Using an Event to Reimage a City and its Port: The 2012 Volvo Ocean Race Finale in Galway

Abstract

In this article we analyze the 2012 Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) Finale in Galway City, Ireland as an overt effort to reimage the city by incorporating its maritime attributes more deliberately. We consider the extent to which a global event with an established international marine brand can be successfully leveraged by a port city in an effort to realize the development potential of the harbor and adjacent lands. Our results draw on two surveys: one administered during the event and a follow up survey administered 2 years after the event and interviews with organizers and key stakeholders. Making use of a mixed method approach we highlight the limited longer term impact the event has had on repositioning the city towards the maritime and overcoming the long held negative associations with the harbor as a site of emigration and disconnection.