The aim of the study was to examine what the economic and touristic impacts of the sports event - UEFA EURO 2012 - will have on Polish regions. The essay was limited to some specific regions in Poland. Those regions were Gniewino, Malbork, Kalisz, Legionowo, Pommerian Province, Cracow, Olsztyn and Zamosc. The Football Championships that will be held in 2012 are dependent of the big amount of football fans that will came and spend their money in Polish regions. Thanks to the increased consumption this creates demand for local services and products. The generator of spending is the tourism multiplier that is the main link to the touristic expenditure.The multiplier is a catalyst of the region that creates jobs, growing yield, promotion of the region and improvement of its infrastructure and leisure facilities. This is considered as an advantage from an economical and touristic point of view. The economical and tourstic benefits are different for every mentioned region in the study because of their location and link to the UEFA EURO 2012. This study shows only how the different eight regions prepare for the UEFA EURO 2012 and what they think that the negative and positive economical and touristic impacts will gain them. The study gives only a short brief of the football event of what can happen.

The research for the master thesis was about the influence the participation in sport events taking place in nature has on sustainable behaviour of the individual. Although there is an understanding of what sustainability means in literature, each person defines its means for her or himself and acts differently. As there is not much research that looks at sustainability as something that can be experienced, this paper is an attempt to find out. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to identify how a participant of sport events, taking place in nature, is influenced by the experiences during the different stages of the event, including preparation, racing, and the time afterwards. As a theoretical concept for a change through experience transformation was chosen. As case for such an event the Vasaloppet 2018 was chosen. As there is a large variety of races during the events, the participation in the context of research includes individuals that join the full 90-kilometres distances during daytime. As a result, the sample is derived from the Vasaloppet (main run), and open spår (open trail). The concepts derived from literature encompass sustainability in relation with organisations, using the triple bottom line. In this context, the sustainability of events is conceptualized in conjunction with the ideas of people, planet and profit. After exploring concepts that are important on an organisational level, the three levels of sustainability by Cavagnaro and Curiel (2012) was used to get a better understanding of the role of the individual. Further concepts are serious leisure and consumption, as the participant of an event, for this research, is also someone who consumes products and services in relation to performing serious leisure. Also, the motivations to participate are examined. Additional, the meaning of experiences and possible experiences of events were elaborated. Finally, the concept of transformation for this paper were discovered. To reach the aim of the research a qualitative research approach, based on social constructivism was taken. The research was conducted by having interviews with six participants of the 2018 Vasaloppet. The obtained data was analysed by means of an inductive thematic analysis, creating themes from what was said by the interviewees. The key findings discussed are their understanding of individual and organisational sustainability, as well as transport, in the context of the Vasaloppet experience. Further a chapter about experiences that made the interviewees thinking about issues that might cause transformation is added. A chapter about actual found transformational experiences is added in closing. Eventually a reflection on the research process is given, before concluding the thesis.

Global sport competitions such as the Olympics and the World Cup were founded following universal principles of unity and peace and aiming to be celebrations of sportsmanship. Nowadays, however, they go beyond sport, being constructed as global media events in which both politics and media play an essential role. Caught in this triangle, the Olympics and the World Cup have re-emerged in the past years as sites of protests, after decades of relative calmness in this sense. This represents the point of entry into the analysis of global broadcasters, giving the chance to examine the way in which Al Jazeera English, BBC World News and Russia Today represent the protests they put in relation to sport competitions happening in different parts of the world. The chosen case studies are the London Olympics 2012, Sochi Olympics 2014 and Brazil World Cup 2014. The comparative analysis allows the drawing of similarities and differences between both the case studies and the broadcasters overall. The findings show that protests are dealt with differently according to the sport event they are related to, since some of them are legitimized and others are not. A major distinction, therefore, results in the manner in which the broadcasters use the protests in order to depict a certain version of the world. Global broadcasters offer, thus, multiple perspectives on the world as they carry what appears to be a heavy cultural baggage of the societies of origin.

Thesis. (M. Tech. (Dept. of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences)) -- Vaal University of Technology, 2011. / Spectators are key constituents of sport organisations’ success as a large spectator base attracts sponsors. Once a spectator enters a sport stadium, the physical environment and the experience of the game may lead to a relationship with the environment and a team resulting in the spectator either revisiting a sport stadium, recommending the venue to others or avoiding the environment. Spectator attendance at sports stadia is also a primary sources of revenue for sport events. Stadium attendance also brings different benefits for spectators as a stadium can add excitement and atmosphere to an event experience and opportunities for socialisation within the environment. The main purpose of this study was to determine the role of servicescapes in spectators’ attendance at selected sport stadiums in Gauteng. Since sport depends on the facility for its production and service delivery, place (distribution) is an essential component in the marketing mix, as it can lead to approach or avoidance behaviours. The study was conducted at two different stadiums namely (Soccer City (formerly FNB) and Orlando stadiums) in the Gauteng Province. A quantitative research approach was used. A structured questionnaire was administered to 200 spectators using non-probability convenience sampling. Data from a total of 170 completed questionnaires were analysed. Data analysis was undertaken in two phases: firstly by pilot testing the questionnaire and secondly by the consolidation of the main survey findings through a more detailed analysis. The data was analysed with a view to address the objectives of the study. In order to ensure high quality analysis, all evidence was considered and all major rival interpretations were also addressed. Factor analysis was used to determine the various servicescape dimensions. Seven factors of servicescape were extracted, namely scoreboard quality, refreshment provisioning, facility aesthetics, space allocation, stadium accessibility, seating comfort and stadium cleanliness. The findings in this study indicate that there is significant positive correlation between the seven factors and future attendance and also a desire to stay within the stadium. The regression analysis reported significant predictive relationships between the stadium servicescape, future attendance and also a desire to stay within the stadium. Regression models depict that spatial allocation and functionality followed by stadia cleanliness made the greatest impact on spectators’ desire to stay within a servicescape and seating comfort and facility aesthetics significantly contributes to future patronage. Recommendations in this study suggest that stadium management and sport marketers should not concentrate on one factor but on several servicescape factors in order to maintain spectator patronage on sport stadium. By fulfilling spectators’ expectations, sport marketers and stadium management should ensure that spectators are satisfied with the stadium facilities and the physical environment to maintain their retention and loyalty to the stadium. / Central Research Committee. Vaal University of Technology.

Title: Volunteering at sport events Objectives: The main objective of this thesis is to identify the most important factors that motivate volunteers in Czech Republic to their participation at sport events. A questionnaire was distributed amongst the volunteers. Detected data should help the organizers to understand what kind of people the volunteers are and help with their future recruitment. Methods: The following methods were used when writing this thesis: case studies, the analysis of the relevant and available documents, written questioning. Results: Results of the survey show that most of the volunteers are younger than thirty years and that women are slightly prevailing among them. Volunteers valued following motives as the most important for their participation: I want to help make the event a success, I want to be beneficial, I want to spend my free time in a meaningful way. In comparison with the foreign studies, which are analysed in this thesis, it showed that volunteers in foreign countries consider similar motives as the most important. Keywords: Volunteering, volunteers, motives, motivational factors, sport events

This thesis critically examines the predominant narratives which emanated from political discourse in relation to two significant events in Scotland in 2014 the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the independence referendum. In particular, the thesis scrutinises the extent to which the staging of the Games in Scotland was exploited politically in relation to debates about Scotland s constitutional future. Given the importance of the referendum and its proximity to the Games, it is unsurprising that the event became intertwined with political positioning from parties on both sides of the constitutional debate. Utilising a novel methodological approach which synthesises analytical frameworks from the field of narrative analysis (Somers, 1994) and political discourse analysis (Fairclough and Fairclough, 2014), this thesis critically examines a range of political discourse sources produced by the five political parties represented in the Scottish Parliament, such as parliamentary speeches, press releases, manifestos and policy documents. Furthermore, the analysis of political discourse is complemented by analysis of nine interviews with MSPs from the respective political parties, namely the Scottish National Party, the Scottish Labour Party, the Scottish Conservatives, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Green Party. The findings of these complementary analyses are further interrogated through reference to existing academic literature on the relationship between nationalism, politics, sport and international sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games. The thesis identifies a number of emergent findings which make an original contribution to the study of the interconnection between sport, political nationalism and the Commonwealth Games, demonstrating the nuanced and contrasting narratives of the respective pro-independence and pro-union parties with respect to Scotland s constitutional future and the political ramifications of the Games for the independence referendum. These nuanced positions are demonstrated through consideration of: a) the contrasting narratives of the parties on the Games sporting and economic legacy; b) the political symbolism of the Games for Scotland s constitutional status; c) discourse asserting that the Games should remain an apolitical event; d) the nature of cross-party consensus supporting the Games; and, e) the role of the Games and sport in contemporary political communication. Given the emergence of numerous examples within this thesis whereby the Games became embroiled with political considerations, it is hoped that the prevailing political perceptions regarding the apolitical nature of sport can be challenged, thus allowing for a more diverse array of ideological approaches to the politics of sport.

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand how Canadian sport system stakeholders select the international youth events in which athletes will take part. The first part looked at the policies and processes consistent among all national sport organizations (NSOs) using a policy-based approach. The second part focused on how NSOs responded to these demands in conjunction with pressures stemming from their specific sport communities and stakeholders, and analyzed the NSOs’ governance structures and processes in doing so. A conceptual framework composed of the governance, stakeholder theory and policy diffusion literatures guided the study and a qualitative methodology was used. Sport Canada and Own the Podium (OTP) played a steering role within the event selection process. NSOs faced numerous pressures such as learning, coercion, imitation, and competition, which they responded to by creating policies and processes for their organization and through selecting events for their athletes that best responded to these pressures. The final findings found the policies and processes were created using a network governance approach, taking into consideration NSOs’ sport-specific needs, which included, but were not limited to, the NSO’s organizational capacity, the number of athletes competing in the sport, and the depth and field of competition within Canada. Two key concepts outlined as best practices among successful NSOs and as an area for improvement for the Canadian sport system overall were alignment and communication.

This dissertation’s purpose was to explore the governance of two domestic multi-sport events—2012 Ontario Summer Games and 2013 Canada Games—regarding how stakeholder coordination and knowledge management occurred. Case studies were built using content and social network analyses of 27 interviews and 476 document pages. In both events, the organizing committee staff and sport organizations were the most salient stakeholders, being therefore seen as the focal actors within the event network regarding coordination, initiating communication, building trust, and improving relationships. For the provincial event specifically, findings suggested the organizing committee should exist within an enduring organization in order to maximize resources (e.g., financial, human, etc.), build long-term coordination mechanisms, and enhance knowledge management capacities. Knowledge transfer appeared to occur at both levels, to varying degrees of sophistication. The knowledge management processes at each event stressed the importance of people and of tacit knowledge. Implications for researchers and managers provided.

Title: Organization of voluteers at the RunTour running series Objectives: The main objective of this diploma thesis is to evaluace the satisfaction of volunteers and organizers with the volunteer program on the running series RunTour and to suggest possible recommendations for its improvement. Methods: As part of the qualitative survey, the method of in-depth interviews was used, which took place with the coordinator of the volunteer program and with the heads of selected sections. Furthermore, a quantitative method of electronic interrogation was applied. The research was complemented by observations made by the author of the thesis, who personally participated in all races. Results: The research shows that most volunteers and organizers evaluate the volunteer program very positively. However, research has identified several areas where there is room for improvement. These are the areas of organization, communication and refreshments. Keywords: running, volunteering, volunteers management, satisfaction, sport events, organization

Residents are main actors in the context of publicly funded sport events due to their role as taxpayers, and the importance of their support in an event’s success. The use of taxpayer dollars for hosting sport events is typically justified by event proponents (e.g., the local government) by highlighting purported positive event outcomes for the community. The extent to which such outcomes are attained may therefore influence the relationship between residents and their local government. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the long-term outcomes of publicly funded, non-mega sport events, and to examine the role of trust, knowledge, and power in the public/government relationship and event support in relation to these outcomes. To achieve this purpose, I focused on two publicly funded non-mega sport events, specifically the 2011 and 2019 Canada Winter Games, and drew on agency theory. The project progressed through three phases of research, each culminating in a research article. The first phase involved outlining the theoretical approach taken for this project. Next, I investigated the event objectives and long-term outcomes from resident and event provider perspectives. Finally, I investigated the public/government relationship by determining factors that predict general political trust and event support. The first article explains how agency theory, and the concepts of power, knowledge, and trust can be used to investigate political implications of publicly funded sport events. The second article suggests that while most residents evaluated their respective event positively, the interests of residents and event providers regarding event objectives and outcomes diverge. The final article revealed that event experiences positively predicted event support three- and 11-years following the event, and that residents’ power (i.e., ability to influence) negatively predicted political trust, while knowledge (i.e., understanding) positively impacted political trust in the event context. The three articles are preceded by a general introduction and are wrapped-up by a concluding chapter. Cumulatively, the results demonstrate that actors within the context of a publicly funded non-mega sport event may act as principals and agents in various moments of the event hosting process. Further, findings suggest that ensuring host residents are informed of the event will foster trust in the local government, and that community-focused tangible outcomes in particular will foster event support. This dissertation contributes conceptually and empirically to sport event management literature by taking a long-term post-event perspective on publicly funded, non-mega sport events. Practically, event providers should ensure that residents are fully informed of the event hosting process, and should ensure that tangible, and sustainable event outcomes occur as these seem to impact the most residents in a host community even from a long-term perspective. Finally, this work outlines the need for future research addressing methodological challenges in non-mega sport event research, investigating opportunism and monitoring in principal-agent relationships, and determining appropriate public engagement strategies for sustainable event outcomes.