Sports Event
Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Date:
The primary goal of the event
This soccer tournament aims to provide an opportunity for a multicultural approach to sports to celebrate the beauty embedded in every multicultural society by providing every culture with a voice. Combining different factors will reinforce the usefulness of sports as a uniting factor towards building community by sharing love and facilitating coexistence.
Secondary objectives
Promotion
The event’s objective is to establish a legacy that informs the celebrates multiculturalism and the beauty of diversity in the modern world. A combination of social media and traditional promotion strategies will be essential in promoting this event and increase its impact in the market. According to Kylasov & Gureeva (2017), sports promotions must always consider all aspects of the event, including promoting other products associated with the main sporting event. As such, the reliance on social media presents a refreshing approach to establishing the promotion for this event. The choice of advertising must consider all aspects of the event as these will determine the effectiveness of the given promotional strategies.
One of the promotion strategies involves the manipulation of social media platforms to enhance the reach of these promotional efforts. The event will run on a catchy phrase that should be appealing to sports lovers of all ages. The riding principle is that the games are ideal for spending time and getting to bond with loved ones. The message will be accompanied by vivid pictures of players adorning different uniforms used during the event. The goal is to make the event seem as appealing to the audiences as expected. Somerville et al. (2019) note that social media is embedded in its ability to connect different groups and provide a fast platform for communication and sharing information; social media is also cheaper to use compared to other strategies which will incur additional costs.
Traditional promotions such as posters and raffle tickets will also be considered in marketing this event. Sharing posters and banners around the city will provide additional emphasis on the event, especially for the locals. The posters must also recognize the potential impact of the event on the town. For instance, there is a need to include some of the city’s major attractions as part of the factors that influenced the choice of venue and the beauty of the local populations. Somerville et al. (2019) discuss that traditional forms of marketing still present viable alternatives, especially in reaching the community’s different members. The posters can also feature some of the event’s major sponsors as a means of increasing the attention that the event draws.
Audience
The event organizers target the youths, middle-aged members of the society as well as the older generation. The consideration of a broader audience presents an ideal opportunity to address some of the significant cultural stereotypes that have fueled racism among other cultural challenges in modern society. While local teams could mainly attend the event, the audience’s implication is an essential factor, especially in consideration of the event from a global perspective. Soccer is one of the games that attract wider audiences and has significant viewership across the globe. As such, by televising this event, the event will send an essential message to different communities on the benefits of racial integration and cohesion. The older generation’s inclusion is to address the deeply entrenched racial biases that punctuated the previous communities. While racism still exists in modern society, its impact has significantly reduced compared to the older generation who experienced the brunt of overt racism (Johnson, 2020). Therefore, this event’s objective is to provide an opportunity for a multiethnic audience interaction that would eradicate some of the racial stereotypes that have affected the integration of different societies.
Partnership
The sports event is organized in partnership with some of the major companies in the technology industry. For instance, Sony and Huawei are among the two leading sponsors of the event, together with Coca-Cola and Target. The goals of partnering with these companies are to find some of the major brands and use their influence to spread the theme of the event. Coca-Cola, Huawei, Sony, and Target are companies that have a large following across the globe. Their involvement in this event will be an additional marketing platform that will also facilitate the spread of the message of love across different regions. Coca-Cola, Huawei, and Sony are global brands, and as such, all loyal customers of these companies will resonate more with the theme of this event courtesy of their favorite brands. Therefore, the objective is to formulate partnerships that will consistently deliver the multicultural message to other societies apart from Portland.
Environment
The event’s objective is to give the attendees an unrivaled experience that celebrates sports and involves cultural interactions that have not been seen in other circumstances. For instance, around the arena, various platforms will highlight artifacts from different cultures from the world. Learning about other cultures will enhance the attendees’ cultural competence, allowing them to recognize the beauty in other cultures outside their own. There will be entertainment sampled from different cultures during the break, especially from the minority groups living in America. The sense of appreciation that comes with such indulgence will help drive the agenda of the event. Additionally, the event’s goals will be to convince fans that there is more to sports than watching people battle it out in the field. For instance, there will be lotteries from tickets to different countries for lucky fans. These will be provided to grant the fans to win trips to some countries from where some immigrants have come.
Revenue
The revenue will mainly come from the ticket sales and the sponsorship deals from the three mina companies. The balance of numbers will be integral in determining the revenue collected from the ticket sales. For instance, lower ticket prices will mean more attendance, hence increasing the probability of additional merchandise sales during the event. Higher ticket prices may lead to low turnout. The ticket process will act as incentives to increase the number of fans attending the event. More revenue will be realized from merchandise sales and TV deals. Television stations will have to purchase the rights to air the event. Although the cost would be considerably lower than other televised events, the revenue will still be substantial. The revenues from the event will be divided across different departments, including the police, towards restoring the social fabric of Portland by addressing the inequalities leading to racism.
Geographical location
The event will be hosted in Portland, which is one of the most sports-oriented cities in America. Portland has hosted various games, including soccer, basketball, and hockey (Guest & Luijten, 2018). The history of sporting activities highlights the city’s vital elements and its ability to accommodate the high numbers associated with sporting events. The city is also home to two major soccer teams playing different leagues in the United States (Quinton, 2020). It is essential to recognize the amount of support these teams have from the city administration and the local governments. It is also important to note the number of sports lovers found in Portland. The city has previously hosted various games, and the turnout of the fans has always remained satisfactory. Quinton (2020) notes that statistics indicate an upward trend in the attendance of sporting activities among the local communities. These are essential determiners underlying the choice of Portland as the location for this event.
Portland is also home to different communities. A combination of white, African Americans, Hispanics, and Latinos are found in the city. The mixed population provides the ideal recipe for the message embedded in the theme for this event. Guest & Luijten (2018) note that any event’s effectiveness is captured in its ability to share messages that are in line with the need of the community. Portland is thus an ideal location for this event as it has the diversity necessary for creating the multicultural approach that forms the framework of this event. Community studies also indicate that the ability to integrate diversity and cohesion is hinged on the appreciation of the differences that define each group in society (Harris & Jedlicka, 2020). According to Smith (2017), Portland’s composition consists of 76.1 % whites, non-Hispanic whites making 72%, African Americans representing 6.3% of the total population, Hispanics 94%, and Asians being about 7.1%. Therefore, cultural diversity in the city necessitates the need to host an event that celebrates multicultural diversity.
The planning for this event will consider the elements of the local administration. The planning and development department and the social departments of Portland city are vital in the event’s planning processes. Harris & Jedlicka (2020) note that transport arrangements, accommodation, and health departments are crucial factors that will influence the planning process’s efficiency. We will involve the city authorities in developing a plan that will enhance the management of the event’s different aspects. The Portland city authorities are also expected to provide the requisite support in security planning for both visiting teams, fans, and the local teams. Security remains one of the vital elements that dictate the aspects of event planning and organization (Masys, 2020). Providence Park is accessible from various sides. The park has different gates that could be used in the event of emergencies. The City authorities have a better understanding of the local areas, and as such, their involvement is pivotal in this event’s success.
Role of the host city and benefits to the host city
The host city’s role is to provide the different facilities that will support the organization and execution of this event. From the stadium to the support facilities, including hotels and other accommodation services that will cater to the visiting teams and the locals who will prefer to stay around the stadium. The city, therefore, plays a fundamental role in supporting the organization of this event. The city will also provide a new experience which will involve aspects of the local cuisine and breweries, which are important cultural markers for all locals. Places such as Widmer Brewing company, Bridgeport, and Hair of the Dog are among the influential areas that will provide different experiences that will enhance the overall experience of all visitors and local attendees (Marotta et al., 2016).
The event will provide a platform for engaging in discourses that reinforce the usefulness of cultural cohesion and coexistence. Racism and discrimination are cited by Dressel (2018) among the most divisive elements that have affected various societies. Therefore, the organization of this event that facilitates the bridging of racial bridges in Portland and this will enhance the level of coexistence in the city. Additionally, one of the significant issues in Portland is the increased crime and racketeering activities that have often affected the city (Dressel, 2018). In response, as part of the proceeds from this event, we will plan for campaigns and awareness drives that will focus on changing the tunes in Portland regarding the levels of crime and other elements. Part of the proceeds will be used to support the security measures established in the city to mitigate the effects of these illicit activities.
Further, the city will also benefit from the increased patronage that will boost the revenues from the local hotels, eateries and recreation centres. The cultural cohesion that will emerge from this event will also contribute to the development of the social fabric of the city towards maintaining a multicultural approach based on the shared love for sports. Johnson (2020) notes that the influence of any event is determined by the cumulative impact that it has on the society within which the event is hosted. Addressing the salient issues affecting the Portland population will highlight the necessity of this event to the local community. For instance, racism remains a significant issue affecting the Portland population and as such, mitigating and supporting the efforts to eradicate racism forms the central pillar of this event and the fundamental benefit to the city of Portland.
The venue: Providence Park
The venue for this sports event will be the Providence Park which is the home of the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns FC. the stadium has a capacity of 25,200 spectators in the stands. The choice of providence Park is mainly based on its capacity, which is neither too large nor too small. Studies by Bankston (2019) indicate that the planning process for sports events must always consider the ability of the venue to accommodate all the attendees comfortably. Therefore, Providence Park remains a critical element of the planning process for this event. Further, the park has been home to some of the significant games hence its ability to host this two-day event. For instance, the stadium hosted 2003, FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2015 NWSL Championship Game (Bankston, 2019). All these are events that attracted a mammoth crowd to the stadium and going by the success of previous mega-events at the park. There is a need to consider this stadium as the ideal location for this event as well. Also, there is a historical perspective in the choice of Providence Park. It remains the oldest soccer-specific stadium in the United States that also has a lot of history with the US national soccer team (Bankston, 2019). Considering the theme of this event, the historical links between the stadium and the event communicates a form of cohesion and unity of purpose.
Notably, Providence Park is considered an outdoor arena that is owned and managed by the City of Portland. It is essential to consider issues of accessibility as the leading factor in the choice of this park as well. For instance, the park is served both by the Interstate 405 freeway and the Providence Parks MAX Light Rail station that is also just outside the stadium (Bankston, 2019). Therefore, it is easier for an individual to access the stadium either by rail or by road. Studies by Bunton et al. (2017) indicate the choice of venue must establish convenience in terms of the ease of access, availability of means of reaching the venue and supporting infrastructures. These are vital factors that defined the choice of Providence Park as the venue for the event.
As a home of the two major teams in Portland, the stadium, is also in good condition for use. The conditions, in this case, refer to the state of the pitch, the broadcasting stands and other related elements that would support the airing of the planned event. The stadium enjoys regular use, and as such, its facilities are well-maintained and ready for use. Bunton et al. (2017) note that organizing events necessitates the establishment of vital structures such as cameras and other elements. A comparison between a regularly used stadium and one that is rarely used will reinforce the preference for Providence Park. It is also important to note the loyalty that most local folks have for this stadium as it houses two of the major teams from the city. As such, it would make it easier to attract people to the stadium.
Additionally, the stadium has also previously hosted various concerts which are a further testament of its relevance for this event. Considering that there will be entertainment segments, especially in the evenings of the event, the stadium provides a perfect venue that would support the shift from sports to entertainment. The choice of venue is reinforced by its ability to act as a multipurpose facility hence reducing the need to move (Bunton et al., 2017) continually. This argument is integral in determining the reasons for settling on Providence Park as the venue for this event.
The recent developments at the park have also been instrumental in the choice of the park as the ideal choice. For instance, the newly built east-side stand has three levels which are strategically positioned to give the fans a maximum sightliness that enhances their view of the grounds (Bankston, 2019). The new design of the roof, enclosing the stadium, provides a beautiful acoustic effect to the fans, especially those cheering the different teams on the field. Providence Park thus offers an array of experiences that are integral in providing the attendees with a once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching and enjoying games at the park.
Mitigating weaknesses
One of the significant weakness of the choice of the venue is the open arena design of the providence park. The open design could become a considerable challenge, especially in the event of rains and other weather factors. The design of the stadium only considers the ideal situation for games minus the rains and the other challenges. However, there is a need to consider the different cultural platforms that will feature cultural artifacts, especially if there are rains. However, the mitigation of this involves the erection of tents outside the arena to house the different displays. The displays featuring aspects of the different cultures and merchandise will be placed in tents to prevent possible damages in the event of rains and other changes in the weather.
Another weakness is the location of hotels and accommodation centers in the city. Most of the hotels are located a distance away from the stadium, and as such, there is a need to find strategies of accommodation that will suit both the local and visiting team in the city. The solution involves the hiring of buses that will transport the teams to the hotels and also encourage the nearby hotels to give preference to the visiting teams to limit transportation. Also, the planning process will seek volunteer guides who will be assigned to individual teams to help with their navigation of the city for the duration of their stay. These volunteers will be randomly selected from a pool of local university students to facilitate the movement of teams around the city.
References
Bankston, J. (2019). Portland Timbers. Mitchell Lane.
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Smith, O. (2017). Commute well-being differences by mode: Evidence from Portland, Oregon, USA. Journal of Transport & Health, 4, 246-254.
Somerville, I., Mitchell, D., & Hargie, O. (2019). SPORTS PROMOTION AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF ‘IRISH’IDENTITY. Public Relations, Society and the Generative Power of History.