In a few days, the Commonwealth Games will open in Glasgow. Not long ago, that sentence looked far from certain. When Victoria, Australia, announced it could no longer host the 2026 Games, there were just under three years to go, no alternative host in sight and real concern about whether the event could happen at all.
Commonwealth Sport responded quickly, creating the flexibility for a host city to step in and deliver the Games in a reimagined way. Glasgow took up the challenge, and in doing so accepted a remarkable deadline: less than two years to deliver a multi-sport international event that would normally take at least five years to plan and deliver.
Yet that compressed timeline created an opportunity to rethink how major events are delivered. Glasgow 2026 is not simply a Games delivered quickly. It is proving, in real time, a more flexible model, one that makes better use of existing venues, local expertise and collaborative delivery.
An innovative delivery model
Normally, major events like the Commonwealth Games are delivered by an organising company (OC) that builds its own large internal team from scratch, with external partners and suppliers playing a smaller role.
For Glasgow 2026, the model is different and far more integrated. The OC retains leadership and governance, the strategic oversight and decision-making that keeps the Games on track, while Trivandi, as the Official Event Delivery Partner, provides operational delivery expertise.
Our experienced major event specialists are fully embedded within the team to plan and deliver across operational planning, overlay (the temporary infrastructure that transforms existing venues into competition-ready spaces), venue management, transport, security, health and safety, catering, spectator services and sustainability.
This approach has allowed the workforce to scale up rapidly while keeping the Organising Company lean and focused. With a delivery timeline this tight, the ability to bring experienced people on board quickly has been essential.
Collaboration is king
For this model to work, trust and collaboration are critical: the success of Glasgow 2026 depends on everyone operating as one integrated team.
When you visit the offices, it is difficult to see a distinction between the Organising Company and the Trivandi team. Both teams sit together, plan together and solve problems together. It is not a traditional client-agency arrangement but a shared delivery team with one objective: a successful Commonwealth Games for Glasgow, Scotland and the wider Commonwealth.
People will make Glasgow 2026
The city's "People Make Glasgow" strapline was popularised during the 2014 Games. The fans were a huge part of what made those Games so memorable, not only in how the city embraced the event but in how it was delivered. That will undoubtedly be the case again over the coming weeks.
A key part of delivering these Games successfully in such a short timeframe has been building the right team, quickly and thoughtfully. Trivandi has built a high-performing team of more than 250 people to support Games delivery, bringing together experienced international specialists alongside local talent, from Glasgow 2014 veterans to those entering the events industry for the first time.
Equipping them with the right skills and confidence is where the Trivandi Academy comes in. Working alongside the operations and recruitment teams, the Academy has upskilled hundreds of people through structured, real-world training and hands-on preparation, ready to perform in a live major event environment. The model develops skills within the local workforce, supporting the Games' wider legacy ambitions.
A venue legacy to build on
Glasgow's other major advantage is its existing sporting infrastructure. The venues used for the 2014 Games remain world-class facilities that are already well understood by event organisers, venue operators and the city itself.
Building on that legacy has been central to the Glasgow 2026 approach. Prioritising existing venues means a lighter footprint and significantly shorter lead times, while the compact plan, a small number of iconic sites within the city, simplifies operations.
Major multi-sport events still bring unique challenges, from crowd flow to security and broadcast requirements, and managing them means venues functioning as one integrated system rather than isolated locations. The better they work together, the better the experience for athletes, spectators and everyone watching around the world.
A blueprint for other major events
Glasgow has shown that when you deliver an event well, you build the confidence and capability to do it again. Since 2014, the city has successfully hosted the 2018 European Championships, COP26 and the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. Having stepped in to host the Commonwealth Games at short notice, in just a few days Glasgow will once again show the world what it does best.
What Glasgow 2026 is demonstrating goes far beyond the city. By using existing venues, experienced local partners and an integrated delivery model, the Games are showing how major events can be delivered in a more flexible, sustainable and financially responsible way.
The lessons from Glasgow 2026 will inform how future Commonwealth Games are delivered, including Ahmedabad in 2030, and other major events around the world. By embedding operational expertise early and working closely with host cities and local partners, it becomes possible to scale up the right team quickly while developing local knowledge and leaving a lasting impact for the host city.
It seems entirely fitting that this should happen in a city and nation known not only for innovation, but also for the warmth and enthusiasm with which they embraced the Commonwealth Games just over a decade ago.