Abstract
The paper examines if and how a mega event can be an opportunity for a territory to be developed as a marketing product. The topic is analyzed in the pre-event phase, from the point of view of marketing mix and governance.
A qualitative method was adopted with a case study on Monza and Brianza province (northern Italy) which is strongly involved in EXPO 2015 initiatives. The triangulation among multiple sources such as documents, interviews and observation, allow for deeper data collection.
A mega event can enhance development and repositioning also of minor territories. There are, however, two main conditions for benefiting from such an opportunity: to plan the marketing mix taking into account people and partnerships, and to ensure a vision on territory through coordination with a legacy perspective.
This study is not representative or generalizable. However, it gives insights into the mechanism of coordination and collaboration between different stakeholders and on how to plan the Monza and Brianza marketing mixes.