Mexico used 2021 to return to the lineage of sport that was paralyzed in 2020 by the pandemic. The year that is closing leaves lessons in terms of organization and administration, but it also leaves a pleasant taste in the mouth in terms of confirming the country as a trusted venue for major international sporting events.
“By bringing large-scale international events, the entry of tourists is encouraged, the increase in foreign currency from the countries, the use of hotels, taxis, restaurants and this helps people to have income, to reactivate the economy in the states, to That the chambers of commerce see that businesses are being reactivated and this is part of the task of those of us who are sports promoters, to bring this type of events so that money enters the country and we can all exercise our jobs as it should be ”, he mentions to El Economista, Gustavo Santoscoy, who was able to bring the WTA Finals venue to Guadalajara in November.
The year of international events began on January 31 in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, with the organization of the Caribbean Series 2021, which returned to the country after three years (in 2018 it was held in Guadalajara). It was the first great challenge in 2020 with empty stadiums and, furthermore, because there was still not a high percentage of vaccinated among the country’s inhabitants.
“The main challenge that had to be faced was uncertainty. At the beginning of the year everything goes back to red after the holidays, later he walked a little better and then we had another relapse. The key to getting out of this is the planning of different scenarios, always with an eye on the line of the authorities in the sense of health and safety protocols. An extra fatalistic scenario had to be considered in which they saw the worst possible and having it is very valuable because it allows you to take different paths that allow you to circumvent the logistics ”, analyzes Rodrigo Calls, specialist in sports marketing.
Although it was confirmed that for the second consecutive year there would be no NBA, NFL or Major League games in Mexico, other events were reactivated: the Concacaf Men’s Soccer Pre-Olympic in Guadalajara; the Mayakoba Classic golf course in Quintana Roo; the return of the Mexico City circuit in Formula 1; Formula E in Puebla; and the tennis open in Acapulco, Monterrey, Zapopan and the Finals, which were held in Latin America for the first time.
“Our country already has an inertia in the good organization and that has opened a lot the doors to continue building and growing. In the atypical year that it touched, the lines that mark the organizations that run these tournaments and how they handle the protocols have a lot to do with it. Also the important part and where Mexico did it correctly was how to adapt to those protocols, which although they have worked in other countries, was to see how you bring them to Mexico with their particularities, you always have to think about everything that surrounds: services, public transport, logistics, food and beverages because this is also business, it is linked to economic reactivation ”, adds Calls.
Only Formula 1 registered a record attendance with 371,779 attendees during the three days in Mexico City, while the tennis finals, known as the fifth Grand Slam of the season, received more than 72,000 during a week in Guadalajara , which generated an estimated spill of more than 120 million pesos.
“It was a very important year in the reactivation of sporting events and that speaks to the capacity we have in Mexico, the care to follow the indications of the health tables of each of the states and above all the responsibility that we take as organizers to massive events in the pandemic (…) I would tell other sports organizers to dare to do such important events, it is the only way to represent Mexico in a safer way, because through this type of shows we provide a better face to our visitors ”, emphasizes Gustavo Santoscoy.
In general, the year served for economic reactivation but also to demonstrate the role of Mexico within the sports industry. As a more internal conclusion, there is also giving relevance to the presence of fans, since leagues, clubs and other organizations have not yet developed another form of income in which ticketing is not important.
“In our country the public is fundamental and the absence has been reflected in very particular cases, such as football and its financial part, how the budget hit different teams and in the last year we have seen fewer signings or squads that leave reducing. The issue here is that in Mexico, marketing through other channels has not yet been exploited as in other countries and that forces ticketing and game-day to still be very important, many of the teams still do not have that infrastructure. That window is going to be kept open, with limited percentages, but it has to be maintained because in the economic recovery there is no other space for the industry to suffer again from not having an audience and even worse that there are not even events ”, concludes the specialist in marketing.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx