Managing Major Sports Events ─ Theory and Practice

The hosting of major sporting events can be a key tool in the development of cities and countries around the world. If carried out effectively these events can not only bring prestige to an area but can leave the local population with a legacy of improved infrastructure and facilities. Managing Major Sports Events: Theory and Practice is a complete introduction to the principles and practical skills that underpin the running and hosting of major sports events, from initial bid to post-event legacy.

The book draws closely on the authors’ personal practical experiences of day-to-day management during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, now widely regarded as the gold standard of Olympic organisation. Drawing on the latest research from across multiple disciplines, it covers every key area in the event management process, including:

• Bidding, leadership and planning
• Venue implementation
• Communications (e.g., media, marketing and sponsorship, technology)
• Functional area considerations (e.g., sport, protocol, security and risk management)
• Games-time considerations
• Ceremonies
• Legacy and sustainability.

Each chapter contains a unique combination of theory, practical decision-making exercises and case studies of major sports events from around the world, helping students and practitioners alike to understand and prepare for the reality of executing major events on an international scale. A companion website includes self-test quizzes and flashcards for students, links to 110 useful websites, 173 summary slides, plus 45 essay questions and extended decision-making exercises for lecturers. Managing Major Sports Events: Theory and Practice is an essential textbook for any course on sports event management or international sports management and an invaluable resource for all sport management researchers and professionals.

Milena M. Parent is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, as well as an invited professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. She holds a Government of Ontario Early Researcher Award and is a Research Fellow of the North American Society for Sport Management.

Sharon Smith-Swan has an international private consulting and coaching practice in Vancouver, British Columbia, home of the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games. She has delivered hundreds of speeches and seminars related to her management experience in the strategic, tactical and organizational aspects of business and held executive volunteer positions in sports, arts & cultural organizations