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Lack of support from local residents in the event of negative ecological impacts of major events.
The population's experiences with major sporting events shape support.
Too high a density of major events can lead to rejection by the population.
Negative effects must be minimized and positive environmental effects sought.
Summary of this study
The support of local residents has become a critical success factor in bidding for and hosting sports events. While the impact of large-scale events on community support for similar-sized events has been extensively researched, there is a gap in knowledge about how such events influence support for smaller events.
This research report addresses this gap by taking a more holistic view that goes beyond individual events and retrospectively analyzes the impact of three major events on resident support for sporting events of different sizes. Through a critical review of existing literature, this study sheds light on the different perceptions of major events and their influence on support for small, medium and large sporting events.
The results show that perceived negative environmental impacts have a consistent influence on support across different event sizes. This contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the factors influencing support for events and encourages further research in this area.
Key findings of this study
Overarching negative environmental effects: Perceived negative environmental impacts of large events reduce residents' support for future events of all sizes (small, medium and large).
Influence on smaller events: The population's experiences with major sporting events directly influence their willingness to support smaller sporting events in the future.
Danger of "over-eventism": Too high a density of major events in a short period of time can lead to rejection by the local population, similar to the phenomenon of overtourism.
Focus on minimizing damage: In order to ensure the acceptance of local residents, it is more important to minimize negative effects than to actively strive for positive environmental effects (such as awareness raising).