September 28, 2005

Cutting Costs vs Winning Votes

Yesterday IOC president Jacques Rogge instructed the seven cities bidding to host the 2014 winter Olympics to keep costs down by concentrating on the essential requirements of the bid. In other words, cut the fat from your proposal, and maybe you won't bankrupt yourselves.

Good idea. Of course, to actually win the right to host the 2014 winter Olympics, the seven host cities have to impress more IOC members than everybody else, and I doubt that a restrained and cost-efficient bid is the best way to win the IOC's collective heart.

The current bid process is essentially a popularity contest, with the winner selected by majority vote of the 100+ IOC members. Until most of those voters take Rogge's suggestion to heart, and make their selection on the basis of the "essential" requirements, there's little point in preaching restraint to the bidders.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.