Measuring sports facility utilisation by collecting performance information

Abstract

To measure the performance of sports facilities, we must consider which performance measuring system provides the relevant information. Current methods of measuring performance provide only limited insights into what actually happens in the sports facilities. Furthermore, few comparisons of the pros and cons of various performance measurement methods have been made. To inform research, policies and sports facility management strategies, we compare two new methods of collecting performance information. The first method collects performance information via a manual survey. The second method uses thermal cameras. A comparison of the methods shows that the number of persons measured using surveys is exaggerated more than understated and that more timeslots than necessary are deemed to be busy. Nevertheless, the survey method captures important qualitative aspects of performance not grasped by the thermal method. Finally, we discuss areas for improvement of these methods and suggest further developments for the survey method.