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TSE Commentator

March / April 2012
Are temporary venues the future for major sports events?
 Yes       No

Our Opinion

Venues should lead to events

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After several years of preparation, the venues are seemingly set for both the London Olympic Games and the EURO in Poland/Ukraine this coming summer. There is no doubt they will act as excellent platforms for the events - but the costs of construction for all of these new venues were extremely high, yet the question still looms - what will become of these venues post-event?

Facilities built for major events have often been viewed as part of the positive 'legacy' of an event and considered an asset for the host city moving forward. The facilities are used during the event and post-event they should serve the local community on a permanent basis.

We understand the argument, but we don't buy it and we think a change in mind-set is needed.

In general, it does not make sense to build permanent venues for an event unless there is an already existing and well-researched need for such a venue irrespective of the event. Very often, the post-event needs of facilities differ substantially from the needs of the event itself, and will therefore require substantial and continuous investments for down-scaling and maintenance post-event use. Recent cases highlight this argument such as China's Olympic venues that remain unused, South Africa's empty football stadiums, and the continued debate surrounding the post-event use of the London Olympic Stadium.

Events should in principle not lead to new venues - rather existing venues should lead to new events - and event-related facilities should basically be viewed as a liability rather than an asset. As a consequence host cities should focus more on the development of temporary venues and although at first they may seem complex and expensive, they can actually help to improve the balance sheet for many future event organisers.

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Your Opinion

Are temporary venues the future for major sports events?

No

18%



Yes

82%



Your Comments

Posted By: Zekeriya Attila | 2012-04-30 18:52:39

Yes of course,example,London 2012 Olympic Games Shooting Venues....
Posted By: David Limm | 2012-04-24 10:39:28

Olympic Games cost too high and too much to build those facilities. Eventually, no counry will bid for it. It will die naturally and eventually, each sport will...
Posted By: Sieh Kok Chi | 2012-04-22 04:30:45

Yes, because unless the sports are very popular in the host city, the venues would surely be under-utilised and become \'white-elephants\'. To make matters worse, the venues would not...
Posted By: Hisham Shehabi | 2012-04-13 15:26:03

I have been to a number of major sporting events that utilized temporary facilities for the hosting of the event. The reason I voted \'yes\' is because most bids for...