Despite some headwinds, the 2023 Alberta Summer Games finished with a surplus and are being called a great success.
The Games, held in Okotoks and Diamond Valley from July 20 to 23, saw over 2,600 athletes, coaches and officials from across the province descend on the two communities to compete for gold in 14 sports.
A report to Town council showed the biennial Games finished with a half-million-dollar surplus, funds that were distributed to the two host communities and to numerous charities and organizations around the Foothills.
Along with the participants, an estimated 6,000 out-of-town spectators took in the event.
“It's very difficult to calculate the actual number of spectators, so we consider it to be a conservative estimate,” Messer said.
Total spending by visitors during the Games was estimated at more than $1.6 million, including accommodation, meals, entertainment and shopping.
As an example of economic spinoff, the report shows that ticket sales for Taste of Okotoks, held during the Games, grew by 79 per cent compared to 2022.
The report estimates the overall boost to Okotoks’ GDP was over $2 million.
Economic impact was determined using the Sports Tourism Economic Assessment Model (STEAM) from the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance.
Factors include spending by out-of-town visitors, spending to produce the event and capital construction costs that are directly related.
Visitor spending was limited by the number of hotel rooms in Okotoks, all of which were full during the Games, Messer said.
“The hotels were at capacity with Alberta Summer Games VIPs, officials (and others), and little left for visitors to the community,” Messer said. “Generally, people eat where they sleep.”
Total operating costs to put on the Games were estimated at $2.3 million.
The Town of Okotoks chipped in $750,000 and the Games were awarded two grants worth $150,000 in total.
The Government of Alberta provided $420,000, an amount Messer said has been flat since at least 2012.
“If we look at the power of the dollar over those 12 years, the value would be $525,000,” Messer said.
The current Alberta Summer Games operating model relies on substantial local fundraising and gifts in-kind, she said.
“Coming out of COVID, this was very difficult; to raise funds, donations (and) gifts in kind.
“Business owners had to be focused on their own recovery, and so it's not until the second quarter of 2023 that local businesses felt that they were able to start supporting (the Games)."
Although the Games were a great success, lingering challenges from the pandemic were apparent, she said. Those challenges included slower than anticipated fundraising, increased costs and fewer volunteers than organizers hoped for, according to the report.
“Events like this can’t happen without volunteers,” Mayor Tanya Thorn said. “Our community really rose to the standard, which is one of the reasons we are a great sporting community.”
An additional $400,000 from the Province went to transportation to bring athletes to Okotoks, and to uniforms, but does not go to the local organizing committee.
