Exploring the Social Impacts of Events

Social impacts are increasingly used as one of the main justifications for staging and funding events, and yet there is very little empirical evidence on the extent to which these impacts are realised by different kinds of events or in different settings. This timely volume fills this gap by being the first to explore the different social aspects of events, looking in particular at the role of events in developing social capital, social cohesion and participation in local communities. Based on cutting edge empirical research, it evaluatesthe contribution of both cultural and sports events to social capital, social cohesion, community spirit and local pride in range of different types of events and settings, with case studies drawn from Europe, Australia and South Africa. It therefore furthers knowledge about the social benefits and impacts of events and significantly contributes to the development of Events as a discipline. Written by leading academics in this area, this volume is essential reading for all those interested in Events Management and Studies.

1. Introduction Part 1: Events and Social Capital 2. Festival Connections: People, Place and Social Capital 3. Events as a Contributor to Social Capital Part 2: Building Community Support: The European Capital of Culture 4. Social Capital in the Metropolis BrabrantStad 5. Houdoe or Houdios? BrabantStad 2018: European Capital of Culture and the extent of identification of Brabant’s inhabitants 6. European Capital of Culture: The Case of Maastricht Via 2018 7. Constructing Social Landscape through Events: The Global Project of ’s-Hertogenbosch Part 3: Sports Events and Social Impacts 8. Sport Participation Legacy and the Hosting of Mega-Sport Events 9. Social Impact of Street Soccer Leagues 10. A Social Responsibility Scan at a Major Golf Event in the Netherlands 11. The Social Impacts of Events: The Case of the Triathlon Event ‘Spec-Savers Ironman’ in South Africa Part 4: Social Impacts of Events 12. Investigating the Effect of Group Size in Event Experiences 13. Cultural Events as a Tourist Development Strategy for Rural Areas 14. The Role of Cultural Events in Building Social Capital and the Implications for Tourism Development 15. Achieving Significant Event Impacts for Young Residents of the Host Community: The Adelaide Fringe Festival Part 5: Conclusions 16. Conclusions

Greg Richards is Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands. Marisa de Brito isa Senior Lecturer and manager of research and academic studies at NHTV-Breda University of Applied Sciences. Linda Wilks is Senior Lecturer in Event Management at the University of Hertfordshire.