HOST CITY Bid to Win conference, which takes place on 28th October 2014, is attracting the most influential figures in major events.

David Grevemberg, who oversaw what was widely hailed as the “greatest Games ever” in Glasgow, is to speak at HOST CITY Bid to Win just six days before he takes on his new role as CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation. 

Grevemberg is set to close the conference with a panel discussion entitled “Beyond the Bid: Winning for the Future,” joined by Wang Wei, vice president of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association, Jordy Joli, CEO of finance at Barcelona City Council and Ali Kiremitcioglu, CEO of Istanbul’s bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games. 

The panel will discuss whether the visibility gained from bidding justifies the cost, how to ensuring that event delivery reflects promises made in a bid, and how to use a bid to attract investment that works for the future of the city.

Grevemberg’s appointment as CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation was announced in June but he had intimated to HOST CITY readers earlier in the year that he was committed to the long term development of the Commonwealth Games as an event property. 

“One of the biggest challenges is to continue to make sure that the Games represent quality, quantity and universality,” he told HOST CITY. “As the Commonwealth Games Federation moves forwards and future hosts come down, it’s about really making sure that the Games can manage all of that and perpetuate itself further by ensuring that it is continually relevant.”

Grevemberg joins a long list of distinguished and influential speakers, including Sir Craig Reedie (Vice President, IOC); Jürgen Müller (Head of FIFA World Cup); Wang Wei (Vice Chairman, Beijing Olympic City Development Association); Janez Kocijancic (Vice President, International Ski Federation; Dimitri Kerkentzes, (Chief of Staff, BIE); Panos Protopsaltis (Director of Transport, Baku 2015); ROCK IN RIO; Joe O’Neill (International Business Development Director, ARENA GROUP); Peter Tindemans (Secretary-General, EUROSCIENCE); Ali Kiremitçioglu (CEO, Istanbul 2020 Bid Committee); Antonio Fernandez Arimany (DG,  International Triathlon Union); Iain Edmondson (Head of Major Events, London & Partners); Jordi Joly, (CEO, Barcelona City Council); Georg Spazier (CEO, Innsbruck Tirol Sports); Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros (CEO, ICSS Europe); Mike Lee OBE (Chairman, VERO); Helen Rowbotham (Director of Consulting, CSM); Robert Datnow (Managing Director, The Sports Consultancy); Lars Haue-Pedersen (Managing Director, TSE Consulting); Ben Avison, (Editorial Director, HOST CITY); Koos Tesselaar (Vice-Chairman, NIBC Bank).

“The momentum around Bid to Win has built up so quickly and we are thrilled to have such a distinguished array of speakers confirmed at this stage,” said Ben Avison, Editorial Director of HOST CITY and Chairman of Bid to Win.

The council claim the ‘Glasgow Legacy Story’ has already made impacts on Glasgow’s economy and infrastructure as well as boosting sports participation in the city. 550 jobs have been created directly through the Games and 4,500 young people have been put into work or training due to Games related investment, according to the council.

The development of Glasgow’s East End was also highlighted by the council and the 700 houses and flats that have been built as part of it as well as the £700 million invested in the city’s transport infrastructure. 

As well as the effects on the local economy the Games have brought with them a participation legacy to Glasgow. The council boasts an 130% increase in cycling in the last 5 years thanks to a £10 million spend on 13.6km of walking and cycle networks as well as a city-wide mass cycle hire scheme. 

"The Games have undoubtedly seen a huge surge in Glaswegians taking part in sport and we're fortunate to have some outstanding clubs, offering a wide range of sports and activities for all ages and abilities,” said Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council.

"To further build on this success, we have invested £198 million in sports facilities across the city including those currently serving as Games venues since 2009. During this time, attendances across all of Glasgow Life's sports facilities have surged to 6.6 million.”

"We want to host the best ever Games, but I've always said we will have failed if we don't leave a lasting legacy for Glaswegians."

According to Glasgow 2014, 96% of tickets for the Games were sold and a 91% satisfaction rate was recorded from Games spectators who watched on as 142 Commonwealth records and nine world records were broken over 261 events in 18 sports.

Organisers also released figures demonstrating the social media buzz around the event with 3.5million public mentions of the Games, 500,000 social media followers and 450,000 downloads of the Games app.

A number of the athletes who took part in the Games have also praised the event. Talking to HOST CITY at Ibrox stadium, Trinidad and Tobago rugby sevens star David Gokool said: “Glasgow is like my home now, I’m comfortable, everything is fine and I love the people. Everything is comfortable, I can’t complain at all.”

Gokool also praised the high turnout at the rugby sevens tournament and the atmosphere inside Ibrox stadium, saying: “I’m very happy to be playing in front of such a loud crowd, it’s a big thing for me. I love the crowd, they make me feel energised.”

Commonwealth Games Scotland Chairman, Michael Cavanagh, praised the way in which the Organising Committee was able to fill every venue whilst Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, David Grevemberg, said: “The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has made history as the best Commonwealth Games ever, setting a new Gold Standard for the Commonwealth sports movement, new benchmarks for event delivery and receiving universal accolades for a proud Host City and its people for the joyous enthusiasm with which they embraced athletes and visitors during Scotland’s biggest-ever sporting and cultural festival.”

Now the Games has come to close organisers will be focusing on the legacy of the Games. “The Games may be over, but the story of the Games most certainly is not,” said Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport Shona. “We must continue to work to ensure that a lasting legacy is created from the Games and is something all of Scotland benefits from.”

Fans holding tickets for the World Cup in Brazil are being encouraged to offset the carbon emissions caused by their travel to the tournament.

A programme launched by FIFA on Thursday allows successful ticket applicants to sign up on a carbon offsetting page on FIFA.com, where they can enter a prize draw to win two tickets for the World Cup final.

FIFA is bearing the cost of the carbon offsetting; all that is required is a FIFA.com Club account and a successful ticket request reference ID.

The owner of the flagship event of the world's most popular sport will be keen to generate a positive legacy, given the problems Brazil is encountering in the construction and delivery phases.

“FIFA takes its environmental responsibility very seriously," said Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s head of corporate social responsibility.

"As part of our two-fold strategy with the non-profit carbon management programme BP Target Neutral, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee will offset 100 per cent of their own operational emissions and through the campaign launched today, we are encouraging fans to neutralise the carbon emissions resulting from their travel to Brazil.

“At the same time we use the FIFA World Cup as an opportunity to engage with millions of people and raise awareness of the environmental impact of our journeys and the ways to mitigate it.”

In a press release, FIFA acknowledged that “staging a tournament of this scale inevitably has an impact on the environment. Offsetting is one way of limiting this impact.”

The programme is supported by Cafu, the world’s only player to have appeared in three World Cup finals. “It just makes sense”, he said. “Supporting your team and supporting low carbon development in Brazil at the same time is a win-win for all. I am offsetting my travels related to the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and encouraging everyone to do the same. It’s really easy to do and only takes a minute”.

The emissions will be offset through a portfolio of low carbon projects in Brazil, chosen by BP Target Neutral. 

“Each project is selected through a rigorous tender process and adhering to the standards set by the International Carbon Reduction and Offsetting Alliance with final selection made by an independent panel of environmental NGOs. The list of the exact offsetting projects selected, all of which result in social and economic benefits to local Brazilian communities, will be announced in June,” says FIFA.

The redevelopment of the south section of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is now complete, enabling the park to fully open to the public for the first time since the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

“In the 18 months since the end of the Games, we have created a magnificent new park for London with beautiful parklands and waterways and world-class sporting facilities,” said Dennis Hone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, which led the post-Games transformation of the park.

“We want people to come and enjoy this new destination, whether they are reliving the memories of the golden summer of 2012 or experiencing it for the first time.”

At 560 acres, or 2.2sq km, the park is the largest to open in London for more than 100 years. Newly landscaped parklands, waterways and an action-packed adventure playground featuring swings, a rope bridge and activity zones have transformed the site.

Sir John Armitt, chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority said: “The Olympic Park was a huge hit with spectators in 2012, but now countless thousands more will get a chance to see how it has been transformed for generations to come to use and enjoy – walking, relaxing, seeing the sights, or having a picnic, as well as playing and watching sport in four world-class venues.

“This, and the work we are doing to complete 2,818 new homes in East Village, is proof that the legacy we all talked so much about is very real.”

The park also features a new tree-lined promenade with a unique globe lighting system, interactive water fountains, four themed walking trails and miniature gardens that represent different climatic regions including South Africa, the Americas and the Mediterranean.

The northern section of the park, which began to reopen in July 2013 with concerts and other major events, has already attracted more than a million visitors. The Copper Box Arena, the first former Olympic venue to open to the public, has already had more than 100,000 visitors. The Aquatics Centre, which reopened on 1 March 2014, has already received over 55,000 visitors.

The Lee Valley VeloPark opened its doors for public use for the first time on 31 March 2014, while the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre will open in June 2014. 

Meanwhile, the Olympic Stadium is being transformed into a multi-use venue. A major new arts and cultural centre is also set to be built within the park.

Planning permission has also been granted for up to 10,000 new homes, including more than 2,800 in the former Olympic Village, which has now been renamed East Village.

“The opening of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is not the end of the transformation story,” said Hone. “We are building a new heart of east London creating jobs, building new homes, and bringing in investment, culture and education with partners like the Victoria and Albert Museum and University College London. It is a truly exciting time for all Londoners and we encourage people to come and see Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for themselves.”

Edmonton is a mid-sized city that punches above its weight in hosting major international events – but what matters most is the local impact.

“Edmonton has a rich history of hosting major sporting events that have left some incredible legacies in our community starting with Commonwealth Games in 1978, World Masters Games in 2005 and the FIFA Women’s World cup in 2015,” Cindy Medynski, Director, Edmonton Events told Host City Americas.

“Legacy and in particular social impact are always a major factor in events that we are looking to attract to Edmonton. Economic and reputational values are much easier to measure and more straightforward, but we are looking for event partners that have similar values and that have developed programmes that provide alignment with our community goals.”

Edmonton has the second highest indigenous population in Canada. “We work really hard to involve that community in the planning for major events – it’s something that’s very important to us, not only to Edmonton but to Canada in general.

“These events take place on their land; it’s important for us that community to be at the table from the beginning – and for us to be educated on how to incorporate them. It’s a long learning process but it’s one we need to engage in. Our indigenous groups are so happy to be involved in this as well – there’s a tonne of things they contribute.”

Edmonton also looks for events that build on legacies from past events. This involves building a local pool of volunteers that are a legacy from the 2001 World Athletics Championships, creating local capacity and expertise in event delivery, and targeting major events that create opportunities for youth to participate in sport during the event and long afterwards.

As Edmonton events is a partnership between the City of Edmonton and the tourism organisation Explore Edmonton, it also has the ability to draw on partnerships and relationships at the local level from the city and from our tourism organisation.

“So it’s very important that our event organisers and rights holders are buying local and supporting the community in ways that really show our citizens the impact and value of major events. It has to be a win-win for both sides of the coin.”

Edmonton Events is also helping to codevelop a custom plan for events to become carbon neutral. “This only works if event producers and rightsholders are on board; that’s why it’s important to us to start from the beginning and find partners that really have these values like we do.”

[Source: ASOIF] The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) have released a new report which, for the first time, establishes a standard set of data points for event stakeholders to cost-effectively assess the value of sporting events.

Overseen by ASOIF’s Commercial Advisory Group (CAG), the report consolidates relevant and easily available data in a clear way to ensure consistency of data gathering and reporting between events, with the intent of helping the industry deliver, and demonstrate, true value to investors and policy makers. It provides event professionals with a practical tool throughout the lifecycle of events, including a defined set of 30 “input”, 50 “output” and 10 “outcome” Key Performance Indicators from which rights owners and partners can gather data relevant to their own event objectives.

Click here to read the full report.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said about the report: “Through previous projects in this field we knew about the lack of systematic approach to IFs’ sporting event data collection and analysis. However, consistent data reporting is essential to build trust amongst all stakeholders seeking to benefit from the staging of sporting events, whether that be for tangible economic gain or less tangible benefits to society. At a time when communities start to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more important for events to show their value.”

The indicators and guidance align with international best practice and intergovernmental work linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They support other global initiatives such as the OECD Recommendation on Global Events and Local Development, that calls for “rigorous criteria that enables comparison across different types of events in different geographic areas which should be set to monitor public expenditure and impact at all levels”.

As more organisations use these common indicators, it will become easier to learn from past experience, become more cost effective to gather data and improve how events deliver, and report on, a return on investment for their investing partners.

The report is authored by Iain Edmondson, Founder and Managing Director at Legacy Delivery, commissioned by ASOIF to aggregate the perspectives of key players in the sporting event evaluation industry. For this purpose, three workshops were conducted between July and October 2020, with more than 40 participants from IFs, host cities, commercial entities and academic experts.

In May 2021, in a joint commitment to implementing the common indicators amongst both event host organisations and international rights owners, ASOIF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH) to endorse the content of this report and support their members in implementing it.

The Chair of IAEH, Susan Sawbridge, said about the new report: A common view of event impact measurement standards is something event hosts have been eager to have in place for a long time. The partnership between the IAEH and ASOIF to build this shared language has reached a significant milestone this week, with the publication of the report. We expect this work will help hosts and rights holders to better understand the social and economic benefits events generate for many years to come.

As a next step, ASOIF and IAEH will collaborate to obtain additional support from third-party organisations to enhance the tools available for sporting event impact evaluation.

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

In 2020, Dubai will host the biggest event in the history of the Arab World: the first World Expo ever held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.

Our theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, is based on the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas coming together in new and unique ways.

With 25 million visits expected between 20 October, 2020 and 10 April, 2021 and more than 200 participants, including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institutions, it is not difficult to see how Expo 2020 is ‘Connecting Minds’.

But how are we ‘Creating the Future’? We believe a World Expo should leave a lasting impact on the path of human progress, and we are working to realise this vision across various dimensions.

From the very beginning, Expo 2020 has been committed to building a legacy that is meaningful and sustainable, extending its impact and benefits beyond the UAE to the wider region and the rest of the world. Expo 2020’s long-term approach is based on four pillars: physical, economic, social and reputational.

Integrated community

Expo 2020 will take place on a 4.38 sq km masterplanned site inspired by our core theme. Al Wasl Plaza, which takes its name from the Arabic term for ‘the connection’, is the site’s centrepiece. It connects three Themed Districts, each of which is dedicated to one of our key subthemes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. A large part of our physical strategy involves the site’s transformation immediately after the World Expo into District 2020 – a highly accessible, well connected and integrated urban development that will continue our mission to Connect, Create and Innovate.

District 2020 will be a world-class integrated community, building on the legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai and supporting the acceleration of Dubai’s development. It has been carefully planned to support the UAE’s future vision by supporting sustainable economic development, moving towards an innovation-driven economy and creating a business environment that directly encourages progress within key growth industries.

It has been designed to offer a new urban experience at the cutting edge of modern working and living, and to promote a collaborative and innovation-driven business ecosystem that encourages a sustainable, healthy and balanced lifestyle. It will include a variety of residential and commercial spaces in a location that will become home to innovation, educational and entertainment facilities, parks, health and leisure amenities, as well as a Conference and Exhibition Centre (CoEx) developed by Dubai World Trade Centre.

It will be one of the most connected places on the planet. Located near Al Maktoum International Airport, the community will be connected to Dubai Metro via a dedicated station and major highways, making it easily accessible from all of the UAE’s air and sea ports.

Permanent presence

District 2020 will reuse 80 per cent of Expo 2020’s built environment and many aspects of the Expo 2020 masterplan have been designed with dual purposes in mind. The Sustainability Pavilion, one of the iconic Expo 2020 signature pavilions, will remain as a world-class Children and Science Centre, continuing its mission to encourage appreciation of science and nature among visitors and residents, particularly youth, for years to come.

While the CoEx will provide 45,000 sqm of exhibition space during the World Expo, this will be increased to 180,000 sqm for District 2020, spurring on Dubai’s evolution as a leading global destination for events, conferences and exhibitions.

Two multinational giants have already committed to establishing a permanent presence within District 2020. Siemens will base its global headquarters for airports, cargo and ports logistics at the site, while Accenture will open a digital hub.

District 2020 will also be home to an array of social and cultural attractions and recreational spaces. It will retain the iconic Al Wasl Plaza, the site’s 150-metre diameter centrepiece, which will feature a 67.5-metre tall domed trellis inspired by Expo 2020’s logo.

Expo 2020 will also spur significant long-term economic growth. Our business-focused tools and outreach programmes are engaging firms of all sizes, including a particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as we understand they are the backbone of any economy. Our new Online Marketplace also connects businesses and suppliers not only to our partners but also to each other, creating a platform unlike no other in the region.

More than 20,000 companies from 140 countries, including more than 14,100 SMEs, have already registered on the Expo 2020 Dubai e-Sourcing Portal. Last year, more than AED 10.8 billion of Expo construction contracts and AED 411 million of non-construction contracts were awarded. To date, Expo has awarded a total of 3,093 contracts, with more than half going to SMEs, helping them to grow their futures.

By building ties that will remain well beyond 2020, Expo will continue to contribute to new business generation, GDP growth and job creation across the region for generations to come.

Bringing the world together

Expo 2020 will also strengthen the UAE’s reputation on the international stage by demonstrating the country’s capacity to bring the world together. It will not only highlight the UAE as an inclusive, diverse, tolerant, safe and cooperative nation, but also showcase the great potential of the wider region to the rest of the world.

From a social perspective, Expo 2020 is an opportunity to inspire, empower and involve our youth, enabling young people to expand their horizons. It will encourage an understanding of – and an interest in – key drivers of future progress in line with our three subthemes.

The MEASA region boasts a substantial youth population with an enormous wealth of potential. Our youth are the innovators and thought leaders of tomorrow, so we are working to harness and nurture their talent as the new stewards of our planet.

The next World Expo is an immense opportunity to create an integrated ecosystem that will continue to attract businesses, visitors and residents long into the future. It is a festival for all that brings the world together, but its impact will extend far beyond the six months of the event. Expo 2020 is one of many steps along the road to ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

This article first appeared in the Summer 2018 issue of Host City magazine

The reasons behind the evolving event hosting landscape can be debated: better informed government officials; a new point of view from the public; PR-sensitive executives thinking about impact on sponsors – but there is no disputing that a major shift has occurred in the global event hosting landscape. The referendums and political hand-wringing taking place before major event bidding are prime examples of this evolution.

This “new normal” provides a unique opportunity for government and rightsholders to align on mutually-beneficial outcomes, with both sides required to come to the bargaining table with current and accurate data to develop a plan that has meaningful results for the host community.

Government can, and should, take responsibility for the pre-event work. Through online surveys, social listening and in-person attendance at community meetings, government officials can develop a firm understanding of the outcomes a host community would find most useful. This informed perspective will allow government officials to have direct conversations with rightsholders – a critical portion of the conversation that is often not addressed. Rightsholders are often willing to consider working with a government to provide them what they need, but typically, the government simply responds with “what are you offering” instead of leveraging this opportunity to create a meaningful impact. To create a meaningful environment of partnership and collaboration, government officials must approach this moment with specific deliverables the host community seeks.

Government officials should come to the table with key pieces of data in-hand:

• Preferred sport or cultural activity of your constituents, by neighborhood, would allow government and rightsholders to focus on specific areas of a city that could be more receptive and supportive of hosting the event
• Education, arts, and health and wellness needs, by neighborhood, would allow government and rightsholders to consider short-term impact and long-term legacy plans that result in locally meaningful outcomes
• Planned infrastructure development would allow government and rightsholders to accurately involve event-necessary works to be integrated into already planned and funded projects
• Economic development goals, by neighborhood, would allow government and rightsholders to understand which local businesses can be event partners
• Tourism data that explains hotel occupancy, visitors by market, interest and spend, in addition to plans for growth into future markets

Throughout the lead-up to the event, during the event and post-event, rightsholders should evolve beyond event producer to community partner. With the understanding that taking any free minute away from event preparation is difficult, elevating the needs of the host community into the day-to-day decision-making process has many benefits. This mindset has the potential to result in a host community that:

• Strives for a positive event experience for participants, staff and partners
• Understands and appreciates the event’s tangible and intangible outcomes
• Attends the main event and supports ancillary events
• Enthusiastically welcomes the event’s return

Rightsholders also have the opportunity to significantly increase their positive impact on the host community by organizing their partners, sponsors, participants, fans and investors. Each one of these stakeholder groups has a vested interest in the success of the event, and therefore, has a vested interested in the host community. The greater understanding the rightsholder has of the social responsibility and financial goals of each stakeholder group, the better alignment they can foster with an informed government and interested host community.

This approach may require rightsholders to reconsider which members of their organization have influence in their strategic planning. Specifically, rightsholders will need to examine if the most significant decisions their organization undertakes are weighed fully against commercial and community benefits. The rightsholders that can maximize commercial returns around community-focused decisions are the organizations that are most well-prepared for this moment in time.

Lastly, rightsholders must understand government. There are many factors that influence the government decision-making process and pace. For instance, your event may align with all of the goals of the government, but it may not be an ideal time for a government leader to commit to your event from a political perspective. This is just one example of the difficult and frustrating process of working with government. In these situations, try and help your government partner get to “yes”. If there’s a groundswell of support from the community for hosting your event, then committing to the event just became a lot easier.

Improved and informed dialogue between government and rightsholders has the potential to deliver results to host communities that they find meaningful and transformational, while keeping rightsholders commercially successful. With data-driven insights and measured outcomes at the center of these negotiations, plans and work, this moment of event hosting evolution can result in events driving meaningful transformation in neighborhoods, cities and countries.

About the Author

Mike Hopper has spent his career at the intersection of sports, government and community relations, while working side-by-side with Mike Bloomberg and George Steinbrenner. 

Prior to establishing Advance Brand Consulting, Mike held senior positions with SPORTS195, Teneo Consulting, NYC & Company – NYC’s Official Tourism & Marketing Bureau, the New York City Mayor’s Office, and the New York Yankees. He now leads Advance Brand Consulting, which focuses on cultivating the relationship between sports leagues and teams, governments and communities, to ensure each party achieves their goals while understanding the goals of the others.

Mike Hopper spoke at Host City 2015, the largest meeting of sports, business and cultural events.