Introduction
Long in history, different events are hosted in different places around the world. The events are very diverse and include sporting events, cultural, religious, and environmental among many others. Major sporting events are known to attract very many participants such as the Olympic Games.
A lot of planning and management decisions are deployed by the organizers of such events. The hosting nations for such events must show course in line with the preparations to host such an event (Davis, 2012).
Overview of the Olympic Games
The world Olympics is a global sporting event. It is held after every four years. The games are held in after every two years in an alternating way – in summer and winter though the major event is held after four years. The Olympics event is managed by the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
The Olympics is one of the biggest sporting events of a global nature. It is also one of the longest sporting events in the world sporting calendar (Toohey and Veal, 2007). The Olympics attracts the highest number of participants of all the sporting events in the world.
This is quite a complex sporting event since different disciplines of sports are hosted at once. It is a sporting event of a kind where almost all disciplines of sports are brought together. These include the famous sports like football, athletics, and almost all other ball games.
The numbers of sports that are hosted in the Olympics have also been increasing with time meaning that the size of the event has also been growing. The Olympics is the leading events in terms of the number of participating countries.
It also attracts the highest number of sports men and women because of the many sports that take place in the event. Currently, more than 200 countries do participate in the event (Mallon, Buchanan and Heijmans, 2011).
The overall administration this event is done by the IOC which aided by the Olympic governing bodies present in every country. These Bodies are known as National Olympic Committees (NOC).
The NOC administers the activities concerning the event at national level. For instance, they oversee and ratify the selection of the national teams that participate in the event (Mallon, Buchanan and Heijmans, 2011).
The Olympic Games are said to have started in Olympia, Greece during the 8th century. These games have a rich history. The IOC was founded in 1894. The IOC selects a committee which oversees a certain Olympic event. As of now, the Olympic Games attract approximately fourteen thousand participants.
These participants do take in different sports – totaling to 33 as it stands now. These sports happen in more than four hundred events. The host city, for the event, is chosen by the major governing body – the National Olympics Committee – through a bidding exercise (Toohey and Veal, 2007).
The host city must meet the minimum qualification standards set by the IOC. Once selected, the hosting city is given responsibility of organizing and funding of the Opening celebrations of the Olympic event. The celebration of the event entails many activities and or rituals and symbols.
These include the Olympic torch and flag, and the two ceremonies – opening and closing ceremonies. The first three winners, in each sporting event, are awarded medals. The winner gets a gold medal while the first and second runners up are rewarded with silver and bronze medals respectively.
The Olympic events have grown to the scale where almost every nation participates in the Olympic event. This means that country and city that are accredited to host the event must have adequate logistical capacity. This is because man challenges both structural and non-structural will be encountered as the country prepares to host the event (Young, 2004).
Rio de Janeiro, which is the capital city of Brazil, will be the hosting city for the 2016 summer Olympics. All events will take place in different arenas and stadiums within the city. In a general sense, Brazil is a sporting nation though it is mostly associated with football.
The country has been advancing in other sporting fields. In a general sense, the country has good infrastructure – transport and building infrastructure. This is critical as the event attracts very many participants and spectators.
The major reason for the nation to bid for hosting the event is that the country will host the 2014 FIFA world cup. Rio de Janeiro will be one of the hosting cities for the world cup event. Many developments structural and non- structural are expected to take place in readiness for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This will make it easy for the country to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The country is making a lot development that will put it in a better place to handle the number of visitors during the World Cup. A huge population of guests is expected to attend the world cup event. This will cheer up the nation and its sports lovers.
The Olympics will be an extrapolation of the sporting mood in the country as it will come only one and a half years later. Most of the adjustments will be needed in the sporting infrastructure as reflected in the need for construction of fields for many other sporting activities.
For the football games, the stadiums are expected to be of very high standards as they will be furnished as they host the world cup. The other thing that boosts the potential of the city to host the Olympic is that football is amongst the sports in the Olympic Games.
Therefore, it is increasingly probable that most of the people in the country will come out to support the Olympic Games. This will be achieved through the way of spectating and in logistical preparations (Li, MacIntosh and Bravo, 2012).
The Olympics is quite a lengthy event that takes place in a minimum of three weeks. Rio de Janeiro faces significant competition from other cities bidding to host the event.
This is an indication that the city must have a competitive advantage over the other cities as it concerns the event. It must be noted that several cities are bidding for the same event thus a good assessment of the capacity of the country will be clearly brought out in the bid (Li, MacIntosh and Bravo, 2012).
Methodology
Research Methods
Strategic marketing research was used to study the hosting city and country. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used given that this is a huge event. The research was multidimensional both focusing on the physical infrastructure and other important aspects like the political climate, the socioeconomic, technological, environmental and security of the potential hosting city- Rio de Janeiro.
The physical infrastructure was assessed from three angles: the sporting facilities, the transport sector, and hotels and restaurants.
Other features that were covered in the research were the cultural aspects of the population, the general economic conditions of the country, and the sporting history of the country among many others. Physical assessment was conducted by specialists who observed the fields and other structures that are needed to host the event.
Research Tools
Research tools used included questionnaires that were used to get information from relevant departments. Observation was used in collecting data on physical infrastructure. Interview guides were also employed in the research to source for information from the main stakeholders.
In the preparation of the bidding report, research was conducted which captured all aspects which determine the capacity of Rio de Janeiro and the Larger Brazil as a nation to host the event. Economic, social, political, physical and technological aspects were assessed. Different tools and methods of analysis were also used in the assessment of the city. These include the SWOT and PESTLE analyses.
Findings and Analysis
Brazil is a huge nation in respect to the geographical size, population and infrastructure. Rio de Janeiro is one of the cities that are well known across the world. This is because it is a relatively big city. The city has a rich culture of tourism. It has good beaches and many other iconic landmarks. The city has for a long time received visitors from different regions of the world who come to enjoy its iconic features. If granted with the opportunity of hosting the Olympic Games, people will get a chance of not only enjoying the sporting events but also the serine environment of the city (Stanley, 2010).
Benefits of the Olympic Games for Rio de Janeiro
The hosting of these games in Rio de Janeiro will bring a lot of benefits not only to the inhabitants of the city but also the country as a whole. Some of the long term problems of the city will be dealt with by virtue of preparing to host the event.
The infrastructure if the city will be greatly improved. More development opportunities will also be availed to the residents of the city. The transport and communication network will be improved. More sporting structures will be set up.
The hotel and Restaurant industry will also be improved. All these activities will enhance the creation of various job opportunities for the jobless population in the city. The sporting infrastructure will further open up the country to other sports adding to football which is the major sport in the country.
New sporting and other technologies will also be introduced in the country which will see sporting improvement. Problems of insecurity in the city will also be addressed thus creating a favorable environment for business.
Tourism will also be greatly boosted by the event. Tourism boosts the general economy of a country because the foreign currency gained from tourism helps in offsetting deficits in the balance of payment (McGuirk, 2009).
The research conducted proves that many programs that will be implemented will result in many socioeconomic changes. These changes will affect the lives of the citizens of Rio de Janeiro in a positive way. Direct investments will increase bringing about economic transformation.
More investment opportunities will be created for investors in the country including investment in sports and or sporting activities. The entire arms of the Government of Brazil have agreed to support the city in its bidding efforts. Government support is needed more so in financing projects required as preconditions for successful bidding.
Political and Economic Environment of Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Political Environment
Brazil as a country has had a stable government which embraces democracy with good records of human rights protection. It is a multiracial country. There are very little cases of racism and racial conflict reported in the country.
Brazil is mentioned alongside other nations around the globe with a huge population. Rio de Janeiro is the capital city of Brazil. Brazil has enjoyed good foreign relations with almost all countries in the world. Brazil has a devolved system of government.
There is the federal, state and the city governments. The city of Rio de Janeiro is governed by the city government. All the three governments have pledged support for Rio de Janeiro’s bid for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic games.
All the three arms of the government have sporting departments, which work in collaboration to achieve sporting goals in the county. The city government of Rio de Janeiro is collaborating with the state and the federal governments.
This collaboration is aimed at effecting activities and projects that will put the city and the country in a better place to host the event. With total support from all arms of government, a lee way for hosting the games is automatically created (Morrison, 2012).
Security within the city of Rio e Janeiro is relatively good. However, as noted earlier, the city has a relatively huge population. Most of the population in the city is comprised of low income earners. The gap of inequality in incomes is very big.
The rate of drug trafficking and criminal violence is also very high. Drug trafficking and criminal activities have combined to create insecurity in the city.
Major plans to improve security have been developed and are being implemented by the government in readiness for the World Cup. More security groups are being deployed in the city, and the population is being trained on how to enhance security (Arias, 2006).
Economic Environment
Brazil is one of the countries is the world that has the quickest growing economy. The country is transforming into a middle income economy with a lot of changes happening in the economy. Also, there is a lot of infrastructure developing which is one of the indicators of a growing and or a developing economy.
Brazil has an active economy which is relatively competitive in the global economic competition. From the year 2000, the gross domestic product of the country has been growing. In the year 2011, the Gross Domestic Product of the country was at approximately 1.7 trillion United States Dollars.
The country has no history of natural calamities and disasters. Coupled with the state of the economy, this puts the country in a better place as far as the attraction of investments both from its own people and foreigners. For a country which is gaining momentum in economic growth, the Olympic Games will be a major booster for the economy.
It will trigger speedy development of the economy through quick investments. However, this development must be highly guarded failure of which it may become unsustainable. Unsustainability can result from decisions that are made in rush in order to meet requirements and which can cause mal or poorly planned development and investment (Daft, 2012).
The economy of Brazil has suffered now and then from inflation negatively affecting the exchange rates of its currency. The Brazilian government together with its citizenry has been able to effect policies that have enabled the stabilization of the economy. The economic stability has led to improved living standards (McGuirk, 2009).
Rio de Janeiro, which is the potential hosting city for the 2016 summer Olympic Games, is one of the most populated cities in the world. The city has fairly good infrastructure. Most of the roads in the city are in a good or what can be termed as a standard condition.
For a city that aims to host an event of this magnitude, good transport infrastructure is a critical consideration. The country is still investing in transport infrastructure improvement. With Rio de Janeiro being the capital city of the country, the city stands out to benefit from these investments in a significant way (McGuirk, 2009).
Rio de Janeiro is a coastal city. Therefore, the city has embraced tourism as one of its major events. The city has good beaches and resorts which attracts both internal and external tourists. The city has good hotels that are reserved for tourists who visit the region to enjoy the tourist icons in the city.
The hotels and restaurants will be needed to host the visitors who will attend the world summer Olympic Games. In actual sense, good hotels and restaurants are a need in hosting the Olympic Games.
Approximately 20,000 direct participants are expected to attend the event with many other thousands coming in as spectators. In a general sense, more than half a million visitors are likely to visit the city. Tourism will benefit the hosting of the event in two ways.
Tourism is a significant attraction of visitors in the city. Therefore, it will entice an increased number of visitors who will not only attend the event, but also tour the city. The second factor is that tourism has boosted the hotel industry which is important for hosting the visitors.
More development of the hotel industry is expected to take place. This is boosted by the fact that Rio de Janeiro has been selected to host some of the games during the 2014 world cup. A lot of changes are already being affected in readiness for the 2014 FIFA world cup event (Louis 2008).
A joint marketing program for the Olympics Games has been initiated. Value creation, as well as fair value strategies, will be used in the marketing activities. Marketing partnerships for the event will be built through approaches of collaboration between and among the stakeholders.
The marketing program will be responsible for establishing, developing and popularizing the Olympic Games event in the city and the world over. The planned marketing activities will be very expansive so as to cover all the marketing all forms of media, the different sporting fields and that makes up the event and all other supportive activities and platforms.
Socio – Cultural Environment
As mentioned earlier, Brazil has a multi ethnic population. The population is composed of whites, blacks and the Amerindians. There are also many ethnic groups in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro being the capital city of Brazil has a combination of people from across the country. This gives the country and the city a good cultural mix. There exist good relations between the different racial groups found in the country.
The racial and ethnic diversity of the population of Brazil is an iconic factor. It can be noted that other nations with mixed races have problems with fostering cohesion and integration. However, in Brazil, there have been no major acts of racial and ethnic polarization.
It gives the country a positive look before the global community. This is in itself an attraction factor which will encourage people to attend the event. Two major international languages are used in Brazil – English and Española. This is an advantage in communication as the nation plans to host visitors from different regions of the world (Woods, 2011).
Environmental and Technological Environment
Rio de Janeiro city boasts of a good climate. The city is bordered by the sea and forests giving it a favorable environment for visitors. It has a good record of environmental protectionism, which gives it a good image.
As a country that is on the path of industrialization, the country embraces the use of advanced technologies. Information and communication technology has helped in the improved of different sectors for instance the telecommunication and other service sectors.
More than 90 percent of people residing in Rio de Janeiro have access to mobile phones. Internet use in the country has also been on the rise. Electronic-business is slowly gaining roots in the country and especially so in the capital city.
This will ease transactions in the case that the event is hosted in Rio de Janeiro. Online booking services will be available for hotel booking and the booking of tickets. An electronic ticketing system has been developed. This ticketing system will be essential in ensuring that anomalies associated with manual ticketing are reduced thus easing activities.
In the Hospitality and restaurant business which will be the major in hosting guests, online services hasten the exercise. This will in effect give room for improvements and capacity adjustment of facilities in this sector (Claessens, Evenett, Hoekman and Centre for Economic Policy Research).
Conclusion
Rio de Janeiro is strategically positioned to host the 2016 Olympic Games. A number of factors support the potentiality of the city to host this event. The City will be hosting the 2014 FIFA world cup, an event that will see many people visit the city.
Many developments are being effected for the 2014 world cup. These developments will act as a basis for hosting the 2016 Olympic Games. With political stability and support that has been shown by all the three governments, Rio will be in a good position to host the event. This is also supported by the fact that Brazil is a sport loving nation.
Also, the majority of the population has shown support for hosting sporting events like the FIFA World Cup. The economy of Brazil is supporting infrastructure in across the cities Rio de Janeiro being one of the beneficiaries. The country has adopted modern technologies in almost all sectors of the economy which boosts the rate and efficiency in making transactions.
Moreover, Rio has a good record of environmental conservation. Tourism is doing well in the city. It has boosted the growth of hospitality and restaurant sector which is vital in making the event a success.
The major bottleneck of the city is the frequent lapses in security that is caused by the network of drug barons in the city. However, given the efforts that have been established to beef up security, Rio is best suited to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Reference List
Arias, E. D. 2006, Drugs & democracy in Rio de Janeiro: Trafficking, social networks, & public security, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Claessens, S., Evenett, S. J., Hoekman, B. M. and Centre for Economic Policy Research (Great Britain) 2010, Rebalancing the global economy: A primer for policymaking, Centre for Economic Policy Research, London, UK.
Daft, R. L. 2012, Management, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, Ohio.
Davis, J. 2012, The Olympic Games effect: How sports marketing builds strong brands, John Wiley & Sons, Singapore; Chichester.
Li, M., MacIntosh, E. W. and Bravo, G. A. 2012, International sport management, Human Kinectics, Champaign, IL.
Louis, R. S. 2008, Rio de Janeiro, Lonely Planet, Footscray, Victoria, Australia.
Mallon, B., Buchanan, I. and Heijmans, J. 2011, Historical dictionary of the Olympic movement, Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Md.
McGuirk W. B. 2009, Marginal Benefit of Hosting the Summer Olympics: Focusing on BRIC Nation Brazil (Rio 2016). Web.
Morrison, M. 2012, Brazil, Raintree, London.
Stanley, M. 2010, Brazil Infrastructure: Paving the Way. Web.
Toohey, K. and Veal, A. J. 2007, The Olympic games: A social science perspective, CABI, Wallingford.
Woods, R. B. 2011, Social issues in sport, Human Kinetics, Champaign.
Young, D. C. 2004, A brief history of the Olympic games, Blackwell Pub., Malden, MA.