Common data standards for measuring tangible impacts of major sport events enable event stakeholders to cost-effectively assess the value of events and their return on investment. They also facilitate the comparison between events within the same sport over time as well as across different sports. Impacts to be measured include economic, reputational, social and environmental.

The common measures will be finalised in the second half of 2021. ASOIF and IAEH will then jointly endorse recommendations, guidance and tools to help their members implement the common event impact language. As a next step, both organisations will collaborate to obtain additional support, research and funding from third-party organisations to enhance the tools available for robust measurements of impacts currently regarded as intangible.

ASOIF Executive Director Andrew Ryan will join IAEH members at the 2021 IAEH AGM on 15th June to speak about the landscape of IF events in the coming years and introduce the MoU signed between the associations.

The Chair of IAEH, Susan Sawbridge, said of the partnership with ASOIF:

“The IAEH exists, in part, for event hosts to share knowledge and generate greater long term social and economic benefits from hosting events. A common view of event impact measurement standards is extremely helpful if we are to do this well, building a shared language for understanding and growing international events as they move from destination to destination.”

The IAEH provides a platform for ‘not-for-profit’ event hosts to collaborate on generating the best possible value from hosting major sporting and cultural events. IAEH members can learn from successes and challenges in delivering major events, sharing knowledge and generating greater long term social and economic benefits from hosting events.

ASOIF Executive Director Andrew Ryan commented:

“This is a significant step for the project’s progress, as ASOIF members and IAEH members, the International Federations and City Hosts, represent the key stakeholders in major sports event delivery and hosting.”

ASOIF began to facilitate and support better impact evaluation of its member federations’ major events in 2017. This was thorough impact evaluations made by an external provider. In light of the experience and the outcomes identified, ASOIF decided to encourage and initiate the development of common event impact measurement standards across major sports events.

Click here to read the full text of the MoU.