Pest Analysis and Impacts of the Olympic Games 2012 on London

INTRODUCTION

The Olympic Games begun at Olympia in Greece in 776 BC. The Greek calendar was based on the Olympiad, the four-year period between games. The games were staged in the wooded valley of Olympia in Elis. Here the Greeks erected statues and built temples in a grove dedicated to Zeus, supreme among the gods. The victors of these early games were crowned with wreaths from a sacred olive tree that grew behind the temple of Zeus. According to tradition, this tree was planted by Hercules, founder of the games. The winners marched around the grove to the accompaniment of a flute while admirers chanted songs written by a prominent poet (Jennifer Rosenberg, 2005) The modern Olympic Games are named for athletic contests held in ancient Greece for almost twelve centuries. They were banned in 394 AD but were revived and made international in 1896. The Winter Games were added in 1924. World War I and World War II forced cancellation of the Olympics in 1916, 1940 and 1944, but they resumed in 1948 and now they are held every four years. The founder of the modern Olympic games was Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who wanted to continue the tradition of people around the world meeting and competing in a civil manner (Ollie Williams, 2011).

THE OLYMPICS AS AN EVENT

The Olympics is a truly global mega event (Justin Goulding, 2011). The event can be divided into three main periods: the bid process or pre-event, the organization period and the legacy of the Olympics or post-event.

An Olympic bid is a difficult and uncertain undertaking. The way in which an Olympic bid bearing the city’s name in undertaken can reveal a great deal about who the crucial political players are in a city and how policy initiatives are undertaken. The goals of the Olympic bid are: providing a global stage, gaining tourism revenues, enchanting city’s position in history and contemporary society, promoting image of world class tourist and conference city, redevelop downtown and providing benefits to the city’s residents. The IOC (International Olympic Committee) is an international corporation based in Lausanne and it is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement. There is a meeting once a year and its role is organizing the Games, promoting Olympics through the world, supporting ethics, spirit of fair play and fighting against doping in sport (Elizabeth Hudson, 2005). The 6th of July marked a very important achievement for London. The IOC awarded the city of London the right to stage the 2012 summer Olympics after fighting off fierce competition (Justin Goulding, 2011). The bid for the Games has always had loud political undertones that were obvious during the bidding process. Some of the arguments raised included the benefits and negative effects hosting the Games could bring.

Organizing the Olympics is more than a complex logistical task: it forces concrete decisions