When the first Pan American Games took place in Dallas in 1937, it attracted so little attention that it never counted in the records of the competition, as the Chicago Tribune‘s Phil Hersh reported in 1987.
Unfortunately, while the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games have come a long way in nearly 80 years, that legacy of garnering little attention has sadly continued. At least in Ontario.
With just a few weeks before the Games kick off, who would know that, in terms of the number of athletes competing, these Pan Am Games will be the largest multi-sport event ever to take place in Canada?
Where is the hype? Faint is the rumbling of any crowds clamouring to welcome these athletes to the time of their lives — and ostensibly that of Toronto residents.
More than 10,000 athletes, coaches and delegates are expected to land in the GTA. That volume of athletes will double the number of Olympians from Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics. And yet, where is the pre-Panamania in the city?
There was some powerful advertising for Pan Am/Parapan Am Games leading back as far as last summer. And with ticket sales ads encouraging us to “get ready” from April of this year, the groundwork seemed to have been laid for fans to start chanting that the “Epic is on.”
But in addition to the quiet of the crowds, where are the stories? The business of sports is a key economic driver for any region and event. Where are those stories? What about the myriad benefits of community development — both social and financial capital — other than the squabble about misshapen HOV lane markings?
The heartstring-pulling human interest stories of Canadian athletes, families and supporters? The people of the land of lacrosse, bacon, Tim Hortons and cross-border shopping want their strings pulled. And sponsorships. Who is even aware who the lead sponsor of the Games is?
Last week, kudos came from the Toronto Star extolling the virtues of the West Don Lands acceleration, thanks to Infrastructure Ontario, Waterfront Toronto and Dundee Kilmer. High praise, indeed, from urban aficionado and critic Christopher Hume. And naturally, as exclusive broadcaster of the Games, the CBC has started ramping up its coverage. Here’s to seeing the Panamania kick in full gear, having had nothing but consistently false starts.
Anyone would agree that managing the largest sporting event that Canada has ever seen is an epic task. Harnessing its communications is just as epic an opportunity.
Let’s see what communicators will help deliver this far past the starting line. We will be delighted to see if the communicators around the Games will inspire us to say that, indeed, the “Epic Is On.”
Let the Panamania begin.
Rick Byun is vice-president, strategy and business development at Maverick in Toronto
