SPM325 Event Management (10 ECTS) 

Course facts

Course code
SPM325
Course title
Event Management
ECTS
10 ECTS
Semester
Fall
Equivalent to
SPM106 Arrangementsledelse 10 sp
Course language
English
Academic responsible
Annika Bodemar

Introduction

The course provides understanding of important aspects of the organization and management of sport events. It examines how organizers of sports events bid for, plan, implement, and evaluate the sport event. The perspective of events as networked entities will be applied. Therefore, event organizers’ identification and understanding of key stakeholders (e.g., public authorities, sponsors, media, local communities) and strategies to collaborate with them for mutual benefits are in the focus. The course further provides practical insight through collaboration with event organizers. 

Learning outcomes

After participation in the course, the student should be able to

  • describe the key aspects of sports events, including the bidding processes, planning and implementation of mega, major and small events
  • explain how to set-up an organizing committee and implement an organizational structure
  • analyze the relations between event organizers (organizing committees) and the event’s main stakeholders
  • discuss strategies for risk management and event evaluation
  • reflect upon opportunities to create event legacies
  • develop and evaluate plans for executing sport events

Learning styles and activities

Theories and concepts of sport event management are presented in the lectures. Group work is used for practical applications. 
One upcoming sport event in Norway will be used as physical case study where students will practically apply their academic knowledge.
An in-depth seminar with event organizers is included in the course.

Mandatory assignment

Mandatory submission of short reflections (individual and in small groups) in Canvas. Approved submissions are prerequisite for participation in the oral exam.

The concept for the portfolio assignment must be presented in the in-depth seminar (approved/ not approved). Participation at the in-depth seminars is required.

Assessment

  • Portfolio assignment. Graded A-F (60 %).
  • Oral exam. Graded A-F (40 %).
    • The student has 30 minutes time for preparing a case study handed-out at the beginning of the preparation time.

Core material

LITERATURE:
PARTS OF 3 BOOKS:
Bladen, C., Kennell, J., Abson, E. & Wilde, N. (2017). Events management: An introduction (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Please read chapter 1,2,7,14 and 15:
* You may borrow the book from the Library, here: ORIA
** The book is also available online: Click here to download.
*** NB! To open electronic books off campus, you need to use the following VPN connection: Click here to download.

Hanstad, D. V., Parent, M. M. & Houlihan, B. (2014). The youth Olympic Games (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society). Routledge. 
Please read chapter 1,2,3,4,6 and 13:
* You may borrow the book from the Library, here: ORIA

Parent, M. M. & Reutsch, A. (2021). Managing major sports events: Theory and practice (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Please read chapters 1,2,4,5,7,8,9,11,12,13,16 and 21:
* You may borrow the book from the Library, here: ORIA

1 DIGITAL COMPENIUM - available as PDF through Canvas:
Horbel, C. (Ed.). (2022). SPM325: Event management: Fall 2022 [Digital compendium].
* Available as PDF through Canvas.

Table of contents (reference list) alphabeticallt in APA-style, 7th ed.:
Bodet, G. (2015). The Spectators' Perspective. In M. M. Parent & J.-L. Chappelet (Eds.), Routledge handbook of Sports Event Management (pp. 163-180). Routledge.

Bowdin, G. A. J., Allen, J., O'Toole, W., Harris, R., & McDonnell, I. (2006). Project management for events. In G. A. J. Bowdin, J. Allen, W. O'Toole, R. Harris, & I. McDonnell (Eds.), Events Management (pp. 265-293). Butterworth-Heinemann.

Bowdin, G. A. J., Allen, J., O'Toole, W., Harris, R., & McDonnell, I. (2006). The planning function. In G. A. J. Bowdin, J. Allen, W. O'Toole, R. Harris, & I. McDonnell (Eds.), Events Management (pp. 117-143). Butterworth-Heinemann.

Chappelet, J.-L. & Parent, M. M. (2015). The (wide) world of sports events. In M. M. Parent & J.-L. Chappelet (Eds.), Routledge handbook of sports event management (pp. 1-17). Routledge.

Hoye, R., Cuskelly, G., Auld, C., Kappelides, P. & Misener, K. (2020). Sport Volunteering. Routledge.
* Pages 155-172.

Mair, J. (2019). Rethinking event sustainability In J. Armbrecht, E. Lundberg & T. D. Andersson (Eds.), A research agenda for event management (pp. 7-22). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Parent, M. M. (2015). The organizing committee's perspective. In J.-L. Chappelet & M. M. Parent (Eds.), Routledge handbook of sports event management (pp. 43-64). Routledge.

8 ELECTRONIC ARTICLES FROM JOURNALS:

NB! To open electronic articles off campus, you need to use the following VPN connection: Click here to download.

Andersen, S. S., Hanstad, D. V. & Plejdrup-Skillestad, K. (2015). The role of test events in major sporting events. Event Management, 19(2), 261-273. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599515X14297053839773
* This article is available online: Click here to download.

Bodemar, A., Strittmatter, A.-M., & Fahlen, J. (2021). Doomed to fail? A study of how junior managers at a major sport event cope with leadership issues. International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 20(3-4), 271-288. https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJSMM.2020.110845
* This article is available online: Click here to download.

Gratton, C. & Preuss, H. (2008). Maximizing Olympic impacts by building up legacies. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 25(14), 1922-1938. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523360802439023
* This article is available online: Click here to download.

Kristiansen, E., Strittmatter, A.-M. & Skirstad, B. (2016). Stakeholders, challenges and issues at a co-hosted Youth Olympic Event: Lessons learned from the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2015. International Journal of the History of Sport, 33(10), 1152-1168. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2016.1238822
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Laing, J. & Frost, W. (2010). How green was my festival: Exploring challenges and opportunities associated with staging green events. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29(2), 261-267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2009.10.009
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Parent, M. M., Beaupre, R. & Seguin, B. (2009). Key leadership qualities for major sporting events: The case of the World Aquatics Championships. International Journal of Sport Management & Marketing, 6(4), 367-388. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSMM.2009.029300
* Available as PDF through Canvas.
(OK based on §15 of the Copyright Law)

Preuss, H. (2015). A framework for identifying the legacies of a mega sport event. Leisure studies, 34(6), 643-664. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2014.994552
* The article is available online: Click here to download

Strittmatter, A.-M. (2016). Defining a problem to the solution: A neo-institutional explanation for legitimising the bid for the 2016 Lillehammer winter Youth Olympic Games. The International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 8(3), 421-437. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2016.1138990
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Woratschek, H., Horbel, C. & Popp, B. (2014). The sport value framework: A new fundamental logic for analyses in sport management. European Sport Management Quarterly, 14(1), 6-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2013.865776
* The article is available online: Click here to download