THE ORGANIZATION OF MAJOR INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENTS IN FRANCE: OPPORTUNITIES, IMPACT AND LEGACY

ATTENDANCES OF BRITISH SPORTS BETWEEN 2012-2022

76.2M FOOTBALL 66%

Despite an expected drop in revenue and attendance after the year of the Games, a host nation’s sport economy should see faster annual growth after the Games than before.

All major international sporting events, at their level, have the potential to have an impact, and to create an opportunity for legacy and sustainability. Whether it be sporting, economic or social.

But the Games are truly the only event large enough to mobilize and create a widespead engagement around sport across an entire country.

The Games establish a foundation for long-term growth through a momentum of engagement and interest that cannot exist without this unique opportunity.

The sport ecosystem must work collectively to convert the excitement and increased public engagement around these events into long-term interest and concrete, sustainable business opportunities.

Major sporting events bring out new processes and new techniques in terms of marketing strategy, ticketing, stadium experience, security, sustainability and resource optimization. This experience should then benefit the entire sports ecosystem, with best practices that can be replicated on other events and structurally integrated by federations, leagues and clubs.

CASE STUDY LONDON 2012:

• At the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games, many seats appeared empty. The London 2012 organizing committee had a ruthless attitude to sublimate the event, make sessions look full and vibrant. They wanted fans to feel that this was a unique event and a memorable experience that should not have been missed.

• London 2012 gave the UK confidence in its capacity to host major sporting events. It positioned the United Kingdom as a trusted pair of hands in the eyes of the world’s sports governing bodies. Following the success of the London Games, the UK emerged as a new leader in the global sports economy.

The number of fans who consume sport and attend sporting events has increased dramatically in the UK thanks to the Games (+16 million spectators per year between 2012 and 2022 excluding one-off events).

“The Olympic Games are the equivalent of 50 world championships organized at the same time.”

IN THIS SECTION:

• The ‘Golden Decade’ concept emerged in the UK to define the development of British sport between 2012-2022, propelled by the organization of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

56% of sports fans wishing to attend the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,

(THOMAS COEX/AFP/GettyImages)

(THOMAS COEX/AFP/GettyImages)

• Capitalizing on the Games and creating a legacy: excitement and mobilization of fans, media and sponsors; emergence of new talent, new processes and new practices; setting new standards in terms of sustainability, accessibility and inclusion

• Case study London 2012: impact and heritage

• Case study National Handball League: Leveraging the Paris 2024 Games

• Testimonials: Marie Barsacq (Executive Director Impact and Legacy, Paris 2024); Céline Prevost (Marketing and Sales Director, FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships Courchevel Méribel 2023); Jean-Baptise Alliot (Executive Director Vitality Hub Sport & Health & Food, Paris&Co); Pierre-Jean Golven (Communication and Marketing Director, Ligue Nationale de Handball)