IOC Takes Communication Offensive in Olympic Bidding

(ATR) Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi tells Around the Rings that communication must be intensified with cities interested in bidding for the Olympics before official candidatures are developed.

"Communication is tremendously important about the benefits of hosting the Games in a context that has evolved," Dubi tells ATR during an hour-long conference call with key Olympic reporters hosted by new IOC communications director Rebecca Edwards.

"We have a role at the IOC to make this message heard loud and clear to host the Games is positive for a city, for the country in the context we have created with Olympic Agenda 2020."

The conference call coincides with the opening of the invitation phase for the Winter 2026 Olympics where the IOC will seek to cut bidding costs by 30 percent with a more proactive communication approach.

As a part of this uptick in communication IOC President Thomas Bach and IOC Disciplinary Commission chairman Denis Oswald sent letters to the IOC membership updating them on developments from the investigations of former Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman to the investigations by Oswald and colleagues into alleged doping manipulation at the Sochi 2014 Olympics. (Click each name for their respective letters)

The IOC has also hosted a conference call with potential bidders including Calgary, Sapporo, Sion and Stockholm. Dubi says these efforts seek to "kick-start and shortcut" the development of competent bids and eliminate the need for initial bid investments in outside expertise.

However, he tells ATR that these efforts won’t kill the consultancy industry that has expanded with each successive bidding cycle.

"I believe that a number of the consultants you reference, especially from a technical standpoint, are still immensely helpful," he says. "But what we are bringing is expertise that can kick-start and shortcut the expertise needed, and usually it’s quite an investment in outside expertise.

"We can make it simpler, and also to be really on message regarding the measures we are adopting and the flexibility we are talking about – but this is from the IOC and not necessarily interpreted by others, consultants in particular."

While it is true the IOC wants to be more proactive in identifying and working with potential bid cities, Dubi asserts that direct communication with the public must be organized by the bidders themselves.

"It is true in the future the IOC can own part of this message, but we have to make sure as well that when an interested city has formed a committee composed of generally what the country can offer at its best, the project is carried by the promoters."

This includes efforts to convince voters to support Olympic projects in referendums, a growing trend in Europe which has torpedoed bids for 2024 and most recently Innsbruck’s attempt to host the Winter 2026 Games. Dubi tells ATR the onus remains on the bid cities.

"A good part of the work by candidate city team is to develop the information regarding Agenda 2020, legacy and games management 2020," Dubi says. "In other words, we have to do our share to provide all of this material to those cities because they have to do their part and convince the population about the validity and quality of their project.

"It is a combined, team effort, with us providing guidance, coaching and information so they can work then on convincing their population that the Games are worthwhile having and then go comfortably into the referendums."

The 2026 invitation phase will continue until October 2018 when the official one-year candidature phase will be launched. Dubi says he expects and welcomes projects from across the globe due to the increased implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms. He offered no apologies for the IOC’s continued use of Olympic Agenda 2020 in its response to questions ranging from ethics investigations to bidding changes.

"For us, it’s actually quite profoundly modified the way we do business and we like to refer to Agenda 2020, but it is really a profound change," he said. "We go back to it because it is of significant importance and you have to be certain it has produced positive effects to just about everyone, from Organizing Committees to International Federations and sponsors."

Written by Kevin Nutley

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