America on the Global Stage: How federal agencies can redefine success for mega-events

In brief

• Mega-events are a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the nation — and for the many federal agencies mobilizing to support them.
  
  
• They demand seamless coordination, effective security, modernized infrastructures and support systems, and a laser focus on public experience and trust.
  
  
• We explore the biggest challenges federal agencies will face as these mega-events approach — and offer concrete solutions to meet them head-on.

Over the next few years, the United States will take center stage as the world tunes in for the biggest events on the planet — the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 250th anniversary of American independence, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The combined number of international visitors expected to attend these events will be in the tens of millions. And global television audiences will number in the billions.

These mega-events are a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the nation — and for the many federal agencies mobilizing to support them. Their actions can spark long-term investment, accelerate innovation, strengthen international partnerships, and lift national pride.

Pulling these mega-events off successfully presents an opportunity for new ways of working and innovative technology solutions that can transform traveler experiences and highlight American ingenuity. Reinventing the government’s management of mega events will demand seamless coordination across agencies and jurisdictions, security that is effective but not overwhelming, modernized infrastructures and support systems, and a laser focus on public experience and trust. It’s a moment for America to shine.

To meet the unprecedented scale and breadth of these challenges, we need new solutions and approaches. We must learn from tactics that have worked previously, but that alone won’t be sufficient. We’ll also need more technology enablement, more proactivity, more centralization, more visibility and insights, more data-driven decision-making, and more speed to keep pace with today’s dynamic threat landscape.

With the advent of technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), agentic AI, machine learning, data mesh, edge computing, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and others, traditional approaches to federal operations can be transformed to better handle today’s more complex challenges.

The spotlight will not just be on the country — it will also be on the many federal agencies that will be critical enablers of success. The good news is we’ve done this before. And with the right mindset, tools, and partnerships, we can do it better than ever.

We explore the biggest challenges federal agencies will face as these mega-events approach — and offer concrete solutions to meet them head-on.

Seize the moment, shape the future

For federal agencies, the question becomes: what capabilities will they invest in to prepare for these events that they can leverage in the years ahead?

To meet this moment, federal agencies need more than plans and playbooks. They need powerful tools and capabilities. Here are five critical technologies that can dramatically improve how agencies prepare for and execute mega-event operations — and dramatically bolster their capabilities, readiness, and resiliency for years ahead.

The importance of resilient, adaptable systems

When building technology-assisted systems to address burgeoning capacity needs, it’s critical that they be designed to be flexible and responsive to complex, dynamic environments.

For example, keeping humans in the loop is key. By designing systems that blend human judgment with machine precision, agencies can remain agile, adaptive, and resilient in high-pressure environments. Other important features to consider:

• Integrated systems over siloed solutions.
  This ensures the quick and smooth flow of critical information and — when combined with technologies, such as edge AI — can enable real-time decision making.
  
  
• Adaptable protocols over rigid procedure.
  Rigid, one-size-fits-all procedures can fail in unpredictable or high-stakes situations, whereas adaptable protocols allow for flexibility, enabling teams to modify responses in real-time based on changing conditions.
  
  
• ‘Seamful’ over seamless design.
  'Seamful' design (as opposed to seamless) is about selectively revealing the complexities of the system and allowing operators to adapt, troubleshoot, and reconfigure systems as needed.
  
  
• Redundancy over single points of failure.
  Avoid catastrophic system failures by building redundancy and backups into the system. Design systems with multiple independent backups, distribute critical functions, and regularly test failure scenarios to ensure rapid recovery.

A moment to lead

Mega-events offer more than spectacle — they present a rare and powerful opportunity for the United States to lead by example. If federal agencies act strategically, these moments can catalyze enduring improvements in security, infrastructure, diplomacy, and public trust.