-sports projects, you also powered the Ryder Cup in France – what are the requirements there?

David de Behr: The difference with the other 2018 events is that the Ryder Cup is a massive single venue event.

It forms part of our long-term relationship with the European Tour. The exciting part this time, unlike our previous involvement with Ryder Cups, was that the 2018 incarnation was held outside of the UK, near Paris.

150 lorries packed full of equipment were delivered to install all temporary power and HVAC systems on the massive site. It was project managed by an English-French Aggreko project team with the first members of our team on the ground in May.

The beauty of such golf tournaments is also the main challenge – the players and public can walk almost everywhere – and so planning and design are key to the success of the event for us.

Another challenge is the seasonal weather – the climate could be very unpredictable and so we had to prepare for all temperature control eventualities. Our temperature control systems are designed to be able to cope with this changing environment.

The outcome was really impressive and the Ryder Cup week was one that many will not forget for a long time!

David de Behr is speaking at Host City 2018 on the topic of “Reimagining Major Event Delivery”. Host City 2018 takes place in Glasgow on 20-21 November

As the 2018 season draws to a close, the focus is already shifting toward improvements for the 2019 season. Since Liberty Media acquired Formula 1 in January 2017, the long-term vision has been clear: to unleash the greatest racing spectacle on the planet.

Formula 1 is in constant perpetual motion of creating, sustaining and retaining major global sporting events, with 21 different host countries across five continents vying to create the most unique race weekend experience for fans.

With a yearly cumulative TV audience of 1.8 billion people, Formula 1 has 506 million global fans and an average race attendance of 200,000 people, creating multiple layers of cultural and economic benefits for a host city. Whilst complimenting the local and national tourism strategy, other benefits include global visibility, positive economic uplift, contributions toward tourism and job creation.

Economic impact

Hosting a Formula 1 race boosts the economy of a host city and country by stimulating consumer spending and creating new opportunities in the secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy.

The Formula 1 United States Grand Prix held at The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) has contributed substantially toward the local economy, with total economic impact to the Austin Metro area between 2012 and 2015 valued at $2.8bn.

Similarly, a recent study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku created $277.3m of increased economic value in 2016 and 2017.

Increased visibility

With live broadcast to over 200 territories worldwide, Formula 1 excites fans and creates over 635 hours of broadcast footage. A host city is positively positioned in front of a global audience, showcasing them as a destination for major sporting and entertainment events.

Through destination branding, the Mexican Grand Prix has generated over $5.5bn MXN global media exposure and $885m MXN of media value of the Mexico logo.

Tourism

With over 200,000 attendees per race and on average 53 per cent coming from abroad, hosting a Formula 1 race induces tourism and opens up a city to new audiences. Mexico City experienced a 12 per cent increase in hotel occupancy in 4 and 5 star hotels during the Grand Prix and on average the weekend spend per guest is £1,600 (excluding tickets). Since their first Grand Prix in 2008, Singapore has hosted more than 450,000 international visitors, who have contributed around $1.4 billion in incremental tourism receipts.

Job creation

Returning year after year, Formula 1 increases both annual and seasonal employment, whilst creating new jobs across a number of industries. When the Grand Prix heads to Montreal an additional 640 jobs in the Quebec region are created and COTA’s annual activities and operations combined to support 9,100 jobs in the Austin region representing $306 million in annual payroll for Austin-area workers.

Formula 1 is a sport with unique heritage and a proven track record of creating economic benefit and we are excited to be hosting our 1,000^th race next year.

Chloe Targett-Adams, Global Director of Promoters and Business Relations at Formula 1 is speaking at Host City 2018 in Glasgow on 20-21 November

With the IOC’s coordination commission for Paris giving a ringing endorsement to the city’s Olympic project on their first inspection visit in June, organisers are maximising efforts to use the Games as a platform for major developments at the city, regional and national levels.

Amid reports of rising costs, IOC inspectors’ concerns were alleviated by a joint financing deal between Paris 2024, the city and French government guaranteeing €1.4 billion ($1.63bn) of funding for Olympic-related infrastructure. The agreement provides more certainty for two of the most controversial projects, channelling extra money to build a permanent aquatics centre with a redefined legacy concept and enhancing value for local residents around the Olympic Village site.

The post-Games plan for the aquatics venue will see the region of Seine-Saint-Denis receive nine swimming pools after the Games rather than the five initially planned, to plug a shortage of community sports facilities in the area. While the Olympic Village remains in its originally planned location, residents living nearby will benefit from the undergrounding of power lines, new housing and the creation of new green spaces.

Jean-François Martins, deputy mayor of Paris, says the city and Games officials are delivering on their ambitions thanks to the help of an agreement between the mayors of London and Paris.

“After Brexit [vote in 2016] Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Mayor Sadiq Khan decided not to be competitors but to have really strong relations between London and Paris and to create together, at the heart of Europe, cities that will shine on a worldwide scale,” he told Host City at SportAccord.

“So they decided to work together especially with the Olympics where the learnings, skills and experience of London will be precious for us and maybe as well we can share what we can do 12 years after London and to inspire each other.”

In addition to collaborating to combat societal issues, Hidalgo and Khan are undertaking huge efforts to tackle the global climate crisis. “Both of them are really committed in the fight against climate change… so we are putting the Olympics at the heart of the Paris agreement on climate change which will help us deliver an environmentally-friendly Games,” Martins added.

The two mayors are scheduling a conference in 2019 to discuss climate issues. “I am pretty optimistic about this cooperation,” he said.

Hidalgo is also chair of C40 Cities, which connects 96 cities to take climate action, and represents 700-plus million citizens and one quarter of the global economy. Organisers of the next four Olympics – in Tokyo, Beijing, Paris and Los Angeles – are supporting a new IOC partnership on climate issues inked with the C40 group at the end of June. They are working with interested cities, candidate cities and Olympic hosts to help them reach their sustainability goals.

C40 chair Hidalgo, who also heads Olympic delivery partner SOLIDEO, emphasised that hosting the Olympics “is a unique privilege for any city, and provides an amazing opportunity to accelerate the climate and air quality initiatives that mayors need to implement for the future of their citizens.”

It’s so far, so good for Paris 2024. The IOC coordination commission chair Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant was gushing with praise after the inspection visit.

“Paris 2024 is delivering on its commitment to host pioneering Olympic Games fully in line with Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap,” he said.

“I have been particularly impressed by the ambition of all of the stakeholders involved in this project to take advantage of the opportunity of the Games to create a springboard for the city, region and nation.”

This article first appeared in the Summer 2018 issue of Host City magazine. Jean-Francois Martins will be speaking on legacy planning for Paris 2024 at Host City 2018 in Glasgow on 20-21 November

After two successive Olympic bidding contests in which the number of cities in the race fell to just two, the head of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) says hard work is needed to make it more appealing to host the Games.

The IOC’s 2022 and 2024 bid races were blighted with cities dropping out – some due to defeats in referendums – resulting in Beijing beating Almaty to win hosting rights for the Winter Olympics and the double awarding of the next two summer Games to Paris and Los Angeles.

Ricci Bitti acknowledged the growing problems in perceptions of Olympic Games costs and a that there is a “trend” for taxpayers’ to withdraw from the prospect of paying the millions and billions of dollars perceived to be necessary to bid for and stage the IOC’s showpiece.

“People don’t get it immediately with a big event. They prefer that public authorities invest in something else,” he said.

“So we have to do a big effort in communication. I joke that we have a very rich product in the Olympic Games – that no one wants. We have to work on that.

“There are three big factors to try to solve this problem. To change the bid procedures… and the IOC is working very hard on that, to work and interact in the invitation phase. Secondly, the vision to reduce the cost of the Games. The president of the IOC has given a target to reduce $1bn in the cost of the summer games, $500,000 for winter.

“The third one is not on the table at the moment but should be in the near future – to monitor the size of the Games. I was in Gold Coast at the Commonwealth Games and you see that the size is more manageable.

“I think the model of the Games has to be considered very soon because the Olympics is getting very big.”

But this will be some way off, following the increase in the number of sports from 28 to 33 for the Tokyo Olympics. While the IOC continues to revamp the Olympic bidding concept, Ricci Bitti and ASOIF are getting down to the business of helping 2020 Games organisers deliver successful sports competitions.

This article, based on an exclusive interview by Host City at SportAccord Convention in Bangkok, was first published in the Summer edition of Host City magazine. 

Host City: The theme of Host City 2018 is “The Future of Major Events”. What do you think will be the single most important concern for event hosts and organisers in the next five to ten years?

Paul Bush: I believe the single most important concern for event hosts and organisers in the next five to ten years will be how major events contribute to government policy and help bring about long-term transformational change within society beyond just having an economic impact.

No longer can we hold events for events’ sake. They need to reflect the priorities of the wider community and ensure the benefit is felt across the board, not just amongst those immediately connected with the event.

It is about ensuring a 360-degree approach to the planning and delivery of events to ensure policy drivers such as health, education, transport and sustainability are reflected in the event’s overall aims and objectives.  

By taking this approach, it will in turn filter down into other key areas that will impact events going forward, including the integrity of the event, security and the role of technology in the viewing and delivery of events.

Host City: How are geopolitical trends and concerns over event governance impacting the distribution of future major events? Where in the world will future investment be strongest? What impact might Brexit have?

Paul Bush: As major events are often bid for and awarded years in advance, considerations of the ever-evolving geopolitical trends and event governance are part of the event planning and delivery process. It’s too early to say what the full impact of Brexit will be but as a global industry, events are well placed to respond to the changes that are likely to come given we are used to operating across national and international borders to deliver events, particularly around major sporting events.

Like everything, the funding landscape is also changing, with sponsorship and grants no longer simply about name rights and brand awareness. Therefore in the future, investment will be strongest where bids can successfully articulate the benefit of events that reflect the values and ambitions of rights holders and sponsors while aligning with government policies to deliver long-term transformational change.

Host City: What can event owners, organisers and hosts do to ensure major events become more financially and environmentally sustainable? How can hosting events create happier, healthier citizens?

Paul Bush: Again I think this comes back to taking a 360 degree approach to the planning and delivery of events. Aligning with government policy, particularly around, health, transport and infrastructure, will ensure major events are more financially and environmentally sustainable as well as helping create happier, healthier citizens.

As a society I think we are more aware of the impact of our carbon footprint so we’re looking for events to reflect value for money by minimise their environmental impact. Take for example the recent European Championships. There was limited capital infrastructure costs because we used existing venues from the Commonwealth Games in 2014. The only new venue built for the Championships was the BMX track, which is the first and only world championships and Olympic standard BMX track in Scotland and only the second in the UK, ensuring a legacy for the sport of BMX in Scotland.

We also want events to leave a lasting personal legacy on our citizens, whether that’s through signposting to activities that can improve both mental and physical health or providing opportunities to gain new skills and experiences through volunteering. So major events now have an important role to play within society beyond just providing an amazing spectacle for people to enjoy.

Host City: What are current trends telling us about the kind of content and formats that will be in demand in the future?

Paul Bush: Current trends are telling us we need to think about content and formats in quite a different way than we previously have. The old broadcast model is increasing becoming outdated and needs to evolve to ensure we continue to engage with fans. Fans want content that is personalised and accessible to them through a range of devices and mediums.

From an event delivery perspective, part of this trend means embracing and experimenting with new platforms – whether that be streaming live events, augmented reality or widening the fan engagement, on the platforms they are already using.

At the root, it is about moving away from thinking about digital as a channel and more as something that is core to the way we manage and run events.

Host City: What are your expectations of Host City 2018 and why should people attend?

Paul Bush: It is great to have Host City 2018 back in Glasgow and Scotland for the fourth consecutive year. I’m once again looking forward to the high calibre of speakers and delegates Host City attracts. This year’s agenda continues to push the industry to delve into the issues we’re facing and having meaningful debate round them.

It is also a great opportunity to network with colleagues from across the sporting, cultural and business events sector in a relaxed and friendly setting. So if you haven’t registered already, I highly recommend you do so now.

As Chairman of Host City 2018, Paul Bush OBE will be delivering the opening keynote address and speaking on the panel “Populations, politics and popularity stakes”. Register your attendance here

Six cities have received the designation of Global Active City. 

The cities – Buenos Aires, Argentina; Hamburg, Germany; Lillehammer, Norway; Liverpool, UK; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Richmond, British Columbia, Canada – have worked hard to offer all their residents the opportunity to choose active and healthy lifestyles and improve their well-being. Each city has embraced a management model that motivates people at risk of inactivity-related illnesses to take up regular physical activity and sport.

In order to receive the Global Active City label, they each had to pass an independent audit with a stringent review of their physical activity and sports strategies and working practices.

Regular physical activity can contribute to reducing the risk of a number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as a number of mental disorders. The Active Well-being Initiative (AWI), an international NGO responsible for the Global Active City label, works with city leaders to help them provide projects and services that engage local residents who have or are likely to develop these NCDs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, and children aged five to 17 should do an hour each day.

Professor David Wood, President of the World Heart Federation, said: “Physical inactivity is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. As part of our World Heart Day My Heart, Your Heart campaign, the World Heart Federation is actively encouraging people across the globe to adopt more active lifestyles for their heart health. The Global Active City programme will be an important initiative as we seek to get the world moving and in particular in tackling the barriers to exercise experienced by some city populations and specific sections of society.”

The Global Active City Standard was created with input from more than 70 experts in health, sport and social sciences; legacy and sustainability; tourism; and urban planning and management. 

“Obesity is a disease that has become a global epidemic,” explained Dr Nathalie Farpour-Lambert, President of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) and one of the standard’s medical experts. “Recent WHO data shows that almost 40% of adults and over 41 million children under the age of five are overweight or are living with obesity, and rates are projected to increase further by 2030. We know that obesity is associated with a higher likelihood of developing related chronic diseases like heart disease.

“Childhood is the crucial life phase for obesity prevention and for introducing healthy behaviours around nutrition and physical activity that can last a lifetime. The Global Active City model, promoting cities which have succeeded in increasing participation in physical activity and sport, helps us tackle growing levels of inactivity and non-communicable diseases globally, and supports young people and their families in becoming more active, focusing on community well-being for all in a holistic way.”

The Global Active City programme was founded by Evaleo, a sustainable health association, and TAFISA, The Association For International Sport for All, with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The first cities will receive their awards from the AWI in the presence of IOC President Thomas Bach, at the Olympism In Action Forum in Buenos Aires, as part of the opening events for the Youth Olympic Games. Buenos Aires’ Global Active City strategy – Ciudad Activa – is one of the many legacies of the Games for the local population.

Christophe Dubi, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, said: “The mission of the IOC is to ensure the celebration of the Olympic Games, but also to encourage the regular practice of sport by all people in society. The Global Active City programme is crucial in our vision to increase access to sport for all and provide everyone with the educational and health values of sport, with a focus on young people. We encourage all cities, including past and future Olympic cities, to sign up.”

The Active Well-being Initiative recommends that cities which want their populations to be more active should start by identifying key stakeholders and available resources, and partnering with local universities, to find which groups are most at risk from inactivity, and least engaged, and how to reach them. The Physical Activity Exchange at Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group were development partners for the Global Active City model.

Doctor Maurice Smith, Clinical Director from NHS Liverpool CCG, said: “The evidence shows that if you can get a population physically active, you will make huge benefits across a range of areas. In Liverpool, we worked out in 2016 that if we got 100% of the city physically active, each year we would prevent 400 deaths, almost 2,500 cases of diabetes, 140 to 150 hospital admissions for coronary heart disease, 50 cases of breast cancer, and 30-40 cases of colorectal cancers. These benefits far exceed anything you could do medically and certainly exceed all the screening procedures that go on.”

To find out more about the Global Active City model, visit activewellbeing.org or follow @AWBInitiative

[Source: Active Well Being Institute]

Host City: What sort of a situation was Nashville in when you took over?

Butch Spyridon: Our primary attraction was a theme park. The company that owned the theme park owned two TV networks, so, we had the ability to package the city and put it out on the networks, and we relied on that for weekend visitors in summer and spring.

The theme park closed in 1998, and the networks went away. Then 9/11 hit a few years afterwards, and we were sitting here with no substitute demand generator. Our city convention center was woefully inadequate and we were just floating in the water. Even our primary source of business, the Opryland Hotel, was starting to build hotels around the country, so it was no longer a case of signing five-year contracts to come to Nashville; it was signing five-year contracts to rotate along with three, four and five other cities.

So we had to decide: do we want to be in the business of the hospitality industry, and, if so, what is it going to take to be successful?

I don’t think any other city has used events quite like Nashville as a key strategy to getting itself out of its slump – to create awareness, recognition, build the brand, generate PR and sell hotel rooms. It’s very intentional, and in 2003-2004 we put a plan together.

Three things came out of the planning process. We needed a true demand generator – a new convention center, that became the Music City Center.

Then it was to own the Music City brand. We had a nickname, but we didn’t have a brand. And we focussed on living up to the brand in every way imaginable.

And then the third leg of the stool was to use events to build the brand, to draw attention to ourselves and generate travel.

So, the cornerstones were the convention center, the brand, and big events.

Host City: What big events did you host in those days?

Butch Spyridon: First, we worked with CMA, the Country Music Association, to stage a four-day, 45,000 out of town visitors per day event. At the time it was 20,000 and dying, a very uninspiring event. We worked with them to reinvent it and move it downtown. That was the number one move, to grow that as a signature summer event.

Then we took over July 4^th and turned that into an event that sells 20-25,000 rooms and generates national PR for us.

Host City: How did Nashville manage to take ownership of something which is a national event?

Butch Spyridon: We had to make it bigger; we had to bring A-list talent to the table. And for events that go on in other places, we look at who does it best. When you think of July 4^th or New Years’ Eve, where do you think of? It’s New York. We don’t have the Statue of Liberty, but we could put on the biggest fireworks show in the country. Nobody would expect that from Nashville.

We built the reputation with A-list talent like Lady Antebellum and a symphony performed live with the fireworks choregraphed and hand fired – which nobody else was doing. We made it the biggest July 4^th fireworks show, we made sure the music was in place and we only book Nashville-based artists. We’re happy to go head to head with Macy’s or Philadelphia or Boston – our “Let Freedom Sing” show is that good.

It worked so well that the hotel community asked us to build a New Year’s Eve event. So now we are entering year nine for New Year’s Eve – 100,000 people, 20,000 hotel rooms – we built it from the ground up. For New York, New Year’s Eve is an event, but ours is a party! There’s a subtle difference there.

Host City: Nashville is renowned for music, but how has Nashville taken steps to host major sports events?

Butch Spyridon: We booked the 2014 Final Four NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, that was a big step six years ago. Then we saw what we could really do.

We booked and hosted the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue launch in 2015. We really brought it to life with a downtown festival with the Kings Of Leon headlining. We tented Lower Broadway, an eight-lane wide street with honkytonk bars and neon lights, and streamed it live. According to Sports Illustrated, it was their biggest and most successful launch. It was food, music and fashion in Nashville.

Two years ago we hosted the NHL All Star game and really turned that into an event instead of just a sporting competition in the arena – we brought it outside, we had a concert, we had celebrity guests – we elevated the All Star game in a way the NHL hadn’t done before. And now they’ve tried to continue that.

We also chased for the World Cup with the US when we lost six years ago. And this year we were part of the successful United bid, and that’s taking our domestic US national event strategy and pushing it globally.

Host City: Do you think this will be the seminal moment where you become a truly international event host?

Butch Spyridon: I think we have a decent shot; it’s not a foregone conclusion. If you think about it, ten or 11 US cities will host games. There will be training sites and a media center, and there will be a conference in February before the year of the Cup. So there are ample opportunities to score something – we obviously hope it is a game.

We know we are on display, so next summer we’ll have another Gold Cup game – it will be even more meaningful next year. When we do events, we do them at a high level. It is Nashville’s time to shine. It’s important we have a good turnout as the decision-makers will be watching not only how we execute but also how the fans respond to coming to Nashville for a soccer game.

Prior to the Gold Cup we will host the 2019 NFL Draft, which is a pretty big coup for us. Over three days, several hundred thousand people go through; it’s broadcast on multiple TV networks with international media – and we want to turn it into an international party.

The Tennessee Titans are playing in London this summer, so this further enhances our exposure and our ability to market both the football season and the draft itself.

Host City: Are you interested in other international sports championships?

Butch Spyridon: Where we have the facility, the answer is absolutely, yes. We can build a case for rugby, for International Champions Cup (ICC), when private promoters bring European teams over her. We hosted an ICC Game last year with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur; we are told we will get one next year. Those sorts of things are very important.

One of the most fun events we host is Red Bull Flutag. The concept is they build a runway over water to see who can fly the furthest with homemade flying machines.

Do you see yourself as in competition with other cities or is it useful to get together to share ideas?

Butch Spyridon: I absolutely believe and love learning from what other cities, destinations, countries have done. We can all learn so much from each other, I do believe that, but also believe it is competitive, and we try not to give away all the secrets.

Host City: So how useful would an event like Host City be to you?

Butch Spyridon: Very useful. There are sporting related conferences like that that but there is not an event conference especially that includes international. I think it would be extremely valuable.