The Research About Urban-brand-oriented Management Of Mega-events

With China's success in bidding for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai, an in-depth theoretical research into mega-event management has assumed vital significance in application. At present, mega-events have been managed mainly from a project-based approach. However, with the ever-increasing scale and influence of mega-events, theories of modern management and urban brand theories become increasingly developed, and such project-based mega-event management is beginning to show its defects—lacking in theoretical abstraction and effective solutions to practice. This dissertation presents an urban perspective towards mega-event management by building a new urban-brand-oriented management frame of mega-events.As regards the management aims, the author emphasizes the importance of shifting from the mere focus on economic benefits to an evaluation of the overall influence of mega-events on urban management from a multidimensional perspective that covers the duration, impact, object, indexes and areas of influence.As regards the subject of management, this dissertation proposes a multi-partnership management subject—a management process that involves the collaboration of the government, enterprises and third-party organizations, with the enterprises responsible for the operation under the supervision of the government and participated by multiple third-party organizations. While the government plays a major role in the whole process, it establishes partnership with enterprises and third-party organizations to manage mega-events with joint efforts.As regards the object of management, this dissertation proposes three shifts, namely, the shift from the concept of events to the brand asset of events, the shift from the plans of events to the brand identification of events, the shift from collaboration to the brand communication of events.As for the management process, this dissertation integrates mega-events in urban development by combining them with urban management. From the perspective of time, it takes into consideration both the facts that a mega-event is once for all and that a mega-event is a process; from the perspective of development, it takes into consideration both the input influences and the output results of mega-events; from the perspective of systemic development, it takes into consideration both the operationof mega-events and the interactive influence between mega-events and the environment.As regards the management model, this dissertation proposes a strategic risk management model based on the statement that the risk management of mega-events should incorporate the risk of the host city instead of focusing merely on the risk of the event itself. It further points out that the risk management of mega-events seeks to create values instead of merely reducing the loss and should be accessed from a process-driven approach rather than a mere function-driven approach.Finally, this dissertation applies the urban-brand-oriented management frame of mega-events to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai by proposing suggestions and solutions from the aspects of the subject, object, process and model of management.