Experts have predicted more than 600,000 worldwide tourists will fly into 25 airports to 12 Brazilian cities and check into hundreds of hotels during the month-long 2014 World Cup. This of course, doesn’t include the 6 million Brazilians that are also expected to travel for the games.
Rio’s Operations Centre, which was developed in 2010 after floods created a need for a more centralized disaster intelligence hub, is in full force today using big data to predict big things for the World Cup. The centralized command location is being used to compile information streaming from hundreds of public works departments, utilities companies, traffic sources and social media into databases that will then clean and sort it into meaningful information leading up to and during the events.
Data modeling allows the Operations Centre to predict the most popular use of transportation and then create plans around it to make way for millions of travelers. Data from Rio’s FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 tells the Rio Operations Centre that trains and busses will likely be the most popular forms of transportation for the World Cup this year respectively.(Merrett) This narrows the focus for the Operations Centre to make sure there are plans and extra support for the train and bus systems ahead of time. Rio’s Operations Centre will use big data technology during the games to sort through traditional and social media content to discover issues within the city that can then be quickly addressed. This data mining will allow for a more efficient response to the most important needs by the best resources in real time. As other cities become more advanced, the use of big data will become a large part of the discovery and implementation of innovation. It will help cities know what is lacking in the areas that need it most and then find the best ways to support them. The 2014 World Cup kicks off June 12th in Sao Paulo and ends in Rio De Janeiro on July 13th.