Download Resourcing the Event: Mixed Economy Models of Provision

Resourcing the Event: Mixed
Economy Models of Provision
DANIEL TURNER / PROF MALCOLM FOLEY
MAKING THE CASE FOR EVENTS
The development of the mixed economy
 Developments in the events sphere
 1976 Montreal Olympics - a financial failure - The Big Owe - $1.61billion of debt
left behind
 1984 Los Angeles Olympics – uncontested bid – the 7-Eleven Games $200million profit
 Developments in the political sphere
 Thatcherism – rise of the neo-liberal free-market approach
 New Labour – third way approach
 Growing private/public partnerships, increased role for the voluntary sector.
 The hegemonic position of the mixed economy provision
environment.
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State / Private Sector / Volunteers used in the delivery of events
Integral part of successful bid strategies is demonstrating the existence of the
mixed economy
 HOWEVER: Bid support must be maintained throughout the
‘marathon’ to delivery stage
Sponsorship
 Commercial partners are central to the success of a bid
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but at the bidding stage this is often supporting ‘gesture’
Delivery requires ‘promise’ of support.
Strength of being a global brand: 40billion television
views cumulatively for France 98
However: trump card of embarrassment (failing to host
the games would be worse than not winning the bid).
Also: corporate partners foisted upon host city as ‘official
partners’ of sanctioning body – complete with sponsor
requirements.
Volunteering
 Increasing use of volunteers to deliver events

70,000 volunteers at London 2012
 2 strategies for ‘hooking’ volunteers
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Pride – ‘Your Country Needs You!’
Improvement – increased employability as a result of involvement
 Reasons for volunteering
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Citizenship (obligation to host)
Pride (in community)
Pride (personal)
 Key notion is that of ‘involvement’. Being the cornerstone
of delivery and being a significant contributor to success
Critiquing the mixed economy
 Host city becomes the weakest partner after sanctioning body
obligations, commercial promises etc
 Benefits are not universal – focussed around ‘official’ partners and
increasing evidence to highlight lack of return for those involved.
 Privatisation of public space in the name of partnership and
preventing ‘ambush marketing’.
 The conflictual needs of commercial sponsors and volunteering
citizens – citizens are pushed out in place of welcoming the
sponsors.
 Strategies for bidding rely on a mixed economy but the mixed
economy at a delivery stage is inherently problematic. What then is
the impact for future events as this becomes acknowledged?