With less than 170 days to go until the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, the IOC, the IPC and the Organizing Committee launched a series of playbooks that list the rules for different stakeholders (media, international federations, broadcasters, officials and athletes) to ensure safe and successful Games. With no handshaking, no singing, no cheering and…
As events become more digital, don’t forget the human component
Much like wider society, sports – and sports events – are continuing to prioritise digital engagement as a means to connect to new and existing fans. This has a number of clear advantages, such as the potential of a truly global reach, engagement that is easily measurable, and the opportunity to target specific cross-sections of…
When looking for host cities, start by listening to them
As cities become more strategic in their selection of sports events, International Sports Federations (IFs) need to evolve their approach to how they allocate their competitions. Today, ambitious cities are both strategic and selective in choosing which events they will host. Each event is studied to see if it fits their strategy and will be…
If you’re thinking about bidding for a major event, make sure you have the right mindset
The global pandemic has led to the cancellation or postponement of lots of international sports events and it’s not over yet. In light of this, many cities and nations may not choose to consider the hosting of sports events as a priority. But interestingly, bidding for major sports event seems to be bouncing back –…
Sport events during a pandemic: See opportunities where others see threats
The Covid-19 pandemic has created and is creating a worldwide turmoil in different areas of life. The sport industry is not the exception thereof. Matches, competitions and events are being postponed, modified or even cancelled on a daily basis. This forces many different industry stakeholders to rapidly come up with solutions that can mainly be…
Sports events must find their USP, and focus on it
In the advertising world in the 1940s, Rosser Reeves, a creative partner at American advertising agency Ted Bates & co, first coined the term ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ (USP). Having a growing concern about the use of campaigns as an ‘expression of ego’, Reeves sought to redefine the importance of communication to ensure it was used…
The extra experience: Start working with your event partners
At the beginning of the year, many hoped that by Fall 2020 we would be able to organize events again. However, this dream is at the moment only partially fulfilled with the virus still having a huge grip on the world and so, eventually also sports events. Despite many developments and tryouts between June and…
Mass participation: Let the few be joined by the many
Mass participation sports events are on the rise. Be it marathons, triathlons or Spartan Runs, these races are regularly attracting tens of thousands of people. Experts disagree on the reasons for the latest upswing of the event format. But some of the benefits to the most important stakeholders of a sporting event are commonly acknowledged:…
Sooner rather than later: Engage with your local population
One of the dreams of any sport event organizer is that the population connects to the project, can take ownership of the event and eventually having a stadium full of spectators. But this is the result of an engagement strategy that should not be neglected, that can take time and that must be carried out…
A handful of hints – for any city selecting any event
The Montréal 1976 Olympics might be of the most prominent example of a major sporting event bringing its host city more harm than benefits in the long run. Until today, the Canadian metropolis is paying off debts that were accumulated over 40 years ago. Major sporting events, however, do not necessarily have to be the…