Optimizing a country’s hosting strategy concerning non-mega sports events

Until now, little has been written about bidding strategies and the hosting behavior of countries concerning sports events. Moreover, the academic literature on non-mega events in general is scarce in contrast with their frequency and popularity. The goal of this research is to examine whether country-specific characteristics have an effect on the hosting behavior of countries concerning non-mega sports events. I find a positive, significant relation between the size of a country and its financial wealth in relation to the number of non-mega events held. In addition, I find contrasting results for the effect of the presence of a mega city in a country for summer and winter events. By reading this paper countries can gain insights that will allow them to employ a more targeted, long-term hosting strategy