Strategic Planning Approaches and Operational Challenges in Sports Event Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58574/jaa.2026.v5.i1.17Keywords:
Sports Event Management, Strategic Planning, Operational Execution, Strategy-Execution Gap, Stakeholder Management, Financial SustainabilityAbstract
This paper critically examines the intersection of strategic planning and operational execution within the sports event management domain. While strategic planning is often heralded as the driver of long-term legacies and economic benefits, operational realities, ranging from logistical bottlenecks to financial volatility, frequently undermine these high-level goals. By synthesising existing literature and analysing key operational friction points, this study identifies a critical strategy-execution gap and proposes frameworks for more resilient event management.
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