The session, involving 19 IAEH member organisations and held at the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel in Lausanne, included specialist presentations and group discussion on the three main areas of impact: economic, social and environmental.

Hosts, event owners and sponsors agree that a key challenge facing all stakeholders is to communicate the benefits of major events. The problem is the lack of a common language, a set of definitions, to be used by all stakeholders and across all areas of impact when conducting studies and developing strategies for delivering long term benefits.

To help tackle the issue, the IAEH is taking advantage of the expertise of its members to develop guidance and definitions which will be endorsed, made available for public use by all stakeholders seeking to benefit from hosting major events.

Workshop presenters included Debra Mountford on the OECD Recommendation on Global Events and Local Development, industry specialists Chris Kropielnicki (Sportcal) and Matt Wilson (The Sports Consultancy) and Iain Edmondson, IAEH Director who is facilitating the initiative.

Patrik Tengwall from the city of Stockholm called attention to the fact that “social effects are not measurable immediately after an event, they will only be perceived years later. What we can actually measure are the activities promoted that will result on social effects later on”. Speaking about economic impacts, Billy Garrett from Glasgow Life stated that “what we have been tasked with is inclusive economic growth, not economic growth for the sake of it, but growth that benefits everyone and reduces inequalities”.

The feedback provided during the workshop is contributing to the development of the first draft guidance and definitions which will be published on the IAEH website by the end of 2018.