I love the Olympics! The athletic achievements. The powerful personal stories of the athletes. And, this year these games take us to Pyeongchang, South Korea.
These Olympics are particularly cool for those of us in Colorado, because we sent 31 of the U.S.’s 242 winter Olympians. That’s more Olympians than any other state in the nation and even more than a few other countries. You can learn more about the U.S. team here.
You’ve probably also heard that a committee is exploring whether Colorado should host a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The committee is examining if the games could be financed privately, considering what venues and assets Colorado already has and assessing the potential to create meaningful legacy for our state if we host.
A critical part of the exploratory committee’s work is to hear directly from Coloradans what each of you think about hosting the Winter Games. Here’s some interesting facts as you consider this question:
- We have a history of hosting incredible events in our state, from the 2008 Democratic National Convention to the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Aspen in 2017.
- The Winter Games draw about 600,000 people over 17 days. To give you context, the National Western Stock Show this year drew more than 700,000 spectators over 16 days.
- Every U.S. city who has hosted and Olympic Games since 1960 has generated a surplus. Salt Lake City generated a $50 million surplus from its games in 2002.
Share your feedback online. On Saturday, Feb. 24, at 9 a.m. learn more about the bid process and tell us what you think.
Take the survey. We want to hear from as many people as possible from across the state and you can easily share your thoughts in this brief survey.
We recognize that this is a big decision for Colorado — whether you like the idea or have concerns — because we are impacting the future of our state.
And, go Team USA!
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.