Mid Sweden University

This paper examines how major sport events can be integrated into regional development agendas by analysing the legacy initiative created around the 2019 Alpine and Biathlon World Championships in Jämtland, Sweden. Although presented as a legacy program, research indicates that long-term value is more effectively generated through strategic leverage. This case study draws on a framework analysis of a regional development strategy and a focus group with key stakeholders to assess, first, how effective the program was as a legacy initiative, and second, what reframing it in terms of strategic leverage would have entailed. Findings show that the program fostered business networking and collaboration between national sport federations, but lacked measurable outcomes, strategic anchoring, and public-sector leadership. The study contributes to debates on legacy vs. leverage by highlighting the importance of early policy alignment and governance structures that embed events within long-term regional objectives. 

Events are often seen important elements in regional development strategies, including strengthening community cohesion and identity, and shaping destination branding (Chalip, 2017). For communities that host a range of events throughout a year, the combined effect of these events for residents is often left unexplored. In contrast to singular events, which largely result in short-term economic and social impacts, such event portfolios (i.e. the collective assortment of various types of events staged within a community or region) are suited to generate long-term, sustainable benefits for communities by fostering continuous engagement and boosting the destination's attractiveness year-round. Distributing benefits over a broader timeframe creates a more balanced resource allocation and offers resilience against external shocks that can affect singular events (Anderson et al., 2014; Ziakas and Getz, 2021). 

While considerable research has focused on assessing the economic and logistical success of individual events, there remains a critical gap in the evaluation of entire event portfolios. This research gap is especially pronounced when it comes to assessing the social impacts of these portfolios. Unlike economic impacts, social impacts are challenging to define due to the lack of a clear consensus on what they encompass. Especially, efforts to compare and assess social impacts across event portfolios constitutes a methodological and epistemological challenge (Fredline et al., 2003). Without reliable methods for assessing the social impacts of event portfolios, policymakers and event managers are left with a skewed understanding of the values that events provide. The risk here is that decisions about resource allocation, community engagement, and strategic planning are made without an assessment of the social benefits that various events bring to the table (Chalip, 2006). 

Previous event literature on social impacts encompasses, among others, community pride, social cohesion, and cultural exchange, yet there is little consensus on how these impacts should be compared across a comprehensive portfolio (Fredline et al., 2003). One of the core challenges in assessing social impacts lies in their subjective nature, as they depend on individual perceptions, cultural context, and how deeply the event is embedded in the community fabric. A pragmatic approach to evaluating social impacts across an event portfolio is measuring these impacts quantitatively. The contingent valuation method (CVM) is an economic valuation technique used to measure the value individuals place on non-market goods and services, including public goods and cultural assets (Mitchell & Carson, 1989). CVM has been applied to a range of areas, including cost-benefit analyses, public policies, or event studies. However, it has not been applied to evaluate entire event portfolios. 

This paper suggests that (CVM) can be used to evaluate the social impacts of event portfolios that are partly funded publicly, particularly with non-use values. The latter is a measure that captures the value residents place on an event, even if they do not directly participate in it but still can contribute to social impacts, e.g. pride (Bateman et al., 2002). Our study involves 12 major events as part of the event portfolio of the Swedish region Jämtland. The region positions itself as a tourism and event region, as - compared to other regions - a relatively higher share of people is employed in tourism sectors and part of the region’s sustainability strategy includes establishing ten annually recurring events by 2030 and one mega event every at least third year from 2030 (JHT 2016). The aim is to enhance the destination’s brand identity attracting both local and international audiences, focusing on sustainability and community involvement to enhance the appeal and impact of its events. 

A survey was distributed to a panel of regional residents which generated a representative sample of 414 responses, weighted according to gender, age and education. Respondents were asked how much they would be willing to pay in local taxes[1] to support the event if organizers could no longer fund it, even if they didn’t personally attend. The events in the study included nine sports events (four annual tournaments, four home games of local sports teams and one proposed bid for the Winter Olympics 2026) and three cultural events (two annual markets and one annual music festival). We applied inferential design using ANOVA and t-tests to identify group differences. Results show that the highest degree of public support is enjoyed by annual tournaments whereas the lowest rates of support were found to be connected to an annual market. Interestingly a potential one-time winter Olympics ranked highest in terms of willingness-to-pay. Further analysis shows that there exist statistically significant gender differences where women tend to have a higher willingness-to-pay and a more positive attitude and towards the public support of events. Also, the difference between age groups is statistically significant, indicating a general stronger support of the younger populations with regards to cultural events. 

Whilst non-use value has been applied to events before, it has to our knowledge never been used on an event portfolio basis. By demonstrating the applicability of CVM to event portfolios, we contribute a methodological framework that addresses the critical gap in social impact assessment. Policymakers should consider incorporating CVM assessments into regular evaluation cycles to inform funding decisions and policy formulation. The active involvement of residents in evaluative efforts would likely also serve to strengthen the sense of ownership of and support for, efforts to develop the regional event portfolio. Recognizing and accommodating diverse demographic preferences will enhance the sustainable development of regions, ultimately contributing to community cohesion, identity, and well-being. As limitation, this study relies on self-reported willingness-to-pay that may be influenced by hypothetical bias. Also, a quantitative perspective does not provide a full understanding of social impacts and may be complemented with more qualitative insights. 

Event portfolios play a crucial role in regional development, fostering economic growth, community identity, and destination branding. While economic impacts of events have been extensively studied, their social impacts-especially at the portfolio level- remain underexplored. This paper addresses this gap by applying Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to measure the non-use value of a regional event portfolio in Jämtland, Sweden. Using survey data from 414 regional residents, we assess willingness to pay (WTP) for twelve prominent events, capturing the perceived social value beyond direct participation. Findings indicate significant variation in WTP across different event types and demographic groups, with sports and cultural events eliciting distinct patterns of valuation. Results suggest that non-use value is a viable metric for assessing the social impact of event portfolios, providing policymakers and event managers with actionable insights for strategic planning. This study contributes to event portfolio research by demonstrating how CVM can be systematically applied to quantify social value, offering a framework for more informed event policy and funding decisions.

Aktörer och beslutsfattare på statlig, regional, kommunal och destinationsnivå, behöver veta vad evenemangen man stöder betyder för samhället. Kunskap om evenemangseffekter är viktig för att bestämma hur man bör förhålla sig till nuvarande och framtida evenemang. Inte minst efterfrågas de ekonomiska effekter som evenemang förväntas bidra med, då dessa ofta ligger till grund för synen på stöd, finansiering och samhällsnytta.

Syftet med guiden är att ge en snabb och populärvetenskaplig introduktion till turismekonomiska utvärderingar av evenemang så att de som beställer, utför, eller läser utvärderingar, får en översikt över de viktigaste frågorna att ställa för att kunna säkerställa att utvärderingen i fråga är ändamålsenlig. Guiden har framställts av forskare på ETOUR vid Mittuniversitetet. 

Purpose: This paper explores event value from the perspective of policy stakeholders and discusses potential implications of this stakeholder group's perceptions of value on event policy, event evaluation and the public discourse on the value of events. Design/methodology/approach: A thematic analysis is employed to analyze nine interviews from respondents who were deemed to fit the study criteria in the case of Östersund, Sweden. Findings: Findings indicate that value is portrayed in largely economic terms or in proxy-economic terms even though the respondents expressed awareness and concern for social aspects of value. Moreover, the article highlights the glaring omission of the relationship between policy stakeholders and the nature of evaluation efforts in the industry and academia. Originality/value: The article addresses a still somewhat unexplored dynamics between influential policy stakeholders and how events are regarded in terms of their potential contribution to community development. To what degree does the way the events sector and the general public value events emanate from the way events have been instrumentalized in policy throughout history? 

Social value has been historically overlooked in the practice of strategic event management. By this thesis I hope to stimulate debate and improve the standing of social value in this domain. To do so, multiple aspects of value are addressed. I incorporate perspectives from different stakeholder groups such as researchers, policymakers, organizers and community residents. I also explore value through the three stages of conceptualization, operationalization and instrumentalization, to build a full picture of how value is perceived, measured, and used in the events sector. The synthesis of these different aspects then informs a discussion about social value in the strategic management of events in tourism- and public policy. 

I built the thesis on the case of Jämtland, a peripheral region in the northern parts of Sweden that is known for its diverse and relatively forward-thinking event portfolio. I incorporate elements of both qualitative and quantitative methods to address the research problems presented in my papers, effectively making the thesis as a whole a mixed-methods study. Social constructionist theory underlies the synthesis of the four papers, assuming that multiple realities exist and that perceptions of value are co-created between individuals, within stakeholder groups and between the groups themselves. 

The thesis highlights the omission of social value from strategic event management and therefore also from the use of events in community development, ultimately suggesting ways in which this omission could be addressed. The specific events that feature in this case study are major sports events, but it is hoped that findings can inform the wider theory and practice of strategic event management based on disparate types and sizes of events.

Evenemang har länge använts som verktyg för att uppnå politiska och turismstrategiska mål. Denna återkommande och växande ambition att använda evenemang för att uppnå externa mål bygger på vissa antaganden om deras värde. Exempelvis har evenemang, framför allt storskaliga sportevenemang, kommit att ses som en lågt hängande frukt för de samhällen som vill generera mer turism och stimulera ekonomisk tillväxt. Dock betraktas evenemang inte enbart som tillväxtmotorer utan också som positiva inslag i samhället när det gäller sociala värden.  

Dessa antaganden om ekonomiska och sociala värden som evenemang anses ge baseras dock ofta på begränsad evidens. Trots detta har antaganden om positiva evenemangseffekter blivit en ”sanning” efter årtionden av upprepad optimistisk retorik. Sociala värden i synnerhet saknar tydliga avgränsningar och definitioner, vilket betyder att de praktiker (ägare, arrangörer och politiker) som förespråkar evenemang baserat på deras sociala potential, ofta gör detta relativt oreflekterat och mer eller mindre i blindo.  

Denna avhandling avser att bidra till att åtgärda den ovanstående problematiken, genom att belysa hur koncepten värde och socialt värde uppfattas bland praktiker i evenemangssektorn. Avhandlingen granskar hur uppfattningar kring värde för närvarande överförs till strategiska åtgärder för att maximera nyttan av evenemang, samt hur socialt värde skulle kunna göras mer tillgängligt för de som vill använda evenemang som en drivkraft i samhällsutveckling. 

This study aims to suggest a way through which policymakers can easily understand the nature of the social impacts of events through a spatial framing of such impacts. The case study is based on two major sports events, namely the Alpine and Biathlon World Championships, which took place within a small time frame in spring 2019 within the same region in Jämtland County, Sweden. As the region shares an overarching events strategy, the goal of which is to benefit the entire regional population, this study sets out to understand the spatial distribution of the social impacts of the above-mentioned two events, which, together, are branded as the World Championships Region. Using an SMS-based distribution method, and then applying a cluster analysis based to the 4886 acquired responses, this study identified patterns of social impact according to regional inhabitant perceptions across four social impact indicators. Results demonstrated that the strongest positive and negative reactions to the events came from residents in the host municipalities and the municipalities adjacent to where the events took place. Meanwhile, regional residents who felt a high degree of pride but little else in the form of social impact were primarily concentrated on the peripheries of the region. These findings suggested that whilst negative sentiments were not necessarily highest amongst those who could not access the events, these groups still exhibited a strong sense of emotional investment in the events and regional identity. Overall, this paper contributes to a deepened understanding of the social equity dimension of events in relation to space. It also shines a critical light on the often-held assumption that large-scale events in one location are unequivocally beneficial for all of the regions or nations that surround them.