Social benefits of local sport events: a multiple case study

Abstract

Sport events not only provide opportunities for economic or urban development, but also for local community development (Misener & Mason, 2006). According to Taks (2013) especially smaller non-mega sport events (NMSEs) may be relevant for creating social benefits for host communities, when compared to the often researched global mega sport events (MSEs). Constructs like social capital offer an important theoretical paradigm for understanding how NMSEs built community networks and relationships (Misener & Mason, 2006). Because many more NMSEs are being organized all over the world than MSEs, more knowledge on how these events can be socially leveraged (Chalip, 2006) for community benefits can potentially contribute to local communities