Test Events As Risk Management Tools in the Context of the Olympic Movement's Agenda 2020

Abstract

With the advent of the Olympic Movement's Agenda 2020, the purpose of this article was to explore the role of test events (TEs) as risk management tools by: 1) evaluating how TEs support the preparation and staging the Olympic (Winter) Games; and 2) assessing the feasibility of reducing their cost and scale without increasing the risks associated with hosting the Games. Based on documents and interviews, results revealed TEs reduce risk, as they permit relevant stakeholders to get hands-on experience. Besides reducing risk, TEs enhance collective knowledge and foster teambuilding as well as readiness and operationalization. Three additional TE-specific risk issue categories emerged: (1) overproportioning (e.g., overscoping); (2) readiness (e.g., ability to successfully deliver on time); and (3) knowledge. This study demonstrates it is possible to have a lower cost and scale TE program without increasing risk, but this depends on (1) the organizers' sport event hosting experience, and (2) a solid, contextualized TE strategy. To reduce risk within TEs themselves, findings indicate organizers use a knowledge feedback loop, financing, and partnerships. Finally, we provide TE-related recommendations to assist Olympic stakeholders in anticipating, measuring, and mitigating risks associated with preparing and hosting Olympic (Winter) Games.