Host City: How do you see the esports events landscape evolving in the next five years, and what role does BLAST intend to play in shaping that evolution?

James Woollard: The esports events landscape is poised for further growth and evolution over the next five years, driven by the globalisation of the industry and the collaborative creation of new IPs between rights holders and publishers. As a key player in this environment, BLAST is uniquely positioned to shape the future of esports by leveraging its extensive experience and global reach.

With events spanning five continents and 11 countries this year alone, BLAST is at the forefront of bringing world-class esports experiences to diverse audiences worldwide. This global footprint not only highlights the universal appeal of esports but also underscores the importance of localisation and cultural relevance in engaging fans.

The collaboration between rights holders, such as BLAST, cities all over the world and game publishers, such as Valve, Epic Games and Ubisoft, is set to drive the development of innovative and immersive IPs. These partnerships will enhance the quality and variety of esports content, offering fans fresh and exciting experiences in different markets. BLAST’s commitment to fostering these relationships ensures that it remains a catalyst for creativity and growth within the industry.

The increasing interest from host destinations, sponsors, and media is a testament to the booming esports market – we only recently kicked off the 2026 and 2027 host destination process and have already received interest from over 40 cities, which helps showcase this demand and interest in esports events globally. Cities are eager to host major esports events, recognising the economic and cultural benefits they bring. Sponsors are keen to associate their brands with the vibrant and rapidly growing esports community, while media platforms seek to capture the attention of the dedicated and passionate fan base.

BLAST will continue playing a pivotal role in this evolution by setting new standards for event production, expanding its global presence, and driving innovation through strategic partnerships with cities and destinations. By doing so, BLAST will not only contribute to the growth of esports but also help shape a future where esports is celebrated and enjoyed by millions across the globe.

Host City: Could you talk us through the key considerations and criteria you use when evaluating cities or organisations during the bidding process?

James Woollard: When evaluating cities or organisations during the bidding process, we consider several key criteria. We look for locations where there is existing or growing audience demand and interest, ensuring a strong fan base, hype for the event and engagement. City support and involvement are also crucial, as is having world-class venues and infrastructure to host the event, and that can support our production. We also look for destinations that are a good cultural and brand fit for each event, making each one unique, characterful and memorable. Collaboration between destinations, cities and BLAST as the event owner and rights holder is also key. 

This approach has set us on course to stage world-class esports arena shows in 2025 in global event powerhouses such as Austin, Boston, Raleigh, London, Birmingham, Lisbon, Monterrey, Singapore, and Brazil as some of the stops on our world tour this year, among other leading (and some still to be announced, watch this space!) destinations.

Host City: When selecting a host city for an event, how much weight is given to factors such as the local esports community, and the potential long-term impact on regional esports growth?

James Woollard: A vibrant local scene, engaged stakeholders, and active grassroots organisations are invaluable, particularly from a sustainability and legacy perspective, allowing us to maximise cumulative impacts. We love partnering with local organisations and the community, as well as the city, to make each event impactful and special. 

However, we also relish the opportunity to visit new cities where esports is less established, and our leading events serve as a catalyst, stimulating growth in professional gaming and esports. BLAST events are a powerful stimulus, boasting between $30M to $100M USD of independently assessed economic impacts for hosts depending on the market, as well as a range of other tangible and less tangible benefits.

We aim to both reap the rewards of flourishing esports markets and sow the seeds in new ones.

Host City: Every city and venue is different – what kind of opportunities are there for smaller regions and cities to bid for BLAST events?

James Woollard: BLAST is thrilled to announce an unprecedented number of events and opportunities for prospective host cities, with 16 events planned for 2025, 20 in 2026, and a projected 25+ in 2027. This expansion includes events of all types, shapes, and sizes, offering a variety of opportunities for both repeat and new hosts. From iconic, premium arenas such as the Accor Arena in Paris, Moody Center in Austin, Wembley Arena in London, Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and Singapore Indoor Stadium, to more intimate and unique venues like the MGM Music Hall in Boston, we are equipped to deliver award-winning events and productions tailored to cities and venues of all scales. Our creativity and enthusiasm for challenges drive us to bring new and exciting events to first-time esports hosts, and we promise to be a collaborative and committed partner throughout the process. 

We are also deepening and broadening our relationship with leading games publishers, meaning this breadth and depth of esports events and IPs (including some smaller and exclusive events) that we create and can offer to prospective cities will only increase.

Host City: How important is access to new or rapidly developing markets in your assessment of prospective hosts, and how do you balance this against practical and technical requirements?

James Woollard: Access to new or rapidly developing markets such as the US, China, Southeast Asia, India, Brazil, and the Middle East is crucial for the continued growth of the esports industry. These regions present significant opportunities to expand our audience and engage with new communities. However, it is equally important to balance this with practical and technical requirements. We listen closely to the community and our audience to ensure that our events meet our high standards and deliver a breathtaking experience. We relish the challenge of balancing events in fast-growing markets with those in established esports destinations, ensuring each event is both innovative and seamless.

Host City: What initiatives has BLAST implemented—or is planning to implement—to ensure sustainability and innovation in hosting esports events?

James Woollard: At BLAST, we prioritise sustainability by collaborating with local organisations, stakeholders, venues, and production partners. We focus on waste separation, using efficient LED screens, sourcing equipment locally to minimise shipping, and reusing equipment and infrastructure to benefit local schools and institutions.

Our innovation spans various areas, from the new BLAST Premier Counter-Strike format to interactive features on BLAST.tv and forming unique partnerships with global destinations and brands. For our destination partners, we create innovative marketing opportunities, featuring destinations in digital and physical inventory, showcasing host cities to a young global audience, and organising joint launch events, such as the upcoming BLAST.tv CS Major in Austin.

Host City: As well as selecting hosts for your events, the other crucial partners in your events are the publishers – how important are they in assuring a big impact, and how do you go about nurturing and developing these relationships?

James Woollard: Publishers are crucial to the success of esports events. Without leading games that sustain their popularity and a global audience, there wouldn't be international esports events and sustainable tournament series. BLAST works with and is always deepening its relationship with the biggest and best AAA game publishers in the world from production to commercialisation, such as Epic Games, Valve, Riot Games, and Ubisoft. This creates sustainable, growing, and truly global esports ecosystems in a holistic way.

Since 2017, we have been creating leading esports properties, IPs, and products with and for publishers, adapting and shaping them to the audience's wants and needs, and ensuring that individual events are tailored to specific markets and international audiences, which is crucial for ongoing relevance.

For cities, this means you can be assured that hosting a BLAST event also means you are hosting a popular esports event in the biggest titles, with the buy-in and support of publishers whose games reach billions of fans across the globe.

This November in Glasgow leading executives from the global major events industry met at the first in-person ‘Host City’ conference since the pandemic. The theme of the conference was exploring the new realities for major events in the post-COVID era. As a consultant and prior panellist, I was asked to chair a panel looking at “Partnership paradigms of event hosting and delivery”. Our panel included representatives of a major host city, a global sporting rights-holder and two event organisers – one traditional and one disruptive. In discussion with the panellists, we agreed to explore why it feels that cooperation between stakeholders in running major events is becoming ever more challenging.

At the start of the session, we polled the audience to test our theory. The question was simple: was this indeed the case? The results surprised me and are shown in the picture. Nearly half the delegates felt that compromise was ‘tricky’ while a worrying 9% felt it is ‘almost impossible’. 43% did feel that compromise is ’doable’ but no one, yes 0%, thought it was ‘easy’. This cannot be a good sign and these on-screen results certainly created an energy in the panel discussion.

As I write, we are watching an 11th hour dispute between Budweiser, a FIFA Partner, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup (FWC) Host Nation around who can drink a Bud Light, where and when [1]. Such a public dispute two days before a global event that was awarded in 2010 seems avoidable; was compromise not possible much earlier? In our discussions at Host City, we learnt that the Edinburgh Festivals need more visitors in 2023 for the operators to return to profit. Yet the City Council has moved to significantly reduce supply in the temporary accommodation stock [2]. This new supply and demand imbalance has also driven up rental prices for visitors, performers and their crews. It seems the festivals are set to be even further away from profit in 2023. Without some form of compromise Edinburgh City council seem set to kill their ‘golden goose’. One festival, the Edinburgh Film Festival, has already seemingly collapsed, the organisers citing “the perfect storm of sharply rising costs, in particular energy costs, alongside reduced trade due to the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis” [3]. 

But if the Edinburgh Festivals can recover to viability, does attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to travel to Edinburgh sit comfortably with ESG considerations? Indeed, one can say the same of any large-scale event, such as a football world cup. ESG is becoming a major area of contention in sport. Just in the last few weeks we have seen the collapse of a lucrative sponsorship deal between a mining company and Australian Women’s Netball [4] and also one between British Cycling and Shell which cost the cycling CEO his job [5].

Likewise, FWC22 clearly shows that Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (D&EI) will only grow as a consideration in sport and other major events. FWC22 again is in the spotlight, following the collapse of plans by European captains to promote inclusion through a “One Love” armband. It appeared that purely financial penalties would not deter national teams from showing their support for the LGBTQ+ community. However, amidst threats of sporting sanctions, the teams chose to prioritise competition and performance although this might be overruled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) [6].

So, finding a way through the competing agendas of Host Cities, Organizers, Rights Holders, Athletes and participants, sponsors, broadcasters, the media and the wider public is indeed becoming ‘tricky’. But from my own experience, I can say that it is far from ‘almost impossible’. When I was CEO of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and Chair of the “Tennis Rules Committee” we needed to find a common, global position in the sport on the issue of betting sponsorship of both tournaments and broadcast coverage but also of the tennis players themselves. With different attitudes and dynamics in-play either side of the Atlantic and trade-offs required between commercial and integrity considerations, this seemed a gordian knot. But achieved it was; and tennis now has a very coherent and sustainable global position in this respect which is supported by the players.

My sense from this and other relevant experience dating back to working with the London 2012 ODA in the mid-noughties is that finding compromise in sport going forward will take three key ingredients.

1. Evidence Based Decisions. Returning to Edinburgh’s short-term lettings decision, it would seem that the veracity and completeness of the data which informed the council’s decision has been called into question [7]. Likewise, assertions on possible revenues to be made, or lost, in a decision must be verified by a trusted and neural body. This takes time, effort and resources but decisions based on incorrect or incomplete data sets will unravel, perhaps spectacularly.
2. Discussion and Debate. The panel at Host City all agreed that the quality of debate and discussion during COVID had decreased. Online meetings are fine for the passage of information. But there is no substitute for in-person meetings to discuss matters of common interest and to tease out any areas of possible concern. Working through these areas, taking evidence, and listening to differing points of view should only reduce areas of conflict. Footballer, Kylian Mbappe, recently refused to take part in sponsorship activations as part of his membership of the French national team [8]. He raised concerns about fast food and betting companies being associated with the team. The team have asked to be consulted on sponsorships going forward. This will be a growing requirement. One can only wonder if Australian netball took this step with its players before agreeing to the mining sponsorship? As ever, neutral consultants can more easily put themselves in the middle of these discussions to work through issues and concerns.
3. Arbitration and Compromise. The above process should reduce the number of areas of contention. But there will likely remain some. Lawyers may now be involved. But I remain firm in my view and experience that brokered arbitration and a willingness to compromise for the greater good can often be achieved if the evidence is sound and differing points of view are aired and understood.

The above arrangements should be underpinned by robust scenario planning. Host City delegate IPSEM Squared made a very valid point on the need for an effective and proactive crisis management approach to be in place should issues arise. Sponsors should also have a response plan that can be put in place quickly to change (or at least manage) the arising conversations better than is currently the case. We have already seen the almost complete removal of cigarette and nicotine sponsors from sport and the failure of other industries- such as alcoholic drinks, energy, extractives and fast food - to engage more effectively may see them go the same way.

Achieving consensus in how best to stage major events is going to only get harder as wider societal issues play into what was always a complex process of creating national or world class events, be those cultural festivals or major sporting occasions. However, Ankura would posit that with careful stakeholder management, agreed evidence on which to base dialogue and active listening most areas of dispute can be worked through to find compromises that create positive outcomes to the overall benefit of the event itself and indeed the wider community.

Jonny Gray is a Senior Managing Director in the Ankura sport practice and the former founding CEO of the ITIA. 

Copyright 2022. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of Ankura Consulting Group, LLC., its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals. Ankura is not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice.

References

[1] https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/budweiser-world-cup-campaign-curbed-not-crashed-by-qatar-beer-ban-2022-11-19/

[2] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/holiday-let-changes-will-mean-shortage-of-beds-for-festivals-7pvdssmzf  

[3] https://deadline.com/2022/11/edinburgh-film-festival-new-campaign-launched-to-save-festival-filmhouse-cinemas-1235160292/

[4] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/netball-australia-hancock-prospecting-explainer/101569486

[5] https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/oct/31/british-cycling-chief-brian-facer-steps-down-three-weeks-after-controversial-shell-deal

[6] https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12098/12753559/world-cup-german-fa-taking-fifa-to-court-of-arbitration-for-sport-over-one-love-armband-ban

[7] https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/new-edinburgh-restrictions-short-term-27631993

[8] https://talksport.com/football/1198477/kylian-mbappe-france-paris-saint-germain-sponsorship-deal/

[Source: World Triathlon] World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon have announced a partnership to grow a global esports series that will crown the official triathlon esport World Champions. The partnership will see the formation of the Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, a series of events giving opportunities to ranked athletes and national federations to participate and pursue the official World Championship title.

The partnership between World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon is the next step in growing the innovative concept of esports into a new and officially recognised discipline for triathlon. Fully in line with the International Olympic Committee’s aspirations to develop esports with its Olympic Virtual Series, it also taps into the strong growth of virtual participation that emerged during the pandemic.

The Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, developed by Super League, is a unique format that marries real life and virtual racing and realises triathlon’s potential as an esport. Off the back of winning the prestigious Sports Industry Awards title for Cutting Edge Events and the Sports Business Award for Most Innovative Business Response to COVID 19, the Arena Games Triathlon will see both organisations working together to grow a global series that crowns an official World Champion.

Investing in cutting edge technologies, audiovisual content and incredible race scenarios that will generate wide engagement and awareness, World Triathlon and Super League will together help take the Arena Games Triathlon to the next level for the benefit of fans, athletes, national federations and all stakeholders.

The Arena Games Triathlon series builds on the existing MOU between Super League and World Triathlon and will continue to celebrate gender equality, clean sport and fair competition, providing new race opportunities to athletes with the aim of taking the format to the very pinnacle of the sport.

Marisol Casado, World Triathlon President and IOC member, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this partnership. Both organisations have been working hard and investing significant resources to evolve our sport, growing audiences, and giving the athletes the best stages on which to perform at their best. So it is only natural for both World Triathlon and Super League to invest and work together. I am absolutely convinced that the Arena Games Triathlon will be a fantastic event for athletes, broadcasters, sponsors and fans alike.”

Super League Triathlon CEO, Michael D’hulst, said: “This is a very exciting day for the sport. By partnering together, Super League Triathlon and World Triathlon are taking the next step in what has already been a very steep growth curve for the Arena Games. With this partnership, the sky's the limit. This could well be the next Olympic triathlon discipline.”

“The Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift has already proved to be an award winning disruptor, recognised by athletes and the wider sports community, and with a growing appetite at the very top levels of sport to bring esport to a much wider audience, this is perfectly timed for the benefit of everyone in triathlon and to help deliver an even more exciting future.”

Super League Triathlon co-founder and Chairman, Leonid Boguslavsky, added: “When I was a kid I had a dream to create a new sport discipline. This is why I am very proud that we have created the Arena Games Triathlon format using innovative tech from Zwift. It will inspire many athletes as well as organisers to roll out this format to many countries and cities since it does not depend on weather or venue restrictions, and triathlon as a sport will grow much faster both for athletes and media.”

World Triathlon and Super League will collaborate on all aspects of Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift, including scheduling, participating athletes, involvement of national federations, promotion, broadcasters, host venues and amplifying the reach of the events. The first series will be announced shortly, with the first official World Champions set to be crowned in 2022.

To find out more, listen to Super League Triathlon CEO Michael Dhulst and World Triathlon's Kris Gemmel's "Case Study Presentation: Working in partnership to create an esport world series for triathlon" at Host City 2021 - register here now: https://www.hostcity.com/events/host-city-2021/register

Host City 2020, taking place online on 8-9 December, is pleased to announce six Strategic Partners, underpinning the two principal Supporting Partners previously announced: EventScotland and Glasgow Life.

The Global Esports Federation (GEF) and the Association of International Convention Centres (AIPC) join as Strategic Partners for the first time. Returning Strategic Partners include the International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH), the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES), AEG Europe and Glasgow Convention Bureau.

Host City is a “one-stop shop” for the owners, organisers, hosts and other stakeholders of sports, business and cultural events. Now in its 7th year, the 2020 event takes online, hosted from Glasgow, Scotland on 8-9 December under the conference theme of The Big Restart: Recovery with a Purpose for the Digital Age.

Host City 2020’s Strategic Partner programme encompasses world-leading organisations representing stakeholders in major sports, business and cultural events. The Strategic Partners provide vital input into the world-leading conference agenda, contributing expertise and speakers to panels and workshops. The Strategic Partnerships greatly increase access to the event for all stakeholders in major events, while helping to consolidate the major event hosting community around this unique focal point.

To register to attend Host City for free, visit www.hostcity.com.

For speaking opportunities contact ben.avison@hostcity.com and for sponsorship/exhibiting contact adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

About Host City

Host City brings together cities and sports, business and cultural events for two full days of unrivalled insight, networking, workshops and business on 8-9 December online, hosted from Glasgow, Scotland.

This is where representatives of host destinations, federations and other rights holders, organisers, event suppliers and services from all over the world meet to discover opportunities and discuss the challenges of major event hosting. Participants are encouraged to use Host City as a platform to develop, workshop and announce new events, partnerships and formats.

www.hostcity.com

About The Global Esports Federation

The Global Esports Federation promotes the credibility, legitimacy and prestige of esports. We convene athletes, players, the world’s publishers, developers, industry partners and sporting organizations on one inclusive platform. We encourage and support the connection between sport, esports and technology. We develop visible initiatives that are in service to the esports community, powered by active, strategic partnerships that celebrate and inspire youth.

Founding Global Partner: Tencent

Global Partner: Refract

Global Supporter: Sports Innovation Lab; International Sports Broadcasting

Global Supplier: Nielsen

Strategic Partners: The Commonwealth Games Federation; Olympic Council of Asia; Organización Deportiva Suramericana (ODESUR); International Telecommunication Union (ITU); Dentsu Incl Global Sports Innovation Center Powered by Microsoft (GSIC)

#worldconnected. www.globalesports.org

About AIPC

AIPC – the International Association of Convention Centres – is the industry association for professional convention and exhibition centre managers worldwide. AIPC is committed to encouraging and recognizing excellence in convention centre management, while at the same time providing the tools to achieve such high standards through its research, educational and networking programs.

AIPC occupies a unique position amongst the various organizations that represent the meetings industry. It is a true international organization, with representation from over 60 countries around the world. It focuses specifically on the issues, opportunities and challenges facing convention and exhibition centres. It celebrates and promotes the multicultural dimension of the international meetings industry and the role facilities play in enhancing this. And it maintains close working relations with related industry organizations to ensure members are well connected to overall industry issues.

www.aipc.org

About IAEH

The International Association of Event Hosts (IAEH) exists for representatives of international destinations to collaborate to generate the best possible value from hosting major sporting and cultural events and provide a voice for ‘not for profit’ hosts of events.

IAEH provides a platform for members to learn from the successes and challenges of major events, share knowledge and generate greater long term social and economic benefits from hosting events.

www.eventhosts.org

About AGES

The Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES) is a professional and business-oriented association which offers to share and manage valuable information related to the temporary event infrastructure industry in order to streamline business for buyers and sellers.

The purpose is to build up awareness for industry-specific aspects and to promote and defend the interests of its members in the international event marketplace. AGES develops roadmaps together with event organizers, governmental bodies and key stakeholders to create procedures, standards and other tools to facilitate interaction with international event suppliers.

The members and associate members are market leaders of the international event supplier’s industry and front-runners in the development of new products and services.

www.ages.international

About Glasgow Convention Bureau

Voted Best UK Convention Bureau for the last 14 years, Glasgow’s experienced conventions team continuously develops its city-wide strategic partnerships, world leading Conference Ambassador Programme and bespoke public engagement activities to support UK, European and international clients with hosting a successful and memorable meeting in Glasgow.

www.glasgowconventionbureau.com

About AEG Europe

Headquartered in London, AEG Europe is a subsidiary of AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company.  In Europe, AEG owns or operates sports and music facilities and entertainment districts across the continent including The O2 in London; Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg; Mercedes Platz in Berlin; and Accor Arena in Paris.  Through its Global Partnerships division, AEG delivers corporate brands the largest sports and live music marketing network in the world. AEG’s music division, AEG Presents is a global leader in concert promotion and venue management, running European music festivals; American Express presents BST Hyde Park, All Points East and Rock en Seine.

https://www.aegworldwide.com/

VIP speakers will kick off the opening conversations at Host City 2019 in Glasgow on 26-27 November with conversations that explore new paradigms of how rights holders, cities and brands are working together to create exciting events, and which areas of the major events sector are ripe for disruption through creative new partnerships.

Co-creation is also a big discussion point as a way of taking all stakeholders in major events with you. These eminent speakers will share invaluable insights into creative leadership and how to promote a culture of innovation and collaboration while staying ahead of the competition.

The opening conversations will be led by conference Chair:

• Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, VisitScotland

joined by:

• Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF)
• Ian Reid, CEO, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee
• Markus Stenger, Managing Director, DFB EURO 2024
• Antonio Arimany, Secretary General, International Triathlon Union

Paul Bush said: “I’m delighted to be chairing such an esteemed panel of speakers for the opening conversation of this year Host City conference. We operate in a dynamic and ever-changing world and as an industry we need to be agile, smart and brave to deliver meaningful major events for all. By putting collaboration and co-creation at the heart of the event delivery model, we can ensure that real transformational change, both socially and economically, is delivered for everyone.”

Sarah Lewis said: “FIS and the International Winter Sports Federations are constantly endeavouring to innovate and evolve our event properties. Partnerships with other stakeholders is a key component of our event strategy. I look forward to exploring these themes from the different perspectives of  cities, sports and business at Host City, which is always a valuable opportunity for the different organisation and entities involved with events to learn and exchange amongst each other.”

Ian Reid said: “I’m really pleased to be invited to be part of Host City 2019 and I’m looking forward to talking to attendees about the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, an event which is being organised by a group of partners, who have all come together to jointly create what will be the biggest sports and culture event ever to be staged in Birmingham and the West Midlands region.”

Markus Stenger said: “With the UEFA EURO 2024 we want to organize a EURO for everyone. We want everyone to get involved and participate for the good of the community.”

Antonio Arimany said: “I’m very happy to be able to attend and honoured to have been asked to speak at the event. We have seen time and time again that working closely with cities brings enormous mutual benefits and that is the message that I hope will be underpinning the conference.”

As we celebrate our partnership with Host City 2019, we look forward to sharing with those attending the conference our insights into the broader impacts that the public, private and third sectors are seeking, achieving, measuring and communicating from hosting some of the world’s largest and highest profile events.

Through our extensive work with rights holders and hosts, running procurement processes, negotiating optimum commercial deals, leading event bids and advising hosts on how to build a tailored event calendar, we have developed unique insights and carried out in-depth research into how to improve host partnerships that work for all stakeholders. That is to say, partnerships where host, rights holder and all other stakeholders are able to achieve their short and long-term objectives through a well-delivered event.

We have also witnessed first-hand how the major events landscape is changing as rights holders embrace new technologies and consumer trends whilst hosts seek events that speak to wider city and national priorities. This is impacting the way that hosts are evaluating opportunities and measuring impact.

At Host City 2019, we will share more about how we will be building on this insight as we utilise The Sports Consultancy’s extensive network of hosts and rights holders to research current and future trends in event hosting. This research will bring together data in a new way to benefit rights holders and hosts in their future hosting relationships.

Global trends

We have gathered and analysed the data on how global trends are affecting the major events industry. Urbanisation and demographic shifts, ageing populations and increasing inequality are affecting the design and content of cities as governments prioritise inclusion and welfare. Global talent is more mobile, meaning that cities are competing to attract and retain it. Attracting new businesses and inward investment are increasingly important in a competitive and connected international marketplace. Climate change is a growing concern resulting in a rising focus on sustainability, as well as an increased scrutiny on public spending. Technology is also a significant factor in how cities are changing, working towards being ‘smarter’ and demonstrating their innovation credentials.

All of these macro trends are impacting the initiatives that governments choose to invest in and how they seek to use events to benefit their economies and populations. We are seeing a shift in objectives as event investment is less outward focused and gradually more targeted towards providing for existing citizens. This means a reduced focus on tourism and visitation and more of a focus on social impact, community cohesion and building a city with a great quality of life.

However, economic impact is still the primary measure of success in many cases (for the time being at least) as new priorities are not supported by our ability across the industry to measure social impact in a way that can justify substantial public sector expenditure. Developing effective measurement approaches for social and community impacts is a priority for hosts. A number of rights holders have recognised this and are investing in detailed social impact studies of their largest events, along with measuring economic and media impacts. We will share further insights into impact measurement in Glasgow in November.

Consumer behaviour

Further trends specific to the sports and entertainment industries are impacting rights holders. This is affecting the events that they are taking to market and how those events are positioned to engage and entertain the public.

Consumers are following more sports less avidly and sports events compete with an array of leisure and entertainment properties and activities. Digital media is an increasingly popular form of consumption of events, competing even with live attendance. More niche events and sports have a new avenue to market through over-the-top (OTT) coverage. Whilst this may lead to reduced live audiences it provides more opportunities to reach a younger audience. However, content demand is changing and events have to be creative in how they build awareness and generate engagement.

Finding the right hosts

For rights holders, finding the right hosts that understand their ambitions and can enhance their offering as aligned partners, is increasingly important. Rights holders are being more targeted geographically, but are also becoming more open to changing their hosting models to ensure the benefits are there for hosts and to open up their events to new territories and emerging markets. Our host procurement processes are incorporating new approaches to allow flexibility and build the most effective partnerships, while protecting interests on both sides of the hosting relationship.

This is balanced by a need to ensure that premium events are contributing to rights holder finances, particularly for International Federations where flagship events can support the organisation for multiple years. This may need to be accompanied in future with a greater appetite from the rights holder to share risk and, therefore, reward.

We look forward to sharing further insight in the build up to Host City 2019 and offering those attending the conference, unique insights from our work and research, into the ever-evolving relationship between rights holders and host cities and the solutions we are creating and applying for our clients. We also look forward to learning more from hosts and rights holders about their evolving challenges and the solutions they are employing to combat them.