Small-scale Sports Events Research Articles

Factors Influencing the Tourist’s Future Intentions in Small-Scale Sports Events

Small-scale sports events are a good strategy for communities seeking to attract visitors and are one of the major attractions of sustainable sports tourism. The aim of this study to determine which factors influence the future intentions of the tourist involved in small-scale sports events. The sample was composed of 236 subjects who participated in a half-marathon in Spain. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) provide support for the applicability of the tourists’ perception questionnaire in the context of sports events. The results of both validity (convergent and discriminant) and reliability (internal consistency) analyses were satisfactory. The results indicated that this scale had 18 items distributed in six factors (communication, staff, electronic wordofmouth, destination image, satisfaction and future intentions). The proposal model revealed that satisfaction is a mediated factor between staff and destination image with future intentions of repeating the event. Electronic word of mouth and satisfaction were influencing factors that predicted the tourists’ future intentions. This finding suggests that this questionnaire can be a useful tool in measuring tourist perception on a small-scale sports events scale, allowing a better understanding of the reasons that lead a tourist to select a certain destination and sports event.

Travelling to compete: antecedents of individuals’ involvement in small-scale sports events

ABSTRACT This study is to develop a conceptual model linking motivation, involvement, and changes in travel style to the selection of destinations and choice of events among amateur participants involved in small-scale sports events. Partial least squares and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis were implemented to test this model, based on the responses collected during a local athletic event in Greece. A longitudinal study was conducted to better establish the effectiveness of the proposed model utilising two data sets of the same 99 non-professional athletes, representing the vast majority of participants in the Sfendami small-scale running events held in 2014 and 2016, respectively. The results showed that the influences of destination and event choice factors on involvement were not significant while the effect from changes in travel style were significant for both 2014 and 2016 cases. Two of the four hypotheses were verified and useful managerial insights for small-scale event managers are suggested for supporting the viability of small-scale local sport events.

Social impact of a participative small-scale sporting event

PurposeTo examine the social impact of a small-scale sporting event and its influence on the willingness to support future events.Design/methodology/approachA self-supplied questionnaire was used with 248 residents-sportspeople that participated in the Valencia Triathlon. Descriptive analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factorials were done through SPSS, FACTOR and EQS.FindingsThree dimensions of positive impacts were identified; sporting participation and city image, social development and human capital and economic development. The impacts in sporting participation and in the improvement to the image of the city contribute to positively explaining the willingness to support the holding of sporting events. Local sportspeople highlight their participative component and the projection of the city image as key factors to endorse holding future sporting events as a strategy for tourism.Research limitations/implicationsThe convenience sampling limits the extrapolation of the results.Practical implicationsMaking the most of the intangible aspects is recommended due to the great potential these events have to generate social capital and increase the networks of social collaboration. Give a more active role to volunteers and local organizers in an organization. Transmit the pride of the community and the sense of belonging to this community to the media and advertising communication.Social implicationsSmall scale sporting events can contribute to improving the quality of life, increasing pride, the sense of belonging of the residents, opportunities for entertainment and encouraging local participation.Originality/valueA contribution to the empirical analysis of the social impact of small-scale sporting events from the perspective of local participants.

Sport Tourists’ Preferred Event Attributes and Motives: A Case of Sepak Takraw, Malaysia

This study investigates differences in motives, event attributes, and information sources, which influenced sport tourists’ decision and attendance at the Sepak Takraw event in Malaysia. Data were collected from 224 domestic sports tourists and 92 foreign sports tourists. Findings show that domestic and foreign sports tourists significantly differed in their motives and preferred event attributes. Domestic sports tourists indicate using mass communication items in their decision making to attend the event. Social networking was the most important information source for foreign sports tourists. Practical implications for local sports tourism marketers within small-scale sports events in Malaysia are discussed.

The social capital structure of a small-scale sport event: configuration, evolution, and legacy

The social capital structure of a small-scale sport event: configuration, evolution, and legacy

The social capital structure of a small-scale sport event: configuration, evolution, and legacy

Social capital is a resource created through networks and considered to be a potential legacy of small-scale sport events. To understand the structure of social capital, the interorganisational network of a small-scale sport event was analysed longitudinally. A multiplex network analysis was used to study the structural patterns of different types of relations (business, social, and personal), their simultaneous interplay, and their evolution. The results suggest that social capital is embedded primarily in formal business network relations, centred around a governing lead organisation. The business network relations showed a significant interaction with personal relations. A strengthening of the informal personal network occurred pointing towards an event legacy that can be capitalised on. The insights help event organisers and hosting communities to better understand the structural configuration of social capital, mechanisms of its evolution and how the social capital resource can be utilised for building cooperative capacity and sustainable network development.

Perceptions and Role of Tourist Destination Residents Compared to Other Event Stakeholders in a Small-Scale Sports Event. The Case of the FIS World Junior Alpine Ski Championships 2019 in Val di Fassa

The role of stakeholders is critical in addressing challenges with or problems in small-scale sports events. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of the event stakeholders toward sports events, with a particular focus on the role of residents in a tourist destination. The goal is to understand their perceptions with respect to different topics and in particular to the sustainable development of the tourist destination. This case study focuses on the World Junior Alpine Ski Championships 2019 in Trentino Val di Fassa—Italy (JWC2019). Applying a mixed methodology, the study analyzes the stakeholders during the sports event (quantitative method) and the point of view of the residents in their stakeholder role after the sports event (qualitative method). The main findings of this study show that residents differ from tourists and other stakeholders in terms of their perception of the event and its strengths. But when it comes to the perceptions regarding the territory, the groups of stakeholders analyzed do not seem to have systematically different opinions. Some paradoxes do, however, emerge with respect to the residents’ awareness of their role as stakeholders and the implications of the event with respect to sustainability and how such an event may underpin a concept of sustainable development for the territory as a whole.

Destination Image, Sport Event Quality, and Behavioral Intentions: The Cases of Three World Sambo Championships

This research tested the interactions among destination image, destination quality, sport event quality, and behavioral intentions in the context of small-scale sport events. The study included elite sambo athletes (N = 350) who participated in the World Sambo Championships, which were organized in Novi Sad (Serbia) in 2017 and 2018. The destination image was measured with the affective and cognitive dimensions, while the event quality was measured with the core, tangible and supporting dimensions. The results supported the measurement and structural models. They further indicated that the core aspect of the event quality directly influences participants’ behavioral intentions, while the destination quality partially mediates the relationship between destination image and participant behavioral intentions. The event quality was shown to have a direct relationship with the development of destination loyalty. The theoretical and applied value of these results are discussed.

Running together: The social capitals of a tourism running event

This article discuss the types of social capital that are co-produced and consumed by a host of actors during a small-scale sport event called Etape Bornholm, a five-day tourism running event. We make a contribution to the literature on social capital in small-scale tourism sport events by developing the spatial dimensions of territoriality and mobility as a supplement to discussions of bridging and bonding. Through a qualitative investigation of local organisers, volunteers, runners, supporters and spectators, we show how four types of social capital are involved in making the event happen. The conclusion develops the metaphor of “running together” to conclude on the forms of social capital that are drawn upon and practised.

Strategic leveraging: evidences of small-scale sport events

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the strategic leveraging goals associated with a portfolio of small-scale events and to analyze their implementation process (actors/tactics: who did what?) in order to propose new leverage typologies through new empirical research evidence. Design/methodology/approach Three techniques of data collection conducted the fieldwork: qualitative interviewing, direct observation and documental research. Based on the principles of grounded theory and using qualitative data analysis software (Nvivo) data were inductively analyzed. Findings Results showed the coexistence of a plurality of strategic leveraging goals, namely: “strengthen political advantage”; “integrate and retain partners/sponsors”; and “develop sports dynamics”. There was a set of tactics and actions identified and successfully implemented due to the coordination of the network of organizations part of the events, which included local and external actors. Research limitations/implications Researchers realized that it was impossible to take a neutral research stand. In fact, in qualitative research, the investigator is the first instrument of data collection. In this sense, it was important for researchers to constantly reflect on their role, as Pelias (2011) says “reflexive writing strategies include indicating how the researcher emerged as a contaminant, how the researcher´s insider status was revelatory or blinding, and how the researcher is implicated in the problem being addressed” (p. 662). It is also considered that, when organizing events, the network of interactions is extremely complex, making it difficult to capture all the actors’ perspectives. Practical implications In relation to the practical implications, it is important that sports event managers have in-depth knowledge and skills on event leveraging; it is also important that managers understand the sports culture in order to recognize the multidimensionality of strategic leveraging in sporting events. The strategic dynamic should be developed and coevolved with community/local and external actors. The coordination between the actors is a key point to achieve successful leveraging. Social implications A theoretical implication related to the event leverage is the creation of a new strategic objective – “developing the sport dynamics”. The sport participation tactic among other tactics were found, namely “enhancing of the sports shows” and “tuning of skills in sports management”. Originality/value The dynamics and plurality of strategic goals associated with the leverage of an event portfolio, namely the actions that were developed and also the actors’ interaction in small-scale events. Another factor is the identification of the prominent role of the external event organization committee in the dynamics of event leveraging, as well as the deep analysis of the leveraging process supported by the observation of all the events.

A Small-Scale Event and a Big Impact—Is This Relationship Possible in the World of Sport? The Meaning of Heritage Sporting Events for Sustainable Development of Tourism—Experiences from Poland

The theoretical part of this article presents the meaning of sporting events for the tourism industry and the importance of sporting events at a small scale, as well as heritage sporting events for sustainable development of tourist destinations. The literature review shows that there is a clear research gap with respect to the analysis of economic and social impacts of small-scale events. The empirical research was conducted by the method of a diagnostic survey during three sporting events of different rank, which took place in Poland and represented various sports disciplines—running, horse riding, and swimming. A total of 2098 respondents took part in the study, including sports tourists and resident-hosts who took part in the studied events. The aim of the study was to examine whether there is a link between the rank of a sporting event, the development of tourism, and the impact on the host city’s image. The results of the study showed that the highest additional tourism activity in the city on the occasion of participation in an event as an athlete or supporter was undertaken by the participants of the lowest ranked sporting event (Half-Marathon). They also gave the highest rating of the positive impact of a sporting event on the host city’s image. The hosts also rated the highest social impact from the Half-Marathon (i.e., increased sense of pride, social integration, and local identity). Events related to the heritage of the sport of a given region and other smaller-scale sporting events, including mass sports and recreation events (e.g., marathons and other running events), provide an alternative to homogenized, commercial, and very expensive sporting events in the world and may contribute to the sustainable development of tourist regions. The research results show that big social potential lies in the organization of small-scale sports events. The reflections contained in this article may inspire the organization of small-scale sporting events and the continued care for sporting events related to the cultural heritage of a given region. Events of this kind successfully impact tourist revival and improvement of the regions’ image.

Examining the relationship between satisfaction, intentions, and post-trip communication behaviour of active event sport tourists

ABSTRACTThe establishment of small-scale active sport events continues to rise at destinations around the world. These events draw visitors to a destination for the purpose of engaging in an active sporting event. Tourists visiting a destination for sport events have the potential to become repeat visitors and promoters of the destination to others. Measuring the satisfaction of tourists is a common practice, and satisfied visitors are more likely to express intentions to return to a destination or recommend that destination to others. But do they really speak positively about the destination to others? This study sought to extend the research on the relationship between satisfaction and recommendation behaviour by measuring the post-visit behaviour of active event sport tourists. Participants in a three day bike race event in La Crosse, Wisconsin completed a survey two weeks after the event. Researchers examined their race satisfaction, destination satisfaction, intentions to recommend the destination, and actual post-visit communication behaviour. Results suggest that participants have the capability of differentiating between event and destination satisfaction when evaluating their future intentions. Furthermore, intentions were significantly correlated with actual post-visit recommendation behaviour, including posting positive messages on social media. Intentions to recommend did not significantly correlate with the frequency of pictures or videos shared on social media.

The Effect of Sport Tourists' Travel Style, Destination and Event Choices, and Motivation on Their Involvement in Small-Scale Sports Events

This exploratory study investigates whether and in which way motivation and destination, travel, and event selection criteria influence sport tourists' involvement in small-scale events. Thus, a model was developed and tested at a small-scale sport event in Sfendami, Greece. To test the six hypotheses of the proposed model a primary research study was conducted, which received responses from 181 participants. Implementation of the partial least square technique showed that changes in sport tourists' travel style exert a direct and positive effect on involvement, as well as an indirect effect with motivation acting as a mediator; however, perception of destination and events characteristics does not exert a significant influence on participants' involvement. Additionally, the model's ability to predict the motivational aspects of sport tourists' participation was demonstrated. Multidimensional scaling was employed to assist with event service design and improve organizers' capabilities to develop effective promotional strategies.

Understanding the inspiration among active participants in sport events

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the sources of inspiration for active participants in sport events, and the link between inspiration sources and event-related outcomes (i.e. life satisfaction and behavioral intentions). Design/methodology/approach Research questions were examined using a Greek (n=264) and a US (n=103) sample of participants of two small-scale running events. Content analysis was used to identify and code the themes of inspiration, while a multivariate analyses of variance was performed to test the inspiration group differences on life satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Findings The qualitative findings revealed three categories of inspiration source identified in each sample. The quantitative results showed that the interaction between inspiration source and event type had an overall effect on participants’ life satisfaction and future participation intention. Specifically, findings highlighted the different roles of inspiration on influencing life satisfaction and participation intention of short-distance (i.e. 5 and 10k) event participants than those of long-distance (i.e. marathon) runners. Research limitations/implications This study identifies the sources of inspiration in small-scale sport events and provides preliminary empirical evidence where inspiration source and event type jointly influence participants’ life satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Practical implications Understanding the sources of inspiration provides event leveraging opportunities to inspire citizens to become more active in sports. Given that the sources of inspiration vary among different segments of event participants, event managers need to adopt differential communication and promotional activities geared to the needs of these targets. Originality/value The study provides the first empirical work exploring the sources of inspiration among active participants in small-scale sport events.

Small-Scale Event Sports Tourism as Visitors Attractions: The Case of Northern States in Malaysia

Nowadays, many event organizers try to market their products b&ed on small-scale sports events which are usually organized and held in rural areas. This is due to the type of visitors ' who participate in such events because of several reasons. This study aims to examine the factors that influence visitors to visit these small-scale sports tourism events and whether such events can become a potential tourism product to attract visitors. A survey was undertaken in the Northern States of Malaysia. A set of questionnaires were distributed to the visitors of this small-scale sports tourism event. Data was collected among 468 visitors during the event in two northern states of Malaysia. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) used to analyse the data. Finding from this study has confirmed that small-scale event sports tourism can become one of the potential products for sports tourism besides mega sporting events. As many event organizers tend to focus on mega sporting events, organizing these small-scale sports tourism events can also generate positive economic benefits towards the community and indirectly to the state government.

Uloga karakteristika osobnosti brenda u stvaranju krovnoga brenda za sportske događaje malih razmjera: primjer Gorskoga kotara u Hrvatskoj

While the importance and positive impact of small-scale sports events for the tourism of host regions has been well researched, the possibilities of branding such events under a common denominator have not been fully explored. This paper attempts to provide an approach for using the concepts of brand personality and umbrella brand for the purpose of small-scale sports event analysis and promotion recommendations. Gorski Kotar, an underdeveloped region in Croatia, was chosen as the research area. The research target was small-scale sports events organised in this area. The aim was to build a general recommendation of an overall umbrella brand for all examined events, developed from the brand personality traits of each event (sub-brands). Using desk research along with workshops and interviews with organisers, three characteristics for each of the 81 small-scale sports events were extracted. The existing framework of five brand-personality dimensions by Aaker (1997) was used for the purpose of coding characteristics into traits and later linking with factors. An overall brand personality profile of all events was created and results imply the necessity of introducing a new factor called Nature (nature-oriented) into the existing framework.

Primary Economic Impact of Small-scale Sports Events

The assumption that events can have positive economic impacts has increased interest in their hosting by many destinations worldwide. Although attendees are a constitutive part of events, scarce research has empirically analyzed their behavior from an economic standpoint. In particular, further exploratory research is required on (1) how much money event attendees spend at events, and (2) the extent to which event attendee expenditures positively affect the host region. A better understanding of these two aspects is crucial for any kind of economic impact assessment. This study examines three World Cup ski-jumping events in Norway during the winter of 2012–2013. Altogether, 870 spectators were interviewed at the venues in Vikersund, Trondheim, and Oslo. Prior research has estimated that the proportion of spectators contributing to a positive economic impact is between 10% and 60%. The current study shows that the share of this spectator group at the World Cup ski-jumping events in Norway lies in the lower part of the range. Furthermore, the study shows that though the total number of spectators was significant (137,000), the primary economic impact on the host region was modest, amounting to less than NOK 9 million.

Estimating the Economic Impacts of a Small-Scale Sport Tourism Event: The Case of the Italo-Swiss Mountain Trail CollonTrek

Evidence from several studies shows that small-scale sport events may have more positive repercussions for the host community than major ones in terms of both economic and social impacts. This study estimates the economic impacts on a small community derived from athletes’ expenditure at a specific small-scale sport tourism event, the Italo-Swiss mountain endurance trail CollonTrek. Even if this kind of event is considered a minor sport event, generating very limited economic activity, this study supports the hypothesis that the funds invested by the public administration are compensated for by revenue generated during the trail. In fact, according to the three analyzed scenarios (Conservative, Average and Liberal), for each euro invested by the public administration, an economic return between €17.62 and €18.92 has been estimated, and between €5.64 and €6.9 (32%–36.47%) represent the direct economic return for the local community. Furthermore, in addition to the direct economic benefits, in accordance with the feedback from a sample of participants at the event (n = 180), this kind of event has positive implications in terms of future tourism for the host valley, pointing out how this kind of tourist activities has positive repercussions in terms of economic and social sustainability.

Economic impact assessment of small-scale sporting events using Social Accounting Matrices: an application to the Spanish Football League

ABSTRACTSmall-scale sporting events contribute to hosting economies through the expenditures of both sports team activities and sports tourism. Among these sports, football has an increasing importance worldwide, with outstanding competition, such as the Spanish Football League. The goal of this paper was to assess the impact of a team’s promotion on the hosting economy by using linear models based on regionalized Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs). The proposed methodology is applied to the real case of the promotion of the Spanish team Cordoba F.C. over the 2014–2015 season. Estimates are made under two scenarios, conservative and progressive, encompassing different rates of both attendance and average expenditure per spectator and per match. The results highlight that the net expenditures associated with small-scale sporting events benefit the hosting economy, spurring the production of goods and services directly demanded as well as the production of supplier activities.

Leveraging Small-Scale Sport Events: Challenges of Organising, Delivering and Managing Sustainable Outcomes in Rural Communities, the Case of Gorski kotar, Croatia

Sports and events play an important role in local identity building and creating a sense of community that encourages participation and increases social capital. Rural communities are specific areas with special needs and can face challenges and restraints when it comes to event organisation. The purpose of this paper is to identify organisational challenges and analyse the potential to achieving long-term sustainable social and economic outcomes linked to small-scale sports events in rural communities. Organisational challenges of rural communities in terms of organising sport events are examined and discussed using the framework of event leveraging developed by O’Brien and Chalip. This methodology is applied and discussed to a case study focusing on small-scale winter sport events in rural Croatia. Semi-structured interviews with local organisers were conducted in order to collect data on the overall event organisation and management, local coordination, role of community stakeholders and challenges facing strategic planning, with the intent to identify objectives for future events. Results were discussed independently and in the context of the leverage framework, with reflection on its applicability to rural communities as the event organisers. Recommendations are provided based on critical insight from the literature and are oriented on how to streamline the process of organising, delivering and managing of events in remote rural communities. Finally, the idea of inter-community organisation is proposed to ensure long-term social and economic benefits and to address the existing issues of overlapping of stakeholder categories, mixed objectives, distrust among stakeholders and inefficiently used local resources.