Abstract
The continued impact of a sedentary lifestyle, associated illnesses due to inactivity, along with the impact of a relationship the sport industry has with public health and public health advocacy has been reviewed by many authors. One specific focus area includes free and mass-participation events. The objective of free mass-participation events hosted by Salem State University (SSU), i.e. the 2016 Wellness U Multisport Festival and the 2017 and 2018 Generation Games, was to involve SSU students studying sport and recreation management in the development and implementation of new sporting event solutions targeting these social concerns. Students and faculty from the University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where Generation Games originated, traveled to SSU in both 2017 and 2018 to join the SSU faculty and students in the management of the events as part of an annual international exchange program and partnership with the city of Salem, Massachusetts. This paper shares SSU’s experience in implementing the projects, while discussing implications for the community and the university as a whole. Surveys of event participants were collected, yielding suggestions for future endeavors to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of attracting and retaining more participants in free mass-participation events.
Presenters
Katharine BloomSalem State University Peter Smolianov
Professor, Sport and Movement Science, Salem State University, USA, United States Steven Dion
Christopher Schoen
Stuart G McMahon
Christina O'connor
Brett Bodzinski
Nick Salamida
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2018 Special Focus - Sports Impacts: Reshaping Cities, Environments, People
KEYWORDS
"Wellness U Multisport Festival", " Generation Games", " Salem State U"
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