IAEH Video Archive

Patrik Tengwall (Head of Event Strategy, Visit Stockholm) delivered an insightful presentation which reveals how Stockholm has become a world leader in music tourism. This talk traces the city’s journey from ABBA’s legacy to its vibrant modern industry, exploring venues, artists, and major events that shape its global influence. Areas covered include:

– Stockholm in the context of global music tourism
– World-class artists in Stockholm
– The legacy of ABBA
– The importance of venues and operational aspects
– The impetus of Swedish bands
– The broader appeal of Stockholm
– The role of fans
– Interaction with the Stockholm music industry, song writers and local music
– Music as an export
– Key individuals in the Swedish music industry
– The many levels of booking a tour
– Preparation for the Taylor Swift concerts: marketing opportunities and city involvement
– Contribution of major music events to city pride

Kevin McMullan from EventFlanders provided an insightful presentation and led a discussion with other event hosts on 30 June 2025 on the topic of CO2 emissions and compensation strategies. Areas covered included:

– CO2 compensation
– Working with third parties for impact reports
– Calculating emissions
– Strategies to reduce emissions at major events
– Compensating emissions
– Choosing projects to support for reducing emissions
– Local vs international projects
– Difficulties in estimating emissions
– Questions around sports vs tourism- what creates emissions?
– Who should be responsible for reducing emissions?
– Considerations of the broader context of climate justice
– Partnerships for climate justice
– Challenges in recognising global standards on climate/emissions

Perttu Pesä, Director of Major Events and Chair at the IAEH, provided an in-depth talk on 16th June 2025 to IAEH members meeting in ANOC, Lausanne covering data research that has been carried out on major events in Tampere, Finland. Topics covered include:

1) Monitoring models
– Objectives
– Indicators
– Starting points for partnership and financial support for events
– Distinguishing events

2) Figures and rankings
– Event visitors, sales and turnover
– Visitors at selected events and venues
– Overview of the event industry in Tampere
– Collecting public feedback
– Spending by visitors breakdown

This presentation was followed by a discussion by members on issues involved in applying indicators and collecting data. In this context, methodologies, working with partners and collective trends were considered.

ChristchurchNZ share on the transformation of the city in New Zealand into a vibrant place to host events following the devastating earthquake in 2011. This moving and inspirational talk covers the following topics:

1) Urban Design
– Temporary structures and architecture
– Responses from hospitality and urban design
– Novel ways of responding to loss of venues
– Public sharing for ideas for rebuilding
– Case studies of urban transformation
2) Event campaigns
– Initial devastation to event sector
– PR campaign to attract new events
– Strategy- city narrative, economic benefit and community benefit
– New facility and infrastructure rebuilds
– Operation of SailGP
– Development of homegrown events

Raj Pahuja, (Joint Head of Sports, Media and Entertainment at HCR Law), provided an insightful talk on the outsourcing challenges faced at sports events from a legal perspective. Topics covered included the following:

1) Event management and sub-contractors
2) Considerations for appointment
– Tender process
– Local suppliers
– Due diligence
– Sponsors- keeping them engaged
– Insurance
3) Contract issues
– Are obligations clear?
– Approval process
– KPIs
– Ensuring delivery
– Reporting mechanisms
– Intellectual property
4) Fee structures
5) Liability if issues arise
– Termination
– Confidentiality and sub-contractors
– What a contract should look like

Joel Lavery (Director, West Midlands Growth Company) reflects on the experience of hosting SportAccord. Martin Gibbs (CEO, SportAccord) also joins this talk. Topics covered are:

Budget to host SportAccord

Objectives of hosting the summit:

– Raising international awareness
– Boost region’s profile as a place to invest in
– Maximise national and international media interest
– Promotion of host venues
– Promotion of wider tourism

The discussion also covered an overview of participants, the heart of sport campaign, city branding and welcoming visitors. There was interesting insight into maximising opportunities from SportAccord, including the 200 events proposed following the summit for the region, as well the issue of  “return on influence”, which is often overlooked in the face of return on investment.

Paul Fletcher, former Commercial Director (Wembley Stadium) and former CEO (Huddersfield Town FC, Bolton Wanderers FC, Burnley FC, Ricoh Arena) discusses the evolution of football stadia and how they can be utilised better. The talks covers:

– Previous mistakes with UK football stadia designs
– Design of future stadia
– The importance of location
– Addressing the fiction that stadia are single purpose buildings
– The problem of car parking and stadia
– Lessons from relocating stadia
– Replacing car parks in stadia with marketplaces
– Financial difficulties for football clubs in building new stadia

Florian Lamblin, Executive Director of UTMB International, explains how an event such as the UTMB World Series can be used to develop connections with populations and institutions. The talks covers:

– A timeline for the application of sustainability
– Strategies applied in different host territories
– Traditional strategies
– Sustainable tourism as a strategy
– Key initiatives in Slovenia: working with travel agencies and developing connections
– Working with Chianti consortium and Tuscany region to stimulate a maximum of local companies
– Key initiatives in Slovenia: working with travel agencies and developing connections
– Working with Chianti consortium and Tuscany region to stimulate a maximum of local companies
– Promoting alternative transport at UTMB Mont Blanc
– Building local bonds – Wales, Mexico and Switzerland

– Event classification and its significance when considering the strategy of a city
– The desired impact of events are to improve quality of life, community building, positive publicity and growth in event-related businesses and the local economy
– A balanced overall impact being achieved when each event category is proportionately represented in Tampere’s event scene
– Events a city development- “events are not just events”- they are part of a development process to develop a new kind of city
– Development of stadium- construction over railroads, and how this changed the city centre
– The significance of the development of a tramway for logistics and population growth
– Success of volunteering bank for the Ice Hockey World Championships, with press release
– Responding to logistical challenges of flights
– The impact of COVID on particular sports, considering the Masters Games and hindrances to training