It is now widely accepted that sport can be a powerful contributor to both individual and community development. Stemming from this belief a focus on developing and implementing sport and social policies has developed at the local, national and international level.
Quantifying the Social Impacts of Hosting Sporting Events has been prepared by TSE Consulting, Lausanne Office, and Rambøll Management, Denmark, upon the request of New Zealand Major Events (in the following "NZME"). It is the first step towards the continual improvement on the knowledge and practical experience of quantifying the social impact of hosting sports events in New Zealand.
It was only a few years ago that the main question being asked was whether sports events could impact the social realm of the host city or country? Now, with the aim of moving beyond this question, this report examines how the social impact of hosting sports events can actually be quantified.
The literature suggests that whether an event is large or small, the potential for a positive impact or benefit arising from acting as a host city or region is within reach. This, however, is unfortunately where the research ends. The general area of social impact analysis is fairly new and very little has been done in terms of both academic research and practical application of quantifying social impact of sports events.
