Winning the Olympic Host City Election: Key Success Factors

Posted: 17 May 2017

See all articles by Wolfgang Maennig

Wolfgang Maennig

Universität Hamburg, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Christopher Vierhaus

Independent

Date Written: 2017

Abstract

This article examines 147 variables’ potential to discriminate successful from unsuccessful Olympic bids. Our stepwise, rank-ordered logistic regression model includes 10 determinants supporting the contention that economic, political and sports/Olympic factors are important for winning the host city election. IOC members favour cities if more than 2/3 of the population support the bid, but disfavour bidding cities of fewer than 2.5 million inhabitants and bids lacking a sufficient number of existing stadiums. Hosts are characterized by larger markets and higher medium-term growth economies. Olympic bids that follow a political liberalization are rewarded with additional votes.

Keywords: Olympic games, mega events, bid cities, host city election, key success factors, bidding process, IOC

JEL Classification: R58, L83, Z28

Suggested Citation

Maennig, Wolfgang and Vierhaus, Christopher, Winning the Olympic Host City Election: Key Success Factors (2017). Applied Economics, Vol. 49, No. 31, 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2969822

Wolfgang Maennig (Contact Author)

Universität Hamburg, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences ( email )

Von-Melle-Park 5
Hamburg, 20146
Germany

Christopher Vierhaus

Independent ( email )

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