Understanding sport event success: exploring perceptions of sport event consumers and event providers

The success of a sport event is an important outcome for both the organizing entity and the destination where the event is hosted to properly leverage its hosting. Utilizing the multiple constituency approach in assessing organizational effectiveness, the purpose of this study was to examine factors that contribute to the success of a sport event through the perspectives of the event providers and the spectators of small-scale sport events who experience the events. Employees from organizations from across the USA involved in the attraction and delivery of the event, namely local sports commissions and Convention and Visitor Bureaus of a destination, were asked to participate in the study to provide factors they perceived to make an event successful. In addition, spectators from two small-scale sport events were asked to describe the factors of successful small-scale sport events for them and their home community. The results revealed complementarity in the views from both sides and a differential weight placed on stated success factors for each group. Effective event management and delivery was the common denominator between the two entities. The supply side prioritized economic development while the demand side psychological and social events aspects. Implications are provided for event management, destination marketing and event leveraging.