University of Technology Sydney

21649 Olympic Games and Sport Mega-Events

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Business: Management
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 48 credit points of completed study in Business Faculty Bachelor's Degree OR 48 credit points of completed study in Business Faculty Bachelor's Combined Degrees OR 48 credit points of completed study in Health Faculty Bachelor's Degree OR 48 credit points of completed study in Health Faculty Bachelor's Combined Degrees
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 27103 Olympic Games and Mega Events

Description

Mega-events are now a key part of the sport business landscape. Global spectacles like the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games and the FIFA World Cup characterise the vast scope and scale of events that are watched by hundreds of millions of people via television or the internet. This subject focuses on how these events are planned for and delivered, together with their impact and legacy for host cities and nations. It is therefore concerned with project management, public policy, marketing and sponsorship, and international relations in respect of staging the world's largest events.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
1. Explain key processes associated with the organization of global sport mega-events
2. Discuss the principles and practices associated with planning and managing sport mega-events
3. Apply management theory to managing sport mega-events including responsibilities such as project management, risk management and security management
4. Evaluate claims of social, economic and environmental impacts and legacies of key sport mega-events

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject is aligned with the graduate attributes of professional and technical competence.

This subject provides students with the knowledge and skills relevant to the planning and implementation of mega events. As such, it assists students in developing the graduate attributes of critical thinking and analytical skills, attitudes, and values in the context of sustainability and ethics, and business practice-oriented skills. This is achieved through interactive learning activities, project-based workshops, and case-study analysis.

This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Program Learning Objectives for the Sport Business Major in the Bachelor of Management:

  • Execute managerial capabilities and technical skills that are critical to professional practice in a specialised industry sector (4.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching and learning strategies include formal lectures, tutorials, project-based workshops and group discussions. Students are expected to read and prepare the weekly materials accessible on the UTS Learning Management System, including research articles, case studies, and associated practical and academic sources in preparation for the lectures and tutorials. In-class sessions will build on these materials and lead into collaborative problem-based workshop sessions with design thinking elements. These workshop sessions are project-based and will combine pre-class activities with active learning experiences (i.e. scenario planning sessions) that go beyond the prescribed group activities that form the official assessment. Other activities include commenting on current issues, case-study analysis and examination of the latest research presented in journal articles. In class feedback on group activities and designed pre-work will be provided weekly starting from week 2.

Content (topics)

  • The global expansion of sport mega-events
  • Bidding for and planning sport mega-events
  • Mega-event marketing and sponsorship
  • Project management & sport mega-events
  • Impact and legacy of mega-events
  • Managing the Olympic Games
  • Managing the Paralympic Games
  • Managing the FIFA World Cup

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Project Seminar (Group)

Intent:

This assessment contributes to graduate attributes:

  • Critical thinking and analytical skills
  • Business Practice Oriented Skills
Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

2 and 3

Weight: 25%

Assessment task 2: Major Paper (Individual)

Intent:

This assessment contributes to graduate attributes:

  • Critical thinking and analytical skills
  • Attitudes and Values
  • Business Practice Oriented Skills
Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

4

Weight: 45%
Length:

2500 minimum word limit (not including the reference list)

3500 maximum word limit (not including the reference list)

Assessment task 3: Exam (Individual)

Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

1, 2, 3 and 4

Weight: 30%
Length:

Two hours.

Minimum requirements

Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.

Recommended texts

Frawley, S. (2017). Managing Sport Mega-Events. London: Routledge