The Impact of the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics Bid - Case Study Example

The Impact of the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics Bid Introduction Two years prior to the picking of the second next venue for the Olympic Games in 1988, interested cities are required to submit their bids. For two years, each country's proposed city will be evaluated in terms of capability as well as other factors in hosting the most spectacular and prestigious sporting global event held every four years. There has been much effort, fuss and works done by huge and differing teams to come up with a viable proposal. The study shall point out why these existed in the international scene. This research shall try to demonstrate the relationship between government policy, local economic development, knowledge and innovation, and its effect on the area or region upon the start or aiming of winning the Olympic bid. As contested by five shortlisted major cities Athens, Belgrade, Manchester, Melbourne and Toronto, the study shall try to present details about the bidding process, a short review of the Olympics as a major global event, the cities that competed, and how the whole system has affected government policy. The study will also focus on Atlanta, the winning bidder where the Centennial Olympics or the 1996 Summer Olympics was held, and the whole effect of the win on the local economic development, knowledge and innovation and on the area or region itself. Background The Olympic Games dates back some 3,000 years ago or 776 BC in Peloponnese in Greece (IOC, 2006). The event was dedicated to the Olympian gods and staged for about 12 centuries on the plains of Olympia until Emperor Theodosius banned it for its pagan content in 393 AD (IOC, 2006). Today, it is an international multi-sport event as revived by French nobleman Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertein in the late 19th century with the vision and goal of a peaceful assembly of nations with the youths competing in sports rather than war. The modern Olympics now encompass both summer and winter games (Wikipedia, 2006). It is now held every four years as hosted by a different country's city each time. It has launched the successful career of athletes all over the world. Two years prior to choosing the next city in 1990, the bid for the 1996 Olympics commenced and five cities applied: Athens of Greece, Belgrade of Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia), Manchester of United Kingdom, Melbourne of Australia and Toronto of Canada. As early as November 1997, countries were already electing their city candidates so that by the following year, the International Olympics Committee already sent out invitations to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for submission of applicant cities. By January, examination of applicants begun and in May, 1990, candidate cities were short-listed by the IOC executive board. A Candidate City Observer Program is entailed and the first half of 1990 was spent evaluating the candidate cities. Prior to the September 1990 announcement in Tokyo, Japan, a lot of changes already occurred in each candidate city and this study will try to chronicle and present these changes by governmental policy perspective, local development, knowledge and innovation, and the region focusing on winning bidder Atlanta in Georgia, United States of America. Atlanta, as pointed out by the Georgia Humanities Council (2006) not only won because of its presentor and conceiver Billy Payne and mayor Andrew Young's dedication and government cooperation but it's warm southern hospitality and the city's unique heritage as the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., a major center of civil rights struggle. Government Policy As former football player at the University of Georgia Payne conceived the idea of hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta Mayor Young joined the quest and sold the idea to local business leaders, and then to the U.S. Olympic Committee and the IOC. A two-volume bid document was produced with the outline of the city planning for the sporting event, financial support and accommodations. It competed against the five other bidders and the two bid leaders traveled extensively around the world to promote the bid. Bribing and lavish gift-giving became an issue after the Olympics but it was generally accepted that it was the norm among IOC delegates. Atlanta in general received tangible legacies from the Olympics although it was noted that the IOC head Juan Antonio Saramanch in his closing speech did not acknowledged the games as "the best ever" (Wikipedia, 2006). Pedestrian environment was generally improved and new housing, conversion of buildings into lofts. The leaders of Atlanta aimed to promote Atlanta as an international city ready to play an important role in global commerce when it hosted the 1996 Olympics (Georgia Humanities Council, 2006). It was fairly acknowledged that the event had a lasting and profound impact and transformed Atlanta into a modern city that since then received more regular visitors than that prior to the Games. It was fairly believed that the Metropolitan Atlanta Olympic Games Authority or MAOGA was created to work out the things that Atlanta by law or other restrictions could not perform. A legislation was passed authorizing MAOGA a "sweeping intergovernmental power - it could buy or condemn land, raise money, award construction contracts and create a police force. The city of Atlanta, by law, couldn't do that," (qtd., NYC.org., 2004). In fact, it was suggested that the Atlanta Olympic was a personal event taken away from Atlanta although the MAOGA (NYC.org, 2004) stated its intent as "the purposes of the Authority are declared to be that of conducting and staging the Olympic summer games in conjunction with the local organizing committee through undertaking the responsibilities and obligations of the host entity in the contracts and agreements required by the International Olympic Committee." Economic Development The six-year preparation included intense design, building and construction of sports venues as well as expansion of exiting facilities. US$ 1 billion came from public funds, ticket sales, corporate sponsorships sold to various businesses such as television game show production companies, automobile, watch and even salad-dressing manufacturers. Hotel construction came from private investment with about 7,500 rooms built between 1990 to the opening of the Games. Atlanta at that time accumulated some 60,000 hotel rooms while themed restaurants sprouted along Peachtree Street either from national or local investors. The federal government also spent millions of dollars for improving sidewalks, pedestrian signs, planting trees, putting up new lighting, and installation of public art while temporary vendor tents, carts and stalls were rented out that became a controversy due to the carnival atmosphere it brought. Below is the Olympic Village sourced out from the Georgia Humanities Council: As Seoul of Korea and other Host Cities had proven, economic prosperity when handled properly comes with the hosting of the Olympics. Firms find new trading partners as they gain perspective and inspiration to mobilize. New markets enter, established ones compete for contracts while the rest showcase themselves to an expected audience of about four billion, all of which are either potential partners or customers from around the globe. The 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta brought in an estimated economic impact of US$5.14 billion and about 2 million visitors. Sydney in the 2000 Games brought forth in New South Wales the equivalent of US$711 billion worth of contracts and about 55, 000 people received employment. Neighboring Queensland won the equivalent of US$266 billion. The tourism sector definitely benefited as both Barcelona and Sydney have shown. By 2001, Sydney made about US$ 3.55 billion while Barcelona which used to rank 16th most popular tourist destination, after hosting the Games, jumped to the third (London 2012, 2006). Knowledge and Innovation Although it cannot be argued that knowledge and innovation always play key roles in the development of an area in hosting global events such as the Olympics, Atlanta prepared in a way it knew how but problems always often occur during the event itself as buses broke down, drivers got lost, among many transportation problems that occur during the 1996 Games due to scattered locations throughout the metropolitan area. In fact, it was noted that journalists and reporters missed deadlines and experienced delays when the supposedly state-of-the-art computer system failed to deliver data from the competition sites that reflected failure among the organizers and the host city (Georgia Humanities Council, 2006). In contrast to an upcoming event, London team have to be far in advance not only in matter of previous Olympic events but in vision and aims in order to get the nod of the IOC. As already existing support for global sustenance were used as the encouragement of third world countries with much potential such as the African nations. Lord Coe traveled far and wide with his team mates working overtime as Paris was earlier seen as the favored city. Lord Coe addressed the National Olympics Committee of Africa 19 days before the vote and visited British Council funded project in Accra, Ghania. And as the bid team have earlier announced, the 2012 London Olympics use a series of next generation temporary venues that can be relocated calling out for inspiration among youths and deprived aspirants. Legacy became the battlecry as video footage of the final presentation showed a London Games that unite the youths of the world (BBC, 2005). Already, the London team have visited and invited major construction groups in Australia to contribute to the infrastructure plans of the Games in London. Likewise, the team is currently observing in close scrutiny the Beijing 2008 Olympics as it takes cue from pitfalls of Canada, Greece and other recent Olympic sites. Construction, creative,merchandising, engineering, retail and manufacturing are the businesses that are sure to benefit from the Games. While blue chip companies already have an edge of becoming an associate to the Olympic brand, small and medium companies may supply people, support facilities for the Olympic Park, venues, and the dismantling of the Games infrastructure. In the 1996 Games, it was also noted by Lipsyte (1996) how commercialized the Games have become and how it was criticized (Wikipedia, 2006) as Nike, Procter and Gamble, Reebok, Prince, Benetton, among other brand names compete as if these were the athletes. But sales soared as the report (Lipsyte, 1996) summarized. Humphreys and Plummer (1996) detailed that "short-term economic impacts "will result from new dollars brought into the region by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), related sporting and cultural events, the media, pre-Olympic training, marketing activities, athletes, officials, spectators, and other visitors to Georgia" and predicted to include areas around Atlanta such as Athens, Savannah, Columbus and Gainesville areas. Likewise, Humphreys and Plummer (1996)also enumerated "long-term benefits, or major legacies, fall into three categories: (1) the creation of world-class facilities; (2) national and international recognition of city and state through extensive media exposure; and (3) community benefits including local volunteerism, job creation and training, youth and education programs, funding for community economic development projects, and cultural programs" which were all realized years after the 1996 Games. Local or Region Held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, the 27-day event is considered the largest undertaking in the city of Atlanta and proved to have transformed the city as a global hub increasing its annual visitors. It was the fourth the US was hosting the Olympics but the historical significance of the 1996 Games was the presence of all expected state or nation participants which were absent in the first previous three events (Anderson, 1996). The 21 acres Centennial Olympic Park was reclaimed from slum as photos show below: Humphrey and Plummer (1996) acknowledged that world-class facilities that were either renovated or constructed for the event include the $189 million Olympic Stadium, the 1,400-acre Georgia International Horse Park, the $17 million Wolf Creek Shooting Range Complex, the Stoine Mountain tennis facility and the $10 million Lake Lanier Rowing Cnter. The ACOG or Atlanta's Organizing Committee $47 million worth of construction for dormitories as well as the $24 million natatorium were eventually used by Georgia Tech and Georgia State University students with additional $1.5 million renovation cost for the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The Atlanta University Center had a new and upgraded athletic facility estimated at $51 million topping other expanded and improved facil;ities such as the privately funded $57 million Centennial Olympic Park, the Atlanta Convention and Visitor's Bureau of 23,000 square-foot center as well as the $10 million International Sports Plaza. Conclusion As can be summarized from above, this study concludes that winning the Olympic Bid alone already mobilizes an entire government system, if not an international community. The commitment that governments around the world showed to the Olympics was enough testament that there exists economic reforms whether it be local or regional, as well as interconnection between government policies to knowledge and innovation and local development in matters such as winning the Olympic bid. Since government support is also a key to mobilize the private sector from manufacturing, engineering to services, the united front of government agencies in hosting an event such as the Olympics is enough to fuel private sector investment, interest and drive. These all add up to one goal of winning, which is also the spirit of the Olympics: peaceful cooperation towards glorious wins. The 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta proved that certainly, government policy, however maybe criticized or praised, complicated or simple, can impact in events such as hosting the Olympic Games. This, in turn, mobilize and influence private and public sector to cooperate and seize the momentum that the Games provide,t hereby allowing investors from manufacturing, engineering, construction, tourism to marketing to move together as one and reach out an aim. Knowledge, technology and innovation are, as always, key partners in these kinds of agenda as manufacturing, engineering, communications and other parts or sectors of the business and economy are integrated into research and development. New information, cutting edge technology and innovations are always at work to provide for better or best products ever especially for global events such as the Olympics. In like manner, the host city or venue, the wonning bidder, gets a huge slice of the pie in terms of legacies as Atlanta still feels the impact, economic, cultural or otherwise, of the host that was held some decade ago. Reference: Anderson, Dave. "Sports of the Times: On Fourth Try, America's First 'World' Olympics." New York Times. July 14, 1996.Associated Press (AP). "Blair: London Olympics will bring prosperity." USA Today. April 4, 2006. BBC. "IOC report praises very high quality of London's bid." January 7, 2005. British Embassy, The. "London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games." 12 April 2006. From http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Frontpagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1025869670230 GamesBids.com. "Bid Profile and Factsheet- 2012 Summer Olympic Bids." 2006. From http://www.gamesbids.com/english/content/premium.shtml Humphreys, Jeffrey and Michael Plummer. "The Economic Impavt of Hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics". Studies and Forecasts. International Olympic Committee. "Olympic Games" from http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/index_uk.asp Keogh, Francis and Andrew Fraser. "Why London won the Olympics." BBC Sports. July 6, 2005. Lipsyte, Rober. ""Mere Companies Vs. Cultural Icon." New York Times. February 8, 1996. London 2012. "L65m funding boost for elite sport." 2006. From http://www.london2012.org/en/news/archive/2006/April/2006-04-11-14-50.htm NewYorkGames.org. "NYC2012 Bid Lacks Guarantee." Nov. 10, 2004. From http://www.newyorkgames.org/news/archives/002785.html U.S. Olympic Committee. Atlanta 1996. Salt Lake City. 1996 Wikipedia. "Olympic Games." 2006. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games Read More