The first success factor for the mega-event that contributes to both economy and tourism is repositioning by employing innovations. By utilizing the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo to promote its new technologies, Japan established an image of a leader and proceeded to host mega-events (Dubinsky, 2019). Japan was able to gain recognition as an industrialized nation. Mexico utilized the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games to combat the stigma of being underdeveloped by broadcasting the games in color for the first time (Dubinsky, 2019). Thus, such innovative approaches boost the nation’s image and contribute to the economy by luring tourists and improving international relations.
The next success factor is the structure of the mega-event. For example, the broadcast of the Olympics in Athens in 2004 provided an immersive experience of the location, which aided in the development of a favorable opinion of Greece as a travel destination among potential visitors (Wang & Jin, 2019). Another example is the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia. The broadcast of the most expensive mega-even in the history of the Olympics reached two billions viewers via broadcasting. Therefore, structuring the event and making the experience attainable to everybody has a positive impact on the attraction of tourists and, as a result, economic growth.
Another factor that contributes to the success of the event is the engagement of the sponsors and investments. For example, the organization of the EXPO Milan in 2015 spent 16 billion Euros on the event and ten years of planning (Michopoulou & Giuliano, 2018). Another example includes the 2016 Rio Olympics with the biggest sponsors being McDonald’s and Kellogg’s. As a result, sponsors’s helps results in the biggest returns on investments that contribute to the overall economy.
The utilization of the events’ venues after the event plays a crucial role in the success of any mega-event. The best example is the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a three-part plan for the venue. The plan included the utilization of the venue as the Forest Park, the Cultural Axis, and The Olympic Axis (2008 Beijing Olympics). Another example is the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the hosting venue Maracanã Stadium (Gursoy et al., 2017). The stadium has been used as a venue for concerts and other sporting events.
The last factor that can contribute to the success of mega-event is the participation of local organizations. For example, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, numerous real-estate and volunteer organizations were employed (Gursoy et al., 2017). Another example is the Chinese company Sasaki that planned and designed the venue landscape for the 2008 Beijing Olympics (2008 Beijing Olympics). Hence, the employment of local companies and organization promotes the brand, and boosts revenues for both the company and country.
Best Practices for Hosting Mega-Events
- The first best practice for hosting a mega-event is the encouragement of volunteers to cooperate and help with the organization (Kim et al., 2019). In such cases, the process of conducting the event will lead to fewer expenditures and better structure. Additionally, volunteers are driven to participate in the event to bring enjoyment and expose foreigners to the culture, which can also contribute to tourist attraction.
- The second practice for hosting mega-event is based on the physical and social integration of the venues. In case the venue is located in a convenient part of the city, the tourists will be able to access places without problems (Azzali, 2019). Therefore, venues and their position play an integral part in the success of the event.
- Another practice for hosting a successful mega-event is the creating of symbols and merchandise. For example, every mega-event is supported by selling flags, merchandising materials, accessories, clothing, decoration, and coins (Durrer et al., 2017). As a result, such an approach to the event makes the brand merchandise desired and contributes to the attendance of the event by tourists.
- Moreover, in order to host a successful mega-event, there is a need to transform large urban areas. In this case, there need to be constructions of new facilities and mobility systems.
- The last practice which contributes to successful mega-event is the sponsorship of world-known organizations. The sponsors of such events as the Olympic games, FIFA are Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and others. Thus, there is a financially beneficial partnership between the hosts and sponsors.
References
Azzali, S. (2019). Mega sporting events and their impact on the built environment: Lessons learned from the past. A| Z ITU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, 16(2), 25-37.
2008 Beijing Olympics. (2021). Sasaki. Web.
Dubinsky, Y. (2019). Analyzing the roles of country image, nation branding, and public diplomacy through the evolution of the modern olympic movement. Physical Culture and Sport, 84(1), 27-40.
Durrer, V., Miller, T., & O’Brien, D. (Eds.). (2017). The Routledge handbook of global cultural policy. Routledge.
Gursoy, D., Milito, M. C., & Nunkoo, R. (2017). Residents’ support for a mega-event: The case of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Natal, Brazil. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 6(4), 344-352.
Kim, H., Choe, Y., Kim, D., & Kim, J. J. (2019). For sustainable benefits and legacies of mega-events: A case study of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics from the perspective of the volunteer co-creators. Sustainability, 11(9), 2473.
Michopoulou, E., & Giuliano, C. (2018). Understanding mega-events success and customer satisfaction. Event Management, 22(1), 9-23.
Wang, Y., & Jin, X. (2019). Event-based destination marketing: The role of mega-events. Event Management, 23(1), 109-118.