Sporting Events - Event Perspectives Series

Sporting Events

Chris Austin

5 November 2014

twitter.com/chrisaustin87 | linkedin.com/in/chrisaustin87 | slideshare.net/christopheraustin

Major sporting events

• The sporting event calendar is

classified into four groups, within the

overall calendar of ‘major events’…

• Mega events

• Calendar events

• One-off events

• Showcase eventsUK Sport (1999)


Mega events

• Awarded after competitive bidding

• Often longer periods between each

event

• Global participation and coverage

Bowdin et al (2012:20)


Calendar events

• No bidding required

• Commercially successful events

• Play a regular part in the international

sporting calendar



One-off events


• Substantial media interest nationally

and internationally



Showcase events


• Boost sports development

opportunities

• Provide the UK with chance of winning

medals

• Boost destination image















Other sporting events

• Community events

• Regional events

• National events

• Open events


Community events


Regional events


National events


National events


Open events


Who organises sporting events?

• Government bodies

• World / National Governing Bodies

• Clubs

• Sports marketers / promoters

• Community groups


UK sport structure

BBC News (2005)


Impacts of sporting events

• Social and cultural

• Political

• Environmental

• Tourism and economic

Allen et al (2008:64)


Social and cultural impacts

• Positives…• Shared experience

• Revitalisation of traditions

• Building of community pride

• Validation of community groups

• Increased participation

• Introduction of new and challenging ideas

• Expansion of cultural perspectives


Social and cultural impacts

• Negatives…

• Community alienation

• Manipulation of community

• Negative community image

• Bad behaviour

• Substance abuse

• Social dislocation

• Loss of amenity


Political impacts

• Positives…

• International prestige

• Improved profile

• Promotion of investment

• Social cohesion

• Development of administrative skills


Political impacts

• Negatives…

• Risk of event failure

• Misallocation of funds

• Lack of accountability

• Propaganda

• Loss of community ownership and control


Environmental impacts

• Positives…

• Showcasing the environment

• Provision of models for best practice

• Increased environmental awareness

• Infrastructure legacy

• Improved transport and communication

• Urban transformation and renewal


Environmental impacts

• Negatives

• Environmental damage

• Pollution

• Destruction of heritage

• Noise disturbance

• Traffic congestion


Tourism and economic impacts

• Positives…• Destination promotion and increased

tourist visits

• Extended length of stay

• Higher yield

• Increased tax revenue

• Business opportunities

• Commercial activity

• Job creation


Tourism and economic impacts

• Negatives…• Community resistance to tourism

• Loss of authenticity

• Damage to reputation

• Exploitation

• Inflated prices

• Opportunity costs

• Financial mismanagement

• Financial loss


Economic impact

£-

£5,000,000

£10,000,000

£15,000,000

£20,000,000

£25,000,000

£30,000,000

2000 Flora

London

Marathon

1997 1st

Cornhill

Test Match

2003 World

Indoor

Athletics

1997 World

Badminton

1999

European

Show

Jumping

1997

Women's

British

Open Golf

1999 World

Judo

2003 World

Cup

Triathlon

£25,4

58,1

87

£5,0

61,7

68

£3,1

60,0

00

£2,2

21,1

30

£2,1

96,2

98

£2,0

68,6

63

£1,9

43,7

15

£1,6

66,3

98

UK Sport (2006)


Organising a sporting event

• Key questions

• Events strategy

• Bidding

• Event business plan

• Insurance and legal issues

• Security and policing

• The media

• Marketing and sponsorship

• Health and safety


Organising a sporting event

(cont’d)• Data protection

• Volunteers

• Ethical considerations

• Anti-doping

• Environment

• Tourism

• Economic impact assessment

• Sports development and legacy

• Support servicesUK Sport (2005)


Sporting event teams

• Network / multi-organisational…



Sporting event teams (cont’d)

• Matrix structure…



Example project team (internal)

• Tour of Britain• Project leads

• Highways

• Tourism

• Health and Safety (SAG)

• PR & Communications

• City Centre Management

• Culture

• Waste & StreetScene


Example project team (external)

• Other stakeholders

• Emergency services

• Suppliers / contractors

• Community

• Media


Internationalizing sporting events

• Indigenous sports and sporting events

can be restricted geographically to

domestic markets, but have the

potential to expand into international

markets. Doulgas and Craig (1995)

propose a five step process to

undertake this internationalization.


Internationalizing sporting events

• Step 1: Establish a mission

• Step 2: Market selection

• Step 3: Mode of entry

• Step 4: Market expansion

• Step 5: Rationalisation / evaluation

Douglas & Craig (1995), cited in Ferdinand & Kitchin (2012:239)


Discussion

• Journal articles…

• Sports Events: Uses and Abuses of

Economic Impact Studies

• ‘Image’ leveraging and sports mega-

events: Germany and the 2006 FIFA World

Cup

• Measuring the Motives of Sport Event

Attendance

• Profiling Major Sport Event Visitors


References

Allen, J., O’Toole, W., Harris, R. and McDonnell, I. (2008) Festival and

Special Event Management, Fourth Edition, Australia: Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bowdin, G., Allen, J., O’Toole, W., Harris, R. and McDonnell, I. (2012)

Events Management, Third Edition, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Ferdinand, N. and Kitchin, P.J. (2012) Events Management: An

International Approach, London: SAGE Publications.

Funk, D.C., Filo, K., Beaton, A.A. and Pritchard, M. (2009) ‘Measuring the

Motives of Sport Event Attendance: Bridging the Academic-Practitioner

Divide to Understanding Behavior’, Sport Marketing Quarterly, 18(3),

pg.126-138.

Getz, D. (2010) Event Management & Event Tourism, Second Edition,

USA: Cognizant Communication Corporation.


References

Grix, J. (2012) ‘Image leveraging and sports mega-events: Germany and

the 2006 FIFA World Cup’, Journal of Sport & Tourism, 17(4), pg.289-312.

Jeanrenaud, C. (2007) ‘Sports Events: Uses and Abuses of Economic

Impact Studies’, Finance & The Common Good, 26, pg.99-104.

Preuss, H., Seguin, B. and O’Rielly, N. (2007) ‘Profiling Major Sport Event

Visitors: The 2002 Commonwealth Games’, Journal of Sport & Tourism,

12(1), pg.5-23.

UK Sport (1999) A UK Strategy: Major Events – A blueprint for success,

London: UK Sport.

UK Sport (2006) Measuring success 2 – The economic impact of major

sports events’ [online] www.uksport.gov.uk.


Contact

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Education

Sporting Events - Event Perspectives Series