Achievability of IOC Agenda 2020+5 cost-saving objectives

Determine whether the International Olympic Committee’s Agenda 2020+5 cost-saving objectives—specifically simplifying events, reusing operational solutions, and avoiding the over-scoping of service levels and non-sports-related events—are achievable in practice across Olympic host cities.

Background

The paper describes the IOC’s reform trajectory from Agenda 2020 to Agenda 2020+5, which centers on achieving long-term economic sustainability. Key intended cost-saving measures include simplifying events, reusing solutions such as ticketing, and limiting scope for services and non-sport activities.

The authors note uncertainty about whether these objectives can be realized in practice, and they contextualize this by showing that overall Olympic costs and cost overruns have continued to rise in recent editions, suggesting reform implementation may face significant challenges.