Transcript Role of major events in positioning a city and a region

Influence of major events on a city,
a region & on local business
ALEC LENFERNA
What is a major event?
 Have great appeal and broad interest base
 Elite status
 Elite standard of participation
 Large number of participants
 High level of media interest and profile – nationally
& internationally
 Has significant impact on an area or city
 Can leave a legacy – either physical or idealistic
Should events be staged – and especially in
places like Pietermaritzburg?
 Yes
 Creates talking points and a reason to come
 Once participants exposed, they will often return
with friends and family
 If people have a good time, they become excellent
ambassadors
Pro’s of Hosting a Mega Event
 Allows city to be transformed – physically, socially &
economically
 Leads to better living conditions and standards –
roads & transport systems, housing, municipal and
private services, airports etc.
 Can / will / should / must lead to increased long
term tourism programmes
Barcelona 1992 Olympics
 Transformed city into one of most vibrant and
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popular tourism destinations in Europe
Unemployment figures dropped drastically as inward
focus – construction, service providers etc
Confidence in housing market sustainable till today
Huge increase in and upgrading of hotels supported
by continued tourism plan
Urban regeneration and sense of pride
Con’s of Hosting Mega Events
 Cost
 “White elephant” factor
 Community needs not taken into consideration in
planning can lead to wasted efforts and funds
Montreal 1976 & Athens 2004
 Montreal incurred debt of $1.5 Billion
 Most of the money spent on tiny sector of the city
meaning no lasting legacies
 Athens lost 70 000 jobs within 3 months of games
being staged
 Many of the facilities built were put in wrong parts of
the city for ongoing use so many now stand empty
 No sustainable tourism plan in place to drive
business after the games
Major events in the city
 Comrades Marathon
 Duzi Canoe Marathon
 Midmar Mile
 Cycling Programme
 Maritzburg Marathon
 Royal Show
Bike City Project
 Pmb is designated UCI Bike City for Africa since
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2009
Shares status with Copenhagen in Europe and
Melbourne for Australasia
Since 2009, following major events staged:
6 x UCI World Cup – BMX & MTB
2 x UCI World Cycling Tour races
5 x UCI World Championships
2 x African Continental Championships
Why Bike City?
 To attract large numbers of visitors to the City
(increased expenditure)
 To help brand Pietermaritzburg as the “City of
Choice for World Class Events”
 To gain national & international media exposure
from the events
 To encourage our youth to engage in healthy
pursuits and to create interest
Future Major Cycling Events
 Confederation of African Cycling Forum – 2015
 Para Cycling Road World Cup & Championships –
2015, 2016 & 2017
 Pmb MTB Festival – 2016, 2017 & 2018
 UCI MTB Masters World Championships – 2016,
2017 & 2018
 International road races – Men & Women – 2016,
2017 & 2018
Direct Spin Offs
 Commonwealth Games
 Velodrome / indoor sports facility
Challenges & Problem Areas
 Apathy
 Inefficiency – Municipality, service providers etc
 Lack of facilities – Para Cycling
 Market forces
 City, region & country wide decline
Opportunities in Pmb
 Indoor sports complex
 Events staff suppliers
 Event infrastructure – one stop shop
 PR & media elements
 Para transport solutions
 Accommodation booking agency
 Cultural tourism
Questions & Comment