Sustainable development of non‐mega international sports events in a small town: Social impacts, residents' attitudes, and leveraging role of local government

Abstract The impacts of mega international sports events on host communities have attracted considerable scholarly attention, while few studies explored the impacts of non‐mega international sports events (NMISEs). Prior studies focus on economic impacts of hosting sports events, ignoring social impacts. This study interrogates the dynamics behind staging NMISEs in the small town of Cambridge, New Zealand, focusing on social impacts. It also examines the role of social exchange theory in explaining formation of residents' attitudes toward NMISEs. As findings indicate, Cambridge residents are supportive of NMISEs. They believe that hosting the events improves wellbeing. The local authority plays an important role in event planning and management. It was found that complementarity of social exchange theory and community attachment helps explain the phenomenon.