Sébastien Desclée: Why don't we organise the next Winter Olympics in the Saudi desert?

Snow guns are being used to create fake snow in Beijing. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION:

This year is bound to be a very special year in sporting terms. We'll begin by enjoying the Winter Olympics, organised in a place with no snow, and finish the year with the Fifa World Cup, in a country with no real football culture, which has created several brand-new air-conditioned stadia for the occasion - respecting, of course, all human rights while building them.

Given all this, why don't we go to the next level and organise the next Winter Olympics in
Riyadh?

It could be indoor, with artificial snow - in a country with a strong winter sports culture, which will definitely respect all elementary human rights whilst building those eco-friendly installations to host events.

This introduction is clearly a cynical one and demonstrates my personal view on the logic - or lack thereof – surrounding large international sporting events.

There is temptation to blame Fifa, or the Olympic committees which support these choices, backed by a few incidents of corruption which have gone public. But the organising committees only tell some of the story.

As business leaders and marketers, we all hold a strong responsibility for letting this happen and recommending brands to associate themselves to these events. Indeed, all the mega events, whilst partially funded by the hosting countries, could not happen without the gigantic financial injections which come directly from global sponsors and brands willing to associate themselves, both to the events themselves and to the athletes who take part in them.

Since the Ancient Greeks, the Olympics, and sport in general have been a formidable way to unite and help different communities meet and compete, instead of getting into war.

"During the Olympics, leaders from the various city-states discussed important political and economic matters. In the ancient world, major leaders rarely met at the same place at the same time. As the Games approached, everyone generally agreed to an Olympic Truce, a time when warfare usually ceased. Athletes and spectators were granted immunity to travel to and from the games."*

It was definitely an event that made people and society more progressive.

Is this still the case? While the Olympics and the Fifa World Cup are still a great vehicle to bring people together to connect and meet, uniting nations, couldn't these mega sports events be more in tune with the challenges that we face as humanity?

As brand and marketing specialists our role is to influence the likes of Fifa and the Olympic committee, forcing them to be mindful of how they construct and plan their respective events. The world is watching: this is an opportunity to hold an event that inspires the world, not only through the sport and athletes they host, but by showcasing an event that is progressive, respectful of the people involved from the minute the bid to host was won, and mindful of our planet.

Call me naïve, but in the short term, I hope that people are becoming educated on these points and will adopt appropriate behaviour towards the brands that are supporting this apparent lack of sense.

Because, collectively, it is the people who have the biggest role to play for a better tomorrow.

• Sébastien Desclée is a New Zealand-based advertising executive.