What future organisers should learn from the UCI Cycling World Championships…
The UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016 is over and residents of the Pearl Qatar are heaving a huge sigh of relief. Some of them are even thinking of it all as a very bad dream.
I was at the Pearl Qatar several times to watch the events. Although it sounded like a great event on paper, several factors made it unlikeable.
Here are some of my observations, which I feel can help future organisers when it comes to hosting mega events.
1. Better use of media/social media to publicise everything about the event
Just a week before competition, not many people in Qatar knew that something of this magnitude was going to happen. Better use of local and social media could have prepared them better for it.
Being an outdoor event, regular traffic updates in the lead-up to the event was super important, but somehow ignored. This created a lot of problems.
2. Take residents of the area into confidence
I have several friends living at the Pearl Qatar. The biggest complaint I heard from them was that they had no idea when roads would be open and shut. Things became worse when the roads were shut unannounced on at least two occasions. This threw a spanner in the lives of residents and it led to resentment.
If your sporting event is going to disrupt life of the public, it’s always better to meet with them regularly and take them into confidence. This can prevent heartburns and add to the overall experience.
3. The climate factor
The event took place at least a month later than normal, but the climate was still not ideal for the cyclists to race. Most of them were exhausted and pictures of cyclists lying flat on the road were not what the organisers were hoping for.
Unlike many previous events Qatar has hosted, this was an outdoor competition. More care should have been taken to pick an ideal time for it.
This is not the last mega competition Qatar is going to organise. The Athletics world championships in 2019 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup will follow the 2018 gymnastics world championships.
It always pays to have advance preparation and dialogue with the people who will be affected. It will go a long way in creating more goodwill for your competition.
Is there anything else you would like to add? Let me know in the comments below.
Even the volunteering system is messed up. Didn't hear any feedback from them until on the day itself. Do they expect volunteers to be available on an extremely short notice?
Britexpat, you are perfectly correct. The organizers and participants were bemoaning the lack of spectators. I'm sure all the local cycle club members were there, but for the average Joe (or Jill) it's a pretty "meh" sport.
Couple this with ridiculous road closures for hours on end meaning you couldn't get to the action, and if you got there in good time, you were pretty much stuck there till the roads reopened.
PPPPPP
I have watched the Tour de France and cycling in the UK. Yes, citizens get inconvenienced, but it is only for the short term. Qatar, rightly wants to be seen to be promoting sport and health. However, in this instance, it clearly highlights that care needs to be taken to select the sport. Cycling has very little or no following in Qatar.. It is a lesson learned – I hope!
Now Beach Volleyball (females), or the Indian sport of Kabaadi would attract major crowds :O)
Let's call it a disaster. And we are expecting more of these from the amateurs in Qatar.