In the past twenty years an increasing number of Global South nations have vied for the rights to host prestigious and expensive sport mega events. This trend requires significant reflection given the enormous economic costs of these events, which often produce little capital gain for the host nation (Whitson & Horne, 2006). Furthermore, sport mega events are often utilized for their symbolic capital (Belanger, 2009), which sometimes manifests through forcing people from their land for the sake of “beautification” (Davis, 2006). In this project, then, I asked how technologies of power were utilized by FIFA, corporate stakeholders, and the South African government to control people who were marginal to, or impeded the success of, the World Cup in Nelspruit, South Africa. This project consisted of two parts: the first involved constructing a theoretical framework for better understanding power as it operates through sport mega events in general. To this end I employed Marxian notions of the ordering of physical space, Foucauldian conceptions of sovereignty and governmentality, and Agamben’s (1998) state of exception to determine how particular bodies are constituted and controlled through sport mega events. In the second part, I applied this theoretical framework to the events in South Africa to better elucidate how people became displaced and killed because of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I used South African popular news and documentaries as empirical evidence and conducted a discursive analysis of said news media. Through this coverage it became apparent that the mega event created the conditions in which new forms of rogue sovereign partnerships could arise through a historically and spatially contingent process of capitalism. The rogue sovereigns’ para-juridico-political orders, the discourses and practices of accumulation by dispossession as a tactic and effect of govermentality, and other historical non-capital subjectivities such as racial identity, all contributed to constituting Agamben’s state of exception in which people could be displaced, killed or left to die in the events surrounding the World Cup. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-08-25 12:25:02.401

Increased international competitiveness to host sport mega-events indicates their perceived value in stimulating regional and national economic, social and cultural development. In the context of broader governmental public opinion management strategies, sport mega-events hold the potential to mobilize soft power resources of the host country, expressed in values, culture and policies, and engage with and influence the publics of other countries. This thesis investigates the significance of sport mega-events for the host country’s public diplomacy strategies and practice by exploring the concepts of public diplomacy, sport mega-events, soft power and national image within a multi-disciplinary conceptual framework. The analysis of scholarly literature, official and media reports reveals how aspects of reputation, credibility, and legitimacy guide both foreign public opinion and the practice of public diplomacy in conjunction with sport mega-events. Moreover, international reputation of the host nation, including status, prestige and image, appeared to benefit the most as a result of strategic application of sport mega-events to public diplomacy. This can be achieved by proving functional reputation though demonstration of financial and organizational success. Alternatively, social reputation of the host is at risk of sustaining considerable damage as a result of resistance from social activists groups, thus requiring extensive damage control efforts of the host country's image. The conclusions drawn from this study raise significant questions about the potential of sport mega-events being effectively used for public diplomacy and the experience of the host governments, revealing functional competence as having the greatest potential to influence public diplomacy strategy built around hosting sport mega-events.

Cette thèse examine la gestion du risque lors des Méga-Evénements Sportifs (SME). Elle prend en compte à la fois des concepts théoriques, de la configuration de gouvernance pour en étudier les impacts mais aussi des débats suscités lors de ces manifestations. Les éléments d’organisation sont analysés sous un angle critique, permettant de mieux saisir la structure de la configuration et le fonctionnement qui en découle : les forces de sécurité en présence, les interdépendances, forces et tensions qui définissent les rapports entre les acteurs. Nous questionnons ces dimensions du point de vue de la surveillance et du contrôle social. Notre projet de démonstration s’articule en deux temps : dans un premier temps par l’élaboration d’un cadre théorique et des possibilités de transfert de modèles dans le cadre des événements sportifs pour tenter dans un second de valider ces tendances de gestion au travers d’un cas empirique : la Coupe du Monde de Football 2006. Les objectifs poursuivis se décomposent en une double question : en quoi les SME sont révélateurs des politiques de sécurité instaurées dans le cadre de Méga-Evénements culturels politiques et socio-économiques au regard de la gestion de la sécurité mais également en quoi les SME peuvent-ils être mobilisés pour infléchir les politiques de sécurité nationale. L’exemple allemand nous sert de support pour envisager les évolutions possibles des systèmes de sécurité suite à l’organisation d’une manifestation de ce type.Notre démonstration met en avant la démarche d’élaboration de projets de sécurité des SME à partir d’une identification de risques construits par les gestionnaires de la sécurité jusqu’à la mise en place de dispositifs de sécurité et aux conséquences de ceux-ci à différents niveaux. Toutes ces étapes sont analysées au regard du triangle sécurité, menace et liberté.La Coupe du Monde 2006 est une illustration des tensions existant dans la gestion de la sécurité des SME : à la fois support d’application et de progrès des mécanismes de sécurité utilisés hors du domaine sportif, elle soulève également des débats quant aux conséquences des décisions politiques sur les libertés individuelles découlant des évolutions. En dépit d’une réussite apparente, nous examinons les dimensions de l’organisation de la sécurité lors de la Coupe du Monde 2006 et abordons les problématiques posées. / This dissertation addresses the issue of risk management during Sports Mega Events (SME). It deals with the theoretical concepts of configuration and that of governance, and addresses the discussions and impact surrounding these sports events. Organizational aspects are analyzed from a critical angle, making for a better understanding of the equation: security forces, interdependencies, power relations and tensions between the elements that come into play. These dimensions are questioned from the point of view of surveillance and that of social control.This dissertation falls into two parts: first, I develop a theoretical framework and assess the transferability of models in the context of sporting events. I then study the empirical case of the 2006 Football World Cup. How were security policies introduced as part of Mega-Events cultural and social economic policies? Additionally, how were SMEs mobilized to influence national security policies? The German case may lead to future changes in security systems for the organization of this type of event.This study highlights the process of developing safety initiatives during SMEs: from identification of risk as constructed by security managers to the implementation of safety devices and its consequences. These stages are discussed in relation to the security threat and freedom triangle.The World Cup of 2006 is an illustration of the tensions in managing the security of SMEs. Methods which are traditionally used in other realms were applied in the sporting context of this World Cup raise a number of issues, notably the consequences security policies may have on individual freedoms. Despite the apparent success of the World Cup, this study examines the question of security organization and discusses the issues raised.

Increased international competitiveness to host sport mega-events indicates their perceived value in stimulating regional and national economic, social and cultural development. In the context of broader governmental public opinion management strategies, sport mega-events hold the potential to mobilize soft power resources of the host country, expressed in values, culture and policies, and engage with and influence the publics of other countries. This thesis investigates the significance of sport mega-events for the host country’s public diplomacy strategies and practice by exploring the concepts of public diplomacy, sport mega-events, soft power and national image within a multi-disciplinary conceptual framework. The analysis of scholarly literature, official and media reports reveals how aspects of reputation, credibility, and legitimacy guide both foreign public opinion and the practice of public diplomacy in conjunction with sport mega-events. Moreover, international reputation of the host nation, including status, prestige and image, appeared to benefit the most as a result of strategic application of sport mega-events to public diplomacy. This can be achieved by proving functional reputation though demonstration of financial and organizational success. Alternatively, social reputation of the host is at risk of sustaining considerable damage as a result of resistance from social activists groups, thus requiring extensive damage control efforts of the host country's image. The conclusions drawn from this study raise significant questions about the potential of sport mega-events being effectively used for public diplomacy and the experience of the host governments, revealing functional competence as having the greatest potential to influence public diplomacy strategy built around hosting sport mega-events.

From an analysis of the literature it is apparent that there has been no concerted effort to date to undertake a coherent and integrated assessment of the application of e-marketing in sport mega-events. A strategic evaluation of the e-marketing initiatives implemented since 2000 during national and international mega events, indicates that e-marketing, in most instances, took place in a limited and fragmented manner. However a further analysis of these case studies provides valuable perspectives and lessons that could inform the research process related to e-marketing during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World CupTM. Against this background each of the selected sport mega-events since 2000 was investigated in terms of how e-marketing technology was used in the particular event, the e-marketing challenges experienced, the key e-marketing lessons learnt and the apparent e-marketing critical success factors related to these events. The theoretical context and the lessons learnt from previous mega-event case studies provided the background and frame of reference for the empirical research into the use of e-marketing during the 2010 Soccer World CupTM. The key envisaged outcome was to theoretically develop an e-marketing framework that can serve as a guideline to fully optimise e-marketing in future sports mega-events. The research findings were presented and the 16 critical e-marketing success factors (CSFs) that may contribute to the success of sport mega-events were identified. Specific conclusions were made based on the results obtained and specific actions were recommended for future additional research in the sport mega-events field. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2013 / Tourism Management / PhD / Unrestricted

Increased international competitiveness to host sport mega-events indicates their perceived value in stimulating regional and national economic, social and cultural development. In the context of broader governmental public opinion management strategies, sport mega-events hold the potential to mobilize soft power resources of the host country, expressed in values, culture and policies, and engage with and influence the publics of other countries. This thesis investigates the significance of sport mega-events for the host country’s public diplomacy strategies and practice by exploring the concepts of public diplomacy, sport mega-events, soft power and national image within a multi-disciplinary conceptual framework. The analysis of scholarly literature, official and media reports reveals how aspects of reputation, credibility, and legitimacy guide both foreign public opinion and the practice of public diplomacy in conjunction with sport mega-events. Moreover, international reputation of the host nation, including status, prestige and image, appeared to benefit the most as a result of strategic application of sport mega-events to public diplomacy. This can be achieved by proving functional reputation though demonstration of financial and organizational success. Alternatively, social reputation of the host is at risk of sustaining considerable damage as a result of resistance from social activists groups, thus requiring extensive damage control efforts of the host country's image. The conclusions drawn from this study raise significant questions about the potential of sport mega-events being effectively used for public diplomacy and the experience of the host governments, revealing functional competence as having the greatest potential to influence public diplomacy strategy built around hosting sport mega-events.

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