This chapter discusses how events are used by authorities to attract visitors and promote regions

1. Chapter Four: Strategic
use of international events
by authorities

2. Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, the student will be expected to:
• Understand the various levels of intervention authorities can provide
international events
• Understand the broader role of authorities in delivering international events
• Appreciate the broader issues that the bidding process can bring to a nation.

3. Introduction
• Governing authorities are meant to effectively govern, direct and regulate at
various levels (locally, regionally and nationally), depending on their remit, on
behalf of the people they represent.
• Events of all kinds are a central feature of a governing authority’s social and
business development activities.
• In recent years, the exposure that is generated through the various media
channels and global communications has played an important role, driving many
governing authorities to become increasingly engaged with international events.

4. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
State intervention
• Government or state intervention in the economy is generally restricted to
measures that support or enhance industrial infrastructure (Jones, 2010).
• State subsidy for events through financial assistance, delivery support and/or
direct involvement with international events therefore becomes a key factor in
the growth of modern-day nations, cities and towns.
• International event delivery and two different methods of engagement – for profit
and not-for-profit – regularly come together and work side-by-side to ensure
large-scale events are delivered safely and with minimum disruption to the day-
to-day lives of local residents.

5. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
The banning of events
• Prior to Covid 19, it would be considered harsh in Western-style democracies for
any nation to have a ruling administration that considered the cancelling of
festivals, public gatherings and events without good reason, but this is what
happened in the UK in the 19th century.
• The 1871 Fairs Act, which sought to amend the existing law relating to fairs in
England and Wales, saw the abolition of hundreds of fairs and events in
England and Wales
• In the United States, too, fairs were banned. From around 1745 fairs were held
in Trenton Township, New Jersey in April and October for the buying and selling
of livestock and other products.
• Initially promoted by King George II, after five years the legislature declared
them illegal

6. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
The shifting metropolitan landscape
• Urban development is a system of residential expansion that creates spaces for
people to live.
• Within this development is a process which includes intentional interventions
from governing bodies to benefit the local population.
• These include recreational activities and ultimately, the establishment, provision
or delivery of international events.
• Thriving towns and cities are an essential element of a prosperous national
economy.
• The gathering of economic and human resources in one place stimulates
innovation and development in business and industry (Open University, 2019).

7. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
The shifting metropolitan landscape
• The demand by authorities to attract international events has introduced new
opportunities for the organisers.
• Many international events today that are synonymous with their place of origin
have become so popular, they are able to move to other countries and still
receive enormous support.
• American Football held four matches in London during the 2019/20 season with
reports suggesting they were the most in-demand tickets across the entire
league (Finnis, 2018).

8. Figure 4.2: Le Tour caravan that precedes the race – Yorkshire, England, 2014

9. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
Authorities function in delivering events
• As a nationally or locally elected authority’s role includes representing its
people, it will undertake a number of roles when facilitating, supporting or
delivering international events.
• Besides providing operational support, authorities can be the source of income
for events delivered by third parties or bid directly to host international events.
• Once an event reaches a certain size, there is no avoiding an authority’s
involvement.
• The first point of communication with an authority from an event organiser is
usually the application for a licence to hold the event.
• For small events, this usually requires very little engagement between the
parties, but as the event grows, the process becomes much more detailed, with
the relationship becoming more engaged the bigger the attendance numbers at
the event.

10. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
Destination management
• Another key responsibility of national and local authorities is destination
management.
• Destination management is a relatively recent phenomenon that has numerous
definitions.
• Effectively, destination management involves the coordinated and integrated
management of a destination in terms of a number of regular activities.
• These include: attractions and events, facilities, transportation, infrastructure
and hospitality resources (Mill and Morrison, 2012). These are important to
international events as they are core concepts of international event delivery.
• Destination management is considered a professional approach to guiding all of
the efforts in a place that has decided to pursue tourism as an economic activity
(Morrison, 2013).

11. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
Build redevelop, redesign
• As governments seek more cost-effective methods of event delivery, the last 20
years has seen the redevelopment of many sports venues, with space
designated for hospitality a key feature.
• It is rare in today’s understanding of the use of space for new venues to be built
without dedicated hospitality areas or for events to be held without infrastructure
that is fit for purpose.
Figure 4.3: Before
and after the City of
Manchester stadium
conversion.

12. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
Bidding for events
• One of the leading pressures placed on local and national governments is to
provide or attract international events to the region.
• Hosting major international events is considered a high-ranking economic
activity and while pressure may come from residents to both hold and avoid the
hosting of international events, each and every authority will face competition
from neighbouring cities, regions and nations.
• Event bidding can be considered to occur within a specialised marketplace in
which owners (or sellers) control the rights to host an event and bidders (or
buyers) compete for those rights (Getz, 2004).
• However, the value in becoming a host venue, host city or host nation has never
been more debated.

13. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
Hosting recurring events and finals
• Each of the major sporting individual and team disciplines engages in international competition.
• Even at grassroots level, events will take place at a national, regional and local level, but still
regularly require an international management process.
• Depending on the level and reach of these events, international competing finals will be hosted
annually, biannually, or quadrennially.
• Triennial events also exist, but not usually in the world of sport. However, there are numerous
sporting events that follow quadrennial and biannual cycles.
• Most famously, the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup are held quadrennially, while volleyball,
diving, taekwondo and table tennis all have major biennial gatherings.
• The bidding process for either of the Olympic Games (summer or winter) is long, expensive, full
of protocol and lobbying, but remains the biggest sporting extravaganza in the world.
• Organising committees are brought together to produce proposals for the IOC which demands
not only the support of the committee, but also the serving government and its people.

14. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
Bidding to host to the Olympic Games
• The bidding process for either of the Olympic Games (summer or winter) is long,
expensive, full of protocol and lobbying, but remains the biggest sporting
extravaganza in the world.
• Organising committees are brought together to produce proposals for the IOC
which demands not only the support of the committee, but also the serving
government and its people.
• The current bidding process is based around two main phases which are
governed by the Olympic Charter Rule 33 and its bye-laws

15. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
Global economic effects
• The last 20 years have seen a significant shift in public support for events and
other cultural activities.
• After the global depression of the 1970s, events and festivals became a region’s
method of celebrating the improved economy.
• Bianchini and Parkinson (1993) put this down to a trend in the 1980s towards
the de-centralisation of social issues from central government to local
governments.
• European and arts-based funding began to broaden its reach to the less
highbrow events and local festivals blossomed while the larger hallmark events
came within reach of more local authorities.

16. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
International event funding applications
• The majority of international events are ultimately a means of adding to the host
destination’s tapestry of social activity.
• The return on investment is grounded in creating better places to live and work
with the long-term goal of improving a sense of identity for local residents with
increased levels of civic pride.
• Not all international events are hosted by authorities or even targeted at the
tourist or people from outside the region.

17. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
Summary
• This chapter has considered the strategic use of international events by
authorities as well as some of the protocols that are central to the proper and
respectful delivery of international events.
• It has considered the values authorities place on the processes of international
events, particularly on how the various procedures, processes and dialogue
impact on the event itself.
• We have learned that international events require the intervention of the
authorities at different levels depending on their size, the roles that authorities
undertake in supporting international events, as well as how they approach
creating international events for cities, regions and nations.

18. Routledge event series W.G. Ryan: Managing International Events
References
• Finnis, A. (2018). It’s now harder to get a ticket for a London NFL game than a
Beyoncé concert – so where next for American football in the UK? The Telegraph.
Retrieved from www.telegraph.co.uk/american-football/2018/10/11/now-harder-get-
ticket-london-nfl-game-beyonce-concert-next/ Accessed 11th June 2019.
• Getz, D. (2004). Bidding on events: Identifying event selection criteria and critical
success factors. Journal of Convention & Exhibition Management, 5(2), 1–24.
doi:10.1300/J143v05n02_01
• IOC (n.d.). Olympic Games candidature process. Retrieved
from www.olympic.org/all-about-the-candidature-process Accessed 6th June 2019.
• Mill, R. C., & Morrison, A. M. (2012). The Tourism System (7th ed.). Dubuque, IA:
Kendall/Hunt Publishing.
• Morrison, A. M. (2013). Destination management and destination marketing: The
platform for excellence in tourism destinations. Retrieved
from www.lyxk.com.cn/fileup/PDF/2013-1-6.pdf Accessed 13th June 2019.