have continued to grow, driven by the region’s increasing need for tech workers. Adobe years later acquired Utah-based Omniture for $1.8 billion, signaling Utah’s capacity to build competitive tech enterprises, Leavitt said. “It was the combination of a clear vision, dramatically ratcheting up the number of engineers we were educating, and having the Olympics and a place they wanted to live,” Leavitt said. “All of that came together into what’s become one of the most robust economies in the country around technology.” Looking ahead to 2034 With the 2034 Winter Games set to return to Salt Lake City, Utah aims to build on its existing infrastructure with an estimated $31 million in upgrades — a modest cost compared with the $286.7 million spent in 2002. The state expects the upcoming Games to generate $6.6 billion in economic activity, create 42,000 job-years of employment — the equivalent of 4,200 full-time jobs for 10 years — and add nearly $3.9 billion to Utah’s economy, solidifying the Olympics’ role in Utah’s flourishing tech landscape. “We now have advantages we didn’t have,” Leavitt said. “We have all of the infrastructure that’s there, and we have a reputation. The Games will be done well in 2034. There’s just no question about it.” Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032