Leveraging long-term sport participation from major events: the case of track cycling after the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games

ABSTRACT

Rationale/Purpose: This study examined long-term sport participation outcomes of an event leveraging strategy.

Design/methodology/approach: After watching elite track cycling events at the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, spectators (n = 176) received a voucher for a complimentary “Try the Track” trial program at the host facility. Data assessed voucher recipients’ participation at the host facility one-year following the event. Analyses addressed how participation in a trial, structured, or both programs led to (or did not lead to) facility membership.

Findings: Of the 176 voucher recipients, 35 participated in a program and one became a member. Results indicated participation in a trial or structured program did not lead to membership, while participation in both programs did.

Practical Implications: Findings indicate the need for practitioners to communicate and engage with new participants throughout the entire leveraging process. Results demonstrate the importance of program design features and how practitioners can effectively employ event leveraging strategies to create long-term sport participation.

Research Contributions: This study measures the efficacy of an event leveraging strategy to create long-term sport participation outcomes. Findings provide evidence for how event leveraging strategies can, and cannot, create desired long-term sport participation outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Event leveraging
• leveraging strategy
• sport participation
• social outcome
• sport event

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.