The Social Value of Co-Hosting: Rethinking the Management of Sports Events

Research question: The number of co-hosted sports events has significantly increased in recent years. In view of society’s changing expectations for more sustainability, greater consideration of social concerns and an increasingly critical analysis of sports events, this research paper explores the social value of co-hosted sports events.
Research methods: A mixed-method design was employed. For exploratory study one, 23 semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with senior managers involved in seven different co-hosted sports events. To test findings from study one, 561 spectators of the Men’s Handball World Championship in Denmark and Germany were surveyed. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses derived from study one.
Results and findings: Co-hosted sports events provide great opportunities for generating different kinds of social value. However, the event organisers are not fully aware of this potential and have no strategy in place to take advantage of it. One of the preconditions for leveraging a co-hosted sports event for (social) value is that people perceive the event as one event. This significantly increases the perceived event benefits as well as consumer support for the event.
Implications: This study extends the knowledge of the management of co-hosted sports events and identifies specific features for delivering (social) value through co-hosted sports events. It is strongly recommended that event organisers develop and implement a social leveraging plan and pay attention to a common and uniform presentation of the event. Policymakers should reconsider the promotion of and subsidies for co-hosted sports events.