eventIMPACTS is the result of a collaboration between Tourism Northern Ireland, EventScotland, UK Sport and Event Wales.
UK Sport
Established by Royal Charter in 1996, UK Sport works in partnership with the home country sports councils and other agencies to lead sport in the UK to world-class sporting success. With the emphasis on providing a performance advantage for UK athletes, UK Sport also leads the campaign to bring strategically important sporting events to the UK, as evidenced in our new major events strategic framework, Making Live Sport Matter.
Working in partnership with national governing bodies, cities & regions and home country agencies, UK Sport has, since 1997, supported more than 300 events of World, European and Commonwealth status that have been held in the UK.
Follow us on Twitter @UK_Sport and LinkedIn.
Event Wales
Working to the National Events Strategy Wales 2022-2030, Event Wales (a department of the Welsh Government) sets out to ensure a co-ordinated and coherent approach to supporting the major events industry.
We are not usually directly involved in the operational delivery of events but work with a wide range of partners and stakeholders across the public, private and third sectors, in Wales and beyond to support sporting, cultural and business events which enhance Wales' international reputation and support the wellbeing of its people and communities.
The focus of our work is to:
- Attract major international events which deliver a significant economic return on investment and contribute to the promotion of the Wales brand.
- Work strategically with local and regional partners to identify events with growth potential and explore opportunities for creating new events.
- A continued and specific focus on business events (MICE)
- Support the development of a strong Welsh skills base of knowledge and experience.
- Support delivery against the 7 goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 including identifying and highlighting what makes the event experience in Wales different.
In recent years, with Welsh Government support through Event Wales, Wales has successfully hosted and attracted some of the world’s biggest and most prestigious sporting events including: UEFA Champions League Final; Volvo Ocean Race; Wheelchair Rugby European Championship; Wheelchair Fencing World Cup and WWE ‘Clash at the Castle’. Alongside these global brands, the Welsh Government supports a wide portfolio of arts and cultural events, such as: Focus Wales Music Festival; Steelhouse Festival; Other Voices, Cardigan; and Hijinx Unity Festival.
EventScotland
EventScotland is part of VisitScotland Events Directorate, along with Business Events and Development teams. Working with the events sector, the teams help develop the industry and enhance Scotland’s reputation as the Perfect Stage for events. Scotland’s continued success as a global leading events destination is driven by its national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage. It has helped maintain and build a diverse portfolio of culture, sport and business events which bring incredible value to Scotland’s economy, as well important cultural and social impacts.
Alongside support for our home-grown events, since its inception in 2003, EventScotland with partners has attracted some of the world’s biggest events to Scotland, including: The 2014 Ryder Cup, 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, 2018 European Championships, UEFA EURO 2020, COP26 and 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
Visit eventscotland.org or follow Twitter @EventScotNews and follow us on LinkedIn.
Tourism NI
Tourism NI is responsible for the development of tourism in Northern Ireland, supporting and upskilling the industry, and marketing Northern Ireland as a tourist destination. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department for the Economy.
It champions the development of a portfolio of distinctive, high-quality tourism events which tell a compelling story of Northern Ireland to the world, showcasing Northern Ireland’s regions and destinations, allowing visitors to get closer to the authentic people, places and personality through experiencing the real Northern Ireland. These events span national, international, and bid for major leisure events, and business events such as conferences and exhibitions.
Tourism NI provides a range of services to the events industry including:
- Funding schemes
- Skills and career development programmes
- Research and insights
- Conferences, forums and roadshows
- Marketing and PR campaigns
Research Partners
The eventIMPACTS toolkit was originally developed in 2008 by partners from across the UK (UK Sport, VisitBritain, EventScotland, Welsh Government, London Development Agency, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Yorkshire Forward and the North West Development Agency) based on work by a research team headed by the Sport Industry Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University and involving colleagues from the BRASS Centre (Cardiff University), Department of Sports Studies, Stirling University and the Substance social research company. The toolkit and website was updated further in 2016.
In 2024, following a detailed review led by Sheffield Hallam University and Legacy Delivery Ltd, the site content was refreshed to align with up-to-date best practice, case studies and international guidance.