Challenges, goals and triumphs in the world of Sport Management

Today, Major International Sports Events at a Turning Point

Even before talking about a crisis in the world of sports, we must consider this era and our civilization from a different perspective than the one of our prestigious forbearers, and notably the great French reformer, the Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

Towards the end of the 20th century, the Olympic revival was anchored in a global, unifying and philosophical approach.

The tremendous growth of sports, its globalization and its professionalization made the Major International Sports Events (MISE) true icons, whose agendas could not be questioned, except during the world war.

In this framework, and for many years during the past century, competitions and major sports organizations, as well as the victories of sportsmen and women inherent to their participation, have been strong signals from a political, ideological, diplomatic and geostrategic point of view. This is notwithstanding the real security issues that have profoundly transformed the development and organization of large-scale events regarding the protection of athletes and spectators.

The globalization of the practice of sports, the rise of the media and digital broadcasting networks, as well as the use of sports organizations as an effective tool of Soft Power, have given the 21st century a new vector of expression for the hosting countries, as well as for the participants, television viewers or spectators.

Sports events are thus caught in the grip of deep political and geostrategic constraints, as evidenced by the recent diplomatic boycott of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom for the Beijing Games in 2022.

As a result, manifestation is now intrinsic to major international sports events, and the issues at stake are multifaceted and unpredictable. Sport has now gone beyond the strict framework of competitive events, and, indeed, the stadium environment is ent is perhaps the last place where one can hoist a flag in the colors of a country without being immediately suspected of nationalism.

Sport is at a crossroads and so are its major events. This paradigm shift is a strong signal of what the future modus operandi of sharing will be. Of what the Olympic spirit of the third millennium will be like. Of what the great venues of the European and international.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, resulted in Russia's exclusion from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the relocation of the Champions League final, the military engagement of several Ukrainian athletes, and the sudden end of sponsorship for Russian brands. The consequences of such actions can be immediate and far-reaching in the world of sport.

The global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has already been witnessed. The health crisis has impacted all sectors of activity, including education and sports. Over the last two years, learning methods have become more experiential due to the pandemic. This has also affected sporting practices.

Major International Sports Events: A Broader Perspective

In fact, in the institutional definition used notably by the Institute Regional de Development du Sport, MISE are “major competitions of international or continental level grouping together high-level sports disciplines and giving the right to a title, a world ranking or belonging to an official circuit”.

MISE as exceptional showcases for host countries Economically, the world MISE market represents nearly €50 billion per year according to data advanced by the French Government.

However, in addition to this economic dimension, which must necessarily be placed in perspective given the organisational costs associated with such events, the hosting of major international sports events is often a key issue for States for many reasons:

• They are a showcase for their know-how, a reflection of a country’s ability to shine outside its borders with engineering and creativity recognised throughout the world, 
• They are major drivers of social cohesion within the population, 
• They help to boost the attractiveness of and employment in the areas specifically concerned by the hosting of the event, 
• They represent a real opportunity to stimulate economic activity and job creation in a multitude of key sectors: sports equipment, facilities, architecture, construction and public works, infrastructure management, event organization, ticketing, energy, transport, flow management, security, digital economy, etc. 

France is positioning itself as a major player in world sport with Paris 2024, showcasing its expertise in organization, hosting, tourism, infrastructure, sustainable development, gastronomy, and sport.

The Sports Management School aims to contribute to the GESI - the Olympic and Paralympic Games - hosted by Paris in July-August 2024.

The SMS has always aimed to link training with practice. During the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, 300 students will be responsible for organizing, managing, and operating all ticketing operations.