The green and gold decade: building a successful and resilient major events sector
Coined the Green and Gold Decade leading up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, this period sees Australia hosting an unprecedented number of global major events. Whilst this pipeline of major event planning and delivery is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for supporting a successful and resilient major events sector leading up to the Games, challenges remain given the sector works to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing in the process with increased risk, rising costs and consumer uncertainty.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and committed to tackling global challenges around sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.
Pilot project
In seeking to provide evidence-based solutions to these challenges, an interdisciplinary Griffith University team conducted a novel 2022–23 pilot project to generate innovative insights into major event management. These insights informed a checklist for optimising operations to enhance visitor experience. Drawing on expertise in tourism management, sport management, health and health systems, architecture, organisational behaviour and transport management, the checklist was developed following in-depth observations at two major Gold Coast events:
- Groundwater Country Music Festival (28–30 October 2022)
- Pan Pacific Masters Games (4–13 November 2022).
To capture the diversity of major events, it was important that these events varied in terms of type and format (spectator driven; mass participation). Following the observational phase, a two-round online panel survey was conducted among the project team to narrow down and refine the final checklist items.
With a view to optimising the visitor experience pre-, during and post-event, these items cover the breadth of major event operations including digital communication, health, onsite logistics, accessibility, Indigenous engagement, environmental sustainability, volunteer engagement, safety, transport and pedestrian movement and marketing and promotions.
Core team
Professor Leonie Lockstone-Binney
Event and tourism volunteering, volunteering legacies, event studies, event management education and commemorative events.
Professor Sarah Gardiner
Destination marketing and development, tourism, economic and event development strategies, consumer behaviour and market analysis.
Associate Professor Jamie Ranse
Public health, emergency and in-event health services for mass gatherings.
Professor Kevin Filo
Synergy between sport and charity, sport events, and community sport and fundraising.
Dr Caroline Riot
Elite athlete development and management, Olympic studies, community sports development, women and sport studies, health and physical activity promotion.
Interdisciplinary experts
Professor Matthew Burke
Active transport, transport and land use planning, transport policy and analysis
Professor Karine Dupre
Tourism and cities, placemaking, design solving, sustainability and resilience, experience and heritage.
Professor Simone Fullagar
Gender equity in sport, mental health, active communities and social well-being.
Professor Louise Gustafsson
Rehabilitation and therapy, aged care, disability, public health and health services.
Dr Peta-Anne Zimmerman
Infection prevention and control, low- and middle-income health, emerging infectious disease, outbreak preparedness/response and learning and teaching.
Project output
Drawing on an interdisciplinary audit and observations from two major Gold Coast events, this document outlines proposed items for a scorecard designed to optimise event operations and enhance the visitor experience.
Click the button below to access a copy of the Optimising the operations of major events to enhance the visitor experience checklist.
Project partners
The project team wishes to thank Major Events Gold Coast and Events Management Queensland for their support in facilitating data collection for this project.
Project funding: Griffith Business School Spotlight Seed Funding.
Contact
For enquiries about the project and checklist, contact Professor Leonie Lockstone-Binney.