The opinion of… Rodrigo Nené, VenuesIn
From major stages to major challenges: is Portugal ready to play on the big stage?
There are moments when an event becomes more than just an occasion and comes to represent much more than what happens on stage. It becomes an opportunity for a country to showcase its organisational capabilities, the quality of its infrastructure, the expertise of its people and its ability to create experiences that leave a lasting impression on those who attend. Behind every major event lies a complex operation involving planning, technology, logistics, coordination and responsiveness. It is rarely visible to the public, yet it determines the success of the entire experience. It is within this often unseen dimension that the difference is made between simply delivering an event and being truly prepared to host large-scale events.
Over recent years, Portugal has increasingly established itself as a destination capable of hosting international events, building experience across different formats, audiences and levels of complexity. From Web Summit to World Youth Day, as well as major concerts, conferences, corporate events and sporting competitions, each initiative contributes to developing expertise, testing capabilities and strengthening the country’s position on the international map of major events. This progress should be recognised, but it also raises a broader question: are we turning the experience we have accumulated into a genuine strategic capability to organise the events of the future?
Answering this question requires us to stop looking at each event as an isolated operation and start seeing the industry as an ecosystem that requires continuous preparation, investment and coordination. The scale of an event is not measured solely by the number of participants or the media exposure it generates. It is also measured by the ability to anticipate needs, coordinate different stakeholders, respond to unforeseen situations and ensure that the participant experience lives up to the organiser’s ambitions. The greater the scale, the greater the need to integrate all these dimensions.
It is within this context that the 2030 FIFA World Cup emerges as one of the major challenges Portugal will face. Not only because of its sporting significance and international exposure, but also because of the complexity of an operation involving different cities, infrastructure, audiences, organisations and systems. Preparing for an event of this nature cannot be limited to the availability of stadiums, hotel capacity or transport infrastructure. These are fundamental elements, but success will also depend on how all these components work together to create a safe, seamless and memorable experience.
A World Cup requires us to consider how thousands of people arrive at venues, move around, enter, stay and leave; how they receive information; the ability to respond to changes and unforeseen situations; the integration of technological systems; security; accessibility; and hospitality. Every component must work individually but, above all, they must all work together. It is precisely this ability to coordinate that represents a crucial part of the value of a large-scale operation.
In this context, venues take on an importance that extends far beyond the physical space itself. A stadium, arena or fan zone is now a complex experience platform where different audiences, distinct needs and multiple touchpoints coexist. Technology will play a decisive role in this transformation, from managing flows and access to connectivity, the use of data to support real-time decision-making, and artificial intelligence applied to operations and the audience experience. However, we should not fall into the trap of believing that technology alone is the answer. The real challenge lies in integrating it with well-designed processes and, above all, with teams that are prepared to interpret information and act quickly.
Indeed, this human dimension will be one of the critical factors for success. Major events are not delivered through equipment, infrastructure or digital platforms alone. They depend on people who are able to anticipate problems, coordinate teams, communicate under pressure and make decisions when what was planned no longer reflects reality. Operational excellence is not only the result of what is set out in a plan, but also of the ability to respond to what could not have been anticipated. Therefore, if we want Portugal to continue strengthening its position on the international major events circuit, we must invest in training, specialisation and knowledge creation throughout the entire value chain.
Portugal’s current position is the result of years of experience and a proven ability to host demanding events. We have professionals, companies and organisations that understand this industry and have accumulated knowledge across increasingly diverse contexts. The challenge now is to transform that experience into an integrated and sustainable capability, able to respond not only to the major events we already know, but also to the demands of those yet to come.
This vision requires greater coordination between public and private organisations, venues, operators, suppliers and teams. It also requires recognising that major events can provide opportunities for economic development, innovation and professional development, leaving a legacy that extends far beyond the days on which they take place. Organising an international event should be seen not merely as a response to an immediate need, but as an opportunity to consolidate expertise, develop solutions and strengthen Portugal’s capabilities as an events destination.
In this journey, the 2030 FIFA World Cup will provide an opportunity to put this collective capability to the test. However, the preparation it requires should neither begin nor end with the tournament. It should form part of a broader strategy for the future of Portugal’s events industry, based on planning, knowledge, professionalisation and collaboration. Because the real ambition should not simply be to successfully organise one major event, but to become increasingly prepared to host many others, across different scales, formats and levels of complexity.
The question ahead of us is not simply whether we can rise to the challenge of the major events Portugal will host. It is whether we are willing to build today the capabilities we want to have tomorrow. Because the true success of a major event is not only found in what the public sees. It lies in everything that has been considered, tested and prepared so that, for a few hours, thousands or millions of people can simply enjoy the experience.
And it is through this ability to deliver well, in a coordinated and consistent way, that Portugal can continue to play on the big stage.
Author: Rodrigo Nené, CEO of VenuesIn
Source: Briefing Magazine