Social Value in Major Events

Social value has been rising up the agenda for major projects in the built environment for many years, and this includes mega events. A significant shift in focus has taken place in the last couple of decades, with increasing attention paid to maximising social value for the long-term, and prioritising the needs of local people when hosting major events. 

This playbook has been developed using research undertaken in 2020-21 by Masters students of the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS), applying academic evidence, case studies and interview data to set out how to create a sustainable, social value legacy over the lifetime of a major event. 

The playbook includes recommendations for potential bidding and hosting cities when building social value legacy. The playbook takes into account recent trends seen in mega events, international standards, such as the UN SDGs, and through four pillars, it outlines a set of initiatives that, if implemented, will help to generate social value.