From expos and brand activations to destination marketing and legacy planning, sporting events are generating value well beyond race day. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Trendy Graphics (AI generated)
Beyond race day, destinations are recognising that sporting events can function as a powerful business events in their own right. From networking events and expos to brand activations and destination marketing campaigns, sporting events are evolving into platforms that blur the lines between tourism, business events and economic development.
The question for hosts is no longer just how many people attended, but how much business can be created and what opportunities remain long after the final whistle’s blown.
Start before the starting line
Race day brings not just the participants, but also their families and spectators. They require accommodation, food, transport and other services. Many want to explore the destination, too.
Hazemi Hamidi, director of BOLT 360 Management that organises the annual Cameron Ultra (Cultra) trail running event in Cameron Highlands pointed to the growth of ultra-trail running as an example. “What was once a niche sport has grown into a wider industry. People plan to come to Cameron Highlands and explore the area. They spend on food, accommodation and other activities.”
What was once a niche sport has grown into a wider industry. People come to Cameron Highlands and spend on food, accommodation and experiences.
Ahmad Faedzal Md Ramli, Sportswork Group
Capturing the opportunity, he says, comes down to how destinations look at the entire visitor journey and finding ways to encourage people to arrive earlier and stay longer.
“Cameron Highlands has amazing nature apart from the cool weather. There is this exceptional mossy forest that not many people know and participants run through this misty, magical environment. It’s a very memorable event experience. When participants share their stories, it gives the destination organic promotion and potentially brings new and repeat visitors,” he said.
This approach creates opportunities for tourism boards and stakeholders to package events with local attractions, food and cultural experiences.
Bring local businesses into the picture
The economic benefits of sporting events extend far beyond hotels and airlines. Local F&B operators, retailers, printing companies, logistics providers, event suppliers and SMEs can all become part of the ecosystem.
“Expos where people collect their running packs are a great way to network and do business,” said Rainer Biemans, director of Dirigo Events, organiser of Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM). “I’ve a friend who sold more running shoes during the expo in three days than in all his outlets in Malaysia in a month.”
Expos are a great way to network and do business.
Rainer Biemans, Dirigo Events
Biemans believes organisers should focus on building engagement well before race day. “I don’t look at KLSCM as a one-day event. We have seven days running up to it. We have running clinics and specialised clinics as we try to take runners on a journey.”
That thinking turns a sporting event into a multi-day business ecosystem with clinics, exhibitions, networking, brand activations and other programmes creating additional reasons for people to participate and spend.
The legacy equation
The bigger question, however, is what remains once the crowds have gone home.
Ahmad Faedzal Md Ramli, advisor at Sportswork Group Sdn Bhd, believes the legacy conversation should move beyond stadiums and infrastructure towards.
“It is no more about the athlete villages, the stadiums or the infrastructure. I believe the longer-term legacy is in strengthening a country's role in sports economy.”
For younger audiences, sport is increasingly about lifestyle, leisure and fan experiences.
Ahmad Faedzal Md Ramli, Sportswork Group
He offered Malaysia's 2027 SEA Games as an example. To be held across Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Penang and Johor, Ahmad sees opportunity beyond the competition itself. “ASEAN is home to some 680 million people, including a large and increasingly youthful population. The younger audiences see sports more about lifestyle, leisure, and fan experience.”
The challenge is to build the partnerships, businesses and experiences around these events so that their value continues after the athletes and spectators have gone.