Welcome back to the Sunstone Way.
It’s hard to believe we’re down to the quarterfinals already in the World Cup. Only eight teams still have the chance to hoist the cup.
As a fan, I’m clearly excited for the games. I actually got the chance to take in a match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (they are calling it Los Angeles Stadium for the Cup tournament – as if there’s no commercialism going on here).
Watching the athleticism of the players and the passion of the fans was great. But I have to admit to being a bit of a nerd when it comes to logistics and economic impact of events, so I paid some attention to that, too.
Massive Effort
Los Angeles and SoFi are hosts for more World Cup games than any other site – eight. There’s still one to go, with a quarterfinal match this Friday, July 10.
The semi-finals will be played in Atlanta, Georgia, and Arlington, Texas, and the championship will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey – part of the greater New York City area. The teams playing for third have been relegated to Miami, Florida.
Owners and workers at each and every stadium where World Cup matches were played had to take on huge jobs to get ready. This is, after all, a spectacle the world is watching. In addition to the World Cup branding, stadium amenities had to be prepared for foreign fans, parking and the logistics of transportation were shared responsibilities between the private companies and the city, state and federal governments. That partnership was – and is – critical for the security operations as well.
Speaking of Security
When they call it the World Cup, they really mean the world. In addition to Canada and Mexico joining the United States as hosts for matches, there were teams from all over the world – Asia to Africa, Europe to Latin America as well as the host countries.
Yes, Iran even had a team in the tournament – while there were drones and missiles going both in and out of their country. Iran’s three games were all played in the United States – the other major party in the shooting.
Can you say security nightmare?
When we went to the game at SoFi, my son pointed out the government snipers on and around the stadium roof. We’ve gotten used to a police presence at major events in our country, but this time around it was more of a force than a presence.
And it was a cooperative effort. It’s a guarantee that Inglewood doesn’t have enough officers in its police department to handle on-site security, let alone policing the surrounding area. It took cooperation with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, help from LAPD and other nearby cities to make sure everyone was safe. No doubt there were federal agents around as well.
Don’t forget the private security the stadium operators had on hand. This was a public-private partnership from the very beginning.
Small Business Benefits
That company providing security likely qualifies as a small business. Suppliers for the concessions – inside and outside the stadium – included small businesses too. Uber might be a giant company, but believe me the drivers dropping off and picking up fans see themselves as their own small business.
Those are just the more visible of the many small business owners and entrepreneurs helping to make the World Cup experience a success – and make a little money at the same time. There are the folks with shops in Inglewood and the many routes to the stadium. Someone has to make all those souvenirs, and someone else has to sell them, right?
I’m just as interested in the businesses behind the scenes. I’ve mentioned suppliers, but what about the service providers? Someone has to take care of (and provide) all that equipment, temporary shelters, etc. There are undoubtedly other jobs critical to a major event’s success I’m not even aware of that entrepreneurial people are handling as we speak.
Just a Rehearsal
Eight World Cup matches, along with all the watch parties around the Southland (we sponsored one in Irvine along with the American Lending Center), is and was a major endeavor for the greater Los Angeles area. There’s still a bit more to go, but I think overall most people would call it a success.
The question is, did we learn the right lessons to host the much, much bigger 2028 Olympic Summer Games?
The entire world will be watching again almost exactly two years from now – and this time the action isn’t going to be spread across an entire continent. It’s all happening in our back yard – mostly in Los Angeles, but with a ton of events in Long Beach, and others, including surfing just outside San Clemente in Orange and San Diego counties.
Work already is well underway to coordinate all of the public and public-private partnerships that will be key to the success of 16 July 2028 days of world athletes, coaches and fans in our area, along with 12 more days in August for the Paralympic Games. Just a couple of weeks ago, our friend Vivian Malululu helped host a Small Business Contracting Opportunities workshop at the Long Beach Accelerator (Vivian is on the Long Beach Olympic Committee as well as being the Accelerator’s executive director).
I have loved the energy and commitment we’ve seen at the World Cup, and I’m really excited about what our area will do in 2028. I have confidence we can pull this off, because we know the value of partnerships, engaging small businesses and bringing the community together for a common goal.
I can’t think of a better definition of the Sunstone Way!
Remember, always be a Sunstone.
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone
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Sunstone Investment Group, headquartered in Southern California, is the holding company for the Sunstone family of entities, including: Sunstone Investment Management Services, responsible for administrative services; Sunstone Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, which oversees Sunstone Venture Partners LLC, a private capital fund manager; Sunstone Cities, a government economic development consulting firm; and Sunstone Community Fund, a charitable organization that supports entrepreneurship. Sunstone is dedicated to enriching lives through investment, entrepreneurship, and community. Email us at contact@sunstoneinvestment.com.
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