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Event Bidding System
Event Bidding System
David Walmsley
Sports Event Bidding
A strategic guide for bidders and sports property owners
Author: David Walmsley
The right to host an international event is now one of the most valuable prizes in sport. The 2007 Dubai
International Sports Conference valued the market at US$50 billion worldwide, while UK Sport estimates
such events contribute £1.5 billion to the British economy each year.
Hosting events is no longer purely about prestige either. The power of sport to deliver lasting economic,
social and health benefits to host communities is also being recognised as never before, prompting
government support for prospective bidders to grow at a similar rate.
Consequently, competition to host events is hotter than ever before, and particularly beyond the top tier
of Olympic Games, World Cup football and the like: for example, around 60 cities made initial applications
to host yachting’s 2007 America’s Cup.
But increased competition is constantly raising the bar for depth and quality of bids – which in turn is
increasing the cost of getting into the race. The prospective bidder therefore needs as much information
and intelligence on the process as they can.
This report aims to meet that need by assessing the changing bidding landscape and assisting potential
hosts in plotting a course through it, examining key issues in all areas from making the initial decision to
mount a bid, through putting together the components of a successful campaign and – for the unlucky
majority – responding to ultimate defeat in the committee room.
Case studies and interviews will look at how current and recent bidders have approached these
questions and assess the success and lessons of their chosen solutions.
David Walmsley has more than a decade’s experience in the sports industry as a business analyst,
journalist and author.
As an analyst, David works with the SportBusiness and Mintel research and intelligence groups,
specialising in spectator sports and media. He was author of the SportBusiness report , Maximising
Revenue from Sports Ticketing, published in 2001.
As a journalist, he has covered all major sports for newspapers, magazines and websites, working for the
likes of Independent News & Media and the BBC. He was also content provider to the official British and
Irish Lions website for their 2005 tour to New Zealand.
David has written six books on football and rugby union, including the acclaimed Genesis Publications
history of the British and Irish Lions, The Lions (2005). He is also a Director of electronic programme
provider Pregramme Media.
Marketing partner
www.sportbusiness.com www.heliospartners.com
Table of Contents
Introduction and executive summary
Chapter 5: Legacy
Much has been written about the legacy of major events but this needs to be planned for at the bidding
stage. Property owners increasingly look for legacy benefits in bids and the number of budgets that can
be accessed when bidding and hosting is increased if all aspects of legacy are considered:
• Physical legacy of venues and facilities
• Sporting legacy of increased participation
• Economic legacy through investment in and stimulation of local economy
• Social/cultural legacy resulting from community co-operation
• Environmental legacy as areas are regenerated and renewed
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Chapter 6: Facilities
Not all facilities have to be built by the bidding stage (although some IFs will insist on this) but a clearly
worked through plan for stadia and venues will need to be shown. Whilst a bid showing only refurbish-
ment of existing facilities may be possible it could lack the “wow factor” that the awarding body is
looking for. Neither is big always better as many IFs prefer to show the world a packed house than rows
of empty seats. Detailed research will need to go into predictions of competitor, media, audience and
staff numbers to get this right. IFs are also increasingly sensitive to accusations of leaving white el-
ephants so bidders also need to show how facilities will be used post games.
Chapter 7: Infrastructure
The wider provision of transport and accommodation is a key part of the bid and can often be where
much of the legacy benefit will accrue. Security is now a major consideration at major sports events and
legal and practical preparation also needs to be done to ensure the event can be delivered. This chapter
provides advice on the less glamorous aspects of bidding but without which bidders can be forced onto
the back foot. There have been several high profile cases of bids being withdrawn due to these impor-
tant but avoidable challenges.
Marketing partner
www.sportbusiness.com www.heliospartners.com
SportBusiness report buyers include:
Octagon, Chelsea FC, , Infront, Schmidt und Kaiser, Dentsu, UEFA, FIFA Marketing, Orange, France Telecom,
KNVB, Sportfive, Red Bull, BBC, KHP, Nationwide, Shell, Barclaycard, Castrol, Bank of Scotland, Celtic FC,
South African Breweries, Deutsche Telekom, Mastercard, Toyota, Team Alinghi, UBS, Rangers FC, DAGOC,
Fox, Canadian Grand Prix, ICC, Australian Rugby Union, Interbrew, Wembley Stadium, Adidas, Nike, Real
Madrid, Barcelona FC, WPP, MLB, NFL, NHL, Volvo Ocean Race, Williams F1, Hill & Knowlton, NatWest,
Vodafone, Carat, Manchester United, Swatch, IAAF, LTA, Anschutz Entertainment, Bahrain MotorFederation,
Wiggin & Co., Olswang, Bradford & Bingley, RAI, Stadium Australia, Juventus, Coca-Cola, TV Globo, Dorna,
JP Morgan, ESPN, Goldman Sachs, EBU, Hutchison 3G, Accenture, Prisma, ATP, IBM, China Central TV, Cisco
Systems, Samsung, Peugeot, Royal Bank of Canada, Siemens, Deloitte & Touche.
Corporate Credentials
Sports Event Bidding - A strategic guide for bidders and sports property owners is one of the growing
number of in-depth intelligence reports in the SportBusiness portfolio. For more information and to find
out which other reports can help you achieve your business objectives, please visit “reports” at
www.sportbusiness.com
SportBusiness Group is the world leader in the provision of commercial sport business insight, analysis
and intelligence.
Buy Sports Event Bidding - A strategic guide for bidders and sports property owners for £795.
Single user electronic (PDF) copies are available for £1095.
US$ and E rates are available upon request.
To order your copy email adam.barker@sportbusiness.com or call +44 207 954 3481
Marketing partner
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