Barcelona in the face of globalization, how to think of the city through the organization and evaluation of major events?

TL;DR

This paper explores how to evaluate the societal, cultural, and economic impacts of major mega-events like Olympics and exhibitions, using Barcelona's history as a case study, emphasizing sustainability and urban planning.

Contribution

It proposes a comprehensive framework for assessing the multifaceted impacts of mega-events on cities, integrating economic, social, and sustainability considerations.

Findings

Major events significantly influence urban development and tourism.

Evaluation of events should consider pre, during, and post phases.

Sustainable development and CSR are crucial for future event planning.

Abstract

The event questions men whether it is political, cultural or touristic. It has its own meaning as it starts something while showing a will, a new possibility to create, to meet and to surprise. The event is in fact an "advent that reaches everything" generally integrating itself into a long process or phase of the evolution of societies in terms of its societal structure. However, if the event exists, it is significant and therefore assessable. How to evaluate an Olympic Games or an international exhibition? Can we evaluate the before (from the statement of position, application file), the during (the course of the tourist, cultural or sporting event) and the after (the closing of the festival and its direct and indirect effects on society)? How then to evaluate all the dimensions of the event generally based on major tourist and urban planning operations? We will take as a field of study a city -- capital -- commercial port which has become a sort of archetype in the context of the organization of mega-events with a tourist vocation, such as the Universal or International Exhibitions and the Olympic Games, namely Barcelona and three very important dates for the Catalan capital: 1888, universal exhibition, 1929 universal and international exhibition, 1992 the modern Olympic Games and 2004 the Universal Forum of Cultures of Unesco, international exhibition. The economic interest of organizing an ephemeral giant event is still relevant and will be confirmed in the future with the role of Asian countries within the IOC and the BIE (Bureau international des expositions). The important thing is to develop a rational argument to communicate on the economic merits of the event. Sustainable development and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are predominant elements for ephemeral events that are intended to be sustainable over time for future generations.