Context

Major sport events provide for a complex interaction between the athletes’ performance, the uncertainty of the result, the means of capturing and visualising the sporting action and the dynamics of the spectators. The moments of triumph, the sense of unity and belonging and the cohesion generated by the event are the result of a complex and indissociable experience stemming from the work of numerous key players involved in the value chain.

These events generate positive externalities (social cohesion, economic value, visibility and reputation for Switzerland etc.) but also negative ones (ecological impact, nuisance for communities, inequalities etc.). The challenge is to choose the right size of events and the organisational means to maximise the positive aspects while limiting the negative impacts.

Challenge

Based on these observations, three different areas were defined, with the following questions to be explored :

  • Energy infrastructure and resources: How can we manage energy supplies, IT networks and mobile phones to absorb peaks in demand without oversizing?
  • Event experience: Fans in the stadium/fanzones, TV viewers, internet users and athletes: what new types of consumption of sports events are they expecting?
  • People flow and logistics:  How to manage and monitor access rights while ensuring health safety?

 

Theme Leader
Swiss Ski

Test phase results

Smart Grid idea : the aim of the Smart Grid idea was to develop of a simulation tool to optimise the energy mix for the local production and consumption of electrical energy for an (sportive) event and to identify opportunities to design reusable energy modules between events using Lenzerheide as a case study. The mission was entrusted to the HEIG-VD, which was able to develop several models. It is now time for SwissSki to contact its partners in order to reflect on the next steps.

 

Downfeel Experience 360° idea : a preliminary study for the 2022 Women’s World Cup in Crans Montana, Switzerland, was carried out by the EPFL+ECAL Lab. A total of 14 qualitative interviews were conducted in order to understand the different interests between the on site and at home experience. The results show that there is an interest in additional information but the form needs to go beyond the technical data.

 

Itinerant Pavillon idea : students from ECAL have been commissioned to propose different experiences that can be deployed in public places to reach a new audience. 5 modular and combinable concepts were presented. The concepts are now being considered internally by SwissSki.

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