Should Veteran Cities Be Prepared to Re-Bid for the Olympics
1. Hosting the Olympic Games Again:
Should ‘Veteran’ Cities Be Prepared to Re-Bid
or Get Ready to Serve as ‘Safety Nets’
by Rick Burton (Syracuse University - USA)
14th Hamburg Symposium for Sports, Economics and Media
Hamburg, Germany
5 June 2014
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2. Or perhaps … while not in the title …
Should IOC Consider
Bidding Protocol Allowing
Cities to Bid for
Multiple Games?
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3. Acknowledgements
This work is largely drawn from material created by Burton
and Robert Kaspar (Kufstein University) and presented at 6th
Annual International Sport Business Symposium in Buenos
Aires, Argentina in September 2013
Sincere appreciation to Dr. Wolfgang Maennig, professor of
economics at Hamburg University
Thanks also to Dennis Neumann and Katharina Pohle
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4. Abstract
Since 1896 (118 years), IOC has selected eight different
cities to host Olympic Games on multiple occasions
Paris: first to repeat (1924/1900)
London: first to secure three successful bids in 2005 for 2012
1908, 1948, 2012
Issue of Olympic “gigantism” suggests Games have
become massive financial undertakings demanding
significant infrastructure investments for host city
Initial research probing concept of whether IOC should
approach bidding process thinking 2X commitments
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5. 5
Multiple Olympic Games Hosts
Summer Olympics
Athens (1896, 2004)
Paris (1900, 1924)
London (1908, 1948 and 2012)
Los Angeles (1932, 1984)
Tokyo * (1964, 2020)
Notes: Tokyo was selected
over Istanbul and Madrid on 7
September 2013 in Buenos
Aires. Only 3 cities stand
Winter Olympics
St. Moritz (1928, 1948)
Lake Placid (1932, 1980)
Innsbruck * (1964, 1976)
Notes: Innsbruck also hosted
2012 Winter YOG
If Beijing wins 2022 bid, it
becomes first city to host both
Summer and Winter Olympics
6. Bidding for 2022 6
IOC’s bidding calendar for 2022 Winter Olympic Games
announced October 2012
Selection occurs 31 July 2015 in Kuala Lumpur
Early October 2013, eight cities expressing strong interest:
Almaty (Kazakhstan), Barcelona, Beijing, Krakow, Lviv
(Ukraine), München, Oslo and Stockholm
Barcelona exits late October 2013
München drops out November 2013 (four days before NOC
deadline to submit applicant city)
Stockholm withdraws January 2014
Krakow retires May 2014 (leaving four cities)
Given instability of Ukraine, by July 2015 IOC voters may only
have three candidates (means host city selected on second vote)
7. Brazil 2016
During recent review of Rio de Janeiro’s preparations for
2016 Summer Olympic Games, Australia’s NOC president
John Coates noted the following:
"The IOC has adopted a more hands-on role," said Coates
regarding Rio. "It is unprecedented for the IOC but there is no
Plan B. We are going to Rio." In Coates’ opinion Rio is "a worse
situation" than in 2004, when there were concerns about
preparations for the Athens Games.
"It's the worst that I've experienced," he added. "We have
become very concerned. They are not ready in many, many
ways. We have to make it happen and that is the IOC approach.
You can't walk away from this." (BBC, 2014 found at:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/olympics/27201384)
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8. Cost of Recent Games
Beijing 2008 was reported as having cost
US$42B to stage (Weir, 2013)
London 2012 estimated at US$18-19B
Sochi 2014 may have reached US$60B
and almost certainly was most expensive
Olympic Games ever staged*
* True Beijing 2008 costs difficult to estimate given
Chinese governmental accounting
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9. Reasons for Hosting
Burton and O’Reilly (2013) speculated reasons for hosting Olympics
may be fueled in part by:
A central government wishing to alter global perceptions
of political policies or economic capacity (examples:
Beijing 2008, Sochi 2014)
A country or region’s desire to drive tourism and enhance
economic growth (Sydney 2000)
A city’s desire to create global awareness and improve
sporting infrastructure (Salt Lake 2002)
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10. Density vs. Regionalism
While recent host city bids have stressed appeal of
site-based density (all events taking place within
tight radius), many Games have used satellite
settings (thus spreading costs to other cities):
Vancouver to Whistler was 125 km away (2010)
Beijing utilized Hong Kong and Qingdao (2008)
Athens used Marathon, Olympia and Thessaloniki (2004)
Salt Lake 2002 staged events in Park City (55km), Soldier
Hollow (85km), Deer Valley (58km) and Ogden (56km)
If Oslo wins 2022 bid, it will host events as far as 228km
away; Beijing will use location 257km away
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11. Research Goals
Investigate feasibility of whether cities hosting Olympic
Games can be incentivized to prepare, given their
existing infrastructure, to host future Youth Olympic
Games (YOG) or future Olympic Games
To explore IOC branding benefits in periodically staging
“retro” Olympics where Games return to popular site
that is pre-selected to host twice
To recognize if ‘history is forced to repeat itself’
Sochi (2014) will benefit from FIFA World Cup in 2018
and annual Formula I
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12. Possible Flaws in Concept
IOC generates revenue by getting multiple cities to bid
(against each other) because competition is good and
delivers best possible settings for IFs, NGBs, NOCs
Many cities, after staging the Games once, are unable
to maintain stadia infrastructures (i.e., Lake Placid
1980) or win bid by creating portable infrastructure that
is dismantled and sent elsewhere (London 2012)
Preuss (2013) noted cities often bid suggesting
likelihood of new jobs/income, enhanced image,
modernization of city. That does not always happen so
return of future Games could be met with great
resistance since economic facts are known
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13. Lake Placid Interview
Interviewed James Rogers, originally chairman of
ceremonies for Lake Placid 1980 Winter Games; ultimately
chairman of protocol division for LPOOC
Currently serves as ‘retired’ tour guide for Lake Placid ice
arenas (site of ice hockey’s “Miracle on Ice”)
While his opinions are, at this stage un-verified, he raised
interesting observations
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14. Lake Placid Interview
“Squaw Valley did such a poor job [hosting 1960 Winter
Games] and then Innsbruck 1964, Grenoble 1968 and
Sapporo 1972 made big investments and lost a lot of
money that when IOC chose Lake Placid [in October 1974]
it was thinking of doing away with the Winter Games.”
In fact, Vancouver-Garibaldi withdrew bid before final IOC
vote in 1974. This came on heels of Denver winning 1976
Winter Games bid in May 1970 but withdrawing in
November 1972
With Denver out, 1980 Winter Games were offered to
Whistler, BC, Canada but Whistler declined
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15. Lake Placid Interview
“The cost of Winter Games was getting out of
control and a lot hinged on Lake Placid. Little Lake
Placid saved the Winter Games.”
When asked if Lake Placid could host Winter
Olympics again, Rogers said it could “but would
have to do it the way Salt Lake did” using nearby
cities like Albany (NY), Burlington (Vt.), etc.
On issue of YOG, Rogers said, “it is quite feasible
for LP to host YOG and in fact IOC asked Lake
Placid to pitch for first Winter YOG but USOC
wouldn’t go for it because they were going for
Chicago 2016.” (Interview with Rogers, 2013)
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16. Austria Interview
Interviewed Robert Kaspar, CEO/Managing
Director of Salzburg 2010 Winter Olympic bid and
executive involved with Innsbruck 2012 YOG
In his opinion, IOC needs former bid cities [to bid
again]. These cities (like Innsbruck and Lake
Placid) might like to host the Games again but
modern cost issues make consideration difficult
However, past Games hosts have built up
significant brand recognition (as Olympic city) and
can efficiently deliver the historical legacy of
Olympic movement
Notably evident with 8 repeat bid-city winners
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17. Austria Interview
Minimum cost of bidding (Euro10M) pales next to
“normal” of Euro 20M
In Austria’s case, 80% must come from city, province
and republic; 20% from sponsors
City must develop long-term master plan to engage
sports and to view Olympics, world champs or other
major sporting events as key to long-term economic
health
“However, a long-term plan built around sport is a risk
and if city mayor is not committed to sport, you’ll never
get anywhere.” (Interview with Kaspar, 2013)
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18. Austria Interview
According to Kaspar (2013) IOC president Jacques Rogge
went to official reception with the Mayor of Innsbruck and
reportedly said ‘coming back to Innsbruck for fourth time
would be nice.’ He was referring to Innsbruck’s previous
hosting of two Winter Games and one YOG
Why say that? Logical for IOC president to encourage
potential bid cities, particularly past hosts known for
excellence
Further, Innsbruck’s master plan called for upgrading sports
facilities between 2002-10. That meant certain
enhancements were already in place
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19. Austria Interview
Once was possible to stage Winter Games in cities like
Innsbruck, Lake Placid, Lillehammer and Sarajevo
Likely that future Winter Games must go to European
capital cities like Stockholm, Oslo, München, Zurich,
Vienna
American cities such as Salt Lake, Denver, Reno-Tahoe
previously indicated interest in bidding for 2022 or 2026
Winter Games (based on USOC support and Summer
2024 decision)
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20. Media Coverage Shapes City Branding
(Sport Business International, May 2014)
Ultimate Sports Cities 2014 Final Rankings
1. London
2. Melbourne
3. Auckland
4. Copenhagen
5. Calgary
6. Manchester
7. Sydney
8. Glasgow
9. New York*
10. Berlin*
11. Singapore
12. Amsterdam
13. Tokyo
14. Vancouver
15. Doha
16. Cape Town
17. Paris
18. Kazan
19. Kuala Lumpur
20. Madrid
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21. Research Commentary
If IOC believes bidding/hosting costs can be
contained, sufficient supply of ‘new’ and veteran
cities may continue bidding to host future Olympics
But if costs skyrocket and number of ‘legitimate’
bid cities decline, IOC presidents may wish to visit
concepts where cities are allowed to host twice
within fixed period of time
IOC used multi-quadrennial bidding with NBC Sports
If bids for 2024 are ‘low’, IOC may need research
to determine if rising costs are unsustainable for
only “one bite of the apple” or whether projected
costs are driving bid cities away
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