Advisory Panel Report

BRINGING
THE
WORLD
TO
TORONTO
A Report from the Mayors Advisory Panel

on International Hosting Opportunities
MARCH 2016
PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES
Photo Credit: CBC, New Years Eve, Nathan Phillips Square, 2015.
BRINGING
THE
WORLD
TO
TORONTO
A Report from the Mayors Advisory Panel

on International Hosting Opportunities
MARCH 2016
FOREWORD
Toronto has a special place on the
world stage. It is an international
hub of creativity in performance
and visual arts, with among the
most active live performance and
exhibition scenes found anywhere.
Itistheeconomiccentreofaresilientand
dynamicnationaleconomy,characterized
byideasandbusinesseswithcrossborder
reachandglobalambitions.Therearefew,
ifany,globalcitieswithcomparablecultural
diversity.Torontoisaplacethatcountless
ethnoculturalcommunitiescallhome.And
weareoneofNorthAmericasgreatsports
towns,withextraordinaryhomegrowntalent
andstateoftheartfacilitiesservingbothhigh
performanceathletesandlocalneighbour
hoodsalike.
Letsacknowledgethosestrengthsatthe
outset.
Whenwetalkaboutinternationaleventhost
ingwerenotarguingthatTorontoneeds
anOlympicGames,WorldExpo,FIFAWorld
Cup,ArtBiennaleoranyoftheotherinterna
tionaldrawsinmusic,culture,tradeorsport.
Despitehavingthechallengesofanymajor
metropolis,Torontobothasacityandregion
isalreadyaworldclassplacetolive,work
andplay.
Wedontneedandshouldnotundertakein
senseofourselvesortoshowthatwebelong
asideLondon,TokyoorLosAngelesinthe
opinionofourglobalpeers.Nor,frankly,
shouldweuseitasthesoleexcusetobuild
vitalinfrastructurefortheresidentsandbusi
nessesthatcallTorontohome.Therearebet
terwaystosecurethoseinvestments.
Thatbeingsaid,thereissomethingspecial
aboutplayinghosttotheworldandcoming
togetherinamomentofcollectivecelebration
ofnationsandneighbourhoods.Thisisunder
stoodbyanyonewhoattendedtheTORONTO
2015PanAm/ParapanAmGameslastsum
mer,WorldPrideFestivalin2014orhasexpe
riencedtheCaribbeanFestival,theToronto
InternationalFilmFestival,orthemultitudeof
internationaleventsoccurringacrossToronto
hostingforaneighbourhood,acityanda
countrycanbepositiveandlonglasting.
AfterthesuccessoftheGameslastsummer,
wewerenotsurprisedbytheenthusiasmthat
many(thoughnotall)residentsintheregion
hadforapotential2024Olympicbid.Wealso
understandwhytheCitydecidednottopro
ceedwithabidthistimearound.Hostingan
eventliketheOlympicsisanationalundertak
inginvolvingallordersofgovernment,busi
nesses,civicorganizationsandcitizensfrom
acrosstheregionandbeyond.Quitesimply
therewasnotenoughtimeforallthework
thatneededtobedoneforabiddueearly
nextyear.
Instead,theMayoraskedTorontoniansto
pastyearandconsidertheirprioritiesand
expectationsforourcitysfuture.Heaskedus,
servingastheMayorsAdvisoryPanelonInter
nationalHosting,tospeakwithTorontonians
Photo Credit: OTMPC, Luminato, 2013.
andprovideadviceonhowandwheninterna
tionaleventsshouldbepursuedinthefuture.
Overthepastthreemonths,workingwithCity
staffandarangeofcommunitystakeholders,
thatiswhatwedid.
BringingtheWorldtoToronto,whichsumma
rizestheresultsofourwork.
Whatthisreportseekstodoisdetermine
whethertherearefutureinternationalhost
ingopportunitiesfortheCityandtheregion
toconsider(theshortanswerisyes),ifmajor
internationaleventscanbepursuedinaway
sponsiblymanagingcostsandrisks(yes,with
carefulmanagement)andhowtheCity,with
itspartners,shouldgoaboutpursuingfuture
hostingopportunities.
Wewanttothankallthecommunitystake
holdersandmembersofCouncilthatgave
generouslyoftheirtimetoengagewithusand
sharetheirthoughtsonourassignment.We
alsowanttothankthestaffteam,inparticular
ScottPenningtonandAmyAgulayintheCity
There is
something
special about
playing host
to the world
and coming
together in a
moment of
collective
celebration.
...
necessarytodeliverthisreport.
Welookforwardtoengagingwithyouasyou
considerourrecommendations.
Gord Nixon
Sevaun Palvetzian
Sad Rafi
ii
PANEL
ON INTERNATIONAL
HOSTING
OPPORTUNITIES
Photo
Credit:
Pride Toronto,
World
Pride Toronto Pride Parade, 2014.
Table of
CONTENTS
Foreword
Executive Summary
vi
1 Introduction
Background
Current Context
Mandate
The Report
1
1
2
2
3
2 What We Heard
3 International Hosting Opportunities & Strategies
4 Hosting Principles
1
2
3
4
5
Start from a Position of Strength

Optimize Toronto as a Host City and Region
Advance Key City Building Priorities
Responsibly Manage Hosting Costs, Resources and Risks
Generate Benefits and Legacies for All Torontonians
5 A Foundation for Successful Hosting:
14
15
17
18
19
21
24
The Panels Recommendations

Community Consultation List
30
There is much for

Toronto to consider
in pursuing future
international events.
Photo Credit: OTMPC, Toronto Skyline, 2012.
Executive
SUMMARY
Whether we are talking about

major international events such
as the WorldPride Festival in
2014, the TORONTO 2015 Pan
Am / Parapan Am Games or the
many festivals that draw hundreds
of thousands of visitors here each
year,Toronto has demonstrated
that it has the passion, talent and
assets to be a world class venue.
ButdoesthismeanthattheCityofToronto
anditspartnersshouldpursuemoreand
perhapslargerinternationaleventsin
thefuture?
Hostingmajorinternationaleventsan
OlympicGames,aWorldExpoorthemany
othereventsthatlinkglobalcommunitiesin
thearts,culture,trade,sportandinnovation
andregion.Theseeventscanactasdriversof
tourismandeconomicactivity;raiseacitys
andhealthobjectives;andbringtogethercom
munitiesinauniquemomentofcelebration
andengagement.Whenledbystronggovern
mentpartnershipandaresponsibleinvest
mentplan,eventhostingcanalsoaccelerate
meaningfulinvestmentsinhousing,transpor
tationandcivicinfrastructure.
Butplanningandhostingmajoreventsalso
ThereismuchforTorontotoconsiderinpursu
ingfutureinternationalevents.Therefore,as
aresponsetothepublicenthusiasmarising
fromtheTORONTO2015Gamesandtopro
videcarefulthoughttowardshostingcosts
MayorsAdvisoryPanelonInternationalHost
ingOpportunitieslastfall.TheMayorasked
us,themembersofthePanel,toconsultwith
membersofthepublicandreportbackwith
hostinginToronto.Ourreport,Bringingthe
WorldtoToronto,representstheresultof
thiswork.
vi
WHAT WE HEARD
Inengagingwithdozensofindividualsand
organizationsacrossToronto,aswellasCity
Councillors,weheardarangeofperspectives
oninternationaleventhostingwhichwere
thoughtful,honestandoftenpassionate.
Stakeholdersseethevalueandopportunityof
internationalevents,butwanttoensurethat
wedoittherightwayforToronto.
Obviously,therightwaymeansdifferent
thingstodifferentindividuals,buttherewere
somecommonthemesthatweheardand
whichguidedusinformingouradviceand
recommendationsinthisreport:
t )PTUJOHJOUFSOBUJPOBMFWFOUTOFFETUP
align with a citys long-term aspirations
and priorities
t )PTUJOHOFFETUPCFEPOFJOBSFTQPOTJCMF
accountable and cost-effective way
t 5IF$JUZNVTUCFBCMFUPTVQQPSUFWFOU
hosting without negatively impacting the
other services it provides
t 5IFDPNNVOJUZXBOUTUPCFFOHBHFEGSPN
the earliest stages of event planning
t *OUFSOBUJPOBMFWFOUTTIPVMEUFMMUIFTUPSZPG
who we are as a city and region
t *OUFSOBUJPOBMFWFOUTOFFEUPCFCVJMUPOB
forward-looking vision of the city
Photo Credit: OTMPC, Nuit Blanche, 2013.
INTERNATIONAL HOSTING
OPPORTUNITIES & STRATEGIES
Wealsospokewithstakeholdersaboutthe
typesofeventsthattheywanttoseeinToron
to.Thereissubstantialattentionandinterest
eventssuchtheOlympicGames,World
ExpositionFair(WorldExpo)andFIFAWorld
Cup.Torontocouldpotentiallybeagreat
hosttooneoftheseeventsifithastheright
infrastructureandresourcesinplaceanda
localcommunity.
Additionally,whilemegaeventsgeneratea
uniquelevelofexposureandexcitement,the
communityalsourgedustofocusattentionon
arangeofotherinternationaleventssuchas
majorartsandculturefestivals,athleticcham
pionships,conferencesfocusedontrade,
innovationandvariousglobalissuesand
othereventsthatbridgeglobalcommunities.
Thecumulativeimpactofhostingarangeof
theseeventsoveraperiodoftimemayactu
eventatamoremodestcost.Weprovidea
summaryofsomeoftheseglobalcommunity
eventsinthereport.
Photo Credit: OTMPC, TIFF, 2013.
vii
successthatwehavehadinseedingmajor
internationaleventsrighthereinToronto
theTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalbeing
themostwellknownexampleandtheCity
shouldcontinuetoworkwithotherpartners
todevelopastrategicapproachtofostering
andexpandingthesehomegrowninternational
successesinthefuture.
HOSTING PRINCIPLES
hostingopportunitiesthattheCityandits
partnersmaywanttoconsider,itwasnotour
roletodecidewhichoftheseevents,inpar
ticular,arerightforTorontorightnow.Those
decisionsproperlyrestwiththeelectedmem
bersofCityCouncilandthestaffresponsible
foradvisingthem.
PANELS RECOMMENDATIONS
Finally,weknowthattheseprincipleswill
meanlittleiftheyarenotsupportedbycon
certedactionsbytheCityanditspartnersto
givethemeffect.Assuchwehavemadewhat
recommendationsforactiontocreateasolid
foundationforinternationaleventhostingin
Torontoandthesurroundingregion.These
Whatwehaveprovidedinthisreportisafoun
dationfortheCityanditspartnerstoconsider
futurehostingopportunities.Wedescribea
professionalapproachtomajoreventhost
ingandevaluationthatisaccountabletothe
interestofallTorontonians.Basedonour
consultationsandevaluationofpasthosting
experiencesinTorontoandotherjurisdictions,
takenbytheCityasfollows:
1. Start from a Position of Strength
Recommendation 3:
The City identify dedicated resources for the
planning and evaluation of international events
2. Optimize Toronto as a Host City and Region

3. Advance Key City Building Priorities
4. Responsibly Manage Hosting Costs,
Resources and Risks
5. Generate Benefits and Legacies for
All Torontonians
Recommendation 1:
The City adopt hosting principles to evaluate
current event hosting opportunities
Recommendation 2:
The City adopt a long-term policy for hosting
major international events
Wehavealsodeliveredacalltoactionto
theProvinceofOntario,theGovernmentof
Canadaandothermunicipalitiesandagencies
inSouthernOntario.TheCitycannotunder
takethisendeavouronitsown.Wetherefore
recommendthat:
Recommendation 4:
The City, Province and other municipalities
and agencies establish a new hosting partnership and/or process so that the Toronto region
is competitive in pursuing international events
Recommendation 5:
All three orders of government commit to a
predictable approach to support international
events in Southern Ontario and other major
urban regions in Canada
Photo Credit: FIFA, Fifa World Cup, Brazil, 2014.
viii
1
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
Toronto is no stranger to hosting the world. Over the past 15

years, our city and region have
held some of the largest and most
memorable international events
in Canada World Youth Day in
2002, the SARS Benefit Concert
in 2003, the International Indian
Film Academy Awards in 2011,
WorldPride in 2014, the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am
Games and just weeks ago, the
NBA All Star Game.
Thisisinadditiontothehomegrownmajor
internationaleventsthatTorontohostseach
year,includingtheCaribbeanCarnivalandthe
TorontoInternationalFilmFestival.
InthewakeoftheGameslastsummer,a
manyhaveraisedthequestion:whatcomes
next?Torontohasclearlydemonstratedthat
ithasthepassion,talentandassetstobea
worldclassvenue.Butdoesthismeanthat
theCityanditspartnersshouldpursuemore
andperhapslargerinternationaleventsin
thefuture?
HostingmajorinternationaleventsanOlym
picGames,aWorldExpoorthemanyother
eventsthatlinkglobalcommunitiesinarts,
culture,trade,sportandinnovationcan
region.Theycanactasdriversoftourismand
economicactivity;strengthenacitysglobal
healthobjectives;andprovideauniquemo
mentofcelebrationandcivicengagement.
Andwhenledbystronggovernmentpart
nerships,eventhostingcanalsoaccelerate
meaningfulinvestmentsinhousing,transpor
tationandcivicinfrastructure.
Butplanningandhostingmajoreventsalso
involvessubstantialcosts,toughnegotia
tionsandpotentialtradeoffsforhostcities
andregions.Tomaximizethevalueofthese
eventstothepublic,wemustgiveattentionto
morethanjustthepotentialpositiveimpacts.
operational,securityandinfrastructurere
quirements.Wemusthaveafullunderstand
ingoftheriskstofundingpartners,residents,
andbusinessesandtheplansinplaceto
addressthem.
straint,hostinganevenmustcloselyalign
withkeystrategiccitybuildingprioritiesas
wellasthebroaderpublicpolicygoals.And
toensurethevalueoftheseinvestments,all
stakeholdersshouldbeattheplanningtable:
communityrepresentatives,businessesand
andexpensiveinternationaleventsOlympic
Games,FIFAWorldCupandExpoearlycom
mitmentfromtheprovincialandfederalgov
ernmentsismorethanjustanicetohave
itisessentialtoasuccessfulbid.
ThereismuchforTorontotoconsiderinpursu
ingfutureinternationalevents.Therefore,as
aresponsetothepublicenthusiasmarising
fromtheTORONTO2015Gamesandtopro
videcarefulthoughttowardshostingcosts
MayorsAdvisoryPanelonInternationalHost
ingOpportunitieslastfall.TheMayorasked
us,themembersofthePanel,togooutand
consultwithmembersofthepublicandreport
necessarycommitmentfromagovernment
partner(forthe2015WorldExpo).Through
theprinciplesandrecommendations,our
reportwillhelptheCityanditspartnerstoad
dressthesechallengesand,hopefully,profes
sionalizetheprocessformajoreventbidding
andhostinginTorontoandtheregion.
MANDATE
TheMayoraskedthePaneltoreportbackwith
recommendationsforastrategicapproachto
majoreventhostingthatcanguidethebidding
andhostingactivityoftheCityanditspartners
intothefuture.
eventhostinginToronto.Thereportyouhave
beforerepresentstheresultsofthiswork.
tionsthathewantedtohaveanswered:
CURRENT CONTEXT
1. What are the benefits and risks to

Toronto in bidding for and hosting
international events?
Thereisnoshortageofexperienceandex
pertisewithintheregionforplanningand
executingsuccessfulinternationalevents.But
whathasoftenbeenlackingisconsensusor
strategicdirectionforhow,whenandwhat
opportunitiesshouldbepursued.Whenthe
Cityanditspartnershavegivenconsideration
tohostinginternationaleventsinthepast,
thisworkhasmostlydoneinareactiveandad
hocfashion.Becausetheseeventsariseonly
periodically(andoftenunpredictably)there
hasnotbeenmuchreasontodevelopacon
sistent,methodicalapproachtoevaluationor
planningthatcarriesforwardfromoneevent
tothenext.
2. What key city-building objectives can

be served or advanced through pursuit
of international events?
3. What international events should Toronto
give consideration to hosting?
4. What needs to be done to ensure
Toronto can succeed in pursuing
international events?
Thesefourquestionshaveguidedourwork
andconsultationswithCouncillorsandcom
munitystakeholders.
Asaresult,majoreventplanninghasoften
tionandlimitedresolvefromallpartners.Its
notsurprisingthenthat,asweveseenwith
someunsuccessfulorunrealizedbidsinthe
past,theyfailedtocapturefullpublicsupport
(asinthecaseofthe2008Olympicbid)or
Photo Credit: OTMPC, Nuit Blanche, 2013.
Responsibly
managing costs and
risks, advancing key
city building priorities
and ensuring benefits
and legacies for all
Torontonians.
Photo Credit: OTMPC, AGO, 2012.
THE REPORT
recommendationsfromcountlesshoursof
workandmanyconsultationsconductedover
thepastmonths.Itisintendedtosupport
andinformtheMayorandCityCouncilintheir
considerationoffutureinternationalhosting
opportunities.
Inthefollowingsection,WhatWeHeard,we
describetheconsultationsweconductedwith
adiverserangeofstakeholdersandtheir
viewsonthetypesofeventsthatToronto
shouldpursue,andtheirexpectationsfor
howtheseeventscanbehostedtocreatethe
Insectionthree,weprovideahighlevelsum
maryoftheinternationaleventsthatarelikely
tobeunderconsiderationbytheCityoverthe
comingyears.Theseincludeeventsthatare
wellknownandhavepreviouslybeenconsid
eredbyCouncil(megaeventssuchasthe
OlympicGames,FIFAWorldCupandtheWorld
Expo),aswellasthoseeventswhichmayhave
someofthestrategicapproachestakenby
otherjurisdictionstoattractandpromotema
jorspecialevents.
3
MAYORS ADVISORY PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES
PrinciplestosupporttheCityanditspart
nersinevaluatinganddecidinghowtopursue
futurehostingopportunities.Theseprinciples
encompassarangeofconsiderationsthat
shouldbelookedatbeforecommittingany
bidorhostingopportunity.Theseprinciples
relatetokeyconsiderationsatthebidding
andconceptdevelopmentstage,positioning
Torontoasthebesthostcityandregionin
theworld,responsiblymanagingcostsand
risks,advancingkeycitybuildingprioritiesand
nians.Attheendofthesectionweprovidea
BiddingandHostingChecklisttosupportthe
Cityanditspartnerstoputtheseprinciples
opportunity.
asummaryofsomekeyactionsthattheCity
andotherpartnerscantaketocreateastrong
foundationtoproactivelypursuefuturehost
dationsrelatedtotheprinciplesinthisreport,
theneedforahostingpolicyanddedicated
resourcestosupportit,anewregionalpart
nershipandagreementamongallordersof
governmenttocreateapredictableapproach
tosupportingmajorinternationaleventsinthe
Torontoregionandbeyond.
2
What We
HEARD
Over the past few months, we
had the opportunity to engage
with a diverse cross-section of
Toronto and regional stakeholders.
Through a series of consultation
sessions, we heard from Torontonians about their interests, concerns and priorities when it comes
to hosting major events.
Wespokewithdozensofindividualsand
organizationsacrossToronto,includingcivic
organizations,socialagencies,culturalinstitu
tions,businessleaders,citybuildersandresi
dents,includingnewcomers.Wealsoreached
outandspokewithCityCouncilmembers
representingcommunitiesacrossToronto.
Asummaryofthoseinvolvedincommunity
consultationsisprovidedattheendof
thisreport.
Notunexpectedly,weheardadiversearrayof
viewsaboutTorontoasahostcity:fromthe
typesofeventsweshouldpursuewhether
relatedtocultureandthearts,sports,innova
tionandindustryortheenvironmenttothe
Toronto.Wearegratefulforthelevelofinter
estandinsightthatTorontoniansbroughtto
ourwork.(And,onceagain,wethankeveryone
thattookthetimeengagewithus.)
Whatweheardincommon,fromthemost
vocaleventboosterstothecritics,wasa
simple,consistentmessage:Yes,werecog
nizeTorontoisagreathostcity;yes,wewant
tocontinuetoinvitetheworldtoexperienceit;
but,wewanttoensurewedoittherightway
forToronto.
Obviouslytherightwaymeansdifferent
thingstodifferentstakeholders,butthere
weresomeconsistentthemesthatweheard.
Theseobservationsinformeverythingthat
followsinthisreport.
Hosting international events needs

to align with Torontos long-term
aspirations and priorities
Thiswasanexpectationthatweheardover
cantpublicresourcestohostinginternational
events,ifnewinfrastructureistobebuiltor
otherinvestmentsaregoingtobemade,they
mustservebroadercitybuildingaims,not
comeattheirexpense.
Weknowwhatourmostpressingpriorities
areintheregiontodaywhetheritishelping
peopleacrossthecitymovewithease,build
inginfrastructureorcreatingjobs,economic
growthandopportunityforalltheyhave
Councillorsandothercivicleaders.Andthere
arenoshortageofotherimportantissuesjust
waitingforaplatformlikeamajoreventtoat
tractnewexposure,investmentandsupport.
WeheardhowtheTORONTO2015Games
achievedbroadcityandregionbuildingaims
throughtheconstructionandupgradingof
muchneededsportinfrastructureandthe
creationofanewmixedincomecommunity
intheWestDonLands.Inthelattercase,the
communitydevelopmentplanshadlongbeen
intheworks;theGamessimplyprovideda
decadeearlierthanwouldhaveoccurredon
theirown.
Althoughcommunityrepresentativesrecog
nizethatinternationaleventhostingwillnot
beacureallforallourmajorcitybuilding
needs,theyexpectmajoreventstoleavea
Hosting needs to be done in a

responsible, accountable and
cost-effective way
Anotherexpectationthatweheardloudand
clearisthatnomatterhowgreattheopportu
nity,Torontoniansarenotpreparedtoengage
inabiddingprocessorcommittohostingan
internationaleventunlesstheyarecertain
thatitisbeingdoneinawaythatisrespon
sible,costeffectiveandaccountabletoTo
rontonians.Noneofthecommunitymembers
wespokewithwerepreparedtoissueablank
chequeforeventhosting.Andalthoughweare
preparedtoworkcooperativelywithinterna
tionalassociationsandrightsholders,Toron
toniansarenotpreparedtocompromisetheir
interestsorincurmajorcostsunlessthereis
awellcommunicatedandsupportedrationale
fordoingso.
The City must be able to support event

hosting without negatively impacting
the other services it provides
OneofthereasonstheTORONTO2015
Gameswerewidelyviewedinapositivelight
byTorontoresidentswasthefactthat,except
forsometraveldelaysonkeyGamesroutes,
theydidnotnegativelyimpactthequalityof
lifeordaytodayservicestoTorontonians.This
didnothappenbyaccident.Itwastheresult
ofyearsofdedicatedplanningandcoordi
natedfundingandoperationalpartnerships
betweendozensofdifferentorganizations.
Thestakeholdersthatwespokewithindicated
thatwhiletheyunderstandthateventhost
resourcescannotcomeattheexpenseof
normalservicesthatTorontoniansdependon.
waystodedicatetheadditionalsupportneces
sarytobeaneffectiveandresponsiblehost.
The community wants to be

engaged from the earliest stages
of event planning
Weheardthatifandwhenweinvitetheworld
toourcity,localresidents,businesses,orga
nizationsandinstitutionswanttobefrontand
centreintheplanningcommittee.
Thismeansrecognizingthesubstantialca
pacitiesthatalreadyexistwithinourregionfor
majorevents.Amajorinternationaleventwill
bethatmuchstrongerandlocallysupported
totheextentthatitengagesTorontoart
istsandproducersinculturalprogramming,
contractswithlocalproducersandsuppliers
forgoodsandservices,involveslocalhiring
practicesandskillstrainingopportunitiesfor
disadvantagedcommunities.
Italsomeansengagingwithlocalcommuni
tiesandorganizationsearlyandoftenwhen
developingthehostingconcept(i.e.,the
visionandplanforeventprogramming,opera
tionsandvenues).Intheviewofsomestake
holders,whilesuchengagementhasoccurred
andbeenwellmeaninginthepast,itoften
comestoolateintheplanningprocessto
considertoensuretheyareproperlyengaged.
Thesearenegotiatedagreementsbetween
proponents(suchasdevelopers)andcommu
nitybasedgroupstoensurethatinvestments
madeininfrastructureanddevelopment
activityprovideemploymentopportunitiesand
Wewerealsoremindedthateventsprovide
auniqueopportunityforcommunitybuilding
andresidentswanttobeinvolved.Thedegree
ofvolunteeractivityduringtheTORONTO2015
Gameswasremarkable23,000individuals
intotalwhowantednothingmorethanthe
opportunitytogainafewskillsbut,asim
portantly,beapartofsomethingbiggerthan
themselves.Theseopportunitiesshouldbea
centralpartoftheeventhostingconcept.
International events should tell

the story of who we are as a city
and a region
AsTorontoresidentsknow,weliveinone
oftheworldsgreatcities.Buttoooften,we
heard,theviewthatwehaveaboutTorontois
worldortheirunderstandingofwhatwehave
tooffer.Wemaybesurroundedbyspectacular
naturallandscape,butwearealsooneofthe
mostdiverselycosmopolitan,culturallyrich
urbanregionsintheworld.
Ifandwhenwehostmajorinternational
ingofTorontointheirprogramming,branding
andareasoffocus.Theyshouldhighlightour
profounddiversity,andthewaysinwhichthis
arrayofculturesinTorontocometogetherto
createaunique,cooperativebondofcommu
nity.Theyshouldfocusonourareasofcom
parativeadvantage:intermsofindustry(such
nology),culturalproductionandthecritical
massofinstitutionsthatalreadyexisthereto
formoneofthegreatculturecapitalsinNorth
America.Andtheyshouldhighlightalltheas
setsofourregion,fromthedowntowncoreto
thevibrantcommunitiesthatsurroundit.
International events need to be

built on a forward-looking vision
of the city
Whileweheardthatinternationalevents
shouldalignexistingcitybuildingplansfor
Toronto,stakeholderswerealsoquicktohigh
lightthevalueofaneventincreatingavision
ofthecity,notasitistodaybutasitcouldbe
inthefuture.
Whenaneventiswellmanagedandhasthe
supportofTorontonians,itcanbeusedasan
opportunitytodemonstratenewwaysofin
teractingwithourpublicspaces,newwaysof
gettingaroundtown,newwaysoftakingpart
inthecultureandlifeofthecity.
Thesenovelopportunitiescancomeabout
inbigwaysandsmall.Inthecaseofthe
TORONTO2015Games,wesawwhatcould
beachievedthroughtransitenhancements
howthishassparkedanewdiscussionabout
WealsosawhowtheGamesbreathednew
lifeintoNathanPhillipsSquarewithongoing,
iconicTORONTOsign.
Weshouldnotmisstheopportunitytouse
futureinternationaleventstobuildsupportfor
tiousforToronto.
3
International Hosting
OPPORTUNITIES
+ STRATEGIES
As a part of our mandate from
the Mayor, we were requested to
put together a short list of hosting
opportunities that the City should
consider over the next 10 years.
Weapproachedthistaskwithanopenmind.
Wewantedtohearfromthecommunityabout
whattheyconsideredasinternationalevents
andwhattheywereinterestedinpursuingin
thefuture.
Throughourengagementwithstakeholders
andexperts,weheardalotaboutthethree
eventsmostwellknowntoTorontonians
theOlympicGames(SummerandWinter),
WorldExpoandtheFIFAWorldCup.Butwe
alsoheardaboutdozensofglobalcommuni
tiesandorganizationsrelatedtothearts,
culture,trade,sportandinnovationandthe
internationaleventsthatbringthemtogether.
Althoughtheseglobalcommunityevents
GamesorWorldExpo,theycanalsoserveas
Inthissection,wesummarizetheseinterna
tionaleventsasa(very)shortlistforconsider
ationbytheCityanditspartners.
Attheendofthissectionweidentifysomeof
thewaysthatotherregionsarestrategically
positioningthemselvestobeinternational
eventhostsandsupportthegrowthofinterna
tionaleventsfromwithin.
7
MEGA EVENTS
typicallycommandglobalattentiontoadif
ferenthostjurisdictioneveryfouryearsorso.
Thelistofthesecyclicalmegaeventsisa
shortone:theSummerandWinterOlympic
Games,theFIFAWorldCupand,thoughithas
pastfewdecades,theWorldExpositionFair
(WorldExpo).Tothisgroup,somescholars
havealsoaddedmajorregionalsportevents
suchastheEuropeanFootballChampionship,
CommonwealthGames,AsianGamesandPan
Am/ParapanAmGames.
Althoughthereisanongoingdebateabout
tojustifythelevelofpublicinvestmentsre
quired,manycitiesandcountriesacrossthe
globecontinuetoseetheirvalueandaggres
sivelypursuethesehostingopportunities.
Overthepast10years,everyG8nationhas
bidonandhalfofthemhavehostedeither
aSummerorWinterOlympicGames.There
arereasonswhyToronto,aftercarefulcon
sideration,maywanttogiveconsiderationto
biddingonamegaeventrelatedtoglobalex
posure,infrastructureinvestmentandregional
economicimpacts.
Photo Credit: Dailymail U.K., Shanghai World Expo, 2010.
worldstage.ForaSummerOlympicGames,
itis3.6billionviewersacrossover220coun
triesandterritories.1FortheFIFAWorldCupit
is3.2billion2audiencereachandforthemost
recentWorldExpoinMilanitisroughly22mil
lionattendeesovera6monthperiodand149
participatingcountries.Therearenoother
internationaleventsthatcomesclosetothose
numbersorimpactintermsofmarketingand
exposureforahostjurisdiction.
Second,whiletherehavebeenexamplesof
extravagantorwastefulspendinginthepast,
andLondon2012OlympicGamesarewidely
theconstructionofnewtransportationand
civicinfrastructure,thedevelopmentofnew
neighbourhoodsandprecinctsandsports/rec
theconstructionoftwocriticaltransportation
projects(CanadaLineRapidTransitandsafety
improvementstotheSeatoSkyHighway)and
amuchneededupgradeandexpansiontothe
resultedintheregenerationoftheStratford
districtinEastLondon.Megaeventshavethe
abilitytouniquelycatalyzeandexpeditenew
investmentsinurbaninfrastructure.
Thechallengewithrespecttomegaevent
infrastructure isensuringthatallfacilities
receivingpublicfundinghavepublicvalue,
andthatgovernmentsavoidinvestmentsin
inoversizedorunderusedvenuesthatdonot
servethecommunityinthelongterm.Based
onrecentexamples,weknowthattohosta
SummerOlympicGamesahostjurisdiction
likelyneedsavenueseatingatleast80,000
to100,000forhighdemandeventssuchas
athleticsandceremonies.TohostWorldCup
tionrequiresvenuesseatingatleast60,000
to70,000.RogersCentre,Torontoslargest
spectatorvenue,currentlyhasamaximum
capacityof55,000.
Third,whileeconomicimpactsarehighlyde
pendentonthequalityofthehostingconcept
andrangeofotherfactors,thereisevidence
couver2010isestimatedtohavegenerated
between38,530and51,510jobsandsup
portedthecreationof1,500newbusinesses
inBritishColumbiaduringtheleaduptoand
duringtheGames.3InthecaseofLondon
2012,itwasestimatedthattheGameswill
haveadded28($44)billionto41($64)bil
lionand618,000to893,000yearsofemploy
menttotheregionaleconomyby2020.4
Butmegaeventsalsoinvolvesubstantial
coststohostjurisdictions.Whiletheymayin
volveasubstantialrevenuegenerationand/or
contributionoffundsfromthegoverningbody
(forexample,theInternationalOlympicCom
mitteeprovidesanoperatingsubsidyofovera
billiondollars),inallcases,theyalsorequire
substantialpubliccommitmentsofcapital
funding,operationalsupportandarangeof
services.
1www.olympic.org/Documents/IOC_Marketing/Broadcasting/London_2012_Global_%20
Broadcast_Report.pdf
2
32billionviewersonebillionwatched2745519.html
3
4www.gov.uk/government/publications/report5postgamesevaluationmetaevaluationof
theimpactsandlegacyofthelondon2012olympicandparalympicgames
$4.1billionbudgetforthewasfundedbythe
ProvinceofBritishColumbiaandtheFederal
governmenttosupportGamesoperationsand
securityaswellasforconstructionofGames
palitieswerealsoresponsibleforcostsharing
capitalandsomeoperatingexpensesand,in
addition,variouspublicinfrastructureprojects
wereundertakeninadvanceoftheGameswith
fundingfrommultiplelevelsofgovernmentata
costof$3.8billion.
ExpensesfortheLondon2012Gameswere
considerablygreater,withthebudgetofthe
OlympicDevelopmentAuthority,apublicentity
responsibleforpublicservices,Gamesvenues,
infrastructureprojects,amountingtoapproxi
mately$14billion.
Inlightofrecentevents,afewadditionalcom
mentsareworthmakingaboutonemegaevent
inparticular,theFIFAWorldCup.ThePanel
recognizestheenthusiasmforsoccerinToronto
andCanada,andtheinterestinpursuingaFIFA
WorldCupatsomepointinthefuture.However,
FIFAiscurrentlyexperiencingwhatitreadilyac
aresultofchargesbroughtagainstorganization
makemajorchangestoitsstructureandopera
tionstomaketheorganizationmoretransparent
andaccountable.Thisprocessislikelytotake
sometime.Thereforewewouldrecommendthat
theCityanditspartnerswaitfortheresultsof
thisreformactivitybeforegivingfurtherconsid
erationtopursuingaFIFAWorldCup.
Intheend,wecannotsayunequivocallythat,
yes,TorontoshouldpursueanOlympicGames,
aWorldExpoorFIFAWorldCup.ItisuptoCity
Counciland,perhapsmoreimportantly,other
ordersofgovernmenttodotheirduediligence,
consultwiththecommunityanddecidehowto
proceedonthatfront.Laterinthisreportwe
providesomesuggestionsandguidanceonhow
theCityshouldgoaboutthiswork.
Butwerecognizethatmegaeventscando
somethingforTorontothatnootherhosting
opportunitiescanachieveontheirown:they
cancapturetheattentionoftheworld,focusit
onahostcityandcountry,andleavealasting
impressionthatcanspancontinentsandgen
erations.Ifpursuedandhostedinaresponsible
way,anOlympicGames,aWorldExpoor,for
thatmatter,aPanAmGames,canbeamonu
mentalachievement.
Key Takeaways for Mega Events
t .FHBFWFOUTIBWFBTJOHVMBSQSPMFPOUIFXPSME
stage, in terms of global media exposure, market
development and international visits.
t .FHBFWFOUTBMNPTUBMXBZTSFRVJSFTJHOJDBOU
investments in infrastructure which can both be an
opportunity (to catalyze investments in transporta
tion, housing and civic infrastructure) and a risk (if
public investment goes towards venues without
public value).
t .FHBFWFOUTIBWFUIFQPUFOUJBMUPDSFBUFTJHOJDBOU
regional economic activity.
t .FHBFWFOUTBUUSBDUTJHOJDBOUSFWFOVFGSPNTQPO
sorship and ticket sales but also involve major
public investment (measured in the billions of dollars).
TORONTO 2015 PAN AM / PARAPAN AM GAMES

From July 10 to 26 and August 7 to 15 last
summer, the City of Toronto and 14 other
municipalities in Southern Ontario hosted
the Pan Am / Parapan Am Games, the third
largest major multi-sport event in the world
(behind the Summer Olympics and the Asian
Games) and the largest such event ever held
in Canada.The Games were a substantial
undertaking, involving years of planning by
all orders of government and the TORONTO
2015 Organizing Committee.The Games
involved a budget of approximately $2.4 billion, with primary funding from the Province
of Ontario and the Government of Canada.
9
Although a regional event does not provide

the same global impact as an Olympics or
FIFA World Cup,Toronto realized significant
gains as a result of hosting the TORONTO
2015 Games. Scarborough now has a world
class aquatic and recreation
facility in the Toronto Pan
Am Sports Centre; the
development of the West
Don Lands was accelerated by at least a
decade and a brand new
athletics stadium was
built at York University.
There were also many lesser known legacies such as the training of 23,000 local
volunteers, the creation of a continuous
84 km Pan Am Path from Etobicoke to
Scarborough, the lighting of the Luminous
Veil on the Bloor Street Viaduct,
countless community programs
and the popular TORONTO
sign down at Nathan Phillips
Square. For communities
across Southern Ontario, the
Games were a unique and
positive opportunity.
GLOBAL COMMUNITY EVENTS

IN ARTS, CULTURE, TRADE,
SPORT AND INNOVATION
abroadarrayofotherinternationalevents.
Althoughtheymaynothavethemarketshare
orexposureofanOlympicGames,these
globalcommunityeventscanindividually
surroundingregionand,cumulatively,may
approachtheirvalueintermsofeconomicim
pact,marketingexposure,tradeopportunities
withlowerexpenses.Moreovertheseevents
canbeusedtoleverageandenhanceareasof
icsectors,innovationandartsandculture.
Theseeventsengagespectatorsandpar
ticipantsacrossbordersinthearts(suchas
ArtsBasel,STEAMCarnivalandtheOperalia
Competition),culture(ParliamentofWorld
Religions,TEDGlobal),trade(eventsorganized
bytheInstituteofInternationalFinance,the
WorldTradeOrganizationandtheMobile
WorldCongress)andsport(FINAWorldAquat
icChampionships,RugbyWorldCupandtheX
Games).
Manyoftheseeventsrotateamonghost
jurisdictionsonacyclicalbasisandinvolve
aformalapplicationand/orbiddingprocess.
Torontohashadconsiderableexperienceand
successinhostingthesetypesofevents.
In2002,thecityhostedoneofthelargest
RomanCatholiccelebrationsintheworld
WorldYouthDaywhichdrewhundredsof
thousandsofworshippers,from150coun
tries,forPapalMassandotherculturalfes
tivitiesoveraoneweekperiod.Oneofthe
InternationalIndianFilmAcademyAwardswas
heldattheRogersCentrein2011,withprevi
oushostsincludingLondon,DubaiandKuala
Lumpur.Morerecently,ourcitywashostto
WorldPrideToronto2014,arotatingglobal
eventthatpromoteslesbian,gay,bisexual,
transgenderandqueerissuesthroughpa
rades,festivalsandotherculturalactivities.
Over2millionpeopleattendedthe10day
festival(anestimated45%werefromoutside
theGTA)andithasbeenestimatedthatat
tendeesspent$719million.Previoushostsin
nextWorldPrideeventswillbeheldinMadrid
(2017)andNewYorkCity(2019).
notrotateacrosshostjurisdictions,butindi
catedthattheywouldeitherliketoseethese
eventsemulatedorpursuedhereinToronto.
ExamplesoftheseeventssuchasArtBasel,
whichiscurrentlyheldinBasel,Switzerland,
MiamiandHongKong.
Theapproachtohostingsucheventsmaybe
lessstructured(i.e.lackingaformalapplica
tion/biddingprocess)andwouldrequirepro
activeworkonthepartofthelocalcommunity
toconductmarketresearch,developacon
cept,andproperlysecureintellectualproperty
rights(ifnecessary).
Key Takeaways for Global Community Events
t 1SPWJEFBVOJRVFPQQPSUVOJUZUPMFWFSBHFBOE
enhance local and regional strengths in economic
sectors, innovation and arts and culture
t 5PSPOUPIBTBQSPWFOUSBDLSFDPSEJOTVDDFTTGVMMZ
hosting global community events like WorldPride,
World Youth Day and the International Indian Film
Academy Awards
t %POPUIBWFUIFTDBMFPGJNQBDUPSDPTUPG
mega events
Intheattachedtable,wehaveprovideda
(very)shortlistoftheinternationalevents
shouldnotbeconsideredexhaustivethere
arecertainlyothergreateventsthatwe
missed.Nordidwehavethetimetoconsider
themeritsorchallengeswitheach.Therefore,
thislistshouldbeconsideredasastarting
point,abroadsampleofthetypesofevents
thatTorontomayconsiderhosting,tobere
evaluation.
10
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Toronto has experienced firsthand
the growth and expansion of a major
international event - the Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF began in
1976 as the Festival of Festivals, with
the objective of collecting the best films
from other film festivals around the
world and showing them to audiences in
Toronto.
During the first year,
35,000 attendees
watched 127 films from
30 countries. By 2012,
those numbers had
grown to feature 372
films from 72 countries.
TIFF has expanded to
the point that it
now attracts over 1.5 million attendees

each year (more than double the next
largest cultural organization, the Art
Gallery of Ontario). The festival has
a budget of $38 million and involves
approximately 275 staff and 2,755
volunteers.
According to an economic impact
study conducted in 2010, the total economic impact of TIFF
is $97.3 million of Gross Domestic Product generated
in Ontario.5 TIFF is also,
by far, the greatest contributor to international media
exposure for Toronto abroad,
representing almost 20% of
total global media coverage.6
Although TIFFs success is the result

of a confluence of factors visionary
leadership, a responsive international
market and a dynamic and supportive
local audience it has also relied on the
willing support and engagement from
the City and other partners. From the
City, this support comes in a variety of
forms, including grant funding (TIFF is
the largest cultural recipient of funding
in Toronto); property tax abatements
and coordinated permits for eventrelated road closures. Although seemingly mundane, these local supports are
critical to bringing international stars
and audiences to Toronto each year.
5www.omdc.on.ca/Assets/Research/Research+Reports/TIFF+Final+Econ
omic+Impact+Report/TIFF+Final+Economic+Impact+Report_en.pdf
6www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile57437.pdf
A (VERY) SHORT LIST OF MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

MEGA
EVENTS
ARTS +
CULTURE
EVENTS
Art Basel Exhibition (currently non-rotating)

STEAM Carnival
Operalia Competition
TEDGlobal Conference (currently non-rotating)
Parliament of the Worlds Religions
TRADE +
INNOVATION
EVENTS
Institute of International Finance (IIF) Events

Financial Times Events
The Economist Events
World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference
World Bank Group Annual Meetings
RiskMinds Conference
Mobile World Congress
Trustech Annual Conference
ASIS International
Retail Banker International Conference
SPORTS +
ENTERTAINMENT
EVENTS
11
Summer & Winter Olympic Games www.olympic.org

World Expo www.bieparis.org/site/en/expos/aboutexpos/expocategories/worldexpos
FIFA World Cup
IAAF World Championships in Athletics

FINA World Aquatics Championships
Formula 1 Race (currently non-rotating)
Rugby World Cup
X Games
NHL All-Star Game / NHL Winter Classic www.nhl.com
Major League Baseball All-Star Game www.mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star
FIBA Basketball World Cup
Universiade/World University Games
IIHF World U20 Championship (Hockey) www.iihf.com
Major Gaming Event such as League of Legends World Championship or Call of Duty Championship
HOSTING STRATEGIES FROM

OTHER JURISDICTIONS
Sydney, Australia
Destination NSW
Inthecourseofourresearchandconversa
tions,wecametorealizethatitisnotjust
importanttoconsiderwhateventsyoupur
sueorsupport,butthestrategyandhost
inginfrastructurethatunderpinsthose
efforts.Therefore,welookedatarangeof
otherjurisdictionsthathavedemonstrated
successininternationaleventhostinginthe
hopesofinformingoureffortsinToronto.The
commonthreadlinkingallofthesestrategies
isstraightforward:strongandactivepartner
shipleadstoacompetitiveadvantagewhenit
comestomajoreventhosting.
Followingfromthesuccessofthe2000
SydneyOlympics,NewSouthWales,astate
roughlythesizeofSouthernOntario,realized
thatitneededtotakeanumberofstepsto
ensurethatitshostinglegacywouldbesus
tainedandleveragedoverthelongterm.Rec
ognizingthatamorecollaborativeapproach
wasneededtocompetewithrivalingregions
inAustraliaandabroad,thestatemergedthe
functionsoffourpreviouslyindependenttour
ismandeventhostingagencies:TourismNSW,
EventsNSW,theHomebushMotorRacing
AuthorityandtheGreaterSydneyPartnership.
Vancouver, Canada
Sport Hosting Vancouver
Theneworganizationthatfollowedfromthis
transformationDestinationNSWsetambi
tioustargets(todoubleexpenditurewithinthe
statesvisitoreconomyby2020)andhashad
rangeofregionalstakeholderstoestablisha
ver,toattractadditionalmajorsportingevents
inthewakeofthe2010WinterOlympicand
ParalympicGames.
Thisneworganizationwasformedinresponse
dination,strategyandafundingframeworkfor
hostingmarqueesportingevents.Asaresult,
hadtopursueareactiveandadhocapproach
tohostingactivity.
situationbyprovidingbidassistanceandsite
selection,facilitiesandaccommodationbook
ing,eventpromotion,volunteerrecruitment
andvarioushostinggrants.
$1millioninfundingfortheneworganization
andadditionalfundingandinkindsupportis
beingprovidedbyvariousregionalpartners
Columbia.
hostingactivity.
Infact,theapproachtakenbyNewSouth
Waleshassparkedcompetitionamongother
bournequippedthatNewSouthWalesare
goinggangbusters,andchallengingthepri
macyoftheirownstateinmajorevent
hosting.
www.destinationnsw.com.au
London, United Kingdom &

Montral, Canada Cultural
Metropolis Strategies
LondonsCulturalMetropolisStrategy
providesinsightintohowacitycanleverage
localculturalproducersandconsumers.And
howthatactivitycanleadtoameaningful
regionalculturaldevelopmentandhosting
program.
TwoyearsbeforetheLondon2012Olympic
andParalympicGames,theGreaterLondon
Authoritycommittedtocreatingaprogram
andstrategyforculturalcelebration,
www.sporthostingvancouver.ca
12
Cultural Metropolis,toleverageandexpand
theimpactoftheGamesforLondoners.Since
thecompletionoftheGames,thisdocument
hasprovidedthevision,policyobjectivesand
practicalcommitmentstosupportingcultural
sectorinLondon,includingeventdevelop
mentprograms.Inparticular,attentionhas
beenpaidtointernationalmarketdevelop
ment,ensuringadequateinfrastructureisin
placeandcuttingredtapeassociatedwith
performancevenuesandvisas.
Asimilarprogramclosertohome,Montral,
CulturalMetropolis,involvesthegovernments
BoardofTradeofMetropolitanMontraland
CultureMontralwaslaunchedin2007witha
10yearactionplanaimedatmakingMontral
asaworldclassculturalregionfornurturing
andhostinginternationalculturalevents.
www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/
page/pa0717_en/accueil
www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/arts-andculture/cultural-metropolis-2014-mayorsculture-strategy-london
ANATOMY OF A SUCCESSFUL BID: VANCOUVER 2010

The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic
Games provide an example of the importance of early, coordinated support
of all partners in launching a successful
bid for a mega event.
The idea of bringing the Olympic Games
to the Vancouver region was born in the
late 1990s with the formation of the
Vancouver Whistler Bid Society, initially
supported by Tourism Vancouver, Tourism Whistler and Sport BC. The Bid
Society was formed as a community
effort to earn the right for the region to
represent Canada and secure the 2010
Winter Olympic Games.
Following Vancouver-Whistlers selection by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) as Canadas official nominee
to host the Games, a new non-profit Bid
Corporation was formed in 1999, with
seed funding from four partners (the
COC, Province of BC, City of Vancouver
and Resort Municipality of Whistler). In
early 2000, the Corporation began signing corporate sponsors: more than 160
individuals and corporations committed
$12 million in cash and value-in-kind to
support the bid.
13
The Corporation continued to refine

the bid through 2000 and 2001. And,
in early 2002, it received endorsement
from Vancouver City Council and signed
an agreement with the Government of
Canada providing $9.1 million in funding. The government simultaneously
established a Federal Secretariat to
provide support for the bid development. By the end of the year, the Federal Government and the Province had
made more than half a billion dollars
in funding commitments to the hosting
concept and had signed a Multi-Party
Agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities of each party in the event
of selection.
In 2003, with the Bid Book submitted and Vancouver on the shortlist of
candidates, the IOC Evaluation Committee conducted its official visit. In their
report, the Committee highlighted the
high quality and active participation of
key government officials and organizations that will be involved in staging the
Games, as well as athletes, the National
Olympic Committee and the First Nations (Aboriginal) representatives. In
July 2003,Vancouver was awarded the
21st Olympic Winter Games in 2010.
4
Hosting
PRINCIPLES
When we talk about international
hosting opportunities, we are not
simply considering the question of
what events, but how we want to
move forward as a (potential) host.
Bothinthissectionandthenextone(rec
ommendations)wehavesoughttolaythe
groundworkforTorontoanditspartnersasit
evaluatesandpotentiallypursuessomeofthe
Inthissection,drawingfromtheperspective
HostingPrinciplestoinformtheCitysevalu
ationandplanningforfutureevents.
The five Hosting Principles are:
1. Start from a position of strength
Weviewtheseprinciplesasbeingthebasis
fortheCitysdecisionmakingaroundwhen
tosupportabidandwhatlevelofsupportto
provide.Theseprinciplesmaybeusedforthe
purposesofevaluatingaproposalforabid
inwhichtheCityisexpectedtoprovidesome
legalorotherwise),provideinstitutionalre
sourcesorpoliticalsupport.
Assuchweexpectthat,ifadopted,these
principleswillprovidedirectiontoCityCouncil,
divisions,otherordersofgovernmentand/or
civicorganizationsthatserveasabid/event
organizerorproponent.Theyshouldinform
boththedevelopmentofthebidmaterialsand
theoverallhostingconcept.
Attheendofthissection,weprovidesome
observationsandachecklisttohelptheCity
anditspartnersputtheseprinciplesintoac
tionforfuturebids.
Stages of Bidding and Hosting Activity
2. Optimize Toronto as a host city and region

3. Advance key city building priorities
4. Responsibly manage hosting costs,
resources and risks
5. Generate benefits and legacies for
all Torontonians
Wedescribetheseprinciplesinfurtherdetail
below,alongwithkeysupportingelementsfor
each.Theseprinciplesarenotintendedtobe
overlyprescriptive,butratherensuretheCity
includesarangeofconsiderationswhenmak
ingadecisionabouthostinginthefuture.
Toacertainextent,theseprinciplescanbe
treatedsequentially.Asyoucanseeinthe
chartonthefollowingpage,theylooselycor
respond,insomecasesinoverlappingways,
withthevariousstagesthatajurisdictiongoes
throughtohostamajorinternationalevent.
ItstartswiththePreBidstage,duringwhich
ahostjurisdictionlaysthegroundworkfor
biddingandhostingactivitybyidentifyingkey
partnerships,areasofstrategicalignment,
fundingandpromotionalsupportforapoten
tialbid(s).IntheBidding/ConceptDevelop
mentstage,ahostjurisdictionhascommitted
topursuingahostingopportunityandcom
mitsresourcestodevelopingaconceptand,if
required,submittingabidtothe
14
rightsholder.PlanningandExecution&De
liveryforamajoreventinvolvesadedicated
organizingfunction(e.g.,anOrganizingCom
mittee)andsubstantialcommitmentfrom
hostingpartnersintheformoffundingand
staffresources.PostEventEvaluationisthe
delivery)theremaybegreateruncertainty
aboutoperationaldetails,fundingandlikely
mayrelymoreonplansandexperiencetoin
formtheCityanditspartnersabouthowthese
aspectsofthehostingconceptwillliveupto
thehostingprinciplesoutlinedinthisdocu
ment.Despitethisuncertainty,theproponent
ments,approachandassumptionsthatsup
portedplanningandexecutionofanevent.
principlesbeforetheCitymakesadecision
whethertoprovidesupport.
Werecognizethatasyoulookfurtherdown
theroad(forexampletoeventexecutionand
Stages for Hosting International Events

2 Optimize Toronto as a host city and region
1 Start from
a position of
strength
Pre-Bid
Bidding /
Concept
Development
4 Responsibly manage
hosting costs, resources
and risks
amountofworktodeveloparobusthosting
concept,negotiatewithandlobbytherights
holder,communicatewithandaddressthecon
cernsoflocalconstituencies,rallythesupport
ofbusinessandgovernment.Insomesitua
tions,thisworkisundertakenwithoutknowing
forsurethataneventwillevenbeawardedto
thatparticularcity,regionorcountry.
Post-Event
Evaluation
abidthatcanbedeterminedwithsomedegree
Attheveryearlieststagesofbiddingand/or
planningamajorinternationalevent,apro
15
Execution
+ Delivery
3 Advance key city building priorities

5 Generate benefits and legacies for all Torontonians
START FROM A
POSITION OF STRENGTH
Giventhisuncertainty,beforeanycommit
mentsaremadetoproceed,theCityandits
Planning
bidthathaspropersupportandinvolvementof
allnecessarygovernmentpartners,businesses
andthecommunity.Thismeansensuringthat
thebid(andhostingconcept)isproperlyfund
ed,agreementsareinplace,therightpartners
arearoundthetableandtheinterestofthe
communityarerepresented.Thisiscriticalfrom
acompetitivebiddingperspectiveasrights
holdersareincreasinglyplacingemphasison
therobustandreliablegovernmentpartnership
whenevaluatinghostingproposals.
Thisalsomeanshavingathoroughunderstand
ingofthebiddingandhostingrequirementsof
therightsholder,andensuringthesealignwith
theinterestsofTorontonians.
Government Partnership
Corporate Support
Nomatterwhotakestheleadindeveloping
abidorplanningforevent,ifitisofacertain
scale,therewilllikelybeaneedforgovernment
supportandinvestment.Evenlocalevents,
suchastheTorontoInternationalFilmFestival
ortheTorontoCaribbeanFestival,relyonsub
stantialgovernmentsupportintermsofcoor
dinatingroadclosures,publicservicessuchas
wastemanagementandpolicingand,often,
grantfundingtosupportorganizingactivity.
Corporatesupportforamajoreventcomes
Asthescaleoftheeventgetslarger,theneed
forpublicsectorinvolvementincreases.Inthe
caseoftheTORONTO2015Games,allthree
ordersofgovernmenttheCity,theProvinceof
OntarioandtheGovernmentofCanadawere
partnersinfundinganddelivering.TheProv
incewasresponsibleforfundingandunderwrit
ingtheOrganizingCommitteebudgetaswellas
otheroperatingexpenses,thefederalgovern
capitalprogramandtheCitywasresponsible
forcostsharinglocalcapitalprojectsandmak
ingdiscretionaryinvestmentsincommunity
andculturalprogramming.Therequirements
foranOlympicGamesandothermajorinter
nationaleventsarenodifferentgovernment
partnershipisthefoundationofsuccessfulbid
dingandhostingactivity.
Assuch,thenatureofthepartnershipthisis
tosay,whodoeswhat?mustbeamongthe
toproceedwithabid.Someofthekeycon
siderationsthatneedtobeaddressedareas
follows:
t 'VOEJOHGPSBCJEPOBNBKPSJOUFSOBUJPOBM
event should be cost-shared by all orders of
government
t *GSFRVJSFE OBODJBMHVBSBOUFFTGPSFWFOU
hosting should be provided by the order of
government(s) with corresponding fiscal
capacity.
t "MMPSEFSTPGHPWFSONFOUTIPVMECFQSFQBSFEUP
be proactively engaged coordination and
support for event hosting activity.
sorship,inkindcontributionsofmaterials,
expertiseandotherresources,broadcasting,
marketingandotherformsofinvolvement.
InvolvementbyTorontosbusinesscommunity
inamajoreventwillbefundamentaltoits
sustainabilityandsuccess.Governmentcan
notbethesolesupportforabidandhosting
concept;businessmustbeatthetablewith
supportforabidandhostingcosts.
Forsomeevents,corporateinvolvementwill
likelyalreadybeinplaceorrelativelyeasyto
attract.Thisisthecaseforestablishedevents
orFIFAWorldCup.Forotherevents,itwill
requirethattheproponentdemonstratethe
valuepropositionofahostingopportunity
topotentialcorporatefunders,whetheritsin
termsofpotentialmarketexposure,tradeand
commerceopportunities,opportunitiestobid
Inallcases,corporatesupportmustbevigor
ouslypursued,butinawaythatisethicaland
ensuresintegrityinhostingactivity,fromstart
Hostingpartnersalsoneedtomaintainre
alisticexpectationsforwhatcorporatesup
portwillbeinmostcases,corporationswill
undertakethesameduediligenceanalysisof
asponsorshipopportunitythatahostjurisdic
tionwillforpublicsectorinvestments.
Community Engagement
Whilethegovernmentsandthebusiness
communitywillbetheprimaryfunders,the
supportandengagementoflocalneighbour
hoodsandcommunitystakeholdersisthe
mostimportantconsiderationfordetermin
ingthevalueand,ultimately,theviabilityofa
bidforamajorevent.Assuch,theproponent
musthaveaplantomeaningfullyinvolveTo
rontoniansandotherimpactedconstituencies
t 5IFUFSNTPGUIFQBSUOFSTIJQTIPVMECFPVUMJOFE
in writing well before a bid is submitted.
16
communityandthendevelopingaresponsive
implementationplan.Aswithanyothermajor
citybuildingproject,thecommunitymustbe
providedwiththeopportunitytocommenton
fromtheearlieststages,beforeanyconclusive
decisionsaremade.Weencouragetheuseof
arangeofoutreachandengagementmeth
odsincludingconsultationandinformation
sessions,targetedoutreachtokeycommunity
stakeholders,socialandtraditionalmedia
campaigns,surveys,etc.
Understanding the Bid Process
and Hosting Requirements
Wevehighlightedthethreepartiesthatwill
beintegraltothedevelopmentofabidand
hostingconceptgovernment,businesscom
munityandthepublic.Butwhatismissing
fromthispicturearetherightsholdersthat
willultimatelydeterminewhetherornotabid
issuccessful(e.g.,theIOC,BureauofInter
nationalExhibitions,andFIFA).Eachofthese
organizationsoperatesaccordingtotheirown
criteriaandinterests,whichmayormaynotal
waysbecomparableorcompatiblewiththose
atthelocallevel.
Assuch,theCityanditspartnersmustworkto
understandtherequirementsofbiddingand
andexpectationsoftherightsholderand/or
theeventorganizermustalignwiththeinter
estsofTorontonians.
Photo Credit: Olympic.org, 125th IOC Session, Buenos Aires, 2013.
17
OPTIMIZE TORONTO AS
A HOST CITY AND REGION
Thecompetitiontohostaninternationalevent
isstrongandthechallengesassociatedwith
deliveringonawinningbidareevengreater.
InorderforTorontotooptimizeitschancefor
successasahostcityandaregion,whileef
fectivelyrespondingtotheinterestsandcon
cernsofthepublic,itmusthavearesponsible
rightleadershipteamandanapproachwhich
engagespartnersfromacrosstheregion.
Leverage Our Strengths
Ahostjurisdictionisinamuchstrongerposi
tion,fromaneventplanningperspective,if
itcanleverageexistingcapacitytodeliveran
event(i.e.,doesnothavetorelytoogreatly
onimportedexpertise,newinfrastructure
investments,etc.)Thisreducesuncertaintyin
planningandexecution.TheCity,government
partnersandcorporateandcommunitystake
holdersmustworktogethertoensurethat
Toronto,asacityandregion,hastheinstitu
tionalcapacity,expertiseandpartnerships
necessarytosuccessfullybidforandhosta
majorinternationalevent.
Strong and Diverse Leadership
Althoughthestrengthandviabilityofanevent
willbedeterminedbythehostingconceptand
thepersonnelandresourcescommittedto
implementingit,itisabsolutelyessentialthat
itisrepresentedbyastrongleadershipteam.
Leadershipincludespoliticalsupport,theor
ganizingcommitteeandgovernmentagencies
witharoleinimplementation.
Theleadershipteamneedstobeableto
speaktotheinterestsofdozensofdiffer
entconstituencies,bothlocalandabroad.
Itneedstobeabletoeffectivelychampion
Torontosinterestswiththerightsholderand
theirdelegates,throughthebiddingprocess
andinattractingsponsorshipandotherforms
ofinvolvementandsupport.Theleadership
teamalsoneedstobeabletospeaktothe
Photo Credit: City of Toronto, Pan Am, Union Station, 2015.
ADVANCE KEY CITY

BUILDING PRIORITIES
Hostinganinternationaleventprovidesa
meaningfulopportunitytocatalyzeandac
celerateinvestmentsinmuchneededcity
infrastructurefromtransportationtohous
ingtocommunitydevelopment,rangingfrom
neighbourhoodplanningtonewrecreational
facilities.Thiscapitalplanningshouldbe
undertakeninpartnershipbetweenvarious
stakeholders(e.g.,governments,universities,
communitygroups)andwithaneyetowards
legacyuse,aboveallelse.
Transportation Infrastructure
interestsandconcernsoflocalcommunities.
Assuch,itisimportantthattheleadership
teamrepresentsthediversityofToronto.
Fromacitybuildingperspective,arguablythe
mostimportantpartofahostingconceptfor
amajoreventisthetransportationplan.For
mostevents,quickandreliabletravelbetween
differentvenues,sitesandpointsofentry,is
acriticalrequirement.Insomecasesthiscan
measures,inothersitrequiresnewinfrastruc
Regional Approach
TheCityofTorontoexistswithinalarge,vital
andinterconnectedregionofover6million
residents.AlthoughitmayseemthattheCity,
andinparticular,downtown,commandsthe
majorityofattentionandinvestmentrelated
tomajorevents,werecognizethatthereis
tremendousopportunityandvaluetoensuring
thatinvolvementisextendedouttoalljurisdic
tionsintheGTA.Wealsorecognizethatwhen
Torontoactsasthelocusforhostingmajor
events,theimpactcanextendwellbeyondthe
citylimits.
2015Games,whichinvolved14hostmunici
palities,inadditiontotheCityofToronto.In
factsomeofthemostimportantinfrastructure
legaciesoftheGameswererealizedoutside
ofToronto.ThestrengthofTorontoasahost
jurisdictiondoesnotarisefromtheCityalone,
itisinlargepartafunctionofthesizeand
edintheplansforfutureevents.
2010Olympics,twomajor(andmuchneeded)
infrastructureprojectswereundertaken:the
CanadaLinerapidtransit(atacostof$2.1
downtownandtheSeatoSkyHighwaymod
ernizationproject($796million).Amajor
eventshouldacceleratetheopportunityfor
theCityandotherpartnerstoinvestinneeded
transportationinfrastructureinToronto.
Civic Infrastructure
Hostingamajoreventprovidestheopportu
nitytopursuearangeofdifferentcommunity
developmentinvestments,fromnewsports
andrecreationfacilitiestotheservicingand
developmentofentirelynewneighbourhoods.
Wevealreadynotedthatpublicinvestment
shouldnotbeusedforfacilitieswithoutsig
ofthatprincipleisthatanynewfacilitiesor
precinctsbuiltasapartofahostingconcept
shouldbewellintegratedintothefabricofTo
ronto,improvequalityoflifeandprovidenew
18
opportunitiesforgrowthanddevelopment.
InthecaseoftheTORONTO2015Games,
andtheTorontoPanAmSportsCentreon
campus,representpositiveexamplesofcivic
infrastructureinvestment,developedasapart
ofmajorevent,butservingalongtermcom
munitypurpose.
Affordable Housing
Likemostmajorcities,Torontofacesanacute
shortageofrentalandaffordablehousing
stock.TheCityshouldtakeadvantageofevery
opportunityavailabletoadvanceplansfornew
affordablehousingstockinToronto.Hosting
majoreventsshouldcoalescepoliticalsupport
andattractfundingfrombothpublicandpri
vatesourcesfortherapiddevelopmentofnew
housingstock.Forsportingeventsthatrequire
theconstructionofanathletesvillageoroth
ertemporaryaccommodationssuchasthe
OlympicGameshousingand,inparticular,
affordablehousingcanbeanimportantpart
oftheinfrastructurelegacy.Forexample,the
developmentoftheWestDonLands,spurred
bytheneedforatemporaryPanAmAthletes
newresidences,including1,200affordable
homes.
Wherethereisaneedtobuildaccommoda
tionasapartofahostingconcept,govern
mentpartnersandeventorganizersshould
setforthanambitioustargetforthedevelop
mentofaffordablehousing.
Partnership-based Approach to Development
Infrastructureisoneofthegreatestexpenses
ofeventhostingand,assuch,thecostof
developmentshouldbebornebyallordersof
governmentand,whereverpossible,inpart
nershipwithlocalinstitutions(e.g.,universi
hospitals,etc.).Werecognizethesuccessof
thepartnershipmodelduringtheTORONTO
2015GameswiththedevelopmentoftheAth
thanadozenvenuesacrosstheregion.
19
Oneofthemostimportantexamplesofthis
partnershipistheTorontoPanAmSports
CentreinScarborough.Thisfacility,jointly
builtandoperatedbytheCityofTorontoand
Canada,isalreadyoneofthemostimportant
legaciesofthePanAmGames.Thisisduein
parttothefactthatitisaworldclassaquatic
andathleticfacilitydoublingthenumber
ofOlympicsizedpoolsinTorontofromtwoto
fourandservingasthehomeforarangeof
nationallevelcompetitivesportsorganiza
tions,butalsobecausetheoperatingpartner
thatthevalueofthefacilityissharedbyboth
theuniversitycommunityandlocalneighbour
hoodsforyearstocome.
RESPONSIBLY MANAGE
HOSTING COSTS,
RESOURCES AND RISKS
alsoknowitcanpresentrisks.Assuch,the
Cityanditspartnersmusttakestepstomini
risksassociatedwithinternationalevents
suchasdisruptionstobusinesses,productiv
ity,andcommuters,aswellassecurityissues.
Transparent Public Investment
Oppositiontomajoreventhostingprimarily
revolvesaroundtheperceptionthatinvest
mentsinmajoreventsdonotprovidesuf
nitiestojustifytheirexpense.Therefore,itis
integralthattheCityworkwithitsgovernment
partnerstodeveloparesponsiblefunding
planwhichensurethatallexpenditures,from
biddingtohostinganinternationalevent,are
predictable,havepublicvalueandadvance
keycitybuildingpriorities.
Measurable Results
TheCityanditspartnersshouldcommittime
andresourcestomeasureandevaluatethe
impactofmajorevents.Arobustevaluation
programshouldbeconsideredasarequire
mentwhenpreparingabidordevelopinga
hostingconcept,sothatwecanmakein
formedjudgementsregardingtheirsuccess
temwherebythecitycanmeasureandjustify
including,butnotlimitedto,economicimpact,
jobcreation,servicedisruptionsandother
impacts.
Designated Resources
Asnotedearlierinthisreport,theTORONTO
2015Gamesweretheresultofyearsofdedi
catedplanningandcoordinatedfundingand
operationalpartnershipsbetweendozensof
differentorganizations.Thisinvolvedsubstan
tialcommitmentofresourcesincludingstaff
theCityanditspartners.Theworkrequired
tosuccessfullydeliveramajorinternational
event,especiallyamegaeventlikeanOlympic
Games,cannotbetackedontoexistingdu
ties.Therefore,whenmakingdecisionsabout
whethertopursueamajorinternationalevent,
Councillorsandothersneedtobepreparedto
committoappropriate,dedicatedresources.
placetoensuretransparencyandaccountabil
ityforallexpenditures.
Minimize Disruptions
Itisinevitablethathostingamajoreventwill,
foraperiodoftime,impactthedailylifeofTo
rontoniansandthecitysdeploymentofstaff
resources.Whetheritistheimplementationof
istsorsuspendedpublicaccesstofacilitiesor
areasofthecityrequiredforhostingactivity.
Onbalancehowever,andwitheffectiveplan
ningandcoordinationamongpartners,any
able.Inparticular,plannersmusttakesteps
wherenecessary,theyshouldbeundertaken
inawaythatminimizesinconvenienceor
providesworkablealternativeoptionsforcom
muters.Thereshouldalsobeafocusonavoid
ingnegativeimpactstobusinesses.Although
theseimpactsarelikelytobelocalized(e.g.,
forbusinessesaroundvenues),stepsshould
betakentoaddresstheconcernsandissues
ingactivitymayimpactresidentsaccessto
servicesforexample,ifarecreationcentre
isusedforhostingactivitythisshouldbe
communicatedasearlyaspossiblewithsteps
toaddresscommunityconcerns.
Sensible Approach to Event Security
Effective Cost Controls

Irrespectiveofhowamajoreventisfunded,
thebudgetshouldbesubjecttoconsiderable
checksandbalancesintermsofhowmuch
andinwhatareasmoneyisspent.Because
amajoreventislikelytoinvolveasubstantial
directorindirectcontributionofpublicdollars,
theneedforstrongcostcontrolsandpublic
reportingisthatmuchmorecritical.Thisis
alsotobeakeyfactorindeterminingthelevel
ofsupportamongresidentsandpoliticians
nooneiswillingtoofferablankchequeto
deliveranevent,nomatterwhatthepromised
Therefore,whenevaluatingahostingoppor
tunity,theCityshouldgivethoroughconsider
Oneoftheprimaryconsiderationsofmajor
eventplanningtodayisthesecurityplan.A
majorinternationalevent,nomatterwhere
itisheld,isamomentofhighalertforour
publicsafetyunits.Werecognizethatitis
criticalthatallnecessarystepsbetakento
ensurethateventvenuesaresecureandpar
largearemadetofeelsafe.
Atthesametimewerecognizethatpublic
safetyisalarge(andgrowing)costdriverfor
hostingmajoreventstoday.Wethereforeen
courageabalancedapproachtosecuritythat
takesintoconsiderationactual(ratherthan
perceived)requirements,optimizestheuseof
existingresourcesandwherepossiblewithout
compromisingthequalityofservice,pursues
costsavingmeasures.
20
GENERATE BENEFITS
AND LEGACIES FOR ALL
TORONTONIANS
Generatingandsustainingpublicsupportfor
aninternationaleventwilldependonevent
plannersandtheirpartnersarticulatingand
deliveringahostingvisionthathasawide
broadlyintermsofactionsthatcanimpact
theeconomic,social,recreational,environ
mentalandculturallifeofTorontoneighbour
hoods.Theyshouldalsobeconsideredin
termsofwhatcanbedeliveredbeforethe
eventisstaged,duringexecutionorsimply
bybidding,butnotnecessarilysecuringthe
rightstostageorhostanevent.Moreover,the
awardingbodiesofinternationaleventshave
placedgreatimportanceondurablelegacies
forlocalstakeholderswhenevaluatingbids
andhostingconcepts.
Someofthekeyelementsthatshouldbead
dressedinahostconceptareasfollows:
Employment Opportunities
Hostingamajoreventcanresultinsubstan
tialjobcreationintheleaduptoandduring
theevent.Thesejobswillrangefromvarious
roleswiththeorganizingbodytoskilledtrades
requiredforinfrastructuredevelopment.The
challengefacinggovernmentsandeventor
ganizersisensuringthattheseopportunities
aresharedwithcommunitieswithinToronto,
includingnewarrivals,andtheyresultin
meaningfulskillsdevelopmenttocontribute
tolongtermemploymentgrowthandopportu
nity.
Economic Impacts
Majorinternationaleventscan,ifdoneproper
rightsholdercontributions(temporaryand
longterm)employment,serviceandconstruc
tioncontractsandincreasedtourismactivity.
TheCityanditspartnersmustmakesure
21
theseevents.Theyshouldbealignedwithex
istingsectorandbusinessdevelopmentstrat
egiesinthecityandregion.Theeventshould
alsobeconsideredasauniqueopportunity
tostrengtheneconomiclinkagesthrough
investment,tradeanddialogueacrossinter
nationalboundaries.
Environmental Stewardship
Ahostingconceptshouldtakearesponsible
andforwardlookingapproachtoenvironmen
talstewardship.Ontheonehand,thehost
ingconceptshouldminimizethenegative
environmentalimpactsofnewinfrastructure
development,operationalplansandeventre
latedtransportationactivity.Aneventshould
alsobeviewedasanopportunitytoadvance
andshowcasevariousenvironmentalinitia
tivesinTorontosuchasthenaturalization
ofthemouthoftheDonRiver,greenenergy
initiatives,alternatemodesoftransportation,
innovativeconstructionpracticesandother
innovations.
Social and Neighbourhood Equity
enhancedwhentheyaresharedbyneigh
bourhoodsacrossthecity.Allcommunities
inthecity,especiallythosethataretradition
allymarginalizedordisadvantaged,should
feelinvestedintheopportunitiesandlega
ciescreatedbyanevent.Inpartthisshould
beachievedbyincludingcommunitiesinthe
planningfortheevent,bymakingitaccessible
(inabroadsense)andbyensuringthatno
oneisdisplacedordisadvantagedasaresult
ofhosting.
Italsomeansensuringthatinvestmentsare
madetobroadenthefocusfrommerelythe
coreareasoractivitysothatcommunities
acrossthecityandspectrumofincomelevels
feelengagedandareabletoparticipate.Ma
joreventsshouldhelptostrengthenthesocial
theextentpossible,bearticulatedinbinding
withcommunitybasedgroups.
Promote Health and Recreation
Putting the Hosting Principles into Action
Eventhosting,particularlythosethathave
asportsorrecreationcomponent,canpro
videasingularmomenttochangethehab
itsandroutinesoflocalresidentstowards
healthyandactivechoices.Thisislikelytobe
achievedthroughacombinationofinfrastruc
tureinvestments,marketingandcommunica
tionsandotherprograminvestments.Forthe
TORONTO2015Games,arangeofhealthy
andactivelivingprogramsandinvestments
wereimplemented:fromthe84kmPanAm
Path,activetransportationinitiatives,aswell
asvariousotherhealthandrecreationpro
gramscreatedbytheCityanditspartners.
Werecognizethataswithanymajorendeav
our,elementsofabidorhostingconceptare
likelytochangeandevolveovertime.However
itisimportantthatbeforetheCityoritspart
Engage Torontos Diversity
madebytheCitytowardsabidsubmissionor
hostingresponsibilities.
Weliveinoneofthemostculturallyrichand
diverseregionsontheplanet.Itistherefore
naturalthatifTorontoseekstohosttheworld
foramajorinternationalevent,itshouldshow
casetheseculturalcommunitiesandassets.
Thesecommunitiesshouldalsofeelmean
ingfullyengagedinplanningandsettingthe
prioritiesforanevent.
Celebrate Canada
AmajoreventsuchasanOlympicGamesor
aWorldExpoisneverapurelylocalaffair.It
isanopportunityforacity,aprovinceand
indeedacountrytocometogetherandcel
ebrateitsprideasanation.Thisneedstobe
resourcestopursuingahostingopportunity
thatitgivesproperconsiderationtothevari
hostingopportunity.Theforegoingprinciples
logueandevaluationofahostingopportunity.
Thisworkshouldbeundertakenasearlyin
theprocessaspossible.Itcertainlymustbe
Theseprinciplesareintendedtobeguide
postsforsuccess.Theyshouldbeviewedin
generaltermsandappliedinawaythatis
responsivetotheparticularcircumstancesof
abidandevent.
Onthefollowingpage,wehaveputtogethera
BiddingandHostingChecklistwhichtheCity
anditspartnerscanusetooperationalize
theseprinciplesandevaluateopportunitiesas
theyarise.
andmessagingaroundmajoreventsinTo
ronto.
A Legacy-Based Approach
Itisimportantthatplanningforthelonger
termlegacyofaneventbeundertakenatthe
sametimeastheeventitself.Thismeans
establishing,fromthestart,astructureor
organizationwiththeresponsibilityforimple
mentingthelegacyprogram.Alegacyprogram
foraneventshouldbeguidedbyeffective
leadershipandimplementedwithdedicated
resourcesandskills.
Photo Credit: Business Insider, Art Basel, Miami, 2013.
22
THE PANELS BIDDING & HOSTING CHECKLIST

1
STRONG
MEDIUM
WEAK
Yes, All
partners have
pledged support
Yes with conditions, or likely

but not yet fully
approved
No or limited
government
support
Equal or
primary funder
for bid/event
Secondary
funder for bid/
event
No corporate
support yet
found
Does the event engage the local community in a

meaningful way and respond to their interests and concerns?
Actively engaged
through a range
of strategies
Engaged in a
limited way with
plans for more
No community
engagement
to date
Is there a high degree of confidence in the success of a bid?
Understand
process, strong
concept and confident of success
Understand
process but
uncertain about
success
Lack of clarity
about process and
no certainty of
success
STRONG
MEDIUM
WEAK
Both the bid

and event, if
awarded will
have public value
Only the
hosting concept
has public value
Neither has
public value
Is the event built on (i) existing capacity, (ii) strong/diverse

leadership and (iii) a regionally-coordinated approach?
Achieves all
three aims
Achieves one
or two aims
Achieves
no aims
ADVANCE KEY CITY BUILDING PRIORITIES
STRONG
MEDIUM
WEAK
Achieves two or
three city building
objectives
Achieves one or
two city building
objectives
Achieves no
city building
objectives
RESPONSIBLY MANAGE HOSTING COSTS, RESOURCES AND RISKS
STRONG
MEDIUM
WEAK
Do the City and its partners have confidence that they can manage costs/
resources and avoid or mitigate for risks associated with hosting the event?
Plans are in place

to ensure all costs
and risks are well
managed
Plans are in place,

but one or more
risks have yet to be
resolved or addressed
No plans
currently
in place
STRONG
MEDIUM
WEAK
Will deliver a
broad range of
benefits and will
leave positive
long-term legacies
for communities
across Toronto
There will be
some benefits but
these are likely
short-term or
focused on a specific community or
stakeholder group
No meaningful
community
benefits or
legacies
START FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH

Does the event have the necessary support of government partners?
Does the event have the necessary support and

commitments from Torontos corporate community?
OPTIMIZE TORONTO AS A HOST CITY AND REGION

Do the investments in both the bid and hosting concept have public value?
Will the event advance key city building priorities such as transportation
infrastructure, community development and/or affordable housing?
GENERATE BENEFITS AND LEGACIES FOR ALL TORONTONIANS
Will the event generate broadly shared benefits and will it leave
a meaningful legacy for local communities after the event has ended?
23
5
A Foundation for Successful Hosting:
THE PANELS
RECOMMENDATIONS
In this report we have identified
a range of considerations for the
City and its partners related to
hosting international events. We
have highlighted the international
hosting opportunities that exist
out there and some of the strategies that other jurisdictions have
used to attract them. We have also
worked with community stakeholders to identify hosting principles to guide decision-making
when evaluating and planning for
international events in Toronto.
However,werecognizethattheobservations
andadvicethatwehaveprovidedinthese
upactions.TheCityanditspartnersneed
togivethemeffectthroughsoundpolicy,
dedicatedfundingandtargetedinvestments,
ongoingdialogueandstrongpartnership.
MAYORS ADVISORY PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES
Photo Credit: The Telegraph, 2012 London Olympic Games, 2012.
24
Therecommendationsthatwedescribeinthis
sectionarefocusedonprofessionalizingthe
processforhostingmajorevents.Thismeans
gettingawayfromwhatistypicallyaoneoffor
politicizedapproachtoeventhostingand,in
stead,buildingaprocessthatinvolvesgreater
predictability,transparencyandsupports
evidencebaseddecisionmaking.
Butaswevedescribedthroughoutthisreport,
Torontocannotbealoneinthisundertaking.
SoalongwiththeCity,wearedeliveringacall
toactiontotheProvinceofOntario,theGov
ernmentofCanadaandothermunicipalities
andagenciesinSouthernOntario.Werecom
mendthat:
Aswehavehighlightedthroughoutthisreport,
thismeanscarefulconsiderationofwhatis
4. The City, Province and other municipalities

and agencies establish a new hosting
partnership and/or process so that the
Toronto region is competitive in pursuing
international events
hostaninternationalevent.Atthebeginning
ofhosting:PreBid,BidandConceptDevelop
ment,Planning,Execution&Delivery,Post
EventEvaluation.Ifaprospectivehostcity
mentateachstageoftheprocess,thereis
littlechanceforsuccess.Toooftenaweak
bidor,evenworse,apoorlyexecutedeventis
attributabletoinadequateplanningorunreli
ablesupportinadvance.
Therefore,indescribingourrecommenda
tions,wealsopayattentiontotheirtiming,
withparticularemphasisontheearlystages
ofthehostingprocess.
5. All three orders of government commit

to a predictable approach to support
international events in Southern Ontario
and other major urban regions in Canada
Throughoutourconsultationsweheardthat
thecommunitywantsandneedstobeen
gagedinmajoreventhostingbut,ultimately,
itisuptotheCity,theProvinceandtheFed
eralGovernmenttocreatethefoundation
forsuccessfulhosting.Webelievethatthese
recommendedactionsareanimportantstart
inbuildingsuchafoundation.
keyrecommendationsforactionbytheCity
anditspartnerstobestpositionTorontoto
pursueandhostinternationaleventsinthe
future.
Ourmandatewastoprovideguidancetothe
MayorandCounciland,assuch,wehave
taketobethebestpossiblehostjurisdiction
andactivelyandresponsiblypursuefuture
recommendthat:
1. The City adopt hosting principles to
evaluate current event hosting opportunities
2. The City adopt a long-term policy for
major international events
3. The City identify dedicated resources
for the planning and evaluation of
international events
25
Toronto
cannot
be alone
in this
undertaking.
RECOMMENDATION:
The City adopt hosting principles to
evaluate current event hosting opportunities
thisreportinconsideringcurrentandfuture
hostingopportunities.Theseprinciplesare
intendedtohelpdecisionmakersidentifythe
opportunitiesandriskswithaparticularoppor
tunityandprovideguidancetotheCityandits
partnerstooptimizetheirchanceforsuccessin
biddingandhostingmajorinternationalevents.
Theseprinciplesshouldbeinplacebeforethe
Citymakesanydecisionsregardingthecommit
mentofresourcestohostingopportunities(i.e.,
thePreBidphase).
Wedonotintendtheseprinciplestoberigid
intermsoflanguageorformat.However,we
believethattheseprinciplescapture,toa
greatextent,theviewsofthestakeholders
withwhomweconsultedandshouldtherefore
internationaleventsintheshortterm.
Tohelpputtheseprinciplesintoactionwe
developedabiddingandhostingchecklist
intheprevioussection.WeencouragetheCity
ate.Wehopethatthiscontentwillbeofsome
useinevaluatinghostingopportunities,such
asaWorldExpo,thatcomebeforeCouncilin
thefuture.
RECOMMENDATION:
The City adopt a long-term policy
for hosting major international events
InordertosupporttheCitytobothevaluate
opportunitiesastheyarisebutalsoproactively
pursueeventsinthefuture,werecommend
thattheCityadoptapolicyforhostingmajor
internationaleventsinToronto.Thispolicywill
makeclearforTorontoniansalongrangevision
aspirations,includingmanyoftheprinciples
describedinthisreport.Byincorporatingclear
guidelinesandevaluationcriteria,thispolicy
willensuremoreconsistentandtransparent
decisionmakingforeventhostingopportunities
thatarisewithinthenextfewmonths,yearsor
intofuturetermsofCouncil.
AlthoughCitystaffandCouncilwillberespon
sibleforcraftingthedetailsofthispolicy,we
hopethatataminimumitwillidentify(1)the
tionalsupportwhetheritisfunding,stafftime
and/orothercontributionswillbeprovidedby
theCity;(2)theexpectationsforandevaluation
and(3)thewaysinwhichthepublicwillbeen
gagedinplanninganddecisionmakingaround
majorevents.
Itisimportantthatthispolicybeinplacebefore
majorworkisundertakenondevelopinga
bidorhostingconceptwhichisconditionalon
majorCityorpartnersupport.Therefore,we
recommendthatCityCounciladoptthispolicy
assoonaspossible.
26
RECOMMENDATION:
The City identify dedicated resources for the
planning and evaluation of international events
Alongwiththedevelopmentofaninternation
aleventhostingstrategy,werecommendthat
resourcesforhostingactivity.Oneofthechal
ingactivityisthefactthat,inmanyways,the
Cityhashadtostartfromsquareoneevery
timeahostingopportunityarises.Asaresult,
expendedjusttogetstartedonplanningand
evaluation.Inourview,itisimportantthat
majoreventhostinghasanaturalhomeat
resources.
Inmakingthisrecommendationwerecognize
thattheCityfacesconsiderablebudgetpres
willbelimitedabilitytotakeonnewfunding
responsibilities.Assuch,wewouldrecom
mendthat,whereverpossible,theCitylever
agetheexistingresourcesatitsdisposal.For
example,theCitycouldmakeuseoftheMajor
SpecialEventReserveFund,whichCouncil
establishedduringthePanAm/Parapan
AmGames,asanongoingtooltosupportthe
evaluation,developmentandpromotionof
internationaleventsinToronto.
Councilshouldalsoensurethatthereserve
fundistoppedupwithregularcontributions
andanappropriaterevenuesource.Inthe
27
shorttermthismeansmaintaininganad
equatebalancethroughCitysurplusfunds
(asrecommendedbystaff).Inthelonger
term,thismeansidentifyingnewsourcesof
fundingandrevenue,particularlythosethat
unlocktheeconomicvalueoftourisminthe
thehostingofmajoreventsitshould,atleast
inpart,beinapositionrecoversomeofthat
investmentthroughtheresultingeconomic
activity.
Byputtingthesemodest,reliableresources
inplace,theCitywillbebetterabletotakea
deliberateandproactiveapproachtomajor
eventhostingactivity.
Itisalsoourviewthatbysignallingthissup
port,theCitywillbeinapositiontounlock
supportfromotherswithastakeinmajor
eventsincludinggovernmental,civicand
corporatepartners.IftheCitylaystheground
workforbiddingandpromotionalactivity,this
willsendastrongsignaltootherpartnersthat
mayseethevalueofinternationaleventsbut
areunsureabouthowtomaximizeandprotect
theirinvestment.Forexample,acorporate
partnermaybemoreresponsivetosupport
ingcapacitytopursuearangeofinternational
events,withdemonstrableperformancemea
sures,thanprovidingablankchequeforabid
withalimitedchanceforsuccess.
RECOMMENDATION:
The City, Province and other municipalities and agencies
establish a new hosting partnership and/or process so that the
Toronto region is competitive in pursuing international events
Inthecourseofwritingthisreportwehave
hadtheopportunitytolookatothercitiesand
regionsacrosstheglobepotentialcompeti
torstoTorontoinhostinginternationalevents
andexaminehowtheypursueinternational
events.Whatwerealizeisthat,whencom
paredtotheleadingjurisdictionsathomeand
abroadwearefallingbehind.
Thisisnotforlackofassetsorexpertiseon
thatfrontwecompetewiththebestregionsof
theworld.Itisbecausewehavenotyetestab
lishedthetypesofregionalpartnershipsand
processesthatcantrulyunlockthehosting
potentialthatexistswithintheGreaterToronto
Areaandbeyond.Whetheritisinhosting
sport,artsandcultureortradeevents,there
isaconsiderablevalueaddtoincorporating
thenaturalbeauty,theculturalheritageand
diversecommunitiesacrossSouthernOntario
andbeyond.Byengaginginpromotionand
planningfortheseeventsfromanearlystage,
communitiesoutsideTorontocanensurethat
formajorevents.
Therefore,wearecallingontheCitytowork
withMinistryofTourism,CultureandSport;
theOntarioTourismMarketingPartnership
Corporation;TourismTorontoandsurround
ingRegionalTourismOrganizations;aswellas
othermunicipalitiesandagenciesinSouthern
Ontariotocreateanewregionalpartnership
and/orprocessthatleveragestheexisting
capacityoftheseorganizationsandfocuses
onconcertedpromotionanddevelopmentof
internationalhostingopportunities.
Thisrecommendationmayberealizedina
varietyofdifferentways:(1)througharegional
HostingCharterwhichoutlinesasharedset
ofprinciplesformajorevents;(2)througha
formalprocessbywhichregionalpartnerswill
communicateandsupportthedevelopment
ofbidsorhostingopportunitiesastheyarise;
or(3)throughthecreationofanewregional
InternationalEventHostingandPromotion
entity,eitherasapartofanexistingorgani
zationorthroughcapacityborrowedfroma
rangeoforganizations.Thelastoptionwould
providededicatedcapacitytostrategicallypur
suemajorevents,promotetheregionalcapac
ityoftheGreaterTorontoAreaandpotentially
fundanddevelophostingopportunities.It
wouldlikewiserequirefundingcommitments
fromtheCityandotherpartners.
vativeapproachesinotherjurisdictionsthat
shouldguideourregionincreatinggreater
institutionalcapacityforeventhostingSport
beingtwoprimaryexamples.Inthecaseof
investmentof$1million,withtheintentionof
packinpursuingmajorinternationalsporting
events.WehopethattheCity,theProvince
andotherpartnerswillgivefullconsideration
totheseandotherpromisingexamplesfrom
ourpeerregions.
28
RECOMMENDATION:
All three orders of government commit to a predictable
approach to support international events in Southern
Ontario and other major urban regions in Canada
lengethatweincreasinglyunderstandtobeat
theheartofmajoreventhostinginTorontoand
therestoftheregion.Namely,howdoyoubring
allordersofgovernmenttothetabletoprovide
necessarysupportinacooperativeandpredict
ablefashion?
Weknowthattermsunderwhichgovernments
willsupportmajorevents,cannotbedeter
minedonastrictlycasebycasebasis.Wehave
heardfromvariousstakeholdersinthecom
munity,fromcivicorganizationstobusinesses,
theycannotplanorcommittosupportamajor
eventunlesstheyknowthestanceofallgov
ernmentpartnersor,atleast,theirprocessfor
issomedegreeofcertaintyabouthowallor
dersofgovernmentwillbeinvolved,itbecomes
verychallengingifnotimpossibleforany
individualorganizationtotakearesponsible
andproactiveapproachtoeventhosting.
Thosewhowishtobringinternationalevents
totheregion,needtounderstandwhowillbe
responsibleforfundingoperations,capitaland
publicservicesassociatedwitheventhosting;
andwhowillprovideoperationalsupportfor
securityandtransportationaswellastherange
ofotherpubliccontributionstohostingamajor
event.
Therefore,westronglyrecommendthatthe
ProvinceofOntarioandtheGovernmentof
Canadaworkwithlocalmunicipalitiestocreate
amorepredictableapproachtohostinginter
nationaleventsinSouthernOntario.Wesug
gestthatratherthanprivilegeourownregion,
thisapproachcouldbeusedasamodelfor
othermajorurbanregionsinthecountrywith
hostingaspirations.
Asapartofthisrecommendationwecallon
theProvinceandfederalgovernmentsto
29
updateandclarifytheirexistingpoliciestode
willprovideformajorevents(e.g.,withrespect
tomajorcapitalexpenditures,operationsand
providingthesecommitments.
Wearealsourginggovernmentstoestablish
cleartimelinesforthesubmissionandevalua
tionofproposalstoensurethatdecisionsare
madeandappropriatecommitmentsarepro
videdwellinadvanceofbiddeadlines.Werec
ognizethatbeforemakinganycommitments,
allpartnersneedtodotheirduediligenceand
evaluatethemeritsandvalueofinvestment
inahostingopportunity.Andthisworktakes
sometime.Sowearenotadvocatingthat
governmentpartnersmovetooquicklyorcut
corners.Butthecurrentuncertainlyaround
processandtimingcanendangereventhe
mostthoroughlydevelopedhostingconcept.
Therefore,theProvinceandfederalgovern
mentshouldmakeclear(I)whatisexpectedin
termsofabusinesscaseand(II)thetimeline
forsubmissionandevaluationtoensurecom
mitmentsareinplacewellinadvanceofbid
deadlines.
Finally,intheinterestofintergovernmental
cooperation,werecommendthecreationofa
newforumorroundtable,involvingallordersof
government,tosupportdiscussionandnegotia
tionsrelatedtointernationalhostingopportuni
ties.Suchavenuewillprovideanopportunity
forgovernmentstoaddressindividualconcerns
andtoproactivelypursueinternationalevents
asamatterofcommonpublicinterestbe
foreanypoliticalnegotiationorposturingtakes
place.
Westronglybelievethatmeaningfulandcol
laborativedialogueisaprerequisiteforToronto
andtherestofthecountrytoachieveitspoten
tialasahostcity,regionandcountry.
COMMUNITY
CONSULTATION LIST
AECOM
Aga Khan Museum
Atkinson Foundation
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Canadian Opera Company
CanStage
Citizens for the Arts
CivicAction DiverseCity Fellows
Coca-Cola Limited
Deloitte Canada
Dragados
EllisDon
Forum Equity Partners
Institute for Canadian Citizenship
Roundtable with New Canadians
KPMG
LafargeHolcim Inc Canada
Local 27, The Carpenters Union
Luminato
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Ltd.
Metcalf Foundation
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Metrolinx
Porter Airlines
Pride Toronto
RBC
Retail Council of Canada

Royal Conservatory
Royal Ontario Museum
Scotiabank
SNC-Lavalin
Sodexo
Soul Pepper Theatre
TELUS Corporation
Ten Thousand Coffees
Toronto Financial Services Alliance
Toronto Foundation
Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto Real Estate Board
Toronto Region Board of Trade
Toronto Region Board of Trade
Young Professionals Network
Toronto Regional Employment (TRIEC)

Toronto Symphony Orchestra
TORQUEST
Tourism Toronto
University of Toronto
UPS Canada
Waterfront Business Improvement Area
Waterfront Toronto
Woodgreen Community Services
30
NOTES
art + design by / ABAKADA design + communication

Photo Credit: CBC, Pan-Parapan American Games, Closing Ceremony, 2015.

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BRINGING

A Report from the Mayors Advisory Panel

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

A Report from the Mayors Advisory Panel

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

Photo Credit: OTMPC, Luminato, 2013.

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

3 International Hosting Opportunities & Strategies

Start from a Position of Strength

5 A Foundation for Successful Hosting:

The Panels Recommendations

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

There is much for

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

Photo Credit: OTMPC, Toronto Skyline, 2012.

Whether we are talking about

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

Photo Credit: OTMPC, Nuit Blanche, 2013.

Photo Credit: OTMPC, TIFF, 2013.

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

1. Start from a Position of Strength

2. Optimize Toronto as a Host City and Region

Photo Credit: FIFA, Fifa World Cup, Brazil, 2014.

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

Toronto is no stranger to hosting the world. Over the past 15

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

1. What are the benefits and risks to

2. What key city-building objectives can

Photo Credit: OTMPC, Nuit Blanche, 2013.

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

MAYORS ADVISORY PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

Hosting international events needs

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

Hosting needs to be done in a

The City must be able to support event

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

The community wants to be

International events should tell

International events need to be

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

Photo Credit: Dailymail U.K., Shanghai World Expo, 2010.

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

TORONTO 2015 PAN AM / PARAPAN AM GAMES

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

Although a regional event does not provide

GLOBAL COMMUNITY EVENTS

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

now attracts over 1.5 million attendees

Although TIFFs success is the result

A (VERY) SHORT LIST OF MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

Art Basel Exhibition (currently non-rotating)

Institute of International Finance (IIF) Events

Summer & Winter Olympic Games www.olympic.org

IAAF World Championships in Athletics

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

HOSTING STRATEGIES FROM

London, United Kingdom &

ANATOMY OF A SUCCESSFUL BID: VANCOUVER 2010

PANEL ON INTERNATIONAL HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES

The Corporation continued to refine

Stages of Bidding and Hosting Activity