Page 49 - Winter 2018 Journal

of 4.3 percent in 1997-98 to a low of 2.9 percent in 2009-10 If you want to see tangible evidence of how the Games
(see chart). Does that mean Nagano was better than Whistler in have changed over time just watch old footage of the 1980
terms of generating trial? No. It just means that the impacts of Lake Placid opening ceremony. It seems like a quaint affair
the Olympics are multifaceted, dependent on snow conditions in comparison to the Whistler or Sochi opening ceremonies.
and the economy, and somewhat linked to the charisma and This phenomenon has not gone unnoticed by those in the
charm of the athletes highlighted by the media. business of downhill snowsports. As the cost of hosting the
If all the stars align, the Olympics can be a very Games has skyrocketed, we will likely see a course correction
powerful tool to communicate the excitement and fun of towards more sustainable venues that don’t require massive
downhill snowsports, and this favorable exposure can be investments in new infrastructure. Some have suggested that
leveraged effectively by individual resorts. But for the host it would not be unreasonable to envision rotating the Games
city, holding the Games can be a mixed bag. Generally, the among a limited number of host venues with sufficient
host mountain for the games takes a significant hit in vis- existing infrastructure to host the event. A new generation of
itation numbers during the season in which the games are viewers and participants will no doubt demand more sustain-
held. The exposure the Games generates—along with the able practices.
infrastructure improvements typically associated with As the Games evolve we will also see new stars emerge.
hosting—only manifest tangible benefits three to five years With the PyeongChang event we will see the emergence
after the actual event. Squaw, Calgary, Utah, and Whistler and rising prominence of a new generation of star ath-
all experienced enhanced exposure and boosts to interna- letes that reflect changing American demographics. Stars
tional reputation following the Games, but each had to like Gus Kenworthy and Chloe Kim have the potential
endure a decline in visits while hosting the event. to resonate with emerging markets and segments of the
In the past the mechanics of this tradeoff between inter- population that we have traditionally not grown with in
national exposure and visitation declines were generally well proportion to their growing presence in American life. In-
understood, but the economic excesses of Sochi called the clusive support for these, and all our athletes, is beneficial
traditional wisdom of hosting the Games into doubt. Beijing for the industry. And while the Olympics isn’t a miracu-
emerged as the 2022 host in large part because no one else lous growth stimulus for skiing and snowboarding during
wanted the Games and they indicated a willingness to spend the season in which it is held, it is certainly a benefit for
whatever it would take to hold the event, in exchange for the the industry as a whole in terms of media exposure and
prestige of hosting a Winter Olympics for the first time. long-term growth.

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