Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corporation and Asahi Breweries have both signed as gold partners of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, within the space of two days. 

On Monday, the Tokyo-based NTT Corporation signed as Official Telecommunications Services Partner.

NTT Corporation will provide telecommunications services for hosting the Games. 

On Tuesday, Asahi Breweries was announced as the second Gold Partner in the “Beer & Wine” category. 

The world’s highest earning telecommunications company, NTT also worked on Japan’s three previous Olympic Games: Tokyo 1964, Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998.

"NTT has a long and distinguished history of connecting people across the length and breadth of Japan, and it is my earnest wish that we will be able to work together to further strengthen bonds between people and ensure that we deliver a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020," said Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori.

In today’s world, security is a major function of the telecommunications partner. 

“With the rapid evolution of ICT (information and communications technology), the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics require telecommunications convenience to be accompanied by safety more than ever before," NTT said in a statement.

"In addition to helping make the Games' telecommunications safe, secure, and welcoming, NTT is taking advantage of the Group's telecommunications related security technologies and its telecommunications service infrastructure inside and outside Japan, endeavouring to act as a 'value partner' in providing an unprecedented level of hospitality to the Tokyo 2020 and other relevant organisations, as well as competitors and guests from Japan and overseas."

The second Gold Partner to sign, Asahi Breweries, is already a Gold Partner of the Japanese Olympic Committee. 

“As becoming the Tokyo 2020 Gold Partner (Beer & Wine), we are greatly looking forward to support not just the Japanese national team, but also every single athlete competing in the Games, allowing them to perform beyond their limits, and convey the message of the magnificence of having hopes and dreams to the children who bear the future,” said Akiyoshi Koji, president of Asahi Breweries.

“Asahi Breweries has an excellent slogan, which translates roughly as ‘Let’s share the emotion,’” said Mori. 

“This slogan very much echoes the efforts of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee to support athletes in their endeavours and to provide a stage where that emotion can be shared.

“During the Games, the whole of Japan will be raising their glasses and cheering on the athletes, and we are looking forward to working closely with Asahi Breweries to share the emotion of the Tokyo 2020 Games.”

The Tokyo 2020 organising committee is reported to be targeting $1.1bn of sponsorship revenue to fund staging the Games, with the top tier gold category said to be valued at $128m. At these prices, Tokyo 2020 could already be 30 per cent of the way towards its sponsorship revenue target. 

The domestic sponsors of the organising committee are distinct from the International Olympic Committee’s global TOP sponsorship programme, which also makes a major contribution to hosting the Games while supporting the Olympic movement worldwide and includes Japanese companies Bridgestone and Panasonic.

The Boston 2024 bid committee has appointed Richard Davey, former Massachusetts Transportation Secretary, as its new CEO. 

He succeeds Dan O’Connell, who successfully led the group that was selected as the US Olympic Committee (USOC)’s contender for the 2024 Olympic Games, against competition from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

“This is a terrific opportunity to build upon all the great work and planning that has already been done,” Davey said in a statement.

“But in many ways this is just the beginning. Over the next year we will be in every community in Boston —and in every region of the state—to get the thoughts and input of the public on what a 2024 Games would look like and the kind of legacy it could and should leave for Massachusetts.”

Davey was appointed Transportation Secretary of Massachusetts Department of Transport (MassDOT) in 2011, a position he held until stepping down in October 2014. 

Before this, he worked for the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company, where he rose to the position of general manager and went on to manage the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 

The effectiveness of the city’s transport system was a central component of Boston 2024’s submission to the USOC, which highlighted the fact that most venues are within walking distance of public transport. 

Boston’s USOC submission also outlines US$5.2bn of public investment in “existing transport infrastructure” and US$10bn of public investment in “planned transport infrastructure”. 

Dan O’Connell, the outgoing leader of Boston 2024 who previously served as Housing and Economic Development Secretary for Massachusetts, will remain on the bid’s executive committee.

“Dan O’Connell was integral in making the case over the last year that Boston could host a Games that was sustainable, cost-effective, and that would leave a lasting legacy for Boston and Massachusetts,” said John Fish, chairman of Boston 2024 in a statement. 

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has appointed a consortium of CH2M HILL and Mace to deliver the Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali development, the site that will host Expo 2020 Dubai and act as focus for events beyond 2021.

In a rigorous procurement process, the joint venture of US firm CH2M HILL and UK-based Mace had to compete with other leading global firms with mega-event experience. 

In winning the tender, CH2M HILL-Mace is now responsible for providing full-service consultancy, real estate programme management, design, construction and operations management for the end-to-end development and delivery of Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali and the Expo 2020 Dubai site.

Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali development is the master district that will host Expo 2020 Dubai within a secure gated area from October 2020 until April 2021. 

"In CH2M HILL and Mace we have a proven partner that we feel confident will enable the delivery of a state-of-the-art home for Expo 2020 Dubai," said Ahmed Al Khatib, Director - Real Estate, DWTC. 

The site, designed by architectural firm HOK and engineering company Arup, contains precincts that are being programmed specifically for long term use beyond the Expo.

The Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali development is being planned as a new focal point of global business tourism for the region, reinforcing the UAE's established position as an international destination fostering thought leadership across key sectors for economic development and a business networking hub through trade fairs, mega-events and conferences.

The site is also being planned as an inclusive environment that inspires the region's young people while fostering cultural learning, cooperation, creativity and business.

The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai is to create a smart destination for 'purposeful innovation', with a core focus on youth and culture to establish Dubai as a global city of the future.

“The success of the development is critically linked to its timely and efficient evolution to the planned legacy of Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali, and we look forward to seeing this partnership with CH2M HILL-Mace support DWTC and Dubai in fulfilling this long-term commitment,” said Al Khatib.

CH2M HILL-Mace have previously joined forces on several occasions in the sports and events industries, most recently for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

CH2M HILL has also played a strategic consulting role on Rio 2016. Mace is programme manager for the Qatar Public Works programmes and has provided strategic advice to the organising committee of Astana Expo 2017. 

Both companies have a strong presence in the Middle East. In the UAE they have independently delivered major private sector and government projects including Jumeirah Beach Residences, Mall of the Emirates, Business Bay Development, Media City, Silicon Oasis, the Abu Dhabi STEP Programme, ENEC Nuclear Programme and Masdar City.

"As a world leader in programme management, we will bring our track record of delivery excellence, sustainability and innovation to this programme, a benchmark for major events,” said Joseph Danko, senior vice president and operations director, urban programmes at CH2M HILL.

“We are excited to take on this amazing opportunity and contribute to the ever increasing global role of Dubai, its leadership and people."

Contracts totalling more than US$1bn (£669m) were awarded in relation to hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow City Council announced on Friday.

The majority of these “Tier One” contracts were awarded to companies and organisations from Glasgow, which won over US$636 (£423m) of business. 

More than three quarters (US$766m, or 510m) of the total value of contracts was awarded to Scottish firms. 

As part of regeneration initiatives in Glasgow, Games-related contracts included community benefit clauses that created employment and business opportunities for local people and companies and led to the long-term unemployed and school leavers winning places on high-profile construction projects across the city, the Council said.

"It's enormously heartening to read these hugely impressive figures about the jobs, apprenticeships and contracts gained by Glasgow people and businesses as a result of our Games,” said councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council.

“We also retain the skills, facilities and enhanced international reputation that ensures we will continue to attract world-class events in the future.

"The world knows that Glasgow delivered the best Commonwealth Games there have ever been. But the Games were always about much more than 11 spectacular days of sport and cultural festival, however wonderful and memorable. What matters most are the lasting benefits for the people of Glasgow.”

In the run-up to the Games, the council and its partners engaged with the city’s communities and businesses through the Get Ready Glasgow programme, advising on Games-time operations and how local firms would maximise the opportunities available.

Glasgow City Council also provided supported for a huge range of organisations working on the Games through one-to-one sessions, specialist seminars and mass ‘Meet the Buyer’ events.

To bid for a Games-related contract, firms and organisations had to register on the Glasgow Business Portal. Over 22,500 registrations were made on Portal, with over 4,400 from Glasgow. 

To ensure the long term sustainable legacy of these outcomes, the Glasgow Business Portal merged with the Scottish Government’s Public Contract Scotland (PCS) during November 2014, with the merger providing more efficient service for suppliers by ensuring all opportunities and sub-contracts for public bodies are advertised on one dedicated site. 

The city council says it is now seen as a model in awarding public sector contracts.  The £1.13bn Glasgow City Region City Deal, signed in August 2014, is viewed as another chance to deliver significant community benefit for Glasgow and the surrounding areas. 

The council says its ambitious Commonwealth Apprenticeship Initiative has found Modern Apprenticeship places for almost 3,600 Glasgow school leavers over the past five years.

784 graduates have gained employment through the council’s Commonwealth Graduate Fund, 917 previously unemployed people living in the city have secured jobs through the Commonwealth Jobs Fund, and 321 people found jobs through the Commonwealth Youth Fund.

Sustainability is a relatively new concept to the FIFA World Cup, which has a significant impact on the environment, but last year’s tournament set new standards that will influence other future mega events, FIFA and Brazilian officials said on Tuesday.

“Sustainability is something quite new in the organisation of the FIFA World Cup,” FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke said at the launch of a sustainability report on the 2014 World Cup.

“Brazil learned a lot with the FIFA World Cup, Rio learned a lot for Rio 2016, but we also learned a lot and we will implement these learnings in 2018 in Russia in the 11 host cities and 12 stadiums.”

The deputy sports minister of Brazil, Luis Fernandes added “The FIFA World Cup stadiums in Brazil became a benchmark for the world because they have all pursued sustainability certificates. 

“Based in this experience, a sustainability certificate has become a requirement by FIFA in the future editions of the World Cup. This is a legacy to Brazil for the world.”

Hosting the FIFA World Cup involves large transportation operations, catering for millions of spectators, managing waste as well as powering and broadcasting the event globally.

“This has inevitably had an impact on both society and the environment in the host country,” said Federico Addiechi, FIFA's Head of Corporate Social Responsibility. 

“To us, sustainability is about how we do things and trying to find a balance between the social, economic and environmental aspects. It is also about minimising risks associated with the event and reducing the negative impact of it, while maximizing the positive one.”

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil took place in 12 stadiums, seven of which were new and five of which were renovated. Eight of the stadiums integrated solar power in their designs. 

Nonetheless, preparing for and hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup is estimated to have produced 2,723,756 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

“Brazil is a developing country and we identified that the opportunity to host the FIFA World Cup was a historical window to leverage investments in infrastructure and services, which our country needed and still needs,” said Fernandes. 

“Brazil today is recognized as a country that, in spite of the scepticism, delivered the FIFA World Cup with excellence and today we have infrastructure that improved the lives of Brazilians.”

The venues were spread over all the major regions of the huge country. The 41,000 capacity Arena Amazonia, for instance, was built in the remote resort of Manaus. There is not a big footballing culture there and the only event since the World Cup to draw a capacity crowd was Boi, a local cultural festival. 

“The FIFA World Cup left us memories of great football, but also a great responsibility. Brazil has now 12 modern arenas in all five regions,” said José Maria Marin, chairman of the Brazilian Football Confederaition (CBF) and 2014 local organising committee.

“A challenge, but also an opportunity for clubs and cities to strengthen local football and offer a new entertainment option for the community beyond football matches.”

Despite the challenges of utilising this new infrastructure, FIFA is working in Brazil to continue building even more venues in more regions of the country through a US$100m legacy fund. 

“Brazil is already a giant in football, but we still need to develop infrastructure and this will be done by FIFA and CBF through the Legacy Fund,” said Fernandes. 

According to FIFA, the main areas to benefit from the fund will be football infrastructure in the states that did not host World Cup matches (60 per cent), grassroots (15 per cent) and women’s football (15 per cent). 

“For the Legacy Fund, we agreed it should go to developing women's football, grassroots and to regions where there were no FIFA World Cup matches,” said Valcke.

“On women’s football, there is potential to do more in Brazil. We work together with CBF so they can establish a dedicated structure for female football through the legacy fund,” said FIFA Director of Member Associations and Development, Thierry Regenass.

“There should be good grassroots programmes. The idea is also to work in partnership with local government and other partners in order to publicise more women's football and make it sustainable.”

Valcke stressed that the awarding of contracts will be carefully monitored. “FIFA is supporting CBF in order to identify and make sure we are working in the right projects. We have a permanent audit system that monitors our member associations, certifying everything is under clear rules and regulations. 

“Not a single pay will be made without FIFA having a look at the way it will be used and making sure we are part of the decision process.”

The Executive Committee of the International World Games Association has chosen Birmingham, Alabama as the host city of the 2021 World Games.

The decision was announced on Thursday at a press conference in the Mövenpick Hotel in Lausanne, 

Birmingham beat off competition from Lima in Peru and the Russian city of Ufa. 

The decision was made after the delegations’ final presentations to the IWGA Executive Committee at the International Olympic Committee headquarters. 

"All the bids we received were of very high quality, and it was not easy for us to reach a decision,” said José Perurena, President of the International World Games Association. 

“We have to deliver nothing less than outstanding World Games. We are convinced that Birmingham will exceed these expectations.

“We are happy to showcase our sports in Birmingham in July 2021, and we are sure that we will be offered optimal conditions for our sportsmen and women there.”

Perurena also hailed Birmingham’s organisational skills and the support of the city administration and the National Olympic Committee.

Birmingham Council President Johnathan Austin said "The city of Birmingham will make the World Games 2021 the best World Games that you all have seen."

The decision is subject to “successful negotiation of contractual conditions” and the agreement with the host city will not be signed until the close of the Annual General Meeting in April 2015. 

Birmingham, the largest city in Alabama, has never hosted an international multi-sports event before. 

The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau is anticipating that hosting the 2021 World Games will bring an economic benefit of more than US$250m from visitors to the city. 

The cost of hosting the Games has been forecast to be US$75m, which will raised from public and private sources.

The World Games is a quadrennial and multidisciplinary sports event under the patronage of the IOC, showcasing more than 25 sports including Gymnastics, Squash, Tug of War, Sumo and Roller Sports. About 4,500 athletes and officials from approximately 100 countries take part.

The 2021 World Games will the 11th edition, following the 10th World Games in July 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland.

The World Games has not been to the USA since the inaugural edition in 1981 in Santa Clara, California. 

The bidding process for the 2021 World Games began in early 2014. The host city selection process is restricted to Executive Committee members, according to Inside the Games. The IWGA is reported to be reviewing the bidding process going forward to engage sports federations in the evaluation and selection processes.

Aggreko will provide temporary power to the inaugural European Games to be hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan in June 2015, the company informed HOST CITY.

The leading supplier of temporary power and temperature control services will supply 34 MW of power for the opening and closing ceremonies, International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and 13 competition venues.

The announcement comes as Baku’s state energy operator, Bakielektrikshebeke, pledged to upgrade its infrastructure to cope with the demands of hosting the Games. 

“Baku will host the first European Games in 2015. This is a historic event for our country, and we are carefully preparing for it,” Tanriverdi Mustafayev Bakielektrikshebeke’s head of press, told local media.

“Old transformers will be replaced with those with large capacity wherever necessary, including stadiums and hotels.”

Power outages were commonplace in Baku until recently and the city still suffers from occasional outages. 

“Baku develops year by year, and the number of subscribers increases as well. It means that we should continue increasing the capacity of the power grid. In the past eight years, it increased by 90 percent,” Mustafayev said.

“Recently we have established three substations each with a capacity of 110 kW and nine substations each with a capacity of 35 kW. In general, Bakielektrikshebeke has established 26 substations each with a capacity of 110 kW and 70 substations each with a capacity of 35 kW since 2006.”

The news follows a successful year in the major events sector for Aggreko in 2014, when they provided services to the FIFA World Cup, Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup.

At the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Aggreko supplied temperature control services and 50 MW of temporary power for the IBC and 12 stadiums.

The Scottish-headquartered company also provided 103 gensets for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and a further 17 MW of power for the 2014 Ryder Cup.

For London 2012, Aggreko provided 260 MW of power using over 500 gensets.

The majority of Massachusetts residents support Boston’s bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as long as the bid comes at no cost to the taxpayer.

This is the finding of an independent poll conducted by Sage Consulting on just over 1,600 people in the state of Massachusetts. 

While the results of the poll showed overall support for the Games bid, at 55 per cent, it also revealed that a more pronounced majority of 61 per cent are opposed to public spending on the project.

The poll also showed that more people were sceptical about the economic legacy of the Games than those who believed it would bring lasting benefit.

Majority support

The most popular response to the question “how strongly do you support or oppose the bid” was “strongly support”, with 35 per cent ticking this box. With 20 per cent saying they “somewhat support” the bid, the poll showed an overall majority of 55 per cent supporting the bid. 

Support for the bid would not necessarily translate into ticket sales, however. Just 45 per cent of respondents said they would either “definitely” or “probably” attend the Games in person. 

Economic benefit

Slightly more people believed that Games expenditure was “unlikely” to produce lasting benefit for Boston (46 per cent) than those who said this was “likely” (49 per cent). 

In answer to the question about “lasting economic benefit for Boston”, the largest group of respondents (29 per cent) said that this was “very unlikely” while 19 per cent thought it “somewhat unlikely”. 

This means 48 per cent of people thought economic benefit was unlikely, as compared to 44 per cent that deemed it to be likely. 

“Taxpayer dollars”

The strongest opinions revealed by the poll were in response to questions about the financing of bidding for and hosting the Games. 

43 per cent of respondents would “strongly oppose” the use of “taxpayer dollars” to fund the bid. Coupled with the 18 per cent who “somewhat oppose” this, the poll reveals that a clear majority of 61 per cent are opposed to public finance of the project. 

Boston’s bid is planned to be financed privately and, if successful, the bid committee has pledged that any infrastructure projects relating specifically to the Games will be entirely privately financed, However, the poll indicated that 55 per cent believe that “financial support for the Olympics will come at the expense of other worthwhile causes,” as compared with the 23 per cent who believe “most costs will be carried by business”.

Positive start

Public support for the Olympic Games is an important metric on which the bid will be evaluated and the overall support for the bid at this early stage will be seen as a positive.

A recent gathering of opponents to Boston’s bid, organised by “No Boston Olympics”, attracted little more than a hundred people. 

The US Olympic Committee has been quick off the blocks in announcing Boston as its contender for the 2024 Games, with only Rome the only confirmed competitor. 

Germany is expected to put forward either Berlin or Hamburg. A number of other cities and countries are said to be contemplating bidding, including Baku, Budapest, Doha, Istanbul, Paris and South Africa.

The International Olympic Committee has launched its reformed bidding procedure with a new invitation phase, during which National Olympic Committees can discuss their plans “at their earliest convenience” before the application deadline of 15 September.

This new consultative approach, launched four weeks after the adoption of Agenda 2020, will help NOCs to ascertain the viability of bidding for the Games before committing in full. 

These early discussions with the IOC have the potential to reducing the cost of bidding and organising the Games for cities – one of the key aims of Agenda 2020.

The concept of “shaping the bid process as an invitation” has been central to the Agenda 2020 review right from its inception. 

Another key aim of Agenda 2020 with regard to bidding process is to strengthen the evaluation of bid cities to more clearly highlight key opportunities and risks.

Until now, the bidding process for the Olympic Games has been split into two phases – the “applicant” and “candidature” phases, which will now follow the invitation phase. 

In the applicant phase, cities send in an application file which is studied by an IOC working group, who assess the bid for the IOC executive board. If approved by the board, the bid then progresses to the candidature phase, which requires much more detailed plans in the form of a candidature file and site visits. 

Interested NOCs and cities will now be able to receive “various levels of assistance and feedback” between now and the 15 September deadline for officially committing to a bid. 

“Bidding for the Games is not a tender for a franchise, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” the IOC said in a statement.

“The bid process is about making proposals and offering solutions that will deliver excellent Games, with no compromise on the field of play for the athletes while also meeting the needs of the city and region to ensure the Games leave a positive, long-term, sustainable legacy.”

Cities considering bidding for the Games are encouraged to place greater emphasis on the use of existing, temporary and demountable venues.

During the invitation phase, the IOC will inform interested parties of the “core requirements” necessary to organise the Games in order “to assist interested cities and their NOCs to develop a project that best meets each city’s unique long-term development needs.” 

The IOC also expressed its satisfaction with the “strong interest" in hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, with the NOCs of Germany, Italy and the United States already indicating their intention to bid.

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has confirmed that it is not yet considering a bid for the 2024 Olympic Games as it has committed its resources to winning the bid for Durban 2022 and would require further information from the IOC before considering an Olympic bid.

“The bidding process for the CWG requires enormous time, dedication and resources in order for one to put forward a successful bid,” said SASCOC in a statement on Wednesday.

“With our focus solely on delivering the games to the city of Durban, the Board of SASCOC will not be diverted from this mission.”

HOST CITY reported on Monday that a bid for the Olympic Games incorporating cities all over South Africa was being contemplated. This would be made possible through the IOC’s recent Agenda 2020 changes to bidding procedure. 

SASCOC was not able to verify this when contacted by HOST CITY on Monday. 

Shortly after the publication of this report, which was picked up on by various other media, SASCOC issued a statement saying that they were being inundated with queries from media on whether SASCOC is intending to bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. 

“An Olympic bid is not currently under consideration,” SASCOC confirmed.

“The Board of SASCOC is at this time fully committed to bidding for the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The first step is to win the bid and then to deliver a successful Games,” said Tubby Reddy, CEO of SASCOC.

“The Board has not received any notification or correspondence from the International Olympic Committee with regard to the bidding process for the 2024 Olympic Games. Therefore, the issue of South Africa bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games does not arise.

“Once this communiqué is received, the SASCOC Board will engage with Honourable Minister Fikile Mbalula and National Government on whether one is going to consider an Olympic Games bid in 2024.”

In support of Durban’s bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, SASCOC exhibited at HOST CITY Bid to Win conference in October, which attracted an extremely high level of speakers and delegates including David Grevemberg, CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation. 

Durban faces strong competition from Edmonton in its bid to host the Commonwealth Games. 

“Winning the bid for the CWG will be very significant for the City of Durban, especially as the other city is Edmonton, Canada,” said Reddy. 

“Canada has already hosted the Games four times. We are seriously focused on the prize of winning the bid and we will not be distracted by other issues that have not been sanctioned by the SASCOC Board.”

The host city of the 2022 Commonwealth Games will be elected on 2 September 2015.

SASCOC has until 15 September 2015 to define its applicant for the 2024 Olympic Games.