ABSTRACT
Industry voice 272
10.6 Summary 274
Further reading 275
By the end of this chapter, students will be able:
Mega-events, like the Olympic Games and the World Expos, have become increasingly important in the global economy as governments compete to bring them to their cities to catalyse economic, social and cultural change. These events attract attendances in the millions and the largest of them command television audiences that number in the billions. This chapter is intended to introduce the concept of the mega-event and to highlight key challenges in successfully managing this diverse group of events. A definition and typology of mega-events will be given which shows that the ‘mega’ category can relate to audience size, economic impact, visitor numbers and/or socio-cultural significance. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the pre-, during-and post-event periods and the relationships between mega-events, tourism and urban regeneration.
