Regions planning bids to host the 2036 Olympics could face a new expanded process leading up to a potential election.
On Monday an unnamed International Olympic Committee (IOC) source said the Future Host Commission is considering adding a new ‘engaged dialogue’ stage to the increasingly complex bid process that was entirely reformed in 2019. Speaking with anonymity because they are not authorized to comment publicly, the source said the new phase could enter the books during the next IOC Session ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“The Engaged Dialogue stage will kick in when an interested party in the Ongoing Dialogue phase shows a level of seriousness that sets it apart from the other interested parties,” the source told GamesBids.com, adding that the name ‘serious dialogue’ had also been considered for the new stage.
When asked if the name Engaged Dialogue alludes to a phase where bids must open up plans to the public with transparency and organize robust public engagement to solicit meaningful feedback among stakeholders, the source said “that sounds like a great idea! But no.”
Under the current process regions interested in hosting the Games enter into Ongoing Dialogue with the IOC’s Future Host Commission (FHC) as ‘interested parties’ for any edition in the future. When mutual opportunity is found between the IOC and the bidder for a specific edition the FHC will recommend that ‘preferred candidate’ to the IOC’s Executive Board for Targeted Dialogue.
One or more preferred candidates can vie for the same Games edition and during that stage the FHC will examine the bids with greater scrutiny before they are recommended for final election by the IOC membership.
The new Engaged Dialogue phase does not immediately set the bid on a path to election, but opens up far more behind-closed-doors meetings and discussions around that project that would not normally be available to other interested parties. Other bidders may remain in dialogue with the IOC, but they “won’t really have a chance” of moving forward, the source clarified.
This will not be the first time the IOC has introduced a new and confusing phase to the fledgling bid process that has little transparency and gives greater control to executives. Last November the FHC moved Switzerland into ‘privileged dialogue’ for the 2038 Winter Games, a stage that also seemingly falls between Ongoing Dialogue and Targeted Dialogue.
“During the Privileged Dialogue, the IOC will not engage in discussions with other potential hosts for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2038,” the IOC confirmed in a statement at the time.
It seems the IOC had considered other names for Privileged Dialogue as well, later stating “in this exclusive dialogue, the IOC will ask the Interested Party to address some of the areas of the project which still require further discussion [emphasis added].”
In this case the Privileged Dialogue has a time window that expires at the end of 2027 if Switzerland is not named preferred candidate.
“I think the new Engaged Dialogue phase will add more clarity to regions hoping to host the Games, separating those that are on the inside track and have a legitimate opportunity to host, and others that are distant outliers but remain included in the process so we can report a larger pool of interest,” the source explained.
“Yes, it will add a further layer of confusion for people at home trying to follow their favorite bids, but we can solve that with some more charts and diagrams.”
There were also discussions within the IOC on a possible ‘damage control’ post-bid phase for elected host regions, but those were shut down quickly and described as ‘fake news’.
Editor’s note: If you glanced at the date, you may have already figured out that this article is yet another in our April Fools Day series. As usual our recipe includes one portion of fact, a dash of parody and finally a sprinkle of possibility that makes you think. We hoped you enjoyed it! If so, please leave a comment on our social media platforms including X, Facebook and Threads.
