Den här kandidatuppsatsen syftar till att undersöka mega-event med fokus på det potentiellamästerskapet Stockholm/Åre 2026. Uppsatsen studerar hur orterna Stockholm och Åre kanpåverkas av platsmarknadsföringen av ett olympiskt mästerskap samt vilkaplaneringsutmaningar ett sådant event har. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten utgår frånplatsmarknadsföringsteori med inriktning på Postmodern Branding och med hjälp av JosefinaSyssner. Studien tar också hjälp av eventteori och Martin Müllers forskning om mega-eventdär han har tagit fram olika symptom som ofta uppstår vid mega-event. Kvalitativa intervjuergenomfördes på tjänstemän från de båda orterna, chefen för föreningen Skattebetalarna ochrepresentanter för Sveriges Olympiska Kommitté. Intervjuerna syftade till att studera hurpersoner som är delaktiga på något vis för planeringen av mästerskapet ställer sig tillmästerskapet och vilka effekter ett sådant event kan få. Som komplement till intervjuernagenomfördes en kvalitativ innehållsanalys på den svenska ansökan. I resultatet uppkommerbland annat hållbarhet som gemensam nämnare för våra båda ämnen, platsmarknadsföringoch planeringsutmaningar. Eftersom planeringen av Stockholm/Åre 2026 är unikt iförhållande till tidigare vinter-OS med hjälp av det nya reformprogrammet Agenda 2020 serSveriges Olympiska Kommitté en möjlighet att sätta en ny standard på hur ett mästerskap kananordnas. Eventet kan visa upp Sverige som det hållbara landet med det hållbara eventet.Uppsatsen leder fram till att eventet har både möjligheter och svårigheter. Det är trendigt attvara klimatsmart och det som känns verkligen som om Agenda 2020 ligger rätt i tiden. Detfinns stor potential med eventet men också stora risker om det skulle utföras fel.

Research consisting of two parts. The first part concerned the implementation of the Territorial Agenda 2020 and its relation with the economic oriented Agenda 2020 and Cohesion Policy. The second part concerned a more specific part of the implementation process, namely in structures of international cooperation in the Benelux. Using the theory of Europeanization (downloading, uploading, circular and horizontal) an analysis provided insights in the way the Netherlands and Flanders use the TA2020 and previous documents, as well as the VLANED group (a cooperation network of spatial planners from Flanders and the Netherlands) is using the TA2020 in their meetings.

This research seeks to determine the necessary conditions for the United States to host another Olympic Games. To lay the foundation for my research, I historically trace the declining number of cities bidding for the Olympics. While exogenous factors such as political protests, terrorist acts, and boycotts contribute to a decline in the number of candidate cities from 1968 to 1984, modern disinterest in hosting the Olympics is motivated by endogenous dynamics derived from the bidding process. To determine how the bidding process affects the likelihood of hosting the Olympics and uncover the roots of successful bids, I analyze four case studies of former United States bids. These case studies include: Denver’s withdrawn bid for the 1976 Winter Olympics, Los Angeles’ successful bid for the 1984 Games, Boston’s relinquished bid for the 2024 Olympics, and consequentially, Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Olympics. I argue the structure of the bidding process inherently favors special interests with the most to gain from hosting the Games at the expense of the city as a whole. Stemming from the central condition of public support, I deduce six underlying conditions that are pivotal for successful bids: 1) the use of existing facilities and infrastructure; 2) absence of opposition groups; 3) private funding; 4) ‘insurance’ measures against cost overruns; 5) alignment of Olympic plans and urban development; and 6) greater use of the region. These conditions do not guarantee a successful Olympic bid, but are fundamental for the Olympic Games to return to the United States.

The City of Stockholm has undergone a curious process of considering whether to launch a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. That Stockholm has contemplated launching a bid is not surprising from a regional perspective—the Olympic Games have not been held in a Scandinavian country since Lillehammer, Norway played host in 1994 and Sweden has never hosted the Winter Olympics. A potential bid from Stockholm would also be consistent with Sweden's self-identification and embracement of being a 'sportive nation'. Failed applications by the Swedish cities of Gothenburg, Falun, and Östersund to host the Winter Olympic Games confirm the long-standing interest of the Swedish Olympic Committee to secure the Games, although it should be noted that the Swedish Olympic Committee did not submit a bid for the 2006, 2010, 2014 or 2018 Winter Olympic Games competitions. Although recent reports indicate that Stockholm will not vie for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the notion that the city was even considering the option remains surprising. Stockholm had withdrawn its bid from the 2022 bidding competition citing a variety of concerns including a lack of government and public support, financial uncertainty, as well as the post-event viability of purpose-built infrastructure. Stockholm's withdrawal from the 2022 competition resonates with the growing apprehension by potential bid cities (especially those emerging from democratic countries) towards the Olympic Games. This thesis seeks to illustrate that Stockholm's Olympic hopes have book-ended a transformative period in the Olympic bidding process and to expose the struggle that bid cities have in adjusting to the demands of the IOC's bidding process. / Master of Science