ADD2301 Major Sports Events Review – Consultancy

Following the success of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the GLA began a new role coordinating the city’s approach to hosting major sports events in London. Working in partnership with key partners and agencies, the aim was to ensure that London continued to play host to major sports events in the years following the Games, and to cement the city’s position as the world’s leading destination for sports events.

The GLA’s approach to hosting major sports events was established in July 2014 through the publication of its first major sports events framework ‘London: Home of World Class Sport’.

The framework identified the areas of support that the city could provide to event owners, national governing bodies of sport (NGBs) or international sports federations (IFs) wishing to bid to bring events to London. It also set out the three criteria that the GLA would use to assess applications for support: economic benefit; international exposure; and community engagement. City support for events was broken down into the following categories:

• Political support
• Financial support
• Venue support
• City activations
• Marketing and promotional support
• Accommodation support
• Community engagement support

The framework was endorsed by the following partners:

• London & Partners
• London Legacy Development Corporation
• Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
• Transport for London
• Metropolitan Police
• The Royal Parks

The approach has been well received, allowing IFs, NGBs and event owners to direct enquiries and applications for city support through one central body, with support provided from a range of city partners and agencies; our role in doing so is now well established.

With over four years’ experience of implementing ‘London: Home of World Class Sport’ to learn from, and with significant changes to the sporting and political landscape having occurred in the intervening period, a review of the framework is now required to ensure it remains relevant, resonates with our partners, and sets direction for future hosting aspirations. The Mayor’s Draft Sport Strategy states that this review is due to take place.

The process of the review is broken down into three key strands:

• Stakeholder consultation – liaison with key partners and agencies with a stake in major sports events in London.
• GLA policy consultation – liaison with GLA policy leads to ensure alignment with wider corporate and Mayoral policy directives.
• Global events review – procured piece of work to map out a global list of sports events, including event characteristics, audiences, reach, economic impact, costs etc.

Recommendations will be drawn from the above and made to the Mayor for approval and implementation.

This decision pertains specifically to the third strand of the wider framework review. In view of L&P’s expertise and wider event prospecting interests (including cultural and community events), it will lead this strand of the review with the GLA contributing towards its costs.

This work will contribute towards the wider objective, as stated in the Mayor’s Draft Sport Strategy, to evaluate the Major Sports Events Framework to ensure it reflects the Mayor’s priorities and stays relevant to the needs of London and Londoners.

The objectives of the wider review are to deliver:

• An updated public-facing framework document, to replace ‘London: Home of World Class Sport’.
• Clarity on the GLA’s policy position across a broad spectrum of issues that interface with major sports events (e.g. environment, food, equality and diversity etc.)
• An updated set of criteria for assessing applications for the GLA to support major sports events.
• A target list of events that the GLA could be interested in bringing to London*

The public sector equality duty requires the identification and evaluation of the likely potential impacts, both positive and negative, under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the “Equality Act”) as public authorities, the Mayor and the GLA must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act comprise age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status.

Due to the nature of this proposed decision, no effects, positive or negative, are foreseen on persons with a protected characteristic as defined under the Equality Act.

Risks

Links to Mayoral Strategies & Priorities

This work is directly aligned to the Mayor’s Draft Sport Strategy and will support the Mayor’s Manifesto commitment to “Build on the city’s success in hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by bidding for similar global sporting…events to come to London.”

Impact Assessments and Consultations

The Mayor's Sport Strategy was subject to a full public consultation between 20^th July and 12th October 2018. The Strategy was made available for consultation with key stakeholders and partners and was subject to a full equalities impact assessment

The expenditure of up to £20,000 towards the appointment of a research consultant, will be funded from the 2018-19 Major Sports Events Programme budget with the Team London and Sport Unit.