RECN 344: Event Management

1. RECN 344: Event Management Week 10 Lecture 2: Legacies of mega-events: meanings

2. Week 10 Lecture 2: Overview • Recap: Mega event legacies • Mega-events and meanings • The Sydney Olympics (DVD)

3. Week 10 Lecture 2: Readings • Learn: Hogan, J. (2003). Staging the nation: Gendered and ethnicized discourses of national identity in Olympic opening ceremonies. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 27, 100-123. [also week 3] • Learn: Morse, J. (2001). The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: How the Australian Tourist Commission leveraged the games for tourism. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 7(2), 101-107. • Learn: Waitt, G. (2004). A critical examination of Sydney’s 2000 Olympic Games. In I. Yeoman et al. (Eds.). Festival and events management: an international arts and culture perspective (pp. 391-408). Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford, UK. • Learn: White, L. (2012). Cathy Freeman and Australia’s Indigenous heritage: a new beginning for an old nation at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 19(2), 153-170.

4. Introduction • Mega-events can have positive legacies but only under certain conditions • Must be planned from the outset – part of long term development & marketing plan • Must develop partnerships and networks

5. Mega events and meanings • Mega-events are important promotional opportunities for cities, regions and nations because of the scale of coverage • E.g. between 2000-2004 TV rights accounted for 53% of revenue for Olympics • Sydney Olympics welcomed 16,033 reporters (cf. 10,000 athletes)

6. Mega-events and national identity • While ostensibly celebrating all member nations, in practice: • ‘both compulsory and interpretative elements mirror the values and experience of the host nation as an affirmation of national identity and as an extended advertisement for the host nation’ (Hogan, 2003, pp. 101-102)

7. Mega-events and national identity • Mega-events (especially Opening Ceremonies) are key sites for the ‘discursive constructions of nation’ (Hogan, 2003)

8. The Sydney Olympics • Sydney Olympics been subject of much research • Role of games in re-presenting ‘brand Australia’ to the world • Selling Australia – ‘The Games’ – 30 minute DVD explores the issue of identity and brand promotion in the context of the Sydney Olympics • What elements of ‘Australia’ dominate in promotion? • What are the key issues of contestation (i.e. points of disagreement) during the games?

9. Legacies of mega-events (Smith, 2014) • Event-themed – result of ‘imaginative leveraging that seeks to harness the power of events (in particular their symbolism, timing, prominence and popularity)’ (Smith, 2014, p. 19) • Relies on emotional/symbolic power of event • Projects are designed and organised to address key priorities; event can be leveraged for this • Traditionally these projects are ‘add ons’ – receive limited funding and/or attention • Little done to assess outcomes (as many are intangible); harder to justify

10. RWC 2011: Why host it? • The RWC described as third biggest sporting event in the World (after Olympics and Football World Cup) • Better chance for All Blacks to win  • Increased visitation to New Zealand • Positive economic impact • Increased employment • Enhanced tourism development and acting as a catalyst for development of infrastructure • Animation of static attraction • But are these impacts or legacies?

11. Visitation for the RWC • Before RWC started it was estimated that between 85,000-95,000 extra visitors would come during the tournament • Actual numbers estimated at 133,000 • Most visitors spectators, and from leading rugby nations • More males than females • Visitation peaked for semi-finals, finals • Also important for domestic tourism

12. Visitation for the RWC http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/international-travel/iva-key-data

13. Benefits of RWC visitors • Reductions in seasonal fluctuations in visitors • Tournament in ‘Shoulder season’ i.e. between low season (winter) and high season (Dec-Mar) • Stay longer • Most people didn’t stay for all 45 days, but some from long-haul destinations did • Travel spread throughout the country, not only main tourist destinations • http://www.srgexpert.com/Rugby_World_Cup_2011_Evaluation_report1.pdf

14. Benefits of RWC visitors • Visitors spent a small proportion of their trip watching rugby: • Eating and drinking, • Accommodation • Souvenirs • Travelling between Rugby matches • Visiting ‘iconic’ New Zealand attractions • e.g. http://www.newzealand.com/rugby/

15. Benefits of RWC • Extra visitors results in positive economic impacts, through income, additional employment and so on…

16. Benefits of RWC • Enhanced tourism development and acting as a catalyst for development • ‘Legacy projects’ e.g. upgraded/new facilities for event, with long term benefits • E.g. Dunedin stadium

17. BUT… costs • Very expensive to bid and host event: • Cost of bid process – • Ongoing cost of building/facilities (often become ‘white elephants’) – see Porter & Sam (2013) • Cost of marketing • Cost of security etc

18. BUT… costs • Estimate that the financial loss to country will be equivalent to $200 per person • Social costs:

19. RWC Legacies • Based on the discussions this week about impacts and legacies, what positive or negative legacies of RWC are apparent three years on? • Do you think it is, as Smith (2014) argues, the beginning of the end for mega-events?

20. Conclusion • Mega-events can have positive legacies but only under certain conditions • Must be planned from the outset – part of long term development & marketing plan • Must look beyond economic legacies (social, environmental etc.)