Despite the best efforts of Wollongong 2022 organisers, there is one thing that cannot be controlled; the weather.
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That's the advice from Matt Carroll, CEO of the Australian Olympic Committee, who spoke to a Business Illawarra luncheon on Friday.
"The weather will be what the weather will be," he said.
An all weather sport, the bicycle race will go ahead no matter the weather, but inclement weather has exposed Wollongong's vulnerabilities on a national stage before.
A roof leak during a nationally televised NBL game put Wollongong to shame in 2020, but organisers, promoters, and the city's business community are hoping the successful staging of the road world championships will usher in a new dawn when it comes to the city's capacity to put on a show.
As for those other minor matters of trying to convince a largely car-dependent city of 300,000 people that an event which will limit travel by car for a week is a good idea, Mr Carroll pointed to the experience of a slightly larger city 80 clicks up the road.
"You might recall before the 2000 games, everyone in Sydney went, oh, it's gonna be terrible. Was it? No, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and still talk about it 20 years later."
Getting to that point will take communication and explanation and a lot of planning, something Mr Carroll said the organisers had done so far.
"The organisers have done a fantastic job, they're well prepared."
While the focus of the city and its inhabitants, 30 days out from the event, is on the preparation and event itself, how the event is judged will just as much come down to the legacy it leaves behind.
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Gathered at the Business Illawarra event were local business leaders keen to hear how the race could have a lasting positive contribution to the city, economically, socially and environmentally.
One of the challenges for Wollongong to host large events has been the lack of hotel beds.
Business Illawarra Executive Director Adam Zarth said the city is already seeing investment that will address this issue for future major events.
"We're seeing some strong investment coming to the city and the region in terms of hotels, there's a number of [development applications] in and a number are approved, they'll be coming out of the ground soon," he said.
The experience of hosting a major event such as Wollongong 2022, and the disruptions it entails, will also highlight the local business community's ability to respond to and cater for major sporting fixtures. This will put Wollongong ahead of rival cities when it comes to bidding for future events, Mr Zarth said.
"I think we're going to be front of mind when it comes to future major sporting events in particular, we've really showcased our capacity in that regard."
With the NSW government funding plans pushed by Business Illawarra and Wollongong City Council for a revitalisation of the WIN Sports and Entertainment Centres, the city is preparing the physical infrastructure and the institutional know-how to host world-class events.
Not even the weather will stop it.
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