This is a 2-part series. In Part-1, we look at the process. In Part-2, we will cover the changes in the International Olympic Committee’s approach.
The election of an Olympic Games host city takes a long time—for a potential host city, it usually begins some 11 years before the Games.
The political leaders of the bidding city get involved—their primary consideration is the profit and job creation in various industries (construction companies, banks, hotels, media, etc.).
E.g., over 10,000 athletes are competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics—considering the support staff, journalists, and international fans who visit the host city, the profit potential is enormous.
Also, hosting the Games is seen as a big badge of honor and carries the potential of turning the city into a tourist destination for years to come.
In a country, several cities may show interest, and eventually, one city is shortlisted, and a bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is made with an application fee of $150,000.
The IOC then shortlists three to five candidates, which are then required to pay $500,000 and submit more elaborate proposals.
These shortlisted cities are then put into a rigorous ten-month audit to ensure that they are equipped to host the Games.
IOC auditors visit the candidate cities, talk with city leaders, ask questions, take tours, etc.
These visiting auditors bring back reports to the IOC and the group votes for a city.
But because so much money is involved, the whole system is prone to corruption, and every now and then, such concerns come up.
E.g., In 1999, six IOC officials were expelled after they accepted bribes to give the 2002 Winter Games to Salt Lake City.
More recently, the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee stepped down after it was alleged that he paid an IOC member to secure votes for Tokyo’s bid for the 2020 Games.
On top of that, high expectations meant that hosting city consistently ended up losing money—there have been cost overruns for most Olympic Games held so far.
So, the IOC decided to take a new approach for the election of the future host.
And Brisbane 2032 is the first test of the Olympics’ new host-city bidding system.
